Mark Keller opened Tabletop Treasure Games on April 8 — Photo by Annie C. Reller
QUINCY — “Sometimes I get bored, and I think playing games is how to not be bored.”
This sales pitch comes from 9-year-old Annabelle Gosney, who attended a recent game night with her family in the well-lit game room of Tabletop Treasure Games. As their fellow patrons played board games like Catastrophe and word-building card games like Magic, the Gosneys played Lorcana, a kid-focused, Disney-themed, card-trading game.
Though the family brought the game from home in hopes of finding other Lorcana players, Annabelle was content playing with her parents. If recent track records were any indication, she would almost certainly beat her dad, Nick, but the competition with her mother, Candace, would be fierce.
Bringing new people into gaming is exactly why Mark Keller started Tabletop. As a lifelong gamer, Keller always hoped to start a gaming store. The time felt right. So Keller left his IT job of 17 years at Knapheide and opened Tabletop Treasure Games on April 8.
The store is located in a charming old building at 733 Hampshire St. It is intentionally-designed: doused with light, spacious and filled with games of all shapes and sizes.
Keller has always made a point to visit gaming stores on his travels, and was particularly enamored with the bright atmosphere of The Philly Game Store. He sought to replicate that feel with his own shop.
“Game players are always playing in horrible basements. I really wanted to get it out there where everyone can feel welcome,” Keller said.
The shop features the main sales room, and a game room next store where events are held. In addition, there are private rooms that can be reserved for group sessions. A free game library allows customers to try out new games, free of charge. Snacks and drinks are available too, so gamers can stay for hours.
In addition to the Wednesday board game nights, they host Lorcana on Sundays, Magic on Thursdays, and KeyForge tournaments on the third Sunday of each month. The KeyForge tournaments alternate locations between Tabletop and the other game store in Quincy, Tri State Games and Hobbies.
Keller is friends with the owner of Tri State, and rather than viewing one another as competition, the two shops are working together.
“We try and go with the idea of the rising tide lifts all boats,” Keller said. Together, they hope to expand and bring together the local gaming community. “Really, that’s my goal,” said Keller. “To make this a good community of people and players that can get together and have fun together.”
Specifically, Keller loves the interaction of various gamers during game nights.
“I love it when there’s crossover, and someone from one group says, ‘Oh, that seems fun, can I jump in?’ I really encourage that kind of welcoming of everybody for everything.”
And Keller’s previous coworkers, the IT folks he worked with for 17 years at Knapheide? They used to have weekly Dungeons & Drageons lunch breaks, and now they have been big supporters of the new store.
“I think it’s awesome that Mark opened this place up. We didn’t know how many other people enjoyed playing games,” said Nick Gosney, Keller’s former coworker. And now, Gosney brings his daughter Annabelle to Tabletop, so she can beat him at Lorcana.
