Get the dice, shuffle a deck of cards or set up a game board. No matter how or where you play, tabletop gaming is making a comeback. Or maybe it never went away.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, in-store, in-person tabletop gaming contributed significantly to the foot traffic at Greenville game store, Boardwalk, said owner-operator John Emery.
“Providing a space to play is more of a customer service than a revenue generation for us,” he said. “If people are coming to play, that means that they are in the door and may pick something up to take home. So, a lot of our traffic was badly affected by COVID, but fortunately, not so much of our sales. Our loyal customers supported us through the time we had to reduce operations and we are very grateful. We were able to retain all of our staff, but people seemed to play more at home when going out was not much of an option.”
Similar to Boardwalk, tabletop gaming plays a key role in Borderlands Comics and Games’ business.
“About half of our business is gaming,” said Borderlands owner Rob Young. “COVID was a huge challenge for everyone. We utilized social media and email to stay engaged with our customers. It was a challenge.”
Reopening the tables
After almost a year of in-store gaming on pause, Borderlands welcomed gamers back to its tables and Young says the crowds are growing.
“We required masks, at first, and allowed a very small amount of people,” Young said. “Tables had to be reserved and spaced out and masks were required for gaming. Thankfully, two people on a large gaming table are socially-distanced by the sheer size of the playing surface.”
While the store offers a variety of games, it attracts wargaming aficionados who play Warhammer 40k, Star Wars Legion and WWII simulator Flames of War. During the games, players assemble their miniature armies for war.At Boardwalk, tournaments are coming back, too.
“We started to open to in-store play in early June and have resumed in-store gaming for limited-capacity tournaments,” said Emery. “We encourage players to reserve tables when there’s not an event. The tables in the game room are more spaced out and are cleaning them between each playgroup. Each week we reevaluate as we get a little closer to the new normal.”
A new player in town
As the stores navigate a new normal in communal gaming, a new store is about to enter the market. National gaming store Game Kastle will join the Greenville tabletop gaming community when it opens its first East Coast franchise on Aug. 7 at 2854A Wade Hampton Blvd. in Taylors.
The store will support all forms of tabletop gaming through sales, events and providing space to play, said Game Kastle franchise operations director Seth Amsden.
Looking to the future
While a new store is joining the fray, both Borderlands and Boardwalk are looking to future.
During the pandemic, Boardwalk renovated its space to add a new floor, sound-reduction treatments and expanded with a new, private game room that can hold up to 10 people. They’ve also added a card game counter to allow Magic, the Gathering and Pokemon players to have dedicated staff to answer questions and help them build their decks, said Boardwalk social media manager Rachael Huggins.
“We think in-store gaming will become an even larger part of our business,” Young said. “We believe people have missed in-person gaming. The experience of sharing a game with someone is bonding and creates stories and friendships that last a lifetime.”
