Dice House Games – New Location
Board gamers and role players of Orange County I bring great news. Dice House Games, cherished FLGS, has moved to a new location that has more space, more games, and more tables for playing. Dice House had been Located in Fullerton since 2008 but has moved as of February 2022. The new address for Dice House is 940 E Lincoln Ave, Orange, CA 92865.
Dice House Games in Orange will always hold a special place in my heart as one of the best spots for board games and tabletop RPGs. It was at Dice House that we discovered the deep and amazing world of board gaming about 6 years ago. It was at Dice House that my son decided to become enamored with Magic The Gathering (Tuan did warn me about that one with a wink and a smile). So we were overjoyed to hear that Dice House has moved to a new location in Orange, CA and we went to check out the grand opening in beginning of February 2023.
We arrived early to the line you see in the photo above with dozens of excited gamers. Boba was served to many (thanks Tuan and family). I bought a nice new T shirt (in this house we do geek – sweet. I had to come back to look at the games and get more photos due to the crowd. But was pleased to see this business doing so well. I’ve been to a lot of game stores around the country and this is really one of the best in terms of what they know about and the games you’ll find on their shelves.
Interview with Tuan Le
In celebration of Dice House’s relaunch at the new location, we caught up with owner Tuan Le to chat about the history of the shop and the popularity of modern board gaming.
The new space looks great! Congratulations on the launch. We also love that you’re closer to where we live now. What motivated the move from the old location in Fullerton?
There were many factors actually. Space, cost, management, and a fresh start were on my mind. I began looking about 6 months ago with my current lease set to expire. The new location is owned by one person who takes great care of the plaza. The space is bigger than the old store and the cost is significantly lower. The chance to redesign the store from the ground up was a big factor too. Very happy with the decision.
How long has Dice House been in operation?
Dice House Games began in April of 2008. Not a great time really considering the country was in a recession. Fortunately we survived. I had previously worked 13 years for a similar store called The Game Castle that eventually closed in 2007.
How did you initially get into gaming?
I attended CSUF with a minor in illustrative art. My then gf got me a job at The Game Castle because of the fantasy themes there which I enjoyed drawing in my free time.
There have been so many new games (and game companies, designers, game systems) that have launched in the past few years. The popularity of board games has exploded. Is this a trend that you have seen come and go over the years? Or is this a modern evolution of gaming?
I think the appeal of tabletop games is the face to face social interaction. Online games are fun and I’m a WoW veteran myself, but they can lack real human connection. A good comparison I think is sitting at a poker table vs online poker. Same game, however a very different feel to both of them.
What do you think is driving the current excitement for games?
For me, it’s the people. A good community can create and share excitement. The ability to share ideas and opinions online or through social media is huge. Finding playing groups and organizing meetups is now easily at our fingertips. It’s a great time to be a tabletop gamer.
What’s your favorite game to introduce to new players?
I steer them towards simpler games that aren’t too intimidating. Depending on number and type of players, I recommend games like Ticket to Ride, Dixit, Catan, Carcassonne, etc… great games with easier rules, but solid strategies. It opens their eyes to a whole new world of possibilities above the more well known Monopoly and Scrabble type games.
What’s your favorite game to play with hardcore gaming friends?
Magic the Gathering. I also love Catan with expansions. Trading and bartering provides a really fun social and political aspect to it.
What is the game you are asked about most in 2023 so far?
It’s not out yet, but Frosthaven and Disney’s Lorcana trading card game are creating a lot of Buzz. There’s currently a long wait list for the sold out Heat board game also, but that came out late 2022.
Do you have game nights at the shop for people to play? Board game nights / MTG nights / RPG meets?
Yes. Every night of the week is themed towards something. We also allow open gaming if there’s tables available, but the themed night will always have priority. Unless it’s a Magic sealed event, our meetups are generally free. Even with our paid Magic event we break even, it’s just the cost of goods. Creating and improving the gaming community is what’s important to me. I want them to use their money on games, not to rent space to play. Funny story, a nice gentleman tried to tip me the other night as a thank you for letting his group play. I told him of course to keep it and spend it on something they could play next time instead.
Visit Dice House
Visit Dice House Games in Orange, CA for board games, card games, RPGs and accessories. The new address for Dice House is 940 E Lincoln Ave, Orange, CA 92865. Phone is (714) 871-6494. Hours are Tuesday – Saturday 11-9 and Sunday 11-7
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