Wanderer’s Haul moves into new space

Fairfield game store Wanderer's Haul completed a move across town in January, into a more homey storefront in Fairfield.

Owners Patrick and Kate Hetland say they own the new building — unlike the old shop, which they rented — and that they liked the feel of the new space. The building was originally constructed as a home before being commercially rezoned by its previous occupant, resulting in a business with a cozier atmosphere than most game stores can offer.

“It’s really welcoming, it feels like a home away from home,” said Kate. “It’s not the, ‘stark white, folding tables game store’ kind of feeling. It’s warm and inviting, and it feels a lot more like a place where you can just hang out.”

Their location across the street from the public library helps draw foot traffic, and shoppers say they appreciate the built-in industrial kitchen, which cooks up pizza and snacks during events and tournaments.

Also popular are hourly rental rooms for rowdy Dungeons and Dragons groups, and an outdoor gameplay space for temperate spring and summer days. And some renovations on the inside — including the removal of one interior wall — have established a main play area for various tabletop tournaments, as “The Haul” looks to host more competitive, sanctioned events on top of its numerous informal game nights.

“We’re trying to do a little more competitive stuff that’s not really expensive, mostly,” Patrick said. “Playing casually is great and people enjoy it and there’s nothing wrong with it. But I think having a competition gets more people more invested, which means they’re more involved, and they have more fun and they meet more people, because they have to play against people other than the same four they usually play with.”