Five of the most popular games you can play competitively in Fort Collins
By Ivy Winfrey
Whether you’re a casual gamer or an aspiring pro, the feeling of a tournament is always exhilarating. Fort Collins in particular has a small but lively tournament scene, drawing in decent attendance on a regular basis. If you’re looking to itch your competitive bone, here’s five popular games that you can crush a tournament at in Fort Collins.
1. Pinball
While not the first thing people probably think of when they think “Game tournament”, The Fort Collins pinball scene has a lively crowd of competitors.
Monthly tournaments occur at Pinball Jones in Old Town with cash prizes.
If you want some old school tournament play, competing for high scores, you would be remiss to not check this place out.
2: Magic The Gathering
The OG trading card game, Magic the gathering has a lively nationwide competitive scene, and Fort Collins is no exception to the rule. Two venues hold regular tournaments in Fort Collins: Gryphon Games and Comics, and The Haunted Game Cafe, with Gryphon even hosting Magic the Gathering Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifiers (also known as PPTQs) which give competitors a chance at an invitation to Magic the Gathering national Mythic Championship. If you’re an MTG fanatic, you gotta check these places out.
3: Pokémon: the Trading Card Game
While overshadowed by its anime and video game counterparts in terms of popularity, the Pokémon TCG still maintains a cult following, and is popular among younger and older audiences alike.
Gryphon Games and comics hosts a weekly Pokemon League, where people can compete for cash prizes or store credit, as well as provides a welcoming community perfect for younger gamers.
If you’re looking for a more casual tournament environment, I would definitely recommend you check it out.
4: Warhammer and Warhammer 40k
Games Workshop’s most popular miniatures game franchise has a small but passionate fanbase in the Fort Collins area, localized again at Gryphon Games and Comics.
The Gryphon War Party is a group of regulars to the venue and the game, and hold tournaments about once a month at Gryphon.
If you’re passionate about miniature play on the competitive level, you definitely have a home at Gryphon.
5: Super Smash Brothers
Nintendo’s mashup fighting franchise is one of the most popular fighting game franchises of all time, drawing in massive crowds at high profile tournaments like EVO nationwide, and it definitely has a major presence in Fort Collins.
A group that meets weekly for money tournaments is CSU Smash, but don’t be put off by the college affiliation, the tournaments are open to the public and consistently draw competitors for their tournaments in the high double digits, hosting Smash Brothers Ultimate, Melee, and 64 tournaments regularly.
Gryphon Games and Comics again shows up here, hosting similar cash tournaments for Super Smash Brothers Ultimate on a weekly basis.
If you consider yourself an aspiring competitive Smash Brother, Fort Collins is definitely a home for you.
