Tabletop gaming: The ‘geeky’ hobby that’s a billion-pound industry and lifeline for those seeking friendship

Published

5 months ago

December 21, 2024

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It would be easy to dismiss tabletop gaming as a “geeky” hobby played by young boys in the basements of their homes.

For those who have never enjoyed the rush of playing a miniature wargame, it may come as a surprise that it is in fact a multi-billion-pound industry loved by people from all walks of life and is continuing to boom across the country.

Tabletop gaming covers quite a lot of different things, including board games, card games, dice games, miniature war games, role-playing games and tile-based games.

In this golden age of video games and comic book movies, experts say tabletop gaming has been “pulled along” into the mainstream and is currently enjoying a “renaissance” in the UK.

Games Workshop has been transformed into a billion-pound company thanks to the likes of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000.

The firm, which was founded in 1975 by three friends, was originally a manufacturer of wooden boards for games including backgammon, mancala, nine men’s morris, and go.

It later became an importer of the US role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, before going on to publish war games and role-playing games in its own right.

The company opened its first shop in Hammersmith, west London, in 1978 in a chain that would later spread across the world.

The now Nottingham-headquartered company was worth about £4.7bn at the beginning of December.

To put that into perspective, at the same time Boohoo was worth around £470m, ASOS £455m, and Card Factory £315m.

Superman himself, Henry Cavill, is one of Games Workshop’s A-list clients.

The gaming enthusiast has been attempting to bring a Warhammer film and television universe to life via Amazon MGM Studios, and in recent weeks it was confirmed a TV series is moving forward.

The Hollywood star celebrated the news by making a “pilgrimage” to the very first place he bought Warhammer models more than 30 years ago on his home island of Jersey.

Tabletop gaming enjoying a ‘renaissance’ in the UK

Dr Niall Moody and Dr Hailey Austin, from Abertay University’s faculty of design, informatics and business, told Sky News tabletop gaming is enjoying a “resurgence” in the UK.

Dr Moody, a lecturer in game audio and design, said “these days, geek culture is mainstream”.

He believes the box office draw of the likes of The Lord Of The Rings films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have helped to “pull along things like tabletop gaming”.

Dr Moody said part of its popularity also stems from the fact it has been around for a “very long time”.

He explained: “Board games date back to 3000BC at least. We’ve had card games since, like, the 14-15th century.

“Warhammer’s lineage is kind of from war games. The original one of those is Kriegsspiel from the 19th century.

“And the other big part of tabletop gaming today is tabletop role-playing games.”

He added: “Tabletop role-playing games in particular have become massively popular over the past like 10 years. I think part of the reason they’ve become so popular is down to the actual play stuff.”

Actual play – also called live play – is a genre of podcast or web show where people play tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) for an audience.

It often encompasses in-character interactions between players, storytelling from the gamemaster, and out-of-character engagements such as dice rolls and discussion of game mechanics.

Dr Moody, a game designer and artist, said highly polished shows have inspired would-be players to take up the hobby.

Colleague Dr Austin, a lecturer in visual media and culture, said there is a “huge culture” around playing games right now in the UK.

She noted: “This culture has been huge in Germany and Sweden for a long time, but it’s having a renaissance here now.

“I think it’s similar to sports. Some people know a lot about sports and teams and trends, and watch other people playing sports. And others play it themselves.

“It’s the same with games and board games. Some people only like to watch, and others like to join in casually, or competitively.

“I think some people don’t know how popular it is because we are in an age of information overload and there’s no way to know about everything, while there’s no excuse not to know anything.”

Dr Austin, whose PhD is in comic books, believes role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons – which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024 – are enjoying a revival in part due to the popularity of the likes of Netflix show Stranger Things, as well as podcasts and well-produced live sessions like Critical Role and Dimension 20.

Dr Austin, a programme lead for Abertay University’s BA (Hons) game design and production course, noted the hobby is often thought of as being “consumed by predominantly young men” but that isn’t the case.

She said: “Board games, card games, party games and role-playing games are incredibly popular with all kinds of people and have been for a long time.

“In fact, by most accounts, women tend to make up around 50% of game players. They just aren’t thought of as the main market.”

She also believes Generation Z’s alcohol habits could also be playing a positive role in the hobby’s popularity.

A YouGov survey released at the beginning of 2024 found that almost half of the UK’s youngest drinkers were turning down booze for low or no-alcohol alternatives.

Dr Austin said: “From what I understand, young people don’t want to go out drinking much anymore. They would rather stay home with friends and play games.

“It’s a nice, lowkey way to be social, meet like-minded people, and a safe space to express themselves.”

An important lifeline to those seeking friendship

One Scottish club is testament to the popularity of tabletop gaming.

Crossfire Gaming Club was founded by a group of six friends in February 2023.

Club chairman Chris Mooney, 37, told Sky News the men needed a place to game after “getting it in the neck” from their wives and partners for repeatedly playing at each other’s houses.

They hired out Cumbernauld Village Hall in North Lanarkshire and hoped to attract a few other gamers.

It has since grown exponentially with club nights held on both Mondays and Thursdays.

Mr Mooney said: “We thought if we get eight to 10 people that’ll be a massive success for us. Now we’re averaging 50-odd. It’s no longer a small operation.”

Members play a wide variety of games, from the likes of Warhammer 40k, Age of Sigmar and Infinity to Blood Bowl, Kill Team and Star Wars: X-Wing.

Starter armies are available to players who don’t have any gaming equipment, and intro games can be arranged for those who have never played before.

There’s even a hobby area where members can sit down and paint their models while chatting to others.

The club has invested in board games, and other groups that need a space for the likes of Dungeons & Dragons are additionally invited to get in touch.

Since its inception, the club has received £25,248 from National Lottery Awards for All Scotland.

The committee has used some of the money to purchase high-quality gaming terrain.

The lotto cash has also been used to fund more tables, buy merchandise like club hoodies, and subsidise expeditions – like group cinema trips and axe-throwing adventures.

Mr Mooney said the funding has helped “massively”.

He said: “It takes the pressure off us as we don’t have to worry about the next council bill that’s coming in for the hall or so.”

Mr Mooney, who was part of a gaming club years ago, agrees with Dr Moody’s sentiment that the popularity of computer games and comic book movies have helped to bolster the perception of tabletop gaming.

He said: “It’s become a lot less taboo over time. It used to be one person in the classroom that collected comic books, but now it’s very accepted because Marvel is mainstream and all sorts.

“Geek culture has become very mainstream, and that’s kind of pulled along things like wargaming with it as well.”

Mr Mooney says some of those within the “gaming, wargaming and geek culture suffer from social anxiety”.

He said that’s why he personally likes the club, explaining: “I like coming out and talking to people.”

Dr Moody agrees that its popularity has led to the creation of public events, societies and board game cafes – all deemed to be a “safe space” for those with social anxiety.

Dr Moody said: “With social anxiety in particular, it can be really hard to socialise in more traditional settings like pubs.

“If the sole focus is social interactions, like making small talk, it can be really hard if you struggle with social anxiety, and you can often freeze up in those situations.

“But one of the really good things about games, tabletop games in particular, is that they give you something else to focus on that helps you relax around other people.

“It’s a great way to meet people in a low-stakes setting.”

Jac Harvie, 25, is one such member who enjoys the social aspect of the club as most of his friends are not into tabletop gaming. “I’ve got anxiety and can struggle sometimes, but here I feel like I’m among friends,” he said.

“We share a lot of the same likes and talk about things like new books that have come out.”

Even when he’s losing, Mr Harvie is still having fun.

He explained: “Even the bad nights are good because you enjoy yourself.”

Kevin McMail, 39, is another member who believes the club offers an important lifeline to those seeking friendship.

Due to the effects of lockdown, he found himself in front of a screen a lot.

“I realised I was probably spending more time at home with the dog than out and about the way I had before. I was like, ‘I’ve got to get away from this’.”

Mr McMail said unlike basic video gaming, there are “extra elements” to the hobby as participants can express their artistic side through the painting of their battle figurines.

He added: “I think a lot of people are attached to screens a lot, but you don’t feel the same level of social experience when you’re playing online games with people.

“That level of social connection, I think it’s important for a lot of people. And that’s what you get here – just an unbelievably supportive community.”

Entertainment

The ‘scary spotlight’ on music stars amid Kneecap terror charge

Published

5 hours ago

May 23, 2025

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The 'scary spotlight' on music stars amid Kneecap terror charge

Before the amps are even switched on in Brockwell Park, there’s been a lot of noise about who should or shouldn’t be performing.

It’s where Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap are set to play their first major show since band member Mo Chara was charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of the terrorist group Hezbollah at one of their gigs.

Before that, there had been calls for festivals to reconsider booking the band over their political stances, and several have done, which prompted artists like Brian Eno, the Mystery Jets and CMAT to sign an open letter accusing Westminster and the British media of a campaign to “remove Kneecap from the public eye”.

They put their names to wording that said “in a democracy, no political figures… have the right to dictate who does and does not play at music festivals.”

The band have since claimed they’re the victims of “political policing” designed to silence their views on Gaza.

So what’s the reality like for artists who are outspoken at a time when the world is so divided?

As some of the biggest names in music gathered in London for the Ivors, an annual celebration of songwriting, Self-Esteem – aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor – said the level of scrutiny can be “terrifying”.

‘The problem with the internet’

She told Sky News: “The problem with the internet is you say one thing, which gets scrutinised, and then you shit yourself, you really do… then you’re advised not to. And then you’re like ‘don’t advise me not to!’

“You second-guess anything you want to say any more… but any time I do that, I think ‘well that’s why you’ve got to say it then’.”

She said it can be frustrating that focus turns on to pop stars’ opinions instead of “the people doing the bad things”.

‘Being a pop artist isn’t just about the music’

Former Little Mix singer Jade said: “To be a pop artist these days, it’s not just about music, it’s: ‘What’s your political stance?’

“I’ve always been quite vocal about those things, but in doing so you have even more of a scary spotlight on you, constantly assessing what your thoughts are as a human…it is scary.”

Trinidad-born London artist Berwyn, whose songs depict his struggles with UK immigration, says: “Silencing freedom of speech… is a road we don’t want to walk down.

“I’m not a politician, this is a very complicated issue, but I do absolutely believe in a human’s right to express themselves freely.”

But is that freedom of speech dependent on what side you’re coming from?

‘Unethical investments’

Soon, an event called Mighty Hoopla will take place at Brockwell Park as part of its programme of six festivals this summer.

Artists performing at that are coming under increased pressure from pro-Palestine groups to quit because it’s owned by a company called Superstruct, which has links to an American investment firm called KKR.

Critics argue that any KKR-affiliated events should be a red flag to artists as campaigners claim it “invests billions of pounds in companies” that do things like “develop Israeli underground data centres”, and they say it has shares in companies that “advertise property on illegally occupied land in the West Bank”.

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Mighty Hoopla itself has said while it “cannot control investments made in our parent companies”, it wants to “state its clear opposition to KKR’s unethical investments”.

And Superstruct – which puts on over 80 festivals around the world – says while horrified by the crisis in Gaza: “We are aware that there is a significant amount of debate… around our festivals.

“Our owners, made up of our promoters and several investment firms, support us to achieve the highest standards… fans and artists rightly expect.”

They insist that operationally, Superstruct is independently run and all its “revenue and profits… remains entirely within our business… towards the ongoing development… of our festivals.”

Even deciding where to perform can have political connotations for musicians these days.

As Tom Gray, a founding member of the rock band Gomez, now chair of the Ivors, explains: “The amount of commercial interest required to get a young artist into the public eye means they have to keep their head down a lot and that’s a terrible shame.

“It’s not just artistic expression, but personal human expression is one of the fundamental things that allows people to feel they have agency.”

Entertainment

Kid Cudi says Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs broke into his house and ‘messed with his dog’

Published

8 hours ago

May 23, 2025

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Kid Cudi says Sean 'Diddy' Combs broke into his house and 'messed with his dog'

Kid Cudi has told a court Sean “Diddy” Combs broke into his home, “messed with” his dog and opened some of his Christmas presents during a break-in in December 2011.

The 41-year-old rapper was giving evidence on day nine of the trial, after briefly dating Diddy’s former girlfriend Cassie the same year.

Cassie and Diddy dated for 11 years, from 2007 to 2018, and Cassie has testified the rapper physically abused her during most of their relationship.

Cudi described Cassie phoning him early one morning, sounding “stressed, nervous and scared”, telling him Diddy had “found out about us”.

He said Diddy later called him from his home and told him, “I’m here waiting for you”.

After dropping Cassie at a West Hollywood hotel, Cudi said he returned to his home and found no one there, but said his dog had been locked in the bathroom.

He described his pet later becoming “jittery and on edge all the time”.

He also said someone had opened Christmas presents he’d bought for his family.

While Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, said he initially wanted “to fight” Diddy, he later thought through “the reality of the situation,” and called the police to report the break-in.

Earlier this week, Cassie finished giving four days of evidence, becoming emotional at times, and testifying that Combs had threatened to blow up Cudi’s car and hurt him after he learned she was dating him by looking at messages on her phone during a “freak off”.

Prosecutors say Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, forced women to take part in days-long, drug-fuelled sexual performances known as “Freak Offs” from 2004 to 2024, facilitated by his large retinue of staff.

Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty.

The rapper faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial: Day 9 – As it happened

The month after the break-in, Cudi’s Porsche was firebombed in his drive, with a hole cut into the roof and a Molotov cocktail dropped into the driver’s seat.

Cudi said he realised he had to talk to Diddy, before things “got out of hand,” meeting up with Diddy, who he said was weirdly “calm” and staring out the window with his hands behind his back “like a Marvel super villain”.

Cudi says Diddy told him he had still been dating Cassie during his relationship with her, with Cudi replying: “[Cassie] told me you were broke up and I took her word for it.”

Shaking hands at the end of the conversation, Cudi said he asked Diddy about “burning” his car, and Diddy replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about”. Cudi later said he believed that to be a lie.

Cudi says he saw Diddy once a few years later at Soho House in Los Angeles with his daughter, and Diddy told him: “Man, I just want to apologise for all that bullshit”.

During his cross-examination, the defence suggested Cassie had been “living two different lives”, and “played” both Cudi and Combs.

Cudi concluded his time on the stand, saying his relationship with Cassie ended because he wanted “to give her space” and “the drama was too out of hand”.

Celebrity make-up artist Mylah Morales also gave evidence, describing a fight between Cassie and Diddy in 2010, which she says left Cassie with a “swollen eye, busted lip, and knots on her head”.

Morales said while she had heard the row, she hadn’t physically seen it as she wasn’t in the room.

She told the court, “I feared for my life”, explaining that she took Cassie to her apartment for several days to recover, but that Cassie refused to go to hospital as she was afraid of Diddy’s reaction.

The defence attempted to damage Morales’s credibility by listing her TV appearances, which included programmes on CNN, and with Don Lemon and Piers Morgan, attempting to paint her as attention-seeking.

The day also saw Combs’s former assistant George Kaplan complete his testimony.

He talked about two occasions when he had been asked to carry cash for Diddy, who he said never paid for things himself in the moment, recalling one time in 2015 when he looked after $50,000, and another when he was asked to pick up $10,000.

Kaplan described seeing “regular” physical violence between Cassie and Diddy, including an incident in 2015 with whisky glasses on a private plane, when he heard glass breaking and saw Diddy standing over Cassie in the plane’s central aisle.

He says he also saw Diddy hurling “decorative apples” at another of his girlfriends, Gina, late the same year, handing in his notice the following month.

Also known throughout his career as Puff Daddy and P Diddy, Combs turned artists like Notorious BIG and Usher into household names, elevating hip-hop in American culture and becoming a billionaire in the process.

Diddy has been held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since September and faces at least 15 years or possibly life in prison if convicted.

The trial is set to last for around six weeks in total and will go into its third week next week.

Entertainment

Bono calls for Israel to be ‘released from Benjamin Netanyahu’ in plea to ‘stop war’

Published

8 hours ago

May 23, 2025

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Bono calls for Israel to be 'released from Benjamin Netanyahu' in plea to 'stop war'

Irish rock star Bono has called for Israel to be “released from Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right fundamentalists” during an awards ceremony.

The U2 frontman’s comments at the Ivors mark the first time the human rights activist has spoken out in public against the Israeli prime minister since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023.

Bono, who received the Peace Summit Award at the 2008 Nobel Peace Laureates summit, also called for Hamas to release its remaining Israeli hostages.

It comes as Western leaders have been criticising Mr Netanyahu and the Israeli authorities over the renewed offensive in the Palestinian territory and the risk of famine due to an 11-week aid blockade, which is slowly easing.

Gaza war: Follow latest updates

Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson, said on Thursday evening at London’s Grosvenor House: “Peace creates possibilities in the most intractable situations.

“Lord knows there’s a few of them out there right now. Hamas release the hostages. Stop the war.

“Israel be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred texts.

“All of you protect our aid workers, they are the best of us.”

Bono, 65, made the call for peace as he and fellow U2 members each received an award from pop star Ed Sheeran.

The group became the first Irish songwriters to be awarded an academy fellowship at the 70th year of the awards.

U2 then performed their song Sunday Bloody Sunday, which references the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings in Londonderry, where members of the British army’s Parachute Regiment opened fire at civil rights demonstrators.

The group ended the evening with a performance of their 1988 song Angel Of Harlem.

Also on Thursday, Mr Netanyahu said UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was “on the wrong side of humanity” after he called for an end to the war in Gaza.

In a video he shared on social media, the Israeli prime minister also attacked the leaders of France and Canada for their criticism of Israel’s actions in the conflict.

Mr Netanyahu specifically linked the criticism from the UK, France and Canada to the killings in Washington DC of Israeli embassy workers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim on Wednesday night.