When looking into buying board games, one of the biggest obstacles can be deciding what retailer to buy from. Many times it is easy to just rely on Amazon for everything, as it's definitely the largest and most prominent online retailer today, but they are not always the cheapest and most efficient option. There are actually many board game retailers at your disposal, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and it's a good idea to check multiple when you are looking to buy new games. So in no particular order, let's take a look at what ten of them (that are based in the United States) have to offer.

Game Nerdz is an online retailer that focuses on board games, card games, miniatures, and video games. They offer a "Deal of the Day" as well as On Sale, Clearance, and "Ding and Dent" sections where you can find a lot of great deals. They also have a Reward System that offers in-store credit in exchange for points you earn by making purchases (1 point for every $1 you spend). Very loyal customers can get $100 of in-store credit when they earn 3,200 points (which in actuality is $3,200). Overall, they are a very solid site and respected as one of the best online board game retailers.

Over 3,600 board games in stock

Offer pre-orders

Free shipping on orders over $75

Flat shipping rate of $5 (or less depending on weight)

Offer full refunds on unopened products within 30 days of delivery

Miniature Market is another online retailer that specializes in board games, table top and collectible miniatures, role playing games, and Magic: The Gathering. One unique feature of this site is "The Drop," which is a daily deal that increases by an additional 5% off every day until they run out of copies. This means that if a game on "The Drop" is still in stock 19 days after it goes on sale, it would be 95% off. They also have a Reward System where customers earn points through purchases that they can redeem in-store credit. The site has a good reputation among the community and is one of the most commonly used retailers.

Over 5,300 board games in stock

Free shipping on orders over $99

Flat shipping rate of $5.99

Offers a Buy Back System

Cardhaus Games is an online retailer that sells a wide variety of board games and accessories. They offer daily deals, a clearance section, and a 5% discount on pre-orders. They a have a Reward System that is very similar to that of Game Nerdz (1 point for every $1 spent, $100 off for 9,000 points) and offer discounted prices on what seems like every product, although they are not always the cheapest when compared with other retailers. With great prices and costumer service, many people in the community consider this retailer to be solid and few have reported any issues with their payment, delivery, or product.

Over 2,500 games in stock

Free Shipping on orders above $125

No flat shipping rate

Cool Stuff Inc. is another online retailer that sells card games, board games, miniatures, role playing games, and related supplies. They offer daily and weekly sales, product spotlights, and a Buy List where users can sell their used cards or miniatures to the site and earn a 25% Store Credit Bonus. Various articles are also hosted on their website. They are heavily focused on card games such as Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokemon, and Dragon Ball, Cool Stuff Inc. is another great option to consider when buying board games.

4,849 board game search results

Offer pre-orders

Free shipping on orders above $100

$0.99 shipping is offered for orders including only eligible items

Flat shipping rate of $5.99

Macronova Games is a retailer that is military family owned and operated who's "goal is to bring board games and wholesome entertainment to our fellow service members and their families as well as the rest of the United States." They tell those who live on a military installation to contact them so they can work with the USO (United Service Organization) to get board games to their neighborhood. Though they do not have the largest catalog or offer many deals or discounts, but they do have a Reward System (based on sharing and contributing to the site).

Military family owned

Around 400 games in their catalog

Free shipping on orders above $100

Legendesque is a family ran online Card and Board Game store based in California founded by Elliott Lee. Their board game catalog is around 2,100, though they encourage users to tell them what games they are missing so that they can add them. They offer competitive prices, a Reward System (based on sharing and contributing to the site), and customer holds, though the strong point that they boast is their customer service. With one of the best reputations, many customers have reported great service from this retailer.

Around 2,100 games in their catalog

Offer customer holds

Free shipping on orders above $100

Flat shipping rate of $6

Great customer service

Alright, here's what you've all been waiting for, the largest online retailer of basically everything: Amazon. However, this retailer offers different experiences for people who are Amazon Prime members and those who aren't. Prime members gain access to a number of perks by paying $119 (or $13 a month) which include Free Same Day or Two Day Delivery, Video and Music Streaming, and discounts on groceries, though the most relevant to us right now is the super fast free shipping. Regarding their catalog, they have basically every board game available. However, Amazon does not always have the lowest prices, and you should make sure to check other retailers before defaulting to Amazon.

Huge catalog off basically every board game available

(For Prime Members) Free Same-Day or Two-Day Delivery

(For non-Prime Members) standard shipping is $3.99-$4.99 and

Free shipping on orders above $49

I know I said that this list was not in any particular order, but I lied. Unlike the previous retailers, these next three are not entirely based online and existed before the internet did. Walmart, founded in 1962, is a chain of department stores that offers a surprising selection of board games. You may know Walmart for a jack of all trades, master of none kind of store, offering a wide variety of products but lacking in selection. This somewhat holds up in its board game department. The majority of their selection seems to be classic board games like Monopoly (and its many variations), Uno, Jenga, and Life that are aimed more for young children. However, I did find a few newer games, such as Ticket to Ride, Scythe, Catan, Splendor, and Codenames. I wouldn't recommend Walmart as your first stop when looking for a new game, but I think comparing its prices of games it does have can possibly save you some cash.

Around 1,000 board games

Free shipping on orders above $50

Standard shipping is $6.97 on orders above $50 and $4.97 on orders below

Personally, I love Target. I consider it a more classy Walmart, as it offers the same variety of products, but with with what I consider better selection. But my personal bias aside, Target's selection of board games is similar to Walmart's as it is filled with more classic board games and games tailored for younger children. It does have a few popular games like Cards Against Humanity, Codenames, Exploding Kittens, and Catan, but like Walmart, I wouldn't recommend making this your primary retailer when looking for hot new board games. Their website does offer free 2-day shipping on orders above $35, so if you're shopping for other things and stumble on a sale, it might as well bee worth it to add it to your cart.

Around 2,900 board games

Free 2-day shipping on orders above $35

Flat shipping rate of $5.99

This is more of a warning than a recommendation. Barnes and Nobles is a great place to purchase books of all kinds and I love the retailer as a place to sit down and relax. But that being said, it's not the best idea to shop for board games here. Their selection (around 100) is what you would expect of a retailer who's main focus isn't on board games: pretty bad. They have games like Monopoly, Catan, and Risk, but that's basically it. If you were looking to buy some classic novels or teen romance books, I would definitely recommend this retailer. If you were looking for board games, not so much.

Around 100 board games

Free shipping on orders above $35

I hope this brief Overview...

...is able to help you the next time you are looking for the best place to buy that new board game. There are many other retailers other than the ones I mentioned that carry board games, so this is by no means a be-all end-all list. My main hope is that you now have a better idea and understanding of a few places that carry games and how you can utilize the different features they have to offer.