About Fourth Space Games
What's a "Fourth Space"?
The idea of a third space comes from sociologist Ray Oldenburg. It's the place you go that isn't work or home — somewhere to hang out, relax, and just be. Coffee shops, bookstores, your favorite pub. Game stores have naturally become that space for a lot of people. A good game store isn't just selling stuff; it's giving you a reason to come back, to play, to talk, to connect.
But we wanted to take that a step further.
The Fourth Space is what happens when that community doesn't end when you walk out the door. It follows you home, in the best way. It's the D&D group you coordinate through Discord, the late-night banter in a voice channel, the trade you organize with someone you've never met in person — but somehow know like a regular. It's still real community, just happening in both worlds.
We believe in-person and online community can support each other, and that both should be welcoming, inclusive, and safe. No gatekeeping, no elitism, no tolerance for people who make others uncomfortable. A level playing field where people can show up as they are and be part of the fun.
Fourth Space Games — your friendly local game store and your digital home base, too.
Ten Years In
May 15th, 2025 marks ten years since I opened my first shop.
Fourth Space Games is a locally owned game store and event center on 2nd Street in Portsmouth. I got my start in 2015 when this shop was still called Tyler's CCGs. A lot has changed since then, but the focus has stayed the same: create a space where people can enjoy the hobby however they like. In 2020, while everything was shut down, I used the time to rebrand. That's when Fourth Space Games was born.
Making it ten years in any business is something I don't take lightly, especially in this industry. It's been humbling, a little chaotic, and absolutely worth it.
Along the way, I've had a lot of help. Friends and family have pitched in to move furniture, reorganize displays, and haul an unreasonable number of boxes. Regulars have stuck with us through every version of the shop. We've had dinners, late-night game nights, and I've even seen some of the kids who came in early on grow up and start families of their own.
One turning point came thanks to my friend Jordan Hyland. We went to school together, and one day in 2015 he stopped by and said, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool to do esports tournaments here?" I told him to go for it, and just like that, we had something big on our hands. That was the beginning of Complex Esports — named after The Complex, a youth sports facility in the old West Middle School building where the store first started. Jordan got that side of things moving, and he's the reason we expanded into PC gaming. That conversation helped shape what would eventually become our game center as it exists today.
We've come a long way. From a classroom in The Complex, to a small space on Gallia Street, and now to our current home on 2nd Street in a historic downtown building.
Tyler McGraw
Owner, Fourth Space Games