May 15th marks ten years since I opened my first shop.
Fourth Space Games is a locally owned game store and event center located 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.
Since then, I've been working to make everything we offer as accessible as possible, whether you're walking through the door or browsing from your phone. The website is finally getting close to where I want it. Most products and services are easy to browse, order, and either have shipped or set aside for pickup. Right now, preorders are one of the few things still limited to in-store pickup.
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. (Which, yes, makes me feel extremely old.)
One turning point came, early on, 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 what we called Complex Esports, named after The Complex, a youth sports facility housed 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 quaint space on Gallia Street, and now to our current home on 2nd Street in a historic downtown building. I've loved watching the space evolve right along with the store.
As we head into our 10th year, here’s what you can expect from us:
Over 4,000 video games in stock and ready to browse
Over 200,000 trading cards available to order with fast turnaround (often same day)
TCG supplies, D&D books, dice, lanyards, metal signs, and other cool stuff
A game room with gaming PCs and retro consoles, available daily at affordable rates
An ever-growing board game library, free to use with any purchase
Party rentals that include access to all of the above
TCG events, esports tournaments, and even some D&D campaigns
We’re here because we love games, and we want to make it easy for others to find what they enjoy too. As a locally owned store, community has always mattered. I’ve always got plans (too many, probably), and I’m excited to keep growing and sharing that with everyone who walks through the door.
It’s not always smooth sailing. Pokemon is the current thorn in our side. Allocations can be tight, shipments unpredictable, and it sometimes feels like a scramble. But the goal is always to keep the shelves stocked and make sure locals are taken care of first. That’s the priority, and it’s not changing anytime soon.
Tyler McGraw
Owner
Fourth Space Games