FREQUENTLY ASKED
Everything people ask before their first rental.
How a request actually works, what it costs, and what's in the box when it shows up. Don't see your question? Send it our way.
GETTING A GAME
Getting a game to your table
How do I reserve a game?
You send us the titles you want. It's a request, not an instant booking — we check the copy is actually free and write back to confirm, or put you on the waitlist for it.
How fast do you answer?
Within one business day. We don't have a live calendar you can check yourself — that's the tradeoff for someone actually reading your message before saying yes.
What if the game I want is already out?
We put you on the waitlist and write to you when it's back, or point you toward something similar if you'd rather not wait.
Can I pick it up myself instead of waiting on delivery?
Yes — pickup and drop-off both work by appointment, same as delivery does. Either way, there's still nothing to walk into; we just meet you.
How long do I get to keep it?
Out after 10am, back before 10am the next day. That's the standard night. Want it longer? Say so when you send your request and we'll work it out.
Do I need to show ID?
Yes — whoever confirms the reservation needs to be 18 or older, and we'll check a photo ID at handover to match the name on the confirmation.
What happens if nobody's home when you show up?
We'll reach out to reschedule. The next attempt goes out as its own delivery, at the standard rate — same as the first one, not an extra penalty.
PRICING
What it costs
What does a rental cost?
Games start at $8 a night. That's the floor, not the average — the real rate for a given title lives on that game's own listing.
Do I pay per game or per delivery?
Both, and they're separate. Renting is priced per game; delivery is priced per trip, a flat $12 each way no matter where you are inside the radius. Rent four games for the same night and it's still one delivery fee out, one back.
Is there a deposit?
Not right now — there's nothing to hold and nothing to refund. If that ever changes for a specific rental, you'll be told when we confirm your request, before you've agreed to anything.
How do I pay?
We sort that out when we confirm your request — there's no online checkout to click through here.
Does sales tax apply?
Yes — New York sales tax applies to the rental, and to delivery if you add it. The rate depends on where we deliver: as of 2025-03-01, that's 8% in Ulster County, 8.125% in Orange County, 8.125% in Dutchess County (Orange and Dutchess carry a regional transit surcharge Ulster doesn't). Just outside those three, or if a rate changes, we'll confirm the right one — either way it's calculated on your actual total and stated in writing, not estimated up front.
Do you accept tips?
They're not expected, but always welcome. Cash at handover works, or we'll point you to a digital option when we confirm your request.
If I rent a game and love it, can that count toward buying it?
Yes — if you decide to keep it, the rental fee for that game credits toward buying that exact copy from us in person, as long as it's within 30 days of returning it. Just mention it when you reach out.
THE GAMES
The games themselves
Is it only board games?
Mostly, but not only. Card games, dice games and a few puzzles are on the list too, just at lower supply.
How many games do you have?
The list stays short on purpose. Everything on it has been played here first, by adults and by the kids in the house, before it ever goes up — that's the point, not the count.
Are the games actually clean?
Yes — every game gets checked and wiped down between rentals, and puzzles get piece-counted before they go back out.
Do the boxes come with anything extra?
The official rulebook that came in the box, always. On a few of the heavier titles we've also written a quick-reference sheet, and some of the bigger games travel with an organizer tray we bought for them so setup isn't fifteen minutes of sorting cubes into piles. Neither is on every game — where one exists, the listing says so.
RETURNS & CARE
Bringing it back
What if a piece goes missing?
Tell us — that part matters more than the piece does. Every game goes out checked against its contents list and comes back checked against the same one, so we'll find it anyway, and hearing it from you first is always the better version. Small stuff is often replaceable and we'll usually just handle it. Something that takes a game off the shelf for a while is a different conversation, and there's a charge for it.
What if I bring it back late?
There's a late fee, and it works the way the video store's did. It isn't there to catch you out — it's there because somebody else is on the waitlist for that copy, and a game sitting on your table isn't on theirs. If you know you're running over, tell us before the return time and we'll usually just extend it.
Do I have to pack it back up properly?
Yes, and this is our version of not rewinding the tape. Pieces back in their bags, cards back in the deck, everything in the box. If it comes back tipped in loose, there's a fee for the hour it takes to sort out — and that hour is the reason the next family waits an extra day.
What if something gets damaged?
Tell us what happened. Wear from being played is just wear, and we expect it — that's what the games are for. Damage that ends a game's life gets billed to you directly at replacement cost, and we'll walk you through it rather than surprise you with it.
How do I know what I am on the hook for?
You get the whole picture in writing when we confirm your request — sales tax, the return time, and what a late or unsorted return costs. Nothing about this is meant to be discovered afterwards.
FAMILIES & SENSORY
For families who need to know before it arrives
What do the listings actually tell me?
The box facts for certain — player count, play time, the age printed on the lid. On top of that, where playing a game taught us something the box doesn't say, we add a note. Not every listing has one; the ones that do are worth reading.
Why should I trust those notes?
We're a neurodivergent household, kids included. Every title gets played here before it's offered, so when a note says a game gets loud or takes two goes for the rules to land, it's because somebody here needed to know that.
Do you have games for a kid who needs to leave the table mid-game?
Some games survive a player stepping away much better than others, and that's one of the things we notice when we play them. Say so when you request and we'll tell you which ones we'd pick — honestly, and not as a guarantee.
What about homeschool groups?
Welcome, and it's a good fit. Send us your group size and we'll help you land on something that works.
DELIVERY AREA
Where we deliver
Where do you actually deliver?
We run out of Plattekill and cover roughly thirty minutes in every direction.
What if I'm just outside that?
Ask us anyway. If we genuinely can't reach you, we'll say so straight away instead of stringing you along.
Do you ship games anywhere?
No. Local delivery and pickup only, full stop — nothing goes in a box to the mail.
Can you deliver to a place I'm renting, like a short-term rental?
Yes — that's a real lane for us. Check out our Games for Rental Guests service for how it works.
Do you do team days or a night at a taproom?
Yes — see Team Building & Events. Those are quoted separately for business, not at the same rates as a family rental, and having someone there to run it is priced on top.
Do you work with wineries or cideries too?
Yes — see For Breweries. Same shelf, same crate-or-hosted-night setup, whether it is a taproom, a winery or a cidery.
Can you bring games to a market, festival or private event?
Often, yes — see Community Spaces. It's a case-by-case conversation rather than a packaged product, so tell us the event and we'll say honestly whether it fits.
Still have a question?
Send us a message and we'll write back — usually within a business day. Quick question instead? Instagram DM is the fastest way to reach us.