'Take your mind off things': Tabletop gaming provides outlet for students and community

Throughout his time at UNC, playing tabletop games has helped senior Thomas Roche's well-being.

Roche joined the Fun Tabletop Gaming Network, a club devoted to playing games like Monopoly, during his first year. The club meets in Greenlaw Hall every Saturday from 6-10 p.m.

“After a long day of classes, you come to play games with your friends, and we’re not thinking about classes,” Roche said. “They’re not class related or anything like that, it’s just three or four hours to hang out with people and do something you enjoy. So, I think it really just works to take your mind off of things. It just lets you do something other than class.”

For many students like Roche, playing tabletop games has become a way to find community. 

Carolina Competitive Chess Vice President and UNC sophomore Vasishta Tumuluri has been a member of the club since his first year and said he values how the club has created a community of people who share a passion. 

Echoing Roche, Tumuluri added that playing games can be a useful form of stress relief.

“I think that having some kind of stress relief is a really valuable thing to have, and having something that you enjoy and can just find some pleasure in can be really helpful, especially during midterm season,” Tumuluri said. 

To students who are hesitant to set aside time for gaming, Roche said the good thing about the club and gaming is that there is no strict time commitment. Even if students can’t set aside time to play every week, he still encourages them to do so when they can. 

Tumuluri said that setting aside time to take a break or play games is something that he occasionally struggles with. 

“In my own experience, I find that I’m a lot more productive when I’m actually feeling refreshed,” Tumuluri said. “And if I just say ‘I’m going to spend the next week only doing work,’ that’s not really a week of productive work, right? So maybe taking a break and doing something you enjoy can be something that’ll help revitalize yourself and your work ethic.” 

On-campus clubs aren’t the only organizations providing opportunities for students to get involved with tabletop gaming. 

Roche also mentioned The Gathering Place, a bar and game store located on East Rosemary Street. 

“They have board games that you can rent out and play with your friends,” Roche said. “They also have some of the other niche games, like card games like [Magic: The Gathering], Pokémon, that sort of stuff. They even have a Dungeons & Dragons league there.”

Another off-campus location for students and community members to de-stress with gaming is Lanza’s Cafe in Carrboro. 

The cafe hosts game nights throughout the week, featuring everything from trivia to its weekly Chess Night, which is held every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m.

Chess Night is made possible in part by professional chess coach Tobin Logan, who has been teaching chess for about 15 years. 

As a father of two kids in their 20s, Logan understands the importance of mental well-being in college-aged adults. Like Roche and Tumuluri, he said that board games can be good for the player’s mental health. 

“Chess is meditative,” Logan said. "It has an antidepressant quality because it clears your mind." 

Lanza’s Chess Night also aims to create a lively community atmosphere, he said. 

Anyone of any chess skill level is welcome to attend. In fact, Logan encouraged beginners to come out and learn the basics. 

“I want to make sure that everyone has fun,” Logan said. "So we’re really good at keeping a convivial atmosphere."

No matter the game you play, Roche said that the main point of tabletop gaming is to serve as an outlet for people to de-stress and come together in a low-commitment and free-flowing environment.

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