by Armchair Dragoons PAO, 26 July 2026
Continuing our spotlight series on the Friendly Local (War)Game Stores around the US & Canada
Checkmate Games & Hobbies is located in Toledo , OH
In our key ratings for the FLGS directory, Checkmate Games & Hobbies scores
- 4 – Wargame Friendliness
- 2 – Wargame Inventory On-Hand
- 3 – Wargaming Event Frequency
This is a 1-7 scale, where higher numbers are better; see bottom of article for details
They do not offer online ordering but you can ask them to order & hold games for you at the store; you can find them at their homepage
What makes this store awesome?
Brant says
It’s a classic old-school, stuffed-to-the-gills game store with inventory in every nook and cranny that really feels like your crazy uncle’s back office and that’s in no way a negative. There’s a lot of great stuff on those shelves and it’s organized by type of games (kids, party, puzzle, etc) and once you find the right part of the store there’s a lot to explore.
Game room has a few tables but also more merchandise along the walls. Would be hard-pressed to stage a larger wargame without it dominating the room. Very friendly staff; a lot of rare & expensive cards in display cases and even more cards behind the counters.
Checkmate Games & Hobbies has tabletop RPGs as their main product inventory, and also carries minis wargames (esp Warhammer & Battletech), Eurogames, big-box “ameritrash” games, non-wargame minis (almost all fantasy), collectible card games including a lot of singles, general game accessories (dice, game mats, markers, etc), minis accessories (terrain, paint, etc), and a decent selection of puzzles.
And on the shelves, it’s mix of both new & used games, but way more of the former than the latter.
For in-store gaming, you’ve got a dedicated room with a couple of tables.
Snacks for sale? Drinks, but no munchies
Take a look at the store!
click images to enlarge
(photos submitted by Brant)
Don’t forget to check out our overall FLGS directory, which will grow in listings as you folks submit your own nominations for inclusion!
Ranking scale for the stores
- Wargame Friendliness: 1 (What’s a Wargame?) through 7 (Wargaming Nirvana)
- Wargame Inventory On-Hand: 1 (A stray lonely copy of one game) through 7 (Inventory is at least least 90% wargames)
- Wargaming Event Frequency: 1 (Monthly or less) through 7 (Nightly)
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