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Best specialty game stores
These four shops offer options for gamers to play at home or at in-store competitions.
Best new game store for all ages
Mind Games at Westfield Montgomery mall is part of a chain that stocks “anything that gets your mind going,” says Heather Alvarado, assistant store manager of the Bethesda location, which opened in the summer. There are classic board games (Scrabble, Yahtzee, Clue, Catan), shuffleboard and table tennis sets, Rubik’s Cubes, playing cards, video games, DIY models, science kits and jigsaw puzzles. Some days the store is full of kids who enjoy the hands-on car racing tracks or displays of battery-operated barking dogs, Alvarado says, and other times it’s mostly adults who like to buy collectibles such as Funko Pop vinyl figures and Pokemon trading cards.
7101 Democracy Blvd. (Westfield Montgomery mall), Bethesda, mindgamesandtoys.com
Play More Games in Gaithersburg sells board games, trading cards (Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon), miniature models and role-playing games (Dungeons & Dragons)—but not video games. In the back of the store, customers gather around long tables on weeknights from 6-10 p.m. to play Magic (Tuesdays and Fridays), board games (Thursdays) and D&D (Fridays). It’s typically $8 to play, but can go up to $40 for Magic depending on the prizes. “With online [games], you have to do it through cameras, and you don’t have that personal connection—and that’s what people really seem to be after,” says owner Rick Hubley II, who established the store in 2015.
42 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, playmoregamestore.com
Best vintage and retro game store
Dice City Games specializes in the high-end collectible side of gaming with vintage cards and retro video games. Owner Jimmy Cooney says store employees have expertise in curating, authenticating and buying collectibles. Cooney opened the store in 2017 to foster community through play and provide a place for common ground where everyone is welcome, he says. Dice City hosts meetups for board games and Dungeons & Dragons, and tournaments for Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon. There are games Tuesday through Friday from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and all day on weekends ($10-$15 per person, with higher prices for special events).
11406-B Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, dicecitygames.tcgplayerpro.com
Best mega game store
At Dream Wizards, a fixture in Rockville since 1978, there is something going on every weeknight (except Monday) and on weekends during the day. The spacious, independent store caters to non-video game customers. The store sells board games, trading cards and miniature hobby game pieces. Its events calendar includes Pokemon; Yu-Gi-Oh!; Lorcana; Magic: The Gathering; Flesh and Blood; Digimon; Star Wars: Unlimited; and miniature tabletop games such as Warhammer 40,000. Fees are about $10 per person (higher on prize nights). When there aren’t events, people are welcome to drop in to play games with their friends for free, says manager Doug Maclure: “We have the floor space that lets us cater to different audiences.”
11772 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, dreamwizards.com
Best new boutiques for a shopping outing in one place
Park in one place at Potomac’s Cabin John Village shopping center and hit two new clothing boutiques that pride themselves on offering personalized customer service and distinctive items not available in traditional department stores.
Apricot Lane Boutique is a franchise known for its trendy, colorful and fun clothing, including high-quality tops and premium denim brands such as Paige, AG and Frame, says Stacey Galkin, sales stylist. There are sweaters with bling and bows, faux-fur-trimmed vests, roomy fleece jackets and boho-chic long skirts, along with an array of leisurewear. The store also sells dresses, from the shiny and sparkly for elegant parties to short ones with ruffles made of hot-pink floral fabric. Shoppers can complete their outfits with an assortment of the boutique’s handbags and jewelry.
7951 Tuckerman Lane, Suite C (Cabin John Village), Potomac, apricotlaneboutique.com
Inside Jurisdiction, a white neon sign reads “We Are All Beautiful,” reflective of the store’s inclusive philosophy, says attorney and owner Jessica Markham, 44, of Potomac. The independent store sells items in all sizes (including plus) and aims to make people of different gender identities and expressions feel welcome, all while appealing to varying budgets. It also features accessories and gifts from women-, Black-, and queer-owned businesses. The boutique carries classic items (such as blazers and wide-leg trousers by Oat New York) for women who “need to look put together in an office-casual environment,” Markham says, along with some cocktail attire. Many items cost less than $100, although the store does feature high-end pieces from Suncoo, a Parisian line.
7937 Tuckerman Lane, Suite A (Cabin John Village), Potomac, jurisdictionclothing.com
Best new place to gear up for a bike or ski outing
Whether your jam is a weekend bicycle ride along the C&O Canal or heading to the slopes in Aspen or Massanutten, you can get outfitted for your adventure at Bethesda Bike and Ski. The shop, which opened in August in downtown Bethesda, is operated by co-owners Bruce Thompson and Jeff Labow. They are self-described “seasoned veterans” of the bike industry who both worked at Big Wheel Bikes, the store that Bethesda Bike and Ski replaced. “We wanted to combine our love of snow sports and cycling, but also keep ourselves busy through the winter,” Labow says. The shop sells, rents, services and repairs bicycle, ski and snowboard equipment. Its bicycle lines include Specialized and Brooklyn, and K2 and Line are among the brands of ski equipment. The store also offers lessons, workshops and 30-mile bike rides on Sunday mornings (weather permitting), and plans to offer shuttles to ski resorts in the winter.
6917 Arlington Road, Bethesda, bethesdabikeandski.com
Best new vintage shops
Vintage shops can be cool curated spaces offering products from bygone eras that are sometimes quirky, and often boasting quality and affordable luxury. These two vintage stores opened recently, and both are home to one-of-a-kind shopping experiences.
After working in the corporate world for 20 years, Kelly Swanstrom pivoted. In April 2023, she started selling vintage items at Olney Antique Village, then moved her business to Poolesville in September 2024, opening Sugar Pea Vintage, a store and interior design studio.
Swanstrom, 45, who lives in Poolesville, says she thinks of her cozy shop, located in a house that dates to 1820, as her portfolio. She might meet with potential interior design clients on the stylish sofa facing an old fireplace in one of the store’s rooms or help retail customers pick out small gift items. Swanstrom stocks a curated selection of sculptural decor, charming antique pieces, rustic architectural salvage, recent finds she buys at auctions, plus a few collectibles—not strictly vintage wares, she says. Sugar Pea Vintage is open Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
19960 Fisher Ave., Poolesville, sugarpeavintage.com
Sisters-in-law Rachel Petruccelli and Rosina Aguiar opened their shop, Heirloom, in October 2023. The Darnestown store fills a white building and feels like a carnival of thoughtfully selected clothing, furniture, decor, kitchenware and media. Items for sale change often; in October the shop featured an array of blue-and-white ceramic chinoiserie pieces, timeless tops and dresses, a kaleidoscope of groovy glass candleholders and drinkware, and vintage finds from luxury brands, such as a set of Hermès napkin rings.
Aguiar, 54, of McLean, Virginia, started Hit the Motherlode in May 2016, which is an Instagram account that features her six kids and vintage finds from auctions, estate sales and other sources. Petruccelli, 44, of Darnestown, has been thrifting and reselling items on sites such as eBay for many years, she says. The store is open Thursdays from 2 to 6 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
14111 Seneca Road, Darnestown, shop-heirloom.myshopify.com