Our Story

Built for Players,
by Players.

PaperGameFlck began as a living room hobby. It grew into something much more meaningful.

Founder sitting at a wooden table surrounded by carefully organized board game collections and hand-drawn game notes
2013
The Beginning

Started with a Single Table and Too Many Games

In 2013, James Weller cleared his dining table, laid out five games, and invited eight friends over on a Friday night. By midnight, no one wanted to leave. That table became a habit. That habit became a community. And that community became PaperGameFlck.

The name comes from an old German card-flicking game James learned from his grandfather — "flick" reimagined as "flck" because, as James put it, "we're not just flicking cards, we're flicking expectations."

What started as a pop-up game lending library in Northeast Portland grew into a full brick-and-mortar space where people come not just to buy games, but to be part of something. Weekly open play nights. Monthly tournament brackets. Curated collections you won't find on Amazon.

"
We believe a great game is a great teacher — of patience, strategy, empathy, and joy. Our mission is to make that experience available to anyone who's willing to sit down and play.
— James Weller, Founder of PaperGameFlck
What We Stand For

Our Values

✦

Curation Over Quantity

We don't carry everything. We carry the right things. Every title on our shelves has been personally played, debated, and approved by our team.

♟

Community First

Games are social objects. We design our space and events to foster genuine connection — between players, between genres, between strangers.

🃏

Craft Matters

The texture of a game board, the weight of a wooden token, the design of a rulebook — we celebrate games as objects worth admiring.

🗺️

Learning is Playing

No one should feel intimidated at the table. We're here to guide, explain, and help you find the game that fits your brain and your group.

The People Behind the Table

Meet Our Team

Every one of us came here through a game we couldn't stop thinking about.

James Weller, founder of PaperGameFlck, smiling in the warmly lit game store

James Weller

Founder & Head Curator

Collector of strange card games and obscure German strategy titles. Will talk about Wingspan for as long as you'll let him.

Priya Nair, events manager at PaperGameFlck, holding a board game box with a warm smile

Priya Nair

Events & Community Manager

Runs every open night with the patience of a saint and the competitive fire of someone who never forgets a score.

Eli Strand, game guide and floor staff at PaperGameFlck, standing in front of a game shelf

Eli Strand

Game Guide & Floor Staff

Your go-to for any question about cooperative games. He's beaten every solo campaign in the collection twice.

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Come See What We've Built

Visit the shop, join an open night, or book your own private session. The table is always set.

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