For The Basement owner Chris Sullivan, he doesn’t see success in dollars and cents, but in how much joy he brings to people.

“People are looking for an escape,” he said, “and The Basement just so happens to be a great place to talk about Magic: The Gathering cards, movies, and comic books.”

That attitude has paid dividends as the Bossier City-based haven for gamers, collectors, and pop culture aficionados has relocated to make more space for collectibles and tabletop gaming.

The veteran-owned business located at 4092 Airline Dr. is fulfilling Sullivan’s dream. After retiring from 21 years of military service, he wanted to give people a chance to have fun and meet other like-minded people in a safe and comfortable space.

That goal of being an open gathering place saw an overwhelming response, which pushed The Basement towards overwhelming success. Sullivan says the store has grown in a lot of ways, as has the sense of community among his customers. 

“Most of the work for moving and remodeling was done by volunteers,” he revealed. “I had this idea and then people responded to it. I never expected this many people would be interested in my store.”

Although they only opened in March 2024, The Basement needed space to accommodate higher foot traffic and requests for gaming space. Their new location has more than doubled their capacity to support gaming.

“I just didn’t have the room to support very many games,” Sullivan said. “People wanted to come play, we would host special events for new releases, and I didn’t want to have to turn people away.”

Most customers are stopping in to play Tactical Card Games (TCG), but there are also people playing tabletop games like Warhammer. The TCG community and the tabletop gaming community have grown right along with The Basement as the games become more mainstream.

“We’re a part of it because I’m a fan,” said Sullivan. “We could not have done this without the community that we have here, and that’s what we want to keep focusing on.”

While TCG and tabletop games have been around for decades, they have increased in popularity in the past couple of years as people are seeing the value in collecting cards. Sullivan noted that Magic: The Gathering puts art on their cards, and it has created something that people love and want to collect. 

He also pointed out that more people are getting involved because they get a rush from buying and opening packs. In fact, Sullivan noted that his customers have pulled cards worth $6,000 and $1,000.

“It’s fun to open that pack and ask yourself, ‘Am I going to get a $3 card or a $73 card?’” he said. “It brings people together because they’re there to see it and they feel like they’re a part of it.”

Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or new to discovering the world of TCG and tabletop games, The Basement invites you to relax with some classic video games or get lost in the world of Dungeons and Dragons. 

Sullivan says everybody is welcome, and they don’t allow bickering and arguing. So, don’t feel nervous or anxious about sticking out, just be willing to sit down and “throw around some cardboard with us.”

“It’s a small community in a small town, and there are other stores to go to for this type of thing, but we’ve been a success thanks to a great community,” Sullivan said. 

“Maybe there’s a bit of magic here. No pun intended.”

Address: 4092 Airline Drive