A group of people of varying ages sit around a table -- the game master describes five of them as laying face-down in the snow. Another nearby group gathers decorative stones at the middle of the table that will serve as a reward system. Dice are rolled, gains and losses are determined, and a player asks "Where's my ax?"
Game night is underway at Mimics JC, a board game store and place to play at 312 Lafayette St.
Board games can be like the real world with a bit of fantasy. Much like the real word, said Dungeons & Dragons game master Will Trapp, "if you're smart, you're rewarded. If you do something dumb, you face consequences."
There's also a sense of escape as the tension of the campaign grows. Some players compare it to a soap opera -- each time the group sits down to play, they jump back into the drama and characters continuing from the last gameplay. Some like to play just for the world-building aspect.
As board games have expanded to different mediums, some charting online territory over the years, there were new ways to play those beloved characters and face those real-life and not-so-real adventures with players remotely. For example, 1997's Magic: The Gathering (known as Shandalar) was the first paper-to-computer game and came with lots of clunkiness that was ironed out in later versions. Later, online board games have grown in popularity as a way to compete with players remotely, and many are f2p (free to play).
And during the lockdown days of the pandemic, it became a necessary platform.
Since then, though, players have learned to appreciate the paper plane of gaming that is without glitches and offers more socialization and a sense of community that can't be found through a computer.
Pause the game
Trapp, who has been playing board and paper games for years, went on a gaming hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic. Beforehand, he would play D&D with friends at Hy-Vee in Jefferson City and other game shops near downtown, then he ended up playing with four friends at their houses. Trapp noticed through the pandemic, players started to appreciate the old method of gaming.
One of his favorite things about in-person gaming is being able to cooperate with other players. As a GM, he sets up the campaign, the reward system and describes to the players what their characters are experiencing.
"We all love the game for different reasons, so it's fun to see why people like it for their own reasons," Trapp said. "I like to watch them solve problems. ... We shift to this equilibrium where everyone pretty much is happy (with the campaign)."
There's a familiarity to walking into a room of strangers or friends, laying out the rules and the rule books, hearing the dice hit the table and the live interaction with other players. It's board gaming, the old-fashioned way.
Quinten Koldan and Nathaniel Wibberg were set up at a Magic: The Gathering game in the corner of Mimics. Kolan and Wibberg have both played the online version of MTG, called Spelltable, with friends -- someone would drop a link over Twitch, an interactive livestream service, and people could join the game -- but Koldan found himself going back to the physical copy of the game.
"I always prefer physical copies of anything; if I don't have to look at a screen, I find focus easier," he said. "I try to stay away from online playing."
But he also recognized what lockdown and the effects of COVID-19 had on expanding people's interest in physical games. Koldan discovered YouTube board gaming channels, like Critical Role (2015) and Dimension 20 (2018) during that time, which let you watch someone's campaign unfold versus playing it. These campaign videos can last up to four hours but also give viewers the chance to grow in their skills through watching others.
Wibberg said there's a downside to online playing: distractions. Due to internet lag and waiting for each person to play (as chattering over each other isn't possible), players can listen to music or watch videos at the same time, limiting their involvement in the game.
"Since you can't physically touch the card, or if you're not sure what's going on, you don't care," he said. "I'm just going to throw whatever (cards) I have out there. Physical gameplay is more actual focusing."
'A melting pot'
It's hard to beat in-person socialization and the ideas that are formed at game nights. Trapp said along with watching people learn how to work together in a campaign, he also likes to see their unique ideas shape a game -- diversity makes it more fun.
"I like that it's more of a melting pot, different people with different ideas -- that's what makes a good campaign," he said.
By nature, board and card games are accessible to players of all abilities and backgrounds. When you sit down, where dice are rolled, where worlds are formed, everyone has a place at the table. The founders of The 'Za Game Night have found this to be true.
The group, which began meeting at a Jefferson City pizza place in 2015, now meets on the first and third Saturdays of each month for table top board games, card games and more. At their main meeting location at Wesley United Methodist, members of the gaming group file in and stack their board games on tables while snacks sit nearby. Gamers get set up, some unzipping protective cases on their board games, then assemble to play throughout the night. Games can last a few hours or until the crack of dawn.
Church co-founder Lainie Vansant, who works at Missouri Theatre in Columbia, said the tight-knit group had unlikely beginnings.
Wesley UMC had some success in hosting game nights for young adults when the larger Methodist church started a campaign, "New Places for New People," focused on serving the community outside of typical church settings. As new people came to town, Vansant and others invited them to the board game group, and it snowballed from there. Today, the Facebook group has 229 members, and the church still provides the space for free.
Co-leader Cody Proctor said it's a good excuse for many to get out of the house and into the community. Games are brought and shared, which creates equity, and popular games, like Bloomhaven and Wavelength, are easy to join in on -- Vansant said they try to make sure there's nothing preventing people from all walks of life from coming.
"We have a lot more variety than you'd expect. People say 'Most people here are Christian,' but that's not always the case," Vansant laughed.
Although they meet at a church, there's a broader love for gaming that welcomes diversity to the group. The 'Za has seen those with differing socioeconomic statuses, those with disabilities or who are neurodivergent, those with social anxiety, as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community and multiple faith backgrounds. Gaming is a great way to socialize with structure, which can be helpful for many folks, Vansant said. She's noticed being a female leader in the group has also helped female players feel welcome, as gaming can be a male-dominated pastime.
"Personally, I don't like parties where you sit around and chat," Vansant said. "I think (game nights) help give you something to do and reach a wide variety of people through that."
Play again?
That sense of trust, relatability across differences, socialization and love of the game helped The 'Za group make a comeback after a hiatus during the start of the pandemic.
"People were so glad to be back, some said 'I haven't seen another person since March,'" Vansant said. "I think we've built a really nice, diverse community -- it has the potential to be that."
As the cold months continue and the omicron COVID-19 variant remains on the rise, there is still hope in gaming communities that the spirit of the game will keep meetings afloat in one way or another. Vansant predicts with so many members in The 'Za group, people can meet in small groups in houses if that's deemed safer than the larger group setting. By what he's observed, Trapp believes players will keep coming back to the old method of gaming: in-person, face-to-face.
"I needed something a little different than solving at home."