This year’s Tabletop Scotland recently concluded after 3 days of gaming, exhibitors and events. This was the first time at their new venue, the Royal Highland Centre just outside of Edinburgh. In a previous article, I spoke with Convention Director, David Wright, about the opportunities and challenges of using this space.
Having attended, I am happy to share my experiences of the new Tabletop Scotland setup with you.
Being in the Convention space
Gaming conventions have become highlights of my year. I’ve gone from occasionally attending the odd Comic Con, to planning my time around the best cons of the year. However, being in an enclosed space with hundreds and thousands of other people can be very exhausting, making said conventions challenging.
I was very struck walking into Tabletop Scotland for the first time at the sense of openness in the main hall. The new venue allowed the record breaking attendance of 3,920 unique visitors and 6,468 past the turnstile over the weekend. Even with these numbers, it still felt like there was plenty of space to move around without getting crowded in.
The stalls were generously spaced out, providing wide corridors for movement and more open views of the space than I’ve become used to at these kind of conventions.
Tabletop exhibitors, gaming areas, and so much more, all with plenty of breathing space too.
A generous portion of the space was devoted to gaming space. This included Open Play Zones, Event Zones for board games, card games and miniatures. There was also a wealth of games at the Games Library, a Playtest Zone and a Game Jam Zone. Thanks to the spacing and layout, all of these areas had plenty of room without being on top of each other.
Meanwhile, Roleplay Game sessions were held on the first floor away from the hubbub of the main hall. This allowed players to get absorbed into their fantasy gameplay without any interference. There were also dedicated rooms for seminars, shows and a few select games completely removed from the rest of the convention.
David had spoken about wanting Tabletop Scotland to give people breathing room. It seemed that their setup Royal Highland Convention Centre had really delivered that.
Quality Exhibitors Getting Quality Support
Walking around the convention floor, I was able to check out a whole bunch of incredible exhibitors. These included prominent tabletop publishers, displaying their latest games to check out, or even try out with friends and strangers. Modiphius were there with their latest Fallout RPG offerings. Meanwhile, Ravensburger had a whole load of their games to play, with plenty of room to play their popular Disney games; Villainous and Lorcana. The Pandemonium Institute also had a hugely impressive stand, showing off their hugely popular social deduction game, Blood on the Clocktower.
Browse the isles for great tabletop content, or join in a game!
I was also struck by how prominently artists, publications and indie creators were represented. With the spacious floorplan, it didn’t feel like anyone was hidden between their neighbors. As I made my rounds I discovered so many great artists and artisans. Their products ranging from posters, stickers and bags, all the way to good old fashioned dice. These included Trayed and Tested, Misty Moon Illustrations, and Gelatinous Cute. Indie game designers were also featured prominently, such as Hatchling Games, Village on Stilts and Hive Mind Games.
A Great Roster of Seminars and Live Shows
Whether you’re looking for entertainment, trivia or practical advice and insights into the gaming industry, Tabletop Scotland had a terrific range of events to cater to these needs.
As a fan of Actual Play performances, I really enjoyed Tartan Tabletop‘s show on the Saturday evening. This Dungeons & Dragons podcast performance group had a hilarious, laugh out loud set. They took us on a wild parody journey through classic fairy tales, including Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel and the Big Bad Wolf.
Tartan Tabletop were an absolute blast on Saturday night. Here’s hope they get invited back!
During the daytime, I was able to drop into seminars featuring leading figures in the tabletop industry. This included a seminar on making it as a freelancer in the industry with CJ Gahagan, Bill Heron, Jon Hodgson, Mairi Nolan. There were also talks about getting your game published, designing solo TTRPGs and the mental health benefits of TTRPGs. All of these seminars were great opportunities to learn from the best, and there was plenty of time for audience questions as well.
Care and Support for Gamers
Moving about the space, it was very clear that this was a convention that cares a lot for their attendees. It was easy to find the dedicated volunteers in their branded shirts helping out many a wandering attendee. The Gateway Zone in particular served as a great resource for those new to conventions or gaming in general. You can also these volunteers running RPGs upstairs. It was clear they took delight in providing their players with the best experience possible and introducing new players to the games.
David (centre) and his team did a smashing job of creating a fun and supportive environment for attendees.
It was also great to see in the Tabletop Scotland program, a detailed table of gaming clubs and shops around Scotland. The intent to help people continue to play games and connect with each other beyond the convention was clearly there. For players outside of Scotland, the convention’s relationship with The Roleplay Haven gave many options for meetups with supportive gaming communities.
That just about wraps up this look back at Tabletop Scotland 2024. Tabletop Scotland already announced that their 2025 dates will be September 5th – 7th. Be sure to keep those dates clear for next year!
