Elm City Games still thriving as New Haven’s ‘third place’

NEW HAVEN — More than two-dozen versions of Monopoly, a wide selection of indie and locally made games, colorful and vibrant decorations and a space that can seat 105 players at once: Elm City Games has all these.

“We kept growing and growing,” said co-owner Matt Fantastic. “We have continued to expand even in this space. Now, we fully have three storefronts’ worth of stuff.”

Initially the store co-existed with now-shuttered coffee shop Happiness Lab on Chapel Street. When more than 500 people joined the opening day in 2016, the owners quickly knew it was something the community needed.

The store now has about 3,000 items in stock and about 1,500 games in its library, but began with a simple concept: creating a space the owners would have liked to see when they were young.