Game Kastle franchise
2026 filing · March 11, 2026Fewer locationsShares sales figures
Game Kastle at a glance
A retail game store and event center for tabletop and card games. At the end of 2025 there were 9 Game Kastle locations in the US, 6 franchised and 3 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Game Kastle Universe, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $195K–$419K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $47,500
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus 1% to the brand fund
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross sales, paid monthly
- Renewal fee
- $20,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 9
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 6
- Company-owned
- 3
- Change in 3 years
- −1
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 6
- Most in California, Alabama and Maryland
From Game Kastle Universe, LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Game Kastle among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Game Kastle | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $306,850 | Costs less than 56% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $47,500 | Higher than 61% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 9 | Fewer than 63% of franchises |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $786,449 | Lower than 51% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 2.6× | Higher than 73% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a Game Kastle franchise costs
Opening one Game Kastle costs an estimated $194,900 to $418,800. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are initial inventory ($85,000 to $168,000) and additional funds – 3 months ($17,500 to $87,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $47,500 | ||
| Furniture, Fixtures and Décor | $15,000 | $35,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $85,000 | $168,000 | |
| Computer and POS System, Security & Cameras | $3,500 | $5,800 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $10,000 | $22,000 | |
| Utility and Landlord Security Deposits | $5,500 | $22,500 | |
| Signage | $3,100 | $6,300 | |
| Insurance | $1,200 | $3,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $1,500 | $5,500 | |
| Architecture Fees and Permits | $1,200 | $6,000 | |
| Training | $2,400 | $6,000 | |
| Grand Opening Program | $1,500 | $4,200 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 Months | $17,500 | $87,000 | |
| Total | $194,900 | $418,800 | |
Source: Game Kastle Universe, LLC, 2026 filing, page 16
Game Kastle franchise fee
The franchise fee is $47,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Game Kastle Universe, LLC, 2026 filing, page 8
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus 1% to the brand fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross sales, paid monthly. |
| Technology Fee | The then-current fee (currently $200 to $250 per month) |
| Transfer Fee | $12,500 |
| Renewal Fee | $20,000 |
| Transfer Training Fee | $2,500 per person and reimbursement for our travel and living expenses |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Game Kastle Universe, LLC, 2026 filing, page 9
Other fees as filed, from pages 11–13. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Game Kastle publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average sales
- $786,449
- Median sales
- $751,314
Yearly figures for 2025, covering franchised stores in 2025 (6 locations). The average is about 2.6 times the midpoint of the cost to open.
Sales are what a location takes in before rent, payroll, royalties and other costs, not what its owner keeps.
Source: Game Kastle Universe, LLC, 2026 filing, pages 40–42
SBA loans to Game Kastle franchisees
Lenders approved one SBA 7(a) loan for a Game Kastle franchisee in 2020, for $150K. It was paid in full.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Game Kastle | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −14% / −14% | +2.9% / +33% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 14% / 43% | 3.2% / 11% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 29% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical entertainment brand is the median of the 41 brands in entertainment franchises with three years of counts.
How Game Kastle compares
Of the 168 entertainment franchises on this site, Game Kastle is the 67th cheapest to open and the 78th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Game Kastle | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $195K | $286K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $419K | $598K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $48K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 1.3% | 2% |
| Sales per location | $786K | $756K | $794K |
| US locations | 9 | 8 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 113 of 168 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 168 brands in entertainment franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5 (−2) | 4 | 0 | −2 |
| 2024 | 7 (+2) | 3 | +4 | −2 |
| 2025 | 6 (−1) | 3 | 0 | −1 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Game Kastle Universe, LLC, 2026 filing, page 43
Where Game Kastle locations are
At the end of 2025, Game Kastle had locations in 6 states. The most are in California, Alabama and Maryland.
- California4
- Alabama1
- Maryland1
- Nevada1
- South Carolina1
- Texas1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Alabama | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Maryland | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Nevada | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Texas | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Game Kastle Universe, LLC, 2026 filing, page 44
Who owns Game Kastle?
Game Kastle franchises are sold by Game Kastle Universe, LLC.
From Game Kastle Universe, LLC’s 2026 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 8. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Game Kastle Universe, LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 8, bankruptcy on page 8
Game Kastle filings
The figures on this page come from Game Kastle Universe, LLC’s 2026 filing, issued March 11, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | March 11, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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