The future of gaming is face-to-face, says founder of boardgame firm

DUBAI: In a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence, endless scrolling and digital entertainment, there is something almost transcendental about sitting across a table from another person, rolling a handful of dice and getting lost in a game together. 

For Dubai-based boardgame convention tabletop.me founder Mark Azzam, that simple human connection is precisely what makes tabletop gaming so special, and why he believes it is more relevant than ever.

“We’re social animals. And tabletop gaming is one of our main tools of entertainment,” Azzam told Arab News recently.

“There’s nothing like when you’re in front of another person and you guys play together and have a conversation, talk about your issues in life, the good things in life, the bad things in life, because that’s a part of tabletop gaming. It’s not just simply we’re playing a game. We actually talk.”

It is this spirit of community that Azzam hopes to champion when TTME returns to Dubai for its second edition from Nov. 6 to 8, bringing together board gamers, trading-card enthusiasts, role players and miniature gaming fans under one roof. The convention’s second edition brings more than 200 tabletop games, international publishers, major tournaments and hands-on experiences to Dubai Outlet Mall.

And this year, the emphasis is not just on bringing these communities together but getting them to interact more.

 One of the biggest additions is a new Prize Wall system, which rewards visitors for stepping outside their gaming comfort zones.

The idea came from feedback following last year’s inaugural event, when publishers noticed that visitors tended to stick to the games they already loved. Pokemon players, for instance, would head straight for Pokemon, often overlooking everything else the convention had to offer.

To change that, attendees can now earn points by trying different experiences across the show floor. A quick 20-minute learn-to-play session could earn 100 points, while a three-hour role-playing adventure could net 600.

The catch? Each activity can only be redeemed once, encouraging visitors to keep exploring. Points collected over the three days can then be exchanged for games and exclusive merchandise on the final day.

But perhaps the most charming new addition is something considerably simpler.

In an exclusive reveal to Arab News, Azzam shared plans for a collectible badge-trading activity that turns the entire convention into something of a social quest.

Each visitor will receive a welcome package featuring a quest from TTME mascot Sarab and one of 15 collectible buttons identifying different members of the gaming community, from dungeon masters and card-trading players to artists and game designers.

With 4,000 buttons produced, and some designs limited to just 100, visitors will have to seek out fellow attendees and trade to find the ones they want.

It is a clever little idea that captures what TTME is trying to achieve: getting people talking, trading and making connections beyond their usual gaming circles.

Of course, there is plenty for those who simply want to play.

Nine trading card games will be represented, including Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, Star Wars Unlimited and Cyberpunk. The One Piece trading card game is already proving particularly popular, with tournament tickets selling out ahead of the event.

Newcomers can dive into introductory sessions across the convention, including Dungeons & Dragons and the horror-themed Call of Cthulhu, while miniature gaming enthusiasts can explore Warhammer, Warmachine and Atomic Mass Games titles. 

Azzam has also restructured the event’s game masters into four specialist groups, ensuring that visitors receive guidance from people who know their respective games inside out.

It is all part of the learning curve following a first edition last year that Azzam admits was as chaotic behind the scenes as it was exciting on the convention floor.

“I think just going through a first event was really stressful. I actually only remember, if you put all of the information together, I think I might get three hours in my mind out of three days,” he said.

This time, with logistical improvements and a more open convention layout, Azzam is hoping he might finally get to enjoy the event as a gamer himself.

And while he is certainly not opposed to technology or AI, he remains convinced that neither can replace the experience of gathering around a table with friends.

“I think that’s something amazing which no video game can do,” he said.

For Azzam, TTME is ultimately a celebration of something that has endured for thousands of years: the simple joy of playing together.