At the glass doors of TableMinis’s studio, one of its founders, Farez, greets us with a smile and a handshake. We take off our shoes before entering – much like a typical Asian household – and are met with sunlit wooden furniture and a calming fragrance in the air. Here is a space that promises the safety and freedom to engage with others over tabletop obsessions.
Far from the stereotypical image of a cramped and sweaty local game store, TableMinis strives to make their space like a second home for their customers, welcoming them after long days at work to play tabletop games. Founded by Dennet Krishnan, Jodie Yeo and Farez Najid, TableMinis started out in 2017 as a store on the secondhand online marketplace Carousell, distributing Dungeons & Dragons goods for local Dungeon Masters.
Since then, they’ve set up their own studio space (on April Fools in 2021 no less), survived the struggles of the pandemic, and grown into an even bigger space as one of Singapore’s leading D&D and TTRPG studios. They run over 100 games monthly with professionally trained Game Masters, all of whom are managed by Principal DM Mellow. Looking at the impressive scale and interior design of their space and their welcoming demeanor, it’s no wonder that so many players would want to come back again and again.
What the Gatherers’ Tavern team was here for though, was to gain more perspective on the tabletop and TCG industry. Since we recently gained a lot of new interns, what better way to learn than letting them experience playing D&D and Magic: The Gathering firsthand?
Every new visitor gets a tour of the studio, and we were no exception. Jodie showed us around the storefront, moving into long hallways flanked by wooden IKEA bookshelves. They’re stocked with all manner of miniatures and books, organised by labelled types for quick navigation. Gaming tables are well-lit by giant windows, there’s a dedicated section for painting minis, and the back of the studio sports two long dining tables. It’s reminiscent of a medieval dining hall, where anyone can hang out, grab some refreshments from the nearby pantry and eat together before a game – a great setup for regulars to bond with one another. There’s a mild fragrance in the air, the same kind that they use in Jewel Changi Airport, Jodie tells us.
The space between the doors to two black-box studio rooms holds a “Wall of Remembrance”, a bulletin board of player characters dead and alive from campaigns long-past. A warning for those who wish to brave the adventures to come in those rooms, and a tribute to those who came before.
The rooms within are painted a deep grey, speakers mounted near the ceiling while lights are aimed at the gaming tables. Level 1 Player Character sheets are already laid out at each chair, complete with a dice tray, sticky notes and a pencil. There’s already a scene laid out in miniatures in the middle. After Farez gave some quick rundowns of the different kinds of dice and game safety, the lights dimmed...
...And you are all seated at a tavern, minstrel music coming to life with the flickering of yellow-flamed candles. You are not you anymore, not some interns who just met each other a week ago – you are a party of adventurers, thick as thieves. You’ve known each other for – roll the dice – nine years! My good travelling companion, tell me your name! Who is your good friend over there, and what have they been doing since your time in jail when you were caught up-selling products to clients?
It went as well as most first D&D sessions tend to go – with the party immediately getting into theft, a tavern brawl, and ending the session with a PC rolling Death Saving Throws. The immersive experience however was unparalleled, with TableMinis’ dedication to creating setups that engage with the senses to build an alternate world. And as we played in that world, we formed connections, respected each other’s characters and collaborated for the wellbeing of the whole team.
These were the creative and communal aspects of tabletop games that TableMinis brought not only to their games, but to their events and studio at large. After our D&D session, Jodie tasked us to split into teams and curate tables for themed events catering to different audiences. From family-friendly D&D nights to horror-themed dungeon crawls to riverside artist alleys, a lot of work goes into decorating the space and planning activities for their customers. Their shop even highlights local artists and businesses in the tabletop space – one of which is Gatherers’ Tavern! It’s a simple way to raise awareness for and support the local tabletop community.
Before we wrapped up our visit with a lesson in Magic: The Gathering, TableMinis’s final founder, Dennet, gave the team a presentation on the tabletop and TCG industry. This talk was particularly eye-opening for us interns as new or casual players in the space. Many of us were impressed at the scale of the industry and how it was set to grow in Southeast Asia.
From his experience with TableMinis, Dennet explained how important tabletop games are to people. There are office workers who come down every evening just to play games. Creatives gather at the dining tables to talk about their work. Tabletop is not about tearing down the competition in the way that many games online are. There is a real human person seated with you at the table – just being able to see real faces and reactions can make players treat each other with more respect and courtesy.
In such a communal space, word-of-mouth is the main force of marketing products. As a player, you trust that other players have tested these products in their own games, and to vouch for something is a verbal guarantee that a product would enhance one’s experience in the game.
And really, with the personalisation and flexibility of tabletop games, is there anything more important than experience? That seems to be the case when witnessing the great lengths that TableMinis takes to enhance player comfort and immersion. We’ve all set aside time to meet up and have fun playing games with cards and dice and theatres of the mind. You are more than you in this space – let's see how your story goes.
To thank the folks at TableMinis for the wonderful experiences they gave us, our team at Gatherers’ Tavern gifted each of them our iconic Black Lotus Relief Sculpture. With the endless creativity and eye for detail that they have, it’s only fitting to present these works of art.
If you’d like a cosy and comfortable environment to try out your first tabletop gaming experiences in Singapore, sign up for the sessions hosted by TableMinis and visit their studio! You can also find selected Gatherers’ Tavern products in their store.
Zahra Aliyah, Gatherers' Tavern