Saturday, October 8th, 2022
Fantasy with Friends
Tabletop games make a comeback
By Leslie Gartrell
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Angela Stith points at a game piece during her turn while playing Dungeons and Dragons at Dreadfully Good Games in Celina on Friday afternoon.
CELINA - In a fantasy realm where creative characters embark on epic quests to defeat otherworldly terrors and gain experience, Dungeons and Dragons is, at its heart, a game where players can rejoice in storytelling and world building.
Tabletop role-playing games, including Dungeons and Dragons, have long been a source of friendship and social interaction, said Dave Elking, owner of Dreadfully Good Games.
Located at 202 S. Sugar St., the store is dedicated to board games, collectible card games, tabletop miniatures and hobby supplies. Elking said it's not a coincidence that his store specializes in games that require other people to play.
"We sell games that you have to play with somebody face to face," he said. "We don't have online games, video games. It's being social without using a phone."
Tabletop role-playing games, better known as TTRPGs to those who play them, have been growing in popularity, Elking said. Thanks to media such as the TV show Stranger Things, a whole new generation has been exposed to the genre, he said.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
A mythological dragon-like creature called the Tarrasque.
In Dungeons and Dragons, each player creates a heroic character to represent them in the game, according to the game's official website. This might be a skilled fighter, a devout cleric, a stealthy rogue, a spell-casting wizard or something completely unique.
Together with a dungeon master, who acts as the lead storyteller and referee, players create their own story while confronting deadly perils, said Josh Bulcher, 29, a dungeon master in training.
As a dungeon master in training, Bulcher often makes the trek from Greenville to Celina to lead others in a game of D&D. He agreed it's a great way to make new friends and bond over a shared interest.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Game pieces, also called miniatures, stand at the bow of a ship.
Angela Stith, 39, can attest to the connections formed through the games. It's how she met her fiancé Aaron Selby, 26, who served as dungeon master at the shop during an especially large and grueling year-and-a-half campaign.
"I met him because I came and played a game," she said. "I (thought) 'A lot of people are into D&D, maybe I can get back into playing tabletop role-playing games.' Nobody else showed up," so the pair played a one-on-one session, she said.
Tabletop role-playing games don't require elaborate costumes and dazzling set pieces in order to play, Bulcher said. Although some people enjoy playing in full fantasy garb, many people play the games casually, he said.
In fact, tabletop role-playing games come in a variety of different themes, Elking and Bulcher said. There are games centered on World War II, zombies, pirates, space adventures and beyond.
"Every D&D game is going to be different based on the DM or game master," Elking said. "Not all role-playing games are D&D."
While board games have started to come back in vogue, Elking said he still remembers the satanic panic of the 1980s and 1990s.
The satanic panic was a moral panic in the U.S. which consisted of unsubstantiated claims of satanic worship and ritual abuse. Some people believed satanic symbols and messages could be found in games, rock music and other media, including tabletop role-playing games.
"Back when I was in school, when I was in D&D, you (had) to worry about moms and dads, and the church was running after me and everything else," he said. "But now, I meet up with people that are my age and they're like 'Oh, yeah, we played Magic (the Gathering)' or 'We played D&D,' and they were people that I never thought would have played D&D back then."
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
From left, Anglea Stith, Ryan Dull, Josh Bulcher and Aaron Selby play Dungeons and Dragons at the Dreadfully Good Games store on Sugar Street.
As the genre of games continues to grow in popularity, shops such as Dreadfully Good Games serve as more than a place to buy game pieces or playing cards. It's a place to form new connections, socialize and compete with others, Elking said.
David Rosado Vega, who recently moved from Columbus to Mercer County, said a friend and frequent customer of Dreadfully Good Games recommended he stop by.
"I just moved here, and I'm so happy to see it," he said of the store. "I'm super excited."
The store is open from 4-8 p.m. Fridays and noon-6 p.m. Saturdays. Updates on events can be found on the Dreadfully Good Games Facebook page.
