Do you like tabletop games but struggle to find a group to play with? Trust me, I’ve been there. But do not despair, because I have the perfect place for you.
I’m talking about Red Raccoon, Bloomington’s premier local game store. Red Raccoon is a tabletop gamer’s dream. They supply products for almost every game you can imagine, including Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, the Pokémon Trading Card Game and Warhammer. They even sell non-tabletop game products, such as model kits and prop weapons. If you’ve got a niche interest, you’ll be hard-pressed to find that it’s not supported at Red Raccoon.
Red Raccoon also hosts a myriad of fun events, such as D&D campaigns and Magic prereleases, to get the community involved. Red Raccoon casts a wide net that’s helped build the strong, welcoming community it has. These events help give the store a tight-knit, almost cozy atmosphere that keeps people coming back.
Speaking of community, Red Raccoon is also incredibly involved with local schools. In fact, it is one of the only stores that gives discounts on purchases to educators. They also regularly donate dice and board games to the Bloomington Public Library.
You don’t have to take just my word for it, though. Many will attest that Red Raccoon is a pillar of the Bloomington community.
“Red Raccoon is a place where you can tell the owners really care about the store and having fun,” said IWU senior David Baer. “I remember back when they were in the old space, just a couple of storefronts down, and seeing all the people cramped together, still having a good time playing games,” Baer said.
IWU’s board game club vice president, Elijah Rogers, said, “It’s a nice store with great people, both who work and go there, with a huge selection of games. I go there a couple of times a week for TCG nights or cards, meeting new and interesting people each time.”
If I didn’t make it abundantly clear already, I love Red Raccoon. Now that I’ve built a proper Magic deck with some cards I bought from there, I can’t wait to start going to more weekly events and meeting new people.
It’s also only a 25-minute walk away from the IWU campus. Red Raccoons events are pretty low-cost as well, so they are even feasible for a college student’s budget. I can’t wait to see some new faces there.
