When Tom Gibes was a kid, he stumbled across some strangely shaped dice and character sheets his older brother had left behind in the attic. This was his first introduction to the adventure roleplaying tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons.
“I was always into fantasy novels growing up, so having the opportunity to actually play in those worlds was obviously really appealing,” Gibes says.
He developed a passion for the game and played through his college years, but then adult life – a career, kids – forced him to place gaming on the back burner. His love for the adventure was rekindled during the pandemic quarantine in 2020, when he reconnected with old gaming buddies.
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By 2023, Gibes had gotten so immersed in gaming that he started an online business selling games called Tabletop Bookshelf, and after a couple successful years, the business has now blossomed into a storefront in Walker’s Point (at 134 W. Pittsburgh Ave.) that is scheduled to have its grand opening on March 21.
“Games mean a lot to me. I think they’re a way to combat loneliness, which is easy to fall into in this world,” Gibes says. Although depictions of gaming in shows like “Stranger Things” and popular “actual play” web series like “Critical Role” and “Dimension 20” have boosted interest, he believes a main driving force is people seeking a way to connect to others instead of scrolling on their phones all day.“It gives an opportunity where you can say, ‘everyone put away your phones,’ and everyone will be onboard with that, which I think is a rare thing,” Gibes explains.
He kept that need for connection in mind while designing the roomy store, which has plenty of break-out nooks to set up a gaming session with tables that can be adapted to different sized parties, including a private reservable suite. The store is, of course, filled with gaming supplies, but not all are fantasy adventures like Dungeons & Dragons. Gibes discovered an entire world of indie role-playing games, many with unique premises, and these are one of the store’s specialties.
Void 1680AM, for example, is a solo roleplaying game in which you play a radio DJ following prompts to assemble a playlist. In The Bonsai Diary, you journal and draw the growth of a bonsai tree. There’s also crime and western themed games, and Gibes says he plans to get a couple new games in stock each week to keep customers interested. “I was really blown away by the creative talent,” he says.
The store also has some board game classics like Monopoly and Candyland, jigsaw puzzles, a carefully curated selection of fiction and non-fiction books, and snacks and drinks to fuel the store’s gaming sessions. A stockroom behind the counter allows him to fulfill online orders between in-store customers.
After the grand opening, Gibes says you can expect to see regularly scheduled tournaments and other special events like demos with guest game designers. More info can be found at the store’s website.
