Expansions Games Opens in Chapters Books and Coffee

For decades, the world of board games was dominated by headline names like “Monopoly,” “Clue,” and “Risk” (which are still some of the best sellers today, by the way). However, in 1995, a German dental technician Klaus Teuber released Settlers of Catan, which grew through a cult following until 2008 when it hit the mainstream. The influence of this board game over the next 20 years inspired many others to try their hands at creating new, exciting games.

And now, locals Kara and Blake Estep want to bring those games to the Newberg community with Expansions Games.

“We’re going to have some of the favorites,” Kara said, stacking a collection of new games on the lower shelf of a book display at Chapters Books and Coffee. “We’ll have well-loved games like ‘Catan‘ and ‘Bananagrams.’ But there are a lot of games out there that people don’t know about, and they’re beautiful.”

Kara and Blake said the idea of opening a game store has floated around for a while. Outside of being avid gamers — whether it’s a role-playing game like Dungeons & Dragons or a tabletop game like Ticket to Ride — Blake’s brother, Chase Estep, is a game designer in McMinnville (who recently funded his first published game, Bandada, through a Kickstarter campaign). The couple has some deep connections in the gaming industry that help inform trends and exciting new developments in the gaming world.

“We talked about the idea here and there,” Blake said. “It seemed fun — like a fun way to make a living. But it never really seemed like the right time.”

That is until they were out to dinner celebrating their anniversary. The conversation about starting the game store came up again, and Kara asked Blake if he wanted to start the game store. When Blake answered confidently in the affirmative, they started making a plan.

“We saw people driving miles to go to a game store (up in Sherwood or down in McMinnville),” Kara said. “People in Newberg want to support Newberg businesses and Newberg people. It’s one of our favorite parts of living here. So if there was a need and a want, we saw the opportunity to do something we were excited about.”

Blake said part of the encouragement came from a TikTok account, @riftgate, where the store’s owner documented opening a game store in Utah.

“It’s not necessarily a blueprint, but it answered a lot of the unanswered questions,” Blake said about Riftgate’s TikTok account. “There would have been a lot of potentially expensive lessons to learn along the way. But when you have someone that’s willing to share their process and things to look out for, it makes the process seem more understandable and more possible.”

Both Blake and Kara are starting this on top of an existing, full life; along with parenting two young children, Blake has a career in marketing, printing, computer science, and design while Kara owns &east Woodworking and works as a manager at Chapters Books and Coffee, which is providing space to Expansions Games.

“I was just trying to help them begin a business without the incredible costs of beginning a business,” said Chapters Co-Owner Maureen Rogers. “This seemed like a good first step and the two, books and games, do go hand in hand nicely.”

This is the fifth business now housed within Chapters’ walls, joining Whimsey Books (book art products), Cream Northwest, Kayt’s Kitchen (on Wednesdays and Sundays during the cold season), as well as &east Woodworking.

“We’re getting crowded but I like all the energy and small businesses need a leg up,” Rogers said. “Starting out is hard!”

Rogers said Kara shared this dream quite some time ago, but only approached her this summer saying they wanted to take a real step. She added that Kara is a “over and above” employee, and the opportunity to help launch this project was a way to say “thank you” for all of her work and support over the years.

“We want — well, need — to start slow,” Kara added. “[Chapters Books and Coffee] is the perfect place to do that. We can make a name for ourselves, see which games people like the most, host some game nights, all in a very supportive environment.”

So far, the Esteps are bringing in some classics (like Ticket to Ride, Azul, and Settlers of Catan) as well as some newer, more experimental games (like Root, Hero Quest, and Calico). They’ll also stock basic dice and supplies for Dungeons & Dragons campaigns in these early stages, with the intention to eventually grow into a space of their own where they can host game nights and increase their library.

Currently, Kara said she’s particularly excited about The Castles of Burgundy, a world-building board game where players take the role of an entrepreneurial aristocrat in the Burgundy region of France looking to expand their settlements. Blake said he loves Lords of Waterdeep, a Dungeons & Dragons-themed strategy board game where players take on the role of a masked, secret ruler of the city looking to increase their influence in the town of Waterdeep.

“Newberg is almost always in need of another ‘place,'” Kara said. “People are looking for more places to hang out together. Board games are so much fun and great for gathering.”

For now, Kara and Blake are excited to introduce the Newberg community to new, exciting board and role-playing games. While the storefront is on the horizon, they’re trying to enjoy the now — which includes consistent game nights with their young family.

“My daughter just played Ticket to Ride for the first time,” Kara said. “That was a pretty cool moment. What a great game.”

You can find Expansions Games in the lower level of the book display at Chapters Books and Coffee in Newberg. For updates and more information, follow Expansions Games on Instagram.

How to Pick a Game

There is a near-endless supply of games to choose from, many of which are unique in their rules and playstyle. So, how do you wade through the colorful boxes on the shelf to find the game that’s right for you?

1. Start with The Outside of the Box
   1. “If it looks cool to you, there’s a very good chance the game inside is your kind of game,” Kara said. “They rarely spend money on beautiful art if they aren’t confident about the game.” Read through the description on the back of the box to get a very general idea of what the gameplay feels like.
2. Check Number of Players
   1. You don’t want to get excited about a game for your game night, only to find out that it’s a solo or duo game. Make sure to read the recommended player count before diving in.
3. Know Your Ideal Playstyle
   1. Are you looking for something fast and quick for a party? Maybe you want something that you can really sink your teeth into for the night? Once you’ve decided what kind of game you want to play, you’ll be able to cut down your options significantly.