Craig Driver from Grim Gaming and Hobbies plans to share his passion for gaming with local organisations and schools to help promote a range of skills to children and adults.
Craig has been operating gaming sessions for Dungeons and Dragons at his shop on Woondooma Street for the past six months.
“Dungeons and Dragons has been around since 1974,” he said.
“It's popular because it is a fantasy, role-playing game where you can be anyone.
“You can go outside the realm of reality and do what you want. It all comes down to the dice which, depending on the number you roll, will take the story in a new direction.”
According to Craig, Dungeons and Dragons has a large following in the community with players attending weekly games at his shop.
“I run two games at the moment for kids in the school holidays every Tuesday and Wednesday,” he said.
“I run another group on Wednesday night for adults and then, every two weeks on Sunday, we have what is called the Adventure League.
“This works as a drop-in and drop-out system for anyone who wants to play.”
Craig said the beauty behind his gaming community was anyone of any age could play, no matter what their skill or experience.
“Whether you have never played before and want to find out more or if you are a seasoned player who wants a group to join in with, we cater for it all,” he said.
“It is free, you just come along and we will show you the ropes.”
Plans for gaming passion to spread to schools
Craig said he was hoping to expand his Dungeons and Dragons passion by getting local schools and other organisations involved.
He said there were many skills that could be obtained through the game, which could help with all facets of behavioural problems and learning difficulties.
“The reason why I want to run it with young people in schools is because this game is designed to feature maths and reading, and is all about people getting together and socialising,” Craig said.
“It's also perfect for local organisations, including those that run through the NDIS, as it is all about learning control and learning to be social.”
More than just Dungeons and Dragons on offer
While Dungeons and Dragons was a popular aspect of his store, Craig said Grim Gaming and Hobbies had plenty of other games on offer for people to join.
“We run various card games including Magic and Key Forge every week and on Saturday afternoon we invite people in with their board games,” he said.
“We find a lot of people have a bunch of board games at home that they never use because they don't have a group of people to play with.
“They can bring their games in to the shop and there is usually people around willing to play.”
Craig said he was proud he could offer a safe space for people to have fun, socialise and make new friends.
“It really is a community store,” he said.
“My dog Lexie is a big attraction. She is here every day with me and everyone loves her.
“The store is here for people to come in, sit in the air-con, play some games and socialise.”
“We have a good community of people who are always happy to help out and teach people and that's what it is all about.”
To find out more about the games on offer at Grim Gaming and Hobbies, contact Craig on 4335 1061 or follow the Facebook page here.
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