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Geeking out in Vegas: Where to cosplay, game and buy comics

It doesn’t matter if you’re into science fiction or the show tune “Science Fiction/Double Feature,” there’s something in Las Vegas to entertain all manner of geeks, nerds, dorks and dweebs.

Well, maybe not dweebs. Dweebs feel like more of a Reno thing. But you get the idea.

Whatever you geek out to, you can find it nearby. Let this guide start you on your journey.

Millennium Fandom Bar

900 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Whether it’s anime, fantasy, Disney princesses or anything else you obsess over, if there’s a fandom, there’s a place for it here. The Arts District’s home to all things geeky offers regular events, including cosplay, karaoke, trivia and movie nights.

Player 1 Video Game Bar

2797 S. Maryland Parkway

The bar boasts 50 taps and more than 150 bottled beers, but the real attraction is its selection of video games. Arcade games range from Asteroids to Zaxxon, and its old-school consoles include the Atari 2600, Sega Genesis and the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Most games are included in the cover charge that starts at $6 for locals.

Players attend a weekly tournament called "Knockdown" of fighting games, Friday, Sept ...
Players attend a weekly tournament called "Knockdown" of fighting games, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, at the HyperX Arena in Las Vegas. (Chitose Suzuki/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @chitosephoto

HyperX Arena

Luxor

This gaming wonderland offers esports events and tournaments, along with more casual game play, in a 30,000-square-foot arena that features a competition stage, a 50-foot LED screen and VIP rooms. The facility also has 160 gaming PCs and an interactive display that traces the history of video games.

Knight & Day Games

Town Square

For those of you who prefer your gaming low-tech, Knight & Day has a library of more than 1,200 board games that can be accessed via $10 day passes or $40 monthly passes. Fans of TCG (that’s trading card games for the noobs) will find cards, booster boxes and expansion packs for sale in addition to the shop’s daily tournaments.

Some of the many Hot Wheels toy cars on display at the Toy Shack at the Neonopolis on Fremont S ...
Some of the many Hot Wheels toy cars on display at the Toy Shack at the Neonopolis on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. (Las Vegas Review-Journal file)

Toy Shack

Neonopolis

No matter your age, walking into the Toy Shack is like opening a door to your childhood. The store is packed to the ceiling with everything from new releases to vintage lunch boxes to matchbox cars from the days when their packaging still resembled matchboxes.

One Piece Cafe, inspired by the One Piece manga and anime franchise from Japan, opened last Apr ...
One Piece Cafe, inspired by the One Piece manga and anime franchise from Japan, opened last April in Chinatown Las Vegas. (One Piece Cafe)

One Piece Cafe Las Vegas

5600 Spring Mountain Road

Fans of the Straw Hat Crew have a place to eat — and stock up on merch — thanks to America’s first official One Piece Cafe. Among the food and drinks inspired by the anime sensation are Zoro’s Onigiri, Gum-Gum Devil Fruit Mousse Bomb and Robin’s Flower-Flower Power Refresher.

People browse at Torpedo Comics in Las Vegas Friday, May 17, 2019. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Revie ...
People browse at Torpedo Comics in Las Vegas Friday, May 17, 2019. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @KMCannonPhoto

Torpedo Comics

7300 Arroyo Crossing Parkway

You may come to gawk inside the Bank of Gotham vault at its graded comics that cost more than a serviceable used car. But you’re more likely to leave with something from the rows of back issues, the wall of new releases or the large display of new variant covers.

Tournament of Kings shoot by Erik Kabik July 2, 2012. © Erik Kabik/ erikkabik.com
Tournament of Kings shoot by Erik Kabik July 2, 2012. © Erik Kabik/ erikkabik.com

‘Tournament of Kings’

Excalibur

King Arthur and Merlin. Knights and horses. Tearing apart a Cornish game hen and eating it with your hands. The dinner theater show that’s been running since 1990 is the closest thing to a year-round ren faire Las Vegas has to offer.

Audience members cover their heads with newspapers to shield themselves from imaginary rain dur ...
Audience members cover their heads with newspapers to shield themselves from imaginary rain during an interactive part of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at Tropicana Cinemas on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Frankie’s Favorite Obsession

Tropicana Cinemas, 3330 E. Tropicana Ave.

You don’t have to dress in fishnets, tighty-whities or a shiny gold Speedo when this live cast founded in 2001 performs on the first Saturday of each month. But you can.

Different factions pretend to face off during the Fallout Fan Celebration Saturday, November 16 ...
Different factions pretend to face off during the Fallout Fan Celebration Saturday, November 16, 2024, in Goodsprings, Nevada. (Sam Morris/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Pioneer Saloon

310 N. Fayle St., Goodsprings

This one’s a bit of a trek, but the Pioneer Saloon and its adjacent Goodsprings General Store have leaned into their “Fallout: New Vegas” ties. Even if you can’t make it to the annual “Fallout” Fan Celebration, you can feel like you stepped inside the video game by visiting those sites. As a side quest, the schoolhouse and the town cemetery, both of which also appear in the game, are a short walk away in the tiny former mining town.

Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567.

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