Cthulhu's Den- A Journey to Making a LGS a Reality

Hi there!

I’m Sam, and I’m excited to be on the journey to becoming a local game store owner! In May of 2024, I proudly took ownership of a three-story building in Jeannette, PA. While this building has been many things over the years, at the very beginning, it was our town's local community center. For someone who has always dreamed of establishing a gathering place for the community to connect and socialize, this opportunity felt like the ideal way to bring the vision of a massive local game store to life.

As a lifelong nerd and gamer, I’ve always dreamed of a place where people of all ages can bond over cards, collectibles, Warhammer, and board games. Now, as my daughter grows, her love for art, anime, cosplay, and Dungeons and Dragons has inspired me to cultivate an inclusive environment where she can explore her passions. With Cthulhu’s Den, my goal is to create a safe and inviting space for everyone who wants to explore the vast realm of gaming. But the part of this dream I’m most excited about? Fully immersive, individualized Dungeons & Dragons (and other TTRPG) rooms where players can experience the game in an unforgettable way—face-to-face, just as it’s meant to be. So in addition to these amazing rooms, the store will include:

The vision for Cthulhu’s Den is big because I believe our community deserves a special, one-of-a-kind game store. And while I’ve made incredible progress so far, renovating this old building has turned out to be a much bigger challenge than I imagined. Years of neglect and damage have made repairs both urgent and costly. As a single mom juggling a full-time job and raising a family, I’m doing everything I can to keep this dream alive, but I’ve come to realize that sometimes, even the strongest among us need a little help.

A little about me: Beyond this project, I run a program supporting over 50 staff members and 5 managers. Together, we work to help kids with autism diagnoses and coexisting mental health challenges transition out of hospital-based settings into a supportive community. It’s a job that I pour my heart into every day, and I’m honored to make a difference. But it also means my time, resources, and energy are stretched thin.

That’s why I’m reaching out to you. With your generosity, I’ll be able to:

This isn’t just a business for me; it’s a dream to create something magical for the community I love. Any support you can provide, whether it’s a donation or simply sharing this GoFundMe with your network, would mean the world to me. Every contribution, big or small, brings me closer to opening the doors of Cthulhu’s Den and welcoming you all into this dream space.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping to make this possible. Together, we can turn this vision into a reality and create a space that our community can be proud of.

With gratitude,

Sam; The Unseen of MTG