AWESOME atmosphere and selection of ALL things fun! Comics, manga, table top games, used video games, miniature supplies, giant dice towers and so much merch! It’s a MUST stop when visiting Sarasota for families

I love the darkside been going for over 10 years. The owner Brian is very family oriented and makes a space welcome for anybody of any age. I appreciate the remodel and the changing table put in for babies. Thank you for what you do for the community and creating a safe space for everyone to enjoy their hobbies.

We only get down to Florida once a year, but this is a stop we make every time. What a difference a few years have made in this store. I couldnt be more impressed with the changes and improvements theyve made. The vintage video game selection was particularly impressive, and fairly priced as well. Keep up the great work!

Brian is a J*w, I gave him an awesome price on some great figures and comics which he profit easy $1200 and he wouldnt even take $25 off a $125 comic when I went to his store. I hope the 40 $10 figure you labeled at $30 and the $15 #1 marvel super heroes you priced at $65 etc bring you peace! Buyers beware where you will pay four times retail price here!

Lots of selection and decent customer service. Used games/rpg books priced a bit high.

Took my nephews there visiting from NY. One of my nephews bought a few vivid voltage Pokemon packs. Dont buy any Pokemon from them, they are selling fake packs. Code card even had date of 2015 while the fakes were 2020 dated. Cards are thin and dont feel right, font is off and coloring on back is a lighter blue then on real cards. Im going on what they are telling me.

Its cool place but think your better selling your cards online or another way to get a honest fair price. Prices on some things are way high. But they are cool with late hours to hang with your friends.

Used to be good. But its bad when you try to buy something and they cant sell it cause its not in the system and ask you to come back. Last month the register was down and they could not check people out. I guess they dont want my money, plenty of online stores to shop at. Learned my lesson going here anymore sorry to say.

I literally walked out of this place leaving at least $100 worth of goods on the counter. Why, you ask? I noticed a sign on counter that told me I was subject to a 2% fee for using anything but cash to make a purchase. Ha ha. Thats a good one. The last time I checked, card fees were the proprietors problem and a cost of doing business - not the consumers. To add insult to injury, a masked, moronic, cashier refused to make the sale unless I coughed up the 2% card fee. Ha ha. What a joke. I left the junk on the table and walked out. So, for $2, the skinflint that owns this place lost a $100 sale and future sales from me.Take a L, Dark Side and 2 stars is generous

Very disappointed with my customer experience. Its sad to see a business take advantage of LGS supporters! I took some magic cards in to trade for in-store credit like a near mint tarmygof MM15 and 3 dual lands from IMH as well as 30 or so cards. The total of the cards on TCG is valued at 239.38. They offered me 66.00 in-store credit. What a slap in the face. I would rather buy my cards from Wal-Mart but luckily DECENT INTO GAMING CARES. They have my business and all of my word of mouth as well as social platform recommendations!

Really large well organized and clean store. Good selection of new comics, with a large section of Warhammer at better prices than your standard games workshop. Staff was informative but bit socially awkward.

Great shop! A decent selection of back issues and lots of new books. Tons of gaming stuff! Friendly staff and ready to help! Thanks!

Weak selection of back issue comics and don’t get me started on their lacking Funko Pop! selection.

Great store, amazing environment, good selection and pricing and very knowledgeable staff. Helped me pick out stuff for a commander deck, will definitely come back for future events.

Great all around comic book store and gaming. Plus they carry all the odds and ends like vintage toys and statues.

Too many times that I’ve interacted with someone (either in person or over the phone) from this store, I’ve had a negative experience. Either the employee seems unenthusiastic to help, or borderline annoyed. The store has good prices, but a serious lack of customer service.

Since I first came to this store a few years ago it has become a definite stop on any trip to the area. Friendly and helpful staff and a huge range of things from comics to board games, tabletop games and minis and even action figures. Worth a stop for anyone :)

Amazing place and even held the Fortnite book my son wanted they rock

Great well stocked store. Great staff that entertained my 11y.o. son to exchange ave trade up pokemon cards. Magic AFR prerelease was loosely quoted over priced. But lots of things.

What a great experience. So few really good brick and mortar game stores it is nice to have moved here and found a great place like this. Large space with a wide variety of games and merchandise. Comics galore, figures, dice, RPGs, CCGs, and all kinds of stuff. Owner who clearly takes care of their community.

Cute place. Something for everyone. Knowledgable fun employees. Good customer experience.

This place is amazing. The staff is so kind and helpful and it is easy to tell how passionate they are about things like comic books or Dungeons and Dragons or Magic: the Gathering. I cannot recommend this store enough.

Insanely rude employees, dont waste your time

Got the books I wanted and I couldnt stop reading my favorite manga.

This is one of the GREATEST comic book shops that I have ever been to. Why? The biggest reason is that their recent back issues (not this week, but last week and earlier) are sold for half off the cover price! HALF OFF THE COVER PRICE! From what I could tell, it is not a limited time promotion or sale.They have about 100 wall books on their walls or kept in a large cabinet with glass doors and their prices are pretty reasonable.They have multiple drawers full of back issues in alphabetical order that are priced from a few dollars to I think like $10.Be advised, you will be charged more if you do not pay with cash. It is a policy they have on some signage at their register.

An absolutely fantastic flgs/comic shop! Very friendly staff and an amazing selection of all things nerdy! Would highly recommend!

We were in from out of town visiting dark side. My family likes to frequent game shops. They thought this was better than average and it was certainly a large store! Dark side is comic book and general gaming heavy. However they were not as strong on Dungeons & Dragons materials. However, if you wanted minis they had a large assortment.

Comics, tabletop games, Warhammer, Magic the Gathering, D&D, Pathfinder, and everything in between. Very helpful staff and good deals on many items. Might get you into a new hobby or two! When Covid backs down, theyll probably begin daily and weekly events again too!

Large inventory, clean play area and knowledgable staff. Will return for sure!

Great store with good products and nice people. Very laid back and comfortable handling merch!

Nice place lots of comics I liked it alot

The best place to nerd out

Drove 20 miles to buy quiet a bit of comics for my daughters Christmas.Got told to leave because I dont wear masks.Looks like a cool place but I wont give in to communism.

I found some great prices on videogames and extremely high prices on video games other than that not bad

First time coming to this store as a recommendation, I was blown away by the wide selection of stuff they have from D&D, TCG, manga and comics. Every geek/nerds dream. Plus, friendly staff they have. Worth coming back to! 🤓❤️

Looking to support local business I took my son to buy a booster box they offered to us two weeks ago and now they wont sell the booster box because they cant get more until February (this was 12/31). Cool man, Amazon will be more than glad to take our money. Wont be back to Dark Side because I wont be tossed around based on a businesss whims, local or not.

Super friendly service and a must shops store! They have so much to look at! I walked down every isle twice and still missed a lot!Really organized and really cool place!

Great place for all your game and comic book needs. They have limited hours so alway check before you go but when you do it will always be worth it.

This place has everything, and a giant wall of Warhammer stuff. Nice staff too.

Great comics, and better customer service as always.

First time here was awesome but felt somewhat pressured to hurry up due to covid and the 10 person limit as others wanted to shop as well. Spent 15 minutes but I wanted to stay for hours and find cool stuff to purchase.

So I give a low rating for only one reason. After I was charged I looked at my receipt and it was different from what I was charged. I was talking to the employee as I checked out so I may not have seen a sign but I also was not notified that theres a 2% surcharge thay doesnt show on your receipt. Very dishonest practice, when I addressed it with the employee he said its just some dumb thing our owner does when you dont pay with cash

All your RPG needs and Comic wants satisfied in one place!

Trash store. Communist management. Requires masks. Asking me about my vaccination is a HIPAA violation. Go somewhere else guys.....

My daughter is big into anime and wanted to check out the store. Wow! Great store, staff was amazing! Clerk had a very long, detailed conversation about what books my daughter was into so that she could help her find a new series. Took FOREVER to get my daughter out of the store (she wants to live there) but she was super happy with her purchase and how the staff was able to talk on a technical level about the material...I didnt understand half of what they were saying. Im getting constant requests to go back though.

Should really update your hours on Google

Darkside was a great time it had everything I needed. The only thing I didnt like was passing the 2% credit card fee on to me. Just bring cash all the time

Great little shop, friendly staff, if they don’t have it they can order it for you.

My hubby had fun here!

Dope stuff all around. Im glad this place exists.

Love their retro games and card selection.

Best selection of X-Wing miniatures, great quality, and good customer service!

This place has all the Warhammer models and paints you can ever need. Plus a manager for the store has extensive knowledge on the different armies in Warhammer and great techniques on how to paint the models

Went there to browse models. Was greeted when I entered. And asked if I needed assistance. Nice relaxed atmosphere. Will be back.

Awesome collection of comics, Japanese manga, toys and merch. Massive table top game selection, small video game section with hard to get accessories.Id rate higher if I could

Used to be friendly and helpful however many of the newer staff are standoffish and unhelpful since covid started. Went in to buy a copy of gloomhaven found it by the front door for 126 not the best price but not the worst either so we were gonna buy it to help keep our local store afloat. However one of the employees asked me to place my mask over my nose. (Im claustrophobic and hyperventilate when I wear the mask over my face for a prolonged period of time so I typically only cover my nose when Im withinn6 feet of people or have to talk to someone directly). I tried explaining this to one of the employees and they told me were all high risk so its store policy. I have spent thousands in the store over the years and planned to spend more and its upsetting they they are unable to make exceptions for people with legitimate conditions.

Great place to hang with a varied assortment of games, magazines and collectors items.

Best store around for mtg, computer systems for easy store browsing of card inventory, but needs updated. Super friendly, competitive prices.

Wonderful merchandise range and customer service beyond reproach.

If you play MTG, or any board game, strategy game, or just love comic books, this is where you need to go on a regular basis. The entire staff is warm and welcoming. They have knowledge on anything you want, and if they dont, they know where to get the info. Join their Facebook group, keep an eye out for all the awesome events they provide. Support your local game store!

I dont get to come as frequenlty as Id like, I live an hour away. The staff is always friendly, and they always have events or tournaments going on. Todays free comicbook day was even more awesome than we expected!

Clean and well organized. Helpfully staff. Great selection of comics and games.

Awesome, I think anybody could find something here to distract themselves with

Very wide selection, great prices, great customer service, and game night (pre-covid) is so much fun! Great place to meet new people and share common interests.

I come today for Magic Open House but they tell me nobody know here about this event. :( And I ask maybe for welcome starter deck but they tell me they no have it :(

Found awesome gifts! Our new playground.

Always enjoyed this place! I started going when they first opened at the 301 location used to go and LAN party and buy star wars toys.. the place has changed and grew plus moved! Staff has always been cool and kind really positive place in the community imo there needs to be more places like this!

Great place to meet other nerds/geeks. They have weekly events for all sorts of hobbies. This is my go-to place to get my tabletop games as they have the most selection of games. No other place locally comes close to selling this much variety.The atmosphere is great. It can vary from laid back to energetic. It depends whats going on. Friday evening is usually the best time to go and meet people.The workers are nice and really chill people. They can give you advice on different things if you need any.Overall, a great place to meet like minded people and have fun while supporting a local business. Highly recommended.

Lots of stuff! I wish I had more money, would have spent a ton more.

Theres no place like home

They have X-Wing. So thats 5 stars alone. Nerd out friends 🤓

Phenomenal service, ask for Aaron if you have any questions about Magic. THE place for tabletop in the area.

Ive been going to Darkside for years. A great store. The occasional bad guest of course but youll find those people anywhere you go.

I was instantly judged as I walked in and given such poor customer with a rather rude young lady I walked out of the store. I will take my business elsewhere

I started coming in to The Dark Side about three months ago because I wanted to learn how to play Magic: the Gathering. A 60-something, semi-retired person, I’m probably not your typical Comic/Game store patron. After just a few visits to the store, everyone greeted me by name and I have always felt very welcome there. Everyone who works there is knowledgeable and friendly and I have to give special mention to the Card Manager, Rick. Magic is a vast and enormously complex game, and without Rick’s guidance, knowledge and kindness, I would have given up in frustration. I cannot thank him enough. He consistently takes the time necessary to help his customers and service like this is not something I take for granted.These days, it’s easy to shop for gaming supplies (and everything else!) at 1 AM in your jammies. Amazon, big-box stores...I could buy all my Magic stuff online at those sorts of places. I have spent several hundred dollars on my Magic collection, every penny of it at The Dark Side. Simply because of the amazing people there.

Best comic and gaming store on the west coast of Florida. Friendly and incredible selection. Old, new & vintage games and collectibles. Say hi to the Emperor (Brian) if you visit.

While quite the drive for me to get to, the Dark Side never ceases to amaze me whenever I walk in through its doors. Having first gone to its original location on Tamiami Trail nearly twelve years ago it is astonishing to see just how far theyve come. The owner Brian Polizzi (whenever you managed to catch him as hes usually always super busy running the store) is a friendly face and will always do his best to make you feel welcome. The staff is knowledgeable and polite, the store is clean, and there is something for everyone on the shelves.

Wished they had a larger dnd mini selection but large area for gaming and a wide variety regardless. Helpful staff. Reasonable prices.

The staff is really friendly, and the place is very well organized.

The staff was very knowledgeable, eager to help andwere happy to answer my questions. The selection of miniatures was much more than I have seen in a store in a LONG time as well. I look forward to visiting again.

Amazing place, Wonderful people. Great comic selection new and old. You can create a comic pull list to keep up on current issues. Huge gaming areas for cards, board games, or table top gaming. Theres a lot here. I recommend taking a look to see for yourself. You wont regret it!

It is great comic book store. It offers everything you need. Except comics there are board games and an area to play them with friends, tshirts, figures you can paint and supplies for that, retro game consoles and all the geeky stuff we all like.

The workers are knowledgeable, and friendly. Cool, clean place!

Great staff

Good selection of new comic variants. Not a huge back issue assortment. No dollar or 50 cent bins, but BOGO on back issues when I was there. Very nice that they bag and board all new comics. They have a stamp card promotion for every $10 you spend. Basically, spend $100 and receive 15% off regular price purchase. My favorite when in town!!

A great comic book store with a great sense of community and getting together for a round of Dungeons and Dragons and to discuss all things nerdy. An excellent selection of comics and a awesome staff. 5 stars!

Lazy and rude staff. Sucks the only store around has staffing issues.

Dark Side is a great place to hang out and play games with friends, or meet and hangout with new people. Everyone is friendly and the environment is fun and welcoming. They have a wide variety of comics, board games, fan merch, posters ..etc.. They also have a huge board game wall in the back where you can check out a game before you buy, and play in store.The staff is incredibly friendly; they take the time to talk to you, offer their thoughts and provide input on your questions/ concerns, and (most importantly, I think) they remember you when you inevitably return.

The tournaments are great the workers are great customer service reps.But Bryan is a snake. He will double cross you. He does not give chances. There is no 3 strikes its 1 and thats that. Dont try and help the store or other people. Example:If your friend leaves their stuff and they leave, dont touch it because if you do Bryan will accuse you of stealing someone elses stuff and you will be banned from the store. I did this so dont make that same mistake.

They had plenty of options and the atmosphere is very nostalgic. It was like walking into a blockbuster as a kid. They have game nights on tuesdays too which i might start attending! My only downside to the place was that i was in there for a very long time but no one asked if i needed help. However, i asked the store clerk and he was able to narrow down purchase and answer my questions. I do wish he had more knowledge of the games i was purchasing though. Otherwise a great experience.

This is one of my favorite stores. They have a huge selection of comics and games. Good prices. They are helpful and willing to order or find what you need. Ton of space to play games and frequent events.

Fun.

Its really hard to find places like this anymore and even more rare to find good ones. They have a great selection of books cards mags whatever you are looking for. The staff is always helpful. Most clean and organized shop Ive seen like this.

Amazing selection

Amazing selection across the whole comic and game spectrum. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Lots of cool events too.

As being the only comic book store in Sarasota, its pretty good. There is always a sale going on for the comic books, with plenty in stock. They have large amount for board games to choose from and they even let you play with any board game that they have on their back wall. The environment of the store is great with friendly people always coming in and out. The only problem is that most of the items they have for sale are a little overpriced. But other then that its a great place to just hang out and talk about nerd culture.

Great shop. They sell everything a collector could need, including single cards.

Good selection of card, board, miniatures and paper gaming. Awesome collection of comics and graphic novels. Some limited selection on singles for card games but that’s the market lately.Have been here once for card tournaments and there was a good number of events for a Friday night. Only drawback was that the events were scattered and hectic with not much structure. (People just yelling out opponents instead of a posted or printed list).

This is an amazing shop with employees who are subject matter experts in the comic and gaming world. They will do their best to help you, even help you research information to get you the best quality stuff. Enjoy!

Great place to shop for comics, games and any other nerdy items you might be looking for. They seem to have a little bit of everything for everyone. Just picked up a neat game to play so cant wait to play that!