Epic quests in medieval dungeons, enthralling encounters with enchanted Disney characters and distant magical worlds filled with heroes and villains are only a microcosm of the adventures that await at Gathering Games and Hobbies.

The quaint hobby and gaming store, 441 Yellowstone Ave. Suite 100, was the shared vision of local resident Zachary Bidwell and a group of close friends and family who spent their evenings playing card and board games in a mutual friend’s basement.

“I grew up playing games with my best friend Nicholas Hofeldt, and he’s actually the co-owner of the store with me,” Bidwell said. “It’s a lifelong hobby and passion to sit around tables and play card games and board games. We’ve literally been friends for over 30 years.”

Near the end of November, a business went on sale on Facebook Marketplace, with the close group of family and friends joking about going in on the purchase together. That shared vision — playing games like Magic: The Gathering, Disney’s Lorcana and Dungeons & Dragons and sharing those experiences with the community — would soon drive them to open the business in December.

“It’s kind of a family affair,” Bidwell said. “I love it as a parent because I have three college-aged kids that all go to Idaho State University, and to have your kids want to hang out with you when they’re in their 20s is pretty cool. That led us to seek out an opportunity to open a store, to create that same kind of experience and that same kind of environment for other families and friends.”

That connection was reflected in the name of the store, Gathering Games and Hobbies, and how the owners and their family members went about differentiating themselves from other hobby and card shops in the Gate City.

“It’s designed to bring people in to have a comfortable environment to play anything that they would like, from board games to Legos to card games like Pokemon, Magic, Lorcana, etc.,” Bidwell said. “That’s been our No. 1 focus, and we’re still passionate about it. I still love to play games myself.”

While most businesses are fixated on their gross income and profit or loss margins, Bidwell and other employees at the store have other jobs, and he said he’s happy to have a place where he can be around his friends and family. The goal has been to provide a place where people feel welcome, where anyone looking to get into a new hobby can find friends to play with and do so in a safe environment.

“We have almost 100 different sealed packs of cards, which is probably the most in Idaho as far as selection, and we have a huge selection of singles,” Bidwell said. “Our goal is to have the most inventory and a very open and inviting environment for everybody. We have 4-year-olds showing up for Disney Lorcana events and playing with their parents, to individuals of any age playing our other games as well.”

One of the unique aspects of the store is patrons’ ability to try out various trading card game decks and offering nights where their guests can learn to play these games for free. Bidwell said that he places importance on getting people involved in these multiplayer games and having enough players involved to really understand and navigate them.

“I have some lifelong friendships from learning how to play certain board and card games with other friends,” Bidwell said. “That’s something that Nick and I did. Nick’s much younger brother will tell you that he learned how to read by wanting to play cards with his older brother and me. We spent thousands of hours with kids playing together, and we just want to foster that. I think that’s the part that gives me and Nick the most joy is being able to create an environment where people feel comfortable.”

Bidwell said that one of his favorite things about the shop so far, especially because they’re a fresh business, is the new customers he gets to interact with, who come in and discuss the new decks they’re building, cards they’re looking for and getting ideas and inspiration.

“Some people just come in after work and want to buy a pack of cards just to have a conversation with somebody after a long day of work,” Bidwell said. “It’s a reprieve from real life. You get to go play a game or have a hobby that you enjoy. That’s been one of my favorite things that I’ve seen so far — the community outreach. The turnout and the results that we’re getting and the support that we’re getting from the community is really amazing.”

Because of their success and the demands of the community, Gathering Games and Hobbies will be expanding their hours to be open seven days a week.

Gathering Games and Hobbies has events every week, running popular card games like Pokemon on Tuesdays, Disney’s Lorcana on Thursdays, Magic: The Gathering on Fridays and Saturdays and Dungeons & Dragons on Sundays.

Bidwell said there will always be tournaments and events planned, recently running a packed venue at sports bar The Pressbox that Bidwell believes will double in attendance numbers by next week.

Gathering Games and Hobbies is open Monday through Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m., Fridays from 3 to 10 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 10 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m.

“Everyone is welcome,” Bidwell said. “Everyone is able to come at any time and have a conversation or ask us questions, and we try to be as helpful as possible, because for us, it really isn’t about a retail store. It’s about a place where people want to be.”