Elf 'N Moon Gaming & Hobby

Elf 'N Moon pairs Magic, board games and Gundam kits with free play tables and rentable game rooms, and keeps the lights on until midnight on weekends.

Elf 'N Moon Gaming & Hobby occupies a dimly lit, cozy building on Shelby Street in Fletcher Place-adjacent Indianapolis. It feels as much like a clubhouse as a retailer: music plays, the lighting is low, and customers camp out at tables for hours.

Trading cards share the stage with a lot else. Magic: The Gathering is part of the mix, and regular players say they like the atmosphere for meeting up to play, although some wish the singles and bulk selection were deeper. That candor is useful: treat Elf 'N Moon as a place to buy sealed product, sleeves and dice, and to play, rather than your only source for a specific rare single. Around the cards you will find a broad board game wall, miniatures supplies and a generous run of Gundam model kits that has made it a favorite for people building gunpla.

What sets the shop apart is the space. There is a games library you can borrow from at tables, and private game rooms available to rent for tabletop sessions, which is why people book it for Dungeons & Dragons one-shots and birthday gatherings. For anyone who needs a neutral place to host a Commander night or an RPG group, a card shop in Indianapolis with a room like this is hard to replace.

Hours are some of the longest in the city. The doors are open 11 AM to 11 PM Monday through Thursday, stretching to midnight on Friday and Saturday, with Sunday hours shown in the schedule. Weeknight evenings are the best time for open play without a crowd. Parking is available near the entrance in Suite A, and the staff are glad to point first-timers to a table.