Sponsored. The fear of opening a game store was real. I didn't want to try and fail doing the thing I loved. But, interestingly, my earliest ambitions about my future were always about owning and running a games store.
I was introduced to the world of tabletop gaming in 1986 and from that time onwards I've never stopped gaming. From boardgames and Dungeons & Dragons in the 80's, to Games Workshop in the 90's, and then onto trading card games, my love of gaming has never diminished.
The First Step is Always the Hardest
The idea of leaving behind a safe but not enjoyable "real job" is a big step but one that I can easily attest to was the right choice. In 2006 a decision was made to open a games store with 3 other like-minded gamers (Scott Hunstad, Egidio De Gois and Alex Brown) and just like that Good Games was born.
It was a simple store in Sydney that had more space dedicated to chairs and tables than stock, but we would grow quickly. At the start, there were so many customers who were not familiar with tabletop games and really couldn't understand what we did.
Nevertheless, we quickly became a home away from home for international students and locals alike. It was very early on that we could see just how important the community aspect of our business was. It's one thing to be part of the community, but another to be responsible for its nurturing and growth.
Franchising the Fun
Scott Hunstad was the most ambitious of the business partners who wanted five stores in five years and 20 in 10 years. It seemed unlikely at the time, but we were able to accomplish this goal and more. We figured out that in order to have continued growth of the brand and the number of stores, franchising our business was the way to go.
From 2010 we launched franchising in Australia and through a mix of company and franchise stores, Good Games covers most of the country with two company stores in the U.S. (Indianapolis and Chicago).
I remember our first employees even as we grew to close to 200 employees, always reminding me how important they are to the success of Good Games. This also extends to our franchisees and their staff as they are just as important in the growth of our brand. Today, Good Games as a brand is not only strong, but gaming interest in general is at an all-time high with more mass appeal than ever.
Leveling Up Good Games
Looking back on how Good Games has grown to 30+ stores, there's plenty to reflect on.
A good analysis of what we did well or not would probably say we made plenty of mistakes over the years. We probably grew and tried too many things in a shorter period of time than we should have, but that kind of goes hand in hand with being a gamer as a business owner. Sometimes in a game you need to take a risk to get the reward.
The longer you do a thing the more you learn and running games stores is no different. As Good Games opens franchising in the U.S., we're going to refine our franchise model from what we learnt in Australia. Of course, all this with the continued aim of having the most well-known and beloved game store in the world.
We will continue to foster amazing communities with like interests and have a home for people to share their passions. For new franchise owners we are excited to help others live their dream of opening a games store and to be part of a growing and successful group.
Interested in running your own game store business? Good Games is opening up franchising in the U.S. Start living your tabletop dreams and enquire about franchising today. Simply head to https://www.goodgamesna.com/franchise-opportunities/ or email rob@goodgames.com.au for more information.

Co-Founder Paul Van Der Werk Shares His Story
Posted by Sponsor on July 22, 2025 @ 2:56 am CT

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