New Dubbo game store Total Tabletop a 'dream come true' for owners Laura and James Portelli

More than just a store to sell board games and accessories, Laura and James hope Total Tabletop will become a meeting place for young people who might otherwise not have a place to fit in.

"We're super excited to be able to get this out there, it's living the dream," Ms Portelli told the Daily Liberal.

"We've got a games room set up that we want to use as a community space for people to just come hang out and play. We want to create a safe space with no gatekeeping allowed and we want people to have fun."

"Of course we're selling products but the main focus for us is building a community where people can get together again."

Ms Portelli said when she was a young teenager her brother introduced her to Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) - a tabletop roleplaying game which sees players create characters and go on an epic quest together, with the role of a 20-sided dice deciding their fate.

She immediately took a liking to the game and the pair have been playing together ever since, even when James moved away from Dubbo, the two kept up their regular gaming sessions online.

"He lived away for about ten years and games were our main form of contact really. We used to stream D&D online and it was a good way for us to keep in contact and something we really bond ove too," she said.

Although online gaming has become ubiquitous, Ms Portelli said it's the face-to-face element of tabletop gaming that makes it a great way for people - especially neurodiverse young people - to get together and meet new people.

"Especially after COVID being able to play face-to-face with people is really important," she said.

"Games have a lot of power. You can socialise without having to talk about yourself. It makes it easier for a lot of people who are on the spectrum or who have ADHD - like me and my kids and my brothers - because you're still getting out there and you can talk face-to-face."

"When you play online you might never be able to hang out with that person face-to-face, but if there's someone local you play with maybe - eventually - you'll end up doing other things with them and making new friends."

Other popular roleplaying and strategy games Total Tabletop hope to spread their love of include Magic the Gathering, a fantasy trading card game that has remained popular since the 1990s, and Warhammer, a war strategy game which is played with painted miniature figurines.

One thing that has helped these games stand the test of time, Ms Portelli said, is the outlet for creativity and personal expression they can provide people.

"You're making stories up as a group in things like D&D. You're storytelling and world building but you're also in the world," she said.

"We're actually collaborating with a counsellor who is running therapy D&D sessions, so if we get kids who we think could use our services - and if has kids who are ready to join a mainstream group - we want to work on that together."

Officially opening at 244 Macquarie Street on Saturday, April 15, Total Tabletop sells board games, tabletop roleplaying games, trading card games, collectibles and much more.

The store also runs free workshops for people of all ages wanting to try out a new game.

For information about workshop times and dates visit Total Tabletop's Facebook page.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: