This 20,000 sq. ft. gamers’ paradise in Fairview Heights is more than a place to play
A quartet of local computer guys have a pretty sweet side hustle in Fairview Heights.
Mike Byrd, Trent Sondag, Darick Bogardus, all system engineers by day, and software engineer Jeff Blyden are the partners behind Impact Gaming Center, which opened back in February at 49 Ludwig Drive at the former Blue Fire Fitness.
When I first heard about the Impact Gaming Center a year ago, I thought it was gonna be a place just for video gamers. I was wrong. (Hey, it happens.)
It’s a lot more than that.
A recent visit to the business included a tour with Byrd and Bogardus. Images I’ve seen online of Impact Gaming Center, or IGC, were nothing compared to seeing it in person. It’s pretty impressive.
Games for everyone
First up, video games.
The LAN (local area network) Center at IGC houses 24 gaming PCs, each loaded with more than 70(!) games.
Anyone is welcome to come and enjoy a great selection of games that may include zombies, superheroes, warriors, dragons, cars and trucks, sports and a whole lot more.
Games include:
World of Warcraft: The War Within
Madden 24 (and Madden 25)
Fortnite
Star Wars: Battlefront II - Celebration Edition
Fall Guys
The Sims 4
Roblox
Civilization VI
Grand Theft Auto V
Minecraft
You can see the full list on the Impact Gaming Center website.
Byrd said sometimes people will book multiple PC stations for birthday parties and other group play. Stations can be booked in advance online.
IGC uses Battle.net, an online gaming platform and social networking service. Guests can use their own Battle.net accounts or one of the house accounts, which, according to Bogardus, were created as a way to have free-to-play teams of up to five players.
Account security is not an issue. Byrd said that once someone logs out of an account, whether it’s a house account or an individual player’s account, the machine reboots and does not save the information.
In addition to the gaming PCs, the LAN Center also has a few stations equipped with PlayStation 5s and Nintendo Switches, although those game libraries are much smaller.
The cost to play in the LAN Center is $5 an hour, which sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me. (Then again, that can add up quickly. I was once able to sit and play some Super Mario Bros. 3 for up to six hours at a time. How time flies ….)
While the owners may think the video game area is more fun, Bogardus said the business can’t survive on the LAN Center alone.
In addition to video games, the 20,000-square-foot facility accommodates tabletop gaming, mainly for role playing games (RPGs) and trading card games (TCGs), as well as regular board games.
The tabletop gaming space is the largest area and currently accommodates up to 168 players. There’s more than enough room to expand for more than 200 players, Byrd said.
Gamers can bring their own decks and set-ups to start new or continue existing campaigns.
IGC hosts events daily with few exceptions and posts gameday standings. Anyone can come in to play, bringing their own games and gear or using what’s available. Events are listed on IGC’s online calendar, and online registration is available.
Gaming tables are often available for meet-ups on Sundays, as long as there are no tournaments scheduled.
More games, gear & other amenities
IGC’s vast inventory offers dice, miniatures and other gear for everything from Dungeons & Dragons (RPG) and Magic: The Gathering (TCG) to Warhammer (miniature tabletop game) and Pokémon.
Shelves hold miniature sets for games including Warhammer, Battletech and A Song of Ice & Fire (you may know it as Game of Thrones). Choose from a huge selection of paints to customize personal game pieces.
(Even if you don’t play the games, the miniatures on their own could make a fun hobby.)
Acquire cards, deck cases, binders, sleeves and other card accessories. Many collectible cards for various games are available individually and are displayed in custom cases.
Kiosks are available for customers to search a database for specific cards and other products and to place orders. I’m told they can look up anything, even if it’s not currently in stock.
“We do our best to try to get anything anyone asks for,” said Bogardus. “We’re pretty savvy with searching.”
There are more games at Impact Gaming Center than I even knew existed. A fan of board games myself, I couldn’t help but check out those offerings.
There are many game collections like Catan, Agricola and Ticket to Ride, which involve worker placement, resource management, card development and strategy. If games like these aren’t to your liking, Impact also has classic games like Uno, Monopoly and Clue.
I noticed a display of Funko Pop figures, which I totally enjoy and buy on occasion, and plushies of characters from Pokémon and other games.
If you prefer watching games in progress over playing (or just need a break from your own games), hang out in the lounge area with its comfortable seating and giant video screen.
Games streamed via Twitch – a live-streaming platform – either by known streamer channels or from the center’s own channel – are often on display. Check out the action while enjoying snacks and beverages that are also available at Impact Gaming Center.
The facility also has a multipurpose/party room that looks like a conference room with way better chairs. It’s available for private parties or gaming. Guests can decorate it how they want (BYO décor) and enjoy PC or tabletop gaming. Tables and chairs are all on wheels for easy rearranging.
The former fitness center’s old tanning rooms are works in progress intended to create smaller, private spaces for public and business use.
Work from home but need a change of scenery? Work from IGC. The small office space can be rented to anyone wanting to work remotely.
One room is a control room where employees at IGC can run audio and visual equipment throughout the facility. Cameras overlook the tabletop gaming area, including one that’s set up over a main gaming table (like those poker tournaments on TV) for viewing on wall-mounted monitors. There’s a microphone for announcements during tournaments and other events too.
Another room has a 3D printer, which is used to make gaming pieces and accessories, such as the headset stands on each of the PCs. Pretty cool.
Return of IGC, bigger and better
If, for some of the older gamers, any of this sounds a bit familiar, it could be because Impact Gaming Center isn’t brand new.
The original IGC opened in September 1995 and was located on Old Collinsville Road. It was owned and operated by Chris Monroe and his father, Bill Monroe.
Byrd said that they’re familiar with that business since they were once customers, and Sondag knows Chris Monroe and his family.
Bogardus said he was approached by Sondag about reviving the business the Monroes started. They invited Byrd to come aboard with his card gaming experience.
According to Bogardus and Byrd, Monroe agreed to let them open their business with the old name, which they rebranded.
Monroe also runs their Discord channel, which is an online communications channel commonly used in the gaming community. Monroe’s own Discord channel was blended with Impact Gaming Center’s to provide access to his existing members, said Byrd.
Initial plans for the new gaming center called for a space around 3,000 to 6,000 square feet. Bogardus said they considered buying an existing building or building a new one.
Both he and Byrd said there were many meetings, a lot of them at Chick-fil-A, to plan the gaming center.
During the planning process, they brought Blyden into the fold. Byrd mentioned to Bogardus and Sondag that Blyden is big into card games and video games. Byrd said that Blyden, when brought up to speed on their ideas, told them they needed to go bigger, to find a space that was at least 6,000 square feet.
And they found 49 Ludwig Drive.
They got a good deal and a lot of space in a good location. It’s near the interstate and isn’t a long drive from the surrounding areas. It’s just logistically centered, said Bogardus.
Since opening, many of their customers learned about Impact Gaming Center through word of mouth or noticed it while visiting surrounding businesses.
While there’s plenty of room to grow in the space they have, they’re currently focused on growing the communities here. And business is definitely growing, according to Bogardus.
Byrd said they’re taking their time to make the business what they envisioned. Everything at Impact Gaming Center has “what I wanted to see in a game store,” he said.
About Impact Gaming Center
Impact Gaming Center is located at 49 Ludwig Drive in Fairview Heights.
Hours are 3-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 3 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, events and available merchandise, visit impactgamingcenter.gg or call 618-720-0090.
You can also check out Impact Gaming Center on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Discord and Twitch.
