DawnStar Video Games and Arcade

Fantastic experience: best arcade ever!! so many cool retro and imported games, ddr, project diva etc!!!

Fantastic experience: I’m the alleged autistic nephew of Trevor Jones. Nothing that he said about this place is true.

Fantastic experience: Cool store, lots of neat things. Prices are fair across used games and systems. Lots of other stuff like plushies, tcg, golden era shonen jump magazines, and a pretty sweet arcade

Fantastic experience: An awesome stop for some 80's/ 90's nostalgia. Quite a good arcade but with a Japanese vibe. $15 and you are set for unlimited arcade time.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic place. So glad Richmond has a place like this. They are super fair on their trade in credit!

Fantastic experience: theyve got all the best rhythm games here and cool merch and blindboxes too. plus the owners are super nice ‍↕️

Negative experience: I initially contacted this shop via Facebook Messenger because I couldn’t find a phone number listed anywhere. Response time was very delayed, but we were eventually able to confirm that the item was available and verify the price. I let them know we would be driving in to purchase it once the ice storm passed. On Tuesday, I messaged again to confirm business hours and let them know we planned to come the following day, but received no response. On Wednesday, we drove three hours to purchase the item we had already discussed. Upon entering the shop, we were not acknowledged. After browsing, I approached an employee to ask for the item and to verify pricing on a few others we were interested in. She continued drawing and did not look up while responding. We were then told that the item we had confirmed we were coming to buy had been sold. When I expressed concern, she said, “I thought it was you who came to buy it.” Unfortunately, this lack of communication and customer service resulted in a wasted three-hour drive. Clear communication and basic acknowledgment would have made a significant difference.

Fantastic experience: My favorite business in Richmond. I have been visiting consistently for almost 3 years, mostly for the arcade, but they have an incredible selection of games and consoles as well. Prices can get steep for the games, but the arcade access is only $10 except for Saturday. Well worth it, considering you get access for as long as you want during the day. The selection or games in the arcade is great, they really have something for everyone. Highly recommend visiting!

Positive experience: awesome place! a good amount of rhythm games, shooters, retros and late 2000s games consoles were all-you-can-play. doesn't have all the latest and greatest games, but a good amount of them to enjoy for a while. also some fun variety of merch and games in the store.

Fantastic experience: An amazing arcade, also has really good prices on games and trade ins

Fantastic experience: This place is a nerd’s dream and the staff are all SO NICE and so knowledgeable. If you have a question about a game or anything they can help. We’ve come here to sell old video game consoles, buy used games, and check out the arcade games. Truly cannot recommend this place enough

Fantastic experience: Incredible store! Always really friendly and a happy environment

Fantastic experience: Was able to get a used Switch here for $40 less than the next cheapest option I found. Decided to get a game with it with the extra money, and they recommended the perfect game that my son is currently REALLY enjoying. Nice, friendly service; easy to shop and well-organized; and as mentioned, great prices. And if you have any questions, they're super responsive on IG! Love this place, and I'll definitely be back for more games.

Negative experience: I always have questions when I buy a dreamcast. Especially when I am spending $150.00 in doing so. When I asked questions there, I was met with "well I have never had an issue with a dreamcast when I take care of it." Which in itself, is a very tone deaf response. So I take home said dreamcast, and the system is filthy. Controller had sticky stuff on it and was also filthy. Lastly, the controller has drift issues. Not something that is uncommon with the dreamcast, but for $150.00, I was not expecting a yard sale result with it. Incredibly disappointed, and on top of that, I see there is a hidden $2.50 "service charge", or however you folks phrase it. Will most definitely be my last dollar I spend there, and I hope they read this and perhaps try to do better.

Fantastic experience: My son isn't overly social, so I thought the arcade would be a good way for him to mingle with folks that like what he likes, he had a blast!

Fantastic experience: Great selection, staff is super nice and helpful

Fantastic experience: Probably in my top 3 places to spend my free time. Love the selection of rhythm games!

Fantastic experience: We rented out the arcade and their balcony for my son's 12th birthday party. They were easy to communicate with and reasonably priced! It was the perfect venue for a party. The boys had free rein over the games. They loved the mix of old school, modern. and unique games. The balcony was the perfect space for 15(ish) boys to gather for a short period (pizza, cake, presents.) The staff were helpful when we needed them-- even grabbed us extra trash bags and a lighter when we forgot ours.

Fantastic experience: Great spot for any retro gaming needs. The arcade in the back is especially cool!

Fantastic experience: These guys rock! Great place to play mtg, smash, arcade games. Lovely folks, excellent store. support support!

Fantastic experience: If you look at the ground near the mines, you can find a chest with money and loot inside.

Fantastic experience: My son loved this place. The games that were for sale were reasonably priced and super nostalgic. Also the arcade is a great deal and fun seeing all the Japanese video games.

Fantastic experience: When getting back into Magic: The Gathering after a 20 year break, Dakota was very helpful and genuinely enthusiastic about helping me find a pre-constructed deck that would fit my desired play-style. He even provided suggestions on what cards i could switch out to upgrade the deck. I will always recommend Dawnstar to anyone looking for TCGs or Retro Games, as they’ve been consistently pleasant and helpful, with an ever-changing inventory, and a safe, family-friendly environment. Check out the arcade in the back, too! Great selection of rhythm games!

Fantastic experience: Great spot with an amazing collection of Pokemon cards and friendly staff, Dakota was awesome! Lots of cool plushies too.

Fantastic experience: Great place to visit and ask questions. They are very helpful. I just love videogames for my every console.

Fantastic experience: This place is the best when it comes to retro games/arcade you can play while you're there! Will definitely keep coming back!

Negative experience: if i could give negative 5 stars i would complete rip off stay away they me 130 for a complete ps2 with 2 controllers 2 Gameboys a gameboy advanced, DS ,complete xbox with 3 controllers 50+ games 20+ Gameboy games including Pokémon red all had a value of around 900$ but they took advantage of me because i drove 3 hours to get their and knew i needed the money to get back but they will get they deserve complete scam

Positive experience: I came for the arcade area but left disappointed. They have the same games repeated; I thought they'd have more variety. I wanted to have a good time like in the old days. I hope they improve in the future. Otherwise, it's okay.

Fantastic experience: A great place to play magic! Free cube nights on Tuesday are awesome

Fantastic experience: My friends and I come here often to play in their play space. They also have great MTG singles. Super friendly staff

Fantastic experience: Totally worth the price of admission. Easy to kill time, and the staff is super nice!

Fantastic experience: Absolutely amazing service! I will be visiting for my retro games in the future!

Fantastic experience: Great little store with an awesome arcade with many imported Japanese machines as well. Super authentic vibe.

Fantastic experience: I like it. cards are good. people are good. spoilers are bad. will go back every week.

Fantastic experience: I always have a great experience at Dawnstar. The owners and staff offer a wide selection of games, including current and retro titles, and are very knowledgeable. My wife and I visit weekly to see their latest offerings and enjoy their fantastic arcade. I highly recommend this store to anyone in Richmond, whether you're a local or just visiting. I love this place.

Fantastic experience: Went to see the prices for some games. A little over priced, but makes sense for brick and mortars. The arcade was the absolute most amazing thing there. I could have spent a whole 12 hours there. The value for the arcade was top notch.

Fantastic experience: This place is to video games what your local record store is to music: It's personal, not corporate, the associates are equal parts fun and helpful, the stock is a "you never quite know what you'll get, but you will love it" kind of vibe, and the arcade, which is really nicely priced at just 10-15 bucks, is a total blast from the past (but with plenty of newer games, too). finally, they do offer disc resurfacing (for games or dvds cds etc.) and that's a service their biggest corporate competitor has stopped offering in-store. Parking in the area can be a little tricky and you may need to practice your parallel parking, but hey, that's like a real-life game!

Fantastic experience: Great shop, a must stop for gamers and collectors. Very knowledgeabe/chill staff. Wide selection of gaming products plus an arcade! Dakota was super friendly and helpful!

Fantastic experience: Best game/card store in Richmond hands down! Staff is super friendly, welcoming, and helpful. They have a wide variety of anime, tcg, and retro games for all ages. In addition to a TCG table room they also have an arcade with a great selection of arcade machines (especially if you like rhythm games).

Fantastic experience: it really is the coolest arcade I've ever found. I unfortunately moved and can't visit anymore but if you're on the area I 100% recommend stopping here. I love the imported rhythm games!!! I got hooked on WACCA here. not to mention the cool selection of anime goods and old games. super fun place to stop and spend some time.

Fantastic experience: DDR A20! The dance pad on this cab is excellent, and the staff are super friendly and considerate. They have a great anime figurine selection including gunpla, and other collectibles like MTG cards and OG Pokemon cards. Old consoles and special edition games (Lunar SSC). And a DnD room upstairs! Awesome spot for nerds to hang and game together

Fantastic experience: My friend called me to say he needed to sell a flock of Pokémon cards that rose in value after Sabrina Carpenter declared them her favorite gen. I regarded that sentence with the utmost skepticism. But whatever dude, I’ll say yes to any proposal that will stave off the pervasive dread of being. So eventually, after visiting several establishments which will remain unnamed so as to not hasten their demise, we end up at Dawnstar. Have you seen a Pokémon card negotiation recently? It’s like a jewelry appraisal. Somebody may have been wearing a monocle. The owner, Dakota, is a delightful sweetheart of a man. He paid my troubled friend an irresponsible amount of money (I haven’t seen him since! he’s probably in danger!) but then he was like “you guys wanna hang out in my arcade for free?” So I said “isn’t it closing time?” And he was like “psh whatever bro, go have fun”. Now, I’m a nerd from a forgotten past so I can’t really say how this store fares in terms of Pokémon. I will therefore assess the store based on inscrutably esoteric criteria. 1.) Is there a Japanese version of Tokimeki Memorial on the Saturn that no one will ever buy? Yes, this is the ‘Whipped Cream & Other Delights’ by Herb Alpert of video games. Once widely available for $0.25 at every thrift store and pawn shop in the mid-Atlantic; now $30. Remember that at your grandma’s estate sale. 2.) Anyone who can afford Neo-Geo will be hanged in the Francophone uprising. 3.) He sold me a new copy of Vengeful Guardian Moonrider at MSRP. No markup for being out-of-print. Is that a lack of insecurity or are you just happy to see me? 4.) I don’t care how cheap Frank Thomas’ Big Hurt Baseball is, everyone who wanted it has mysteriously vanished! 5.) Why do I keep spending $10 on like, strategy guides for Wild Arms when the contents are freely available online? I should use this money for therapy. And that’s the five-point scale for judging a game store. Now I’m going to stand outside looking weird and just being a part of the night.

Negative experience: My autistic nephew came here and sold his NES for 80$ store credit back in September and just went back and spent about 40$ to then be told he has used up all his store credit. I just wanna know where his other 40$ went considering they don’t have a phone number for me to call and ask and he was also undervalued on the console but thats not the issue. My issue is the fact that they told him the amount and changed it and gave no receipts to dispute this. Total bs and extremely shady. (Thank you for continuing to hide my reviews as well third time posting this)

Fantastic experience: >Come in with trade-in. >”I can give you $30 this” >Sweet. >Pick up $40 game. >”We’ll just call it even, you’re good!” >mfw :D

Fantastic experience: They offered me a way better deal for my games than gamestop

Fantastic experience: First time ever being here, the owner was SUPER honest and knowledgeable. Crazy fair prices. I only went in for a quick purchase but they had so much stuff that will delight any gamer or weeb. I can't wait to go back and take my kids to the arcade. I recommend 1000%

Positive experience: I was looking for video games for my nephew. I know nothing about video games but the people who work there were very nice and gave me recommendations and showed me several choices. It's a small store and was a bit crowded. But, if you are looking for used video game equipment I would definitely recommend it! They have a lot of stuff. They also have some game room in the back, although I wasn't there long enough to check it out. Parking is along the street and even with construction I was able to find a spot. It might have been harder if I went during dinner time when others were trying to park to eat at local restaurants although I'm not sure.

Fantastic experience: I absolutely love the arcade here. A great mix of newer and classic arcade cabinets, perfect for an afternoon hiding from the heat or the rain. The staff are super friendly and helpful as well! I've traded in some games I had lying around and got a great deal. The Magic the Gathering events are fun and welcoming!

Fantastic experience: Owner is super friendly, great place to do drafts and prerelease events

Fantastic experience: I typically don’t like purchasing packs for MTG. But I’ve had some serious luck whenever I have from Dawnstar. Also, I’ve found their prices for singles are very comparable to online sites. Dakotah is a good guy. Super informative. Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: This place is the best! Just did my first MTG pre release event here and had a great time. Staff is super nice and welcoming—so far my fave place in the city to play commander too!

Fantastic experience: Attended our first prerelease event ever at Dawnstar and had a blast. Staff was super helpful in explaining how the event works, and they seemed to have a good group of regulars playing that were also kind and helpful.

Fantastic experience: Phenomenal retro video game store and more in downtown Richmond - went a year ago and was blown away by the vast selection, fair market pricing and quality customer service! Came back a few days ago (7/16/25) and was genuinely impressed by the improvements in store layout and even more in the enhanced and expanded selection especially in TCG products. Even got to check out the new arcade machines in the back - if you are a fan of any kind of gaming or related hobbies please do yourself a favor and check them out!

Fantastic experience: Love this place! Amazing selection of used games and collectibles. The arcade is a blast with a great variety of games and cabinets! Dakota and the team are also the sweetest and super knowledgeable if you have any questions!

Fantastic experience: Great experience going for the first time with my kids. Will definitely be coming back to check out the arcade. The staff was kind and incredibly patient. Huge selection of stuff to browse.

Fantastic experience: First experience was amazing, felt like a blast from the past and got some old games that I haven’t seen in forever

Fantastic experience: I stopped by while passing through Richmond, and it was definitely worth the detour. Lots of cool imported Japanese merch like slime plushes from the Dragon Quest island theme park, rare games at reasonable prices, and everything well organized. The arcade has a bunch of rarer gems like Theatrhythm: All Star Carnival, F-Zero AX, and Lucky & Wild. Most importantly, the owner was a super nice guy who knew and cared about the stuff in his store.

Fantastic experience: Such a great place with such a positive atmosphere. My husband and I come here all the time and absolutely adore the owners and the store. Can’t recommend them enough!

Fantastic experience: Utterly amazing small business with an outstanding selection of cards, retro and vintage games, plushies, figures and just about anything else you could imagine.

Fantastic experience: Great atmosphere with options for all types of gamers. Full fledged arcade and perfect spaces for tcgs upstairs. If you live in the city, come spend your time (and money) at Dawnstar! P.S. Go visit Wax Moon to buy some records once you are finished gaming

Fantastic experience: Fantastic store! They’re really nice and professional and their pricing was very fair! It really was a great experience and I hope to be back in Richmond someday to see them again!

Fantastic experience: They have an F-Zero AX machine. If you know, you know. Atmosphere was amazing. They have a selection of games for systems of all eras. Bought a strategy guide for a PS1 game. Will return next time I’m in the area.

Fantastic experience: Where else am I going to find Atari Lynx cartridges? This store has a great selection of retro games, even for crazy niche systems, and the arcade is a great deal and a lot of fun.

Fantastic experience: Tons of great games, retro and arcade, great price for all day fun in the arcade. I was on crutches they made it super accessible and spacious to get around. Also had stools and such to be able to play games sitting. Staff was super friendly too. Will definitely be back.

Fantastic experience: The arcade has a lot of hard to find rhythm games and it's $10 for unlimited plays! Best value I've seen in the US ever for japanese cabinets.

Fantastic experience: Very nice place. There a lot of older arcade games but you can play however long you want to for one low price.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic Gem in RVA! Lots of cool arcade games to play and more to discover! Will be back with the kiddos again!

Fantastic experience: This place was very nice. Everyone was nice and welcoming. They had a wide selection of Nintendo and PlayStation games and they had a really nice arcade. I Would come back here again with friends :).

Fantastic experience: Great prices for figures and anime goods, and such a fun arcade!

Fantastic experience: The staff were polite and helpful when I had a question. They had a large selection of retro games and accessories, and things seemed priced reasonably well. Didn't check out the arcade, so can't comment on that. I knew what I was looking for and didn't have a lot of cash to blow, so I didn't linger long, but I will definitely be back to browse when I've got some spending money. Glad to have this shop nearby.

Fantastic experience: After looking around for a clean GBA I found one here that I'm happy with. The person that assisted me let me thoroughly check it out before I purchased and the even dug out a few batteries to show it powered on. I also feel that they charged a fair price (especially considering how much retro games has taken off).

Fantastic experience: Has one of the best collection of games and even better selection of Arcade games! Definitely one of the gems of Richmond

Fantastic experience: Excellent customer service. Andrew and Dakota were great. My son thoroughly enjoyed his shopping experience and ample selection. I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with Andrew and Dakota... great atmosphere. See you again.. best wishes Elsa

Fantastic experience: I loved my first, and hopefully not last, DawnStar experience. Came in looking for Pokémon cards and was not disappointed. Not many slabs, but great collection of vintage to modern cards,most of which are wonderfully organized in binders by set. That was enough for me, but then I found out that their arcade ($15 to play all day) is pretty sweet. I actually left and came back to continue having a blast. And I didn't browse intently, but they seemed to have an awesome collection of video games on sale.

Fantastic experience: Came in looking for some magic cards. Was pleasantly surprised at their offerings. A very unique type of game store that had access to everything i could be looking for. Gaming area was shut down unfortunately because the store was hosting a booth at a local convention but I’ll definitely come back to check that out. Guy up front was awesome, helped me find everything i needed and even gave me a great deal for it being my first time. Can’t recommend this place enough

Fantastic experience: Well maintained arcade and great store selection!! I didn’t catch their names, but the 2 guys working there were super nice- we’re visiting the area and they gave us so many recommendations and tips that made not just our day there fantastic, but our whole trip as well. Machines are very well kept and looked after, will definitely be returning when we come to RVA again

Fantastic experience: Dawnstar is one of the best places around if you're a gamer, a retro collector, a TCG player or even in for a lark and a few minutes of playing on a lovingly managed arcade machine. The best business in Scott's Addition. Super generous owners doing it simply for the love of games and trading card games. Go in and get yourself a few MTG or Pokémon packs or play some Rock Band in their all-you-can-play arcade. You won't regret it!

Negative experience: Would not recommend this store for TCG, tried to low ball me and also sell their product at a premium

Fantastic experience: Arcade is fire! Magic events! Lovely people! You should check out their vintage games! Pokemon cards! Ceiling box lights are sick I could go on but basically pull up and nerd out why you still reading this?

Fantastic experience: Dawnstar is amazing, I’ve sifted through their continuously ever-changing magic bulk and binders for hours and it’s great. I cant recommend them enough, they get five big booms

Fantastic experience: Great team with a wonderful selection of video games, collectibles and cards. To top it all off they one of the best arcades in the whole city

Fantastic experience: I’ve been shopping at Dawn Star for 2 years and have always felt a sense of welcome and wonder. They have something for everyone, including a wide range of video games, many of which are nostalgic and have made great gifts for all of the people in my life. The manga section is always growing and I’ve found lots of new and old favorites to read and collect. They have a really sweet kawaii section that is also always expanding and curated thoughtfully and with excellent quality plushies, pins and keychains, figures, and stickers. The new arcade is unmatched by anything in the city, in my opinion, and has both new and nostalgic games, and makes a great place to play seriously or even just come hangout with friends. If you collect and play Pokémon and Magic, the Star has all you need to add to a collection or to start one. They have fun table top game nights for anyone, and I personally learned how to play MTG by coming to the events. Andrew, Dakotah, and Meaghan all care so much about what they do and the community that they have built. It makes me feel really good about shopping at a small business where the people who own it are just as passionate about their hobbies as their customers.

Fantastic experience: Came across this gem of a shop on the way back home. They legit have anything you could think of. Very helpful workers/owners that helped me get what I needed will be coming back.

Fantastic experience: Dakota and team have been wonderful and just a general pleasure to shop/chat with. Genuinely interested in helping folks further their hobbies and have a good time. Can't wait to come back again!

Fantastic experience: Phenomenal experience in a very well laid out and maintained store. The staff are kind, knowledgeable, patient, and happy to help customers find exactly what they are looking for. The owners are clearly passionate about games and collectibles. My nephews had a phenomenal Christmas coming in to pick out Pokémon cards and we all had a blast at the arcade. I am so glad to have this establishment in the neighborhood!

Fantastic experience: Dawnstar video games is the kind of place that I would have loved to have existed when I was a kid. Basically a must stop shop for anyone into video games (both retro and new), TCGs, or manga and other Japanese curios. The first thing you notice as soon as you walk in is the sheer size of the establishment, the second would be the sounds of arcade machines beeping and booping steadily in the background. Did I mention this place has an entire arcade? Rhythm games and driving simulators galore, amongst other things. If pinball is more your speed, their sister store wax moon records has a ton of machines. They are also almost always doing some kind of event for the community, whether it be a smash bros tournament or a magic the gathering commander night. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and might even recommend a few hidden gems for the console of your choice. Dawnstar shines brightly, and every time I visit it’s been a delight.

Fantastic experience: I’ve always wanted to go to a classic arcade spot and they have it down perfect. The atmosphere is top tier first time I went I was overflowing with excitement, very good price to be able to play all day if you like and the selection is fantastic. The only thing I could complain about is that some cabinets that are out of service I hope they come back soon but that is not the fault of the store. I will definitely be a regular here.

Fantastic experience: The staff was nice. I was able to find just the right things for Wii u. Price for console and some Skylanders and infinity characters were not bad. Will make my son and nephew happy for Christmas. Appreciate the service and affordability. The arcade section looks nice too. I could tell but looks like they have big screen gaming as well in the arcade.

Fantastic experience: Awesome chill out spot. Love to play magic with my buddies here. The people are amazing and they have a bunch of cool stuff here. Also I got a neat stylus

Fantastic experience: I came for their rhythm games and they do not disappoint. Their selection retro offerings are quite nice.

Fantastic experience: Awesome arcade, gave me a good deal on my trade in. Clean, no weird smells, and all the machines were in good working order!

Fantastic experience: This place is fantastic! We loved the arcade, which has lots of rhythm games, including Wacca and Jubeat. I wasn't familiar with any of them (except DDR), but I still had a great time. Admission to the arcade is $15 and everything is free play, so you don't have to feel bad about "wasting" money if you aren't very good at a particular game. It's just fun to play! What a cool place.

Fantastic experience: Such a fun way to spend a chilly Saturday! Loved getting lost in the games. Friendly staff and wide selection

Fantastic experience: One of the best arcades +game stores I’ve ever had the pleasure of going to; their weekly Commander nights for MTG are also a blast and it’s always a good group of people that swing by. Can’t thank the staff enough!

Fantastic experience: Sister shop to Wax Moon. Really well stocked inventory of games on all platforms. Great hardware selection as well. Cards, collectibles, accessories and more. The arcade is awesome.

Fantastic experience: Amazing! It’s so refreshing to see a game store that actually has a great collection of retro games. The prices for these games are also extremely reasonable! I’ve bought something every time I’ve gone and been incredibly pleased with it. Also, the arcade is a ton of fun as well! They mostly have rhythm and racing games, so if that’s not your jam, you may be better off sticking to the game store part of it, but they do have a GREAT selection of games in those categories. I heartily recommend anyone into retro games take a visit here!!

Positive experience: Wide array of vintage games and systems. Arcade is a little dark, and several games were down, and it is a bit of a cramped space, but staff was very friendly.

Fantastic experience: very cool place - lots of rhythm games including ddr!!! they have a really good deal, it was only $10 for unlimited games when I went so it was sooo worth the price.

Fantastic experience: I love this place. It was so much fun and they have some great games ❤️. Take some earplugs, though. The game music was a bit loud for my boyfriend who doesn't like loud music. The people that work there are friendly and nice.

Fantastic experience: This place has a really great selection! The inventory is in excellent shape as well. The arcade in the back is very warm but the machines are also in excellent condition! An especially good selection of rhythm games.