With tabletop games enjoying growing popularity, the current subdued economic sentiment hasn’t been a dampener for local start-up Roll of the Dice.

Mostly aimed at young local gaming fans and requiring only modest initial outlays and little ongoing costs, things are going okay, Blake Maslen recently told Orange City Life.

“It hasn’t been too bad, actually, it’s been a little quiet, but it hasn’t impacted me greatly,” Blake revealed.

“It’s quiet in here now, but most of my activity is for game events in the afternoons and evenings for local kids, Dungeons and Dragons, that sort of thing,” he added.

With a mostly local clientele, headwinds from high interest rates, inflation, and fuel prices, and the closure of Victoria Pass, have had minimal impact.

“Thankfully, not as much as a lot of other businesses. A couple of people from out-of-town have said they can’t justify driving in anymore because of fuel prices, but that’s about it,” Blake explained.

His main business, however, revolves around game nights on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

“We also have a few group events on weekends also, usually three to four, but we don’t charge much, $2 entry is all we ask.

“Also, once people have got their books and the like, it’s all they really need to play.”

Technically known as “table-top role-playing games” the genre experienced a massive surge from around the time of the COVID lockdowns and since, with tens of millions of players worldwide; as streaming shows like 'Stranger Things' have also exploited this acceptance.

For readers unfamiliar with the field, these games are not like MONOPOLY or Cluedo, but are usually based in mythical history with intricate rules, “laws” and regulations that involve interactive, collaborative, storytelling where players create characters and navigate narratives guided by a “Game Master” (GM).

“Games like Dungeons & Dragons are steadily growing, with others like Warhammer and Magic: The Gathering also becoming more popular,” Blake said.

“I’ve been here since October and it hasn’t impacted us too much and, although I’m still settling in, it’s been pretty good,” he concluded.