By Dave Branco

Local board game shop owner rolls the dice on building community

Mar 23, 2026 | 2:43 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – ​As people spend more time on screens, one local shop is bringing folks together in person again. Shelf Life Games opened less than a year ago, and owner Jason Bell says face-to-face fun is making a real comeback.

​If you stop by Shelf Life Games on the weekend, you’ll find every table busy high schoolers on one side, retirees on the other. Jason Bell has built more than a game store. It’s a community spot, with board game nights from Thursday to Sunday and a relaxed Friday drop-in for newcomers.

​Bell also runs a special trade-in program. Customers can bring in games they no longer play and get store credit. He checks every piece himself before putting the games back on the shelf. This makes it easier for newcomers to join in and keeps the hobby going strong.

​The timing has been good. Bell says the pandemic sparked a wave of new game designs and more independent designers publishing their own games. Now, there are lots of creative titles, and the industry isn’t just run by a few big publishers anymore.

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Shelf Life Games is located at 1424 2nd Avenue, Prince George