{"id":246461,"date":"2022-03-30T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T13:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/?post_type=articles&#038;p=246461"},"modified":"2024-08-21T14:30:34","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T19:30:34","slug":"a-celebration-of-tabletop-a-10-year-retrospective","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/a-celebration-of-tabletop-a-10-year-retrospective\/","title":{"rendered":"A Celebration of TableTop: A 10 Year Retrospective"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Saturday 2nd April 2022 marks 10 years since the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=X9QtdiRJYro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">first episode of TableTop<\/a> aired. The hobby has changed dramatically since \u2013 the numbers and diversity of players and games increasing annually, creating a golden age for tabletop gaming.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s thanks, in a large part, to TableTop.<\/p>\n<p>To mark this auspicious anniversary Meeple Mountain is saluting TableTop, celebrating what made the show so important and exploring why its influence and impact are still felt today.<\/p>\n<h2>Title Animation<\/h2>\n<p>TableTop was a web series created by Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton and published on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/GeekandSundry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Geek &amp; Sundry\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a> between 2012 and 2017. TableTop was game changing \u2013 both a terrible pun and an accurate assessment of its legacy.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_246460\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-246460\" style=\"width: 963px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-246460 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"963\" height=\"579\" data-wp-pid=\"246460\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo-300x180.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo.png?size=528x317&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo-600x361.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo-768x462.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 963w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 963px) 100vw, 963px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 963px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 963\/579;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-246460\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"963\" height=\"579\" data-wp-pid=\"246460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo-300x180.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo.png?size=528x317&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo-600x361.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo-768x462.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/logo.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 963w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 963px) 100vw, 963px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-246460\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cdGQ4npIzfI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>TableTop opened with Wheaton, Grant Imahara, Jenna Busch and Sean Plott battling over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/small-world\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Small World<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/X9QtdiRJYro\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>And finished on 7th June 2017 as Wheaton, Patrick Rothfuss, Stef Woodburn and Jessica Merizan fought to defeat Azathoth &#8220;The Daemon Sultan&#8221; in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/eldritch-horror\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Eldritch Horror<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/87B1Wlz8fMo\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In the intervening 5 years and four seasons, 166 unique guests played 79 games over 81 main episodes.<\/p>\n<p>On average, each of those episodes has been viewed over 1.5 million times and in total TableTop has racked up almost 123 million views (and that\u2019s not including extended editions, behind the scenes, gag reels and other related content).<\/p>\n<h2>Introducing the Guests<\/h2>\n<p>Board games and role-playing games are as much about the people playing as they are about rules and mechanics. Happily, TableTop\u2019s line-up reflected this; a wonderfully eclectic collection of interesting guests.<\/p>\n<p>Actors, writers, comedians, musicians, artists, producers, game designers, and more all took part. There were friends new and old, double acts, romantic partners, siblings, children and a whole bevy of Big Bang Theory alumni. Where else could you watch the drummer from The Presidents of the United States of America (Jason Finn), a NASA Curiosity engineer (Bobak Ferdowsi) and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America president (John Scalzi) team up to escape <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/forbidden-island\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Forbidden Island<\/i><\/a>?<\/p>\n<p>For hobbyists there was pleasure to be had in watching Steve Jackson win at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/munchkin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Munchkin<\/i><\/a>, Chris Pramas run <i>Dragon Age<\/i>, Ryan Macklin GM <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/you-should-play-an-rpg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Fate Core<\/i><\/a>, and Melissa DeTora beat Wheaton at the duelling card game <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/star-realms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Star Realms<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_246466\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-246466\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246466 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-1024x567.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"567\" data-wp-pid=\"246466\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-130x73.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 130w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-187x105.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 187w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-215x120.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-300x166.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld.png?size=528x292&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-600x332.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-768x425.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-990x548.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-1024x567.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1092w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/567;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246466\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-1024x567.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"567\" data-wp-pid=\"246466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-130x73.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 130w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-187x105.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 187w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-215x120.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-300x166.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld.png?size=528x292&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-600x332.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-768x425.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-990x548.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld-1024x567.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/smallworld.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1092w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-246466\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Welcome to <em>Small World<\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/X9QtdiRJYro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The guests reveal the hobby at its best. Their laughter and friendly competition invited the viewer in, showcasing what tabletop games bring to millions and demonstrating that they are for everyone. Seeing Superman (Brandon Routh) lose at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/fortune-and-glory-the-cliffhanger-game\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Fortune and Glory<\/i><\/a> normalised the tabletop hobby. How can you feel embarrassed of your \u2018nerdy\u2019 pastime when former Minnesota Vikings\u2019 punter Chris Kluwe can not only play <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/champions-of-midgard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Champions of Midgard<\/i><\/a>, but also win it?<\/p>\n<p>When TableTop premiered in 2012, the hobby had a diversity problem.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/representation-in-board-games-matters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Representation in the tabletop hobby matters<\/a>, and from its first episode TableTop promoted a variety of players far beyond the predominant white male stereotype. Across the series 46% of guests were female or non-binary, and 86% of episodes featured a mixed gender or all female line-up. In fact, women and non-binary individuals made up half or more of the people on screen in 47% of episodes.<\/p>\n<p>These issues were clearly on the minds of creators, as Wheaton noted about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/monarch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Monarch<\/i><\/a>: <i>\u201cthe only game I have ever played where all the characters are women, which I think is pretty awesome in a male-dominated hobby\u201d<\/i>. Similarly, where season three\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/cards-against-humanity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Cards Against Humanity<\/i><\/a> could have been a testosterone-fuelled frat-boy-athon, the episode\u2019s guests were all female.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_246463\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-246463\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246463 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-1024x494.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"494\" data-wp-pid=\"246463\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-300x145.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch.png?size=528x255&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-600x289.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-768x370.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-990x478.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-1024x494.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1134w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/494;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246463\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-1024x494.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"494\" data-wp-pid=\"246463\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-300x145.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch.png?size=528x255&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-600x289.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-768x370.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-990x478.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch-1024x494.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/monarch.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1134w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-246463\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wheaton and Satine Phoenix playing <em>Monarch<\/em> and being photobombed by Tiny the Pomeranian (<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/vOYBLalI1YM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Unfortunately, ethnicity fared less well, with only 16% of guests of a black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) background, and only 38% of episodes featuring at least one or more BAME guest. Even this level of representation, however, was huge when the series started (and, sadly, still isn\u2019t terrible today).<\/p>\n<p>TableTop was ground-breaking, light-years ahead of anything produced at the time, demonstrating just how rich and diverse this hobby can be.<\/p>\n<h2>Playing the Game<\/h2>\n<p>If the guests represented the wider community, then the games themselves showed just what the hobby has to offer. Almost every type of game is represented, from the simple <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/zombie-dice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Zombie Dice<\/i><\/a> to the more involved <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/fury-of-dracula-third-fourth-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Fury of Dracula<\/i><\/a>, and from party games like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/codenames-xxl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Codenames<\/i><\/a> to role-playing games like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/fiasco\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Fiasco<\/i><\/a>. The most popular episodes tended to involve thematic games, with social deduction game <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/the-resistance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>The Resistance<\/i><\/a> getting 3.8 million views, and <i>Munchkin<\/i>, <i>Small World<\/i> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/dead-of-winter-a-crossroads-game\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Dead of Winter<\/i><\/a> joining it in the over 3 million group.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/wilwheaton.net\/2015\/08\/tabletop-submission-criteria\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">criteria<\/a> for a game to appear on TableTop were strict, including that the games be in print, take under 90 minutes to play and be teachable in around 5 minutes. As <a href=\"https:\/\/wilwheaton.net\/2014\/10\/tabletop-season-three-game-list-part-one\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wheaton acknowledged<\/a>, some incredible games never appeared on the show because of the practicalities of making an engaging episode around them.<\/p>\n<p>The team asked fans and publishers for suggestions, each season reducing around 200 games down to 20. The games that survived the selection process were some of the very best around, joyous cardboard ambassadors for the hobby.<\/p>\n<p>The result?<\/p>\n<p>Viewers wanted to play them for themselves, and game sales reflected that. A spike in sales following each episode was dubbed the \u2018The Wheaton Effect\u2019. Publishers noticed. Days of Wonder <a href=\"https:\/\/icv2.com\/articles\/games\/view\/23778\/five-times-sales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported five times the sales of <i>Small World<\/i><\/a> in the month following TableTop\u2019s first episode. Increases in sales weren\u2019t just short-term either. In the UK annual industry growth in the years following TableTop&#8217;s debut has been <a href=\"https:\/\/amp.theguardian.com\/technology\/2016\/sep\/25\/board-games-back-tabletop-gaming-boom-pandemic-flash-point\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">estimated at between 20% and 35%<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisismoney.co.uk\/money\/markets\/article-9041163\/amp\/Britains-tabletop-games-industry-booming-year.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Asmodee&#8217;s worth rose by \u00a3100 million between 2014 and 2018<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_246469\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-246469\" style=\"width: 745px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-246469 size-full lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheatoneffect-e1648122048312.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"745\" height=\"438\" data-wp-pid=\"246469\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheatoneffect-e1648122048312-300x176.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheatoneffect-e1648122048312.jpg?size=528x310&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheatoneffect-e1648122048312-600x353.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheatoneffect-e1648122048312.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 745w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 745px) 100vw, 745px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 745px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 745\/438;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-246469 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheatoneffect-e1648122048312.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"745\" height=\"438\" data-wp-pid=\"246469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheatoneffect-e1648122048312-300x176.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheatoneffect-e1648122048312.jpg?size=528x310&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheatoneffect-e1648122048312-600x353.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheatoneffect-e1648122048312.jpg?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 745w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 745px) 100vw, 745px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-246469\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sales of <em>Takenoko<\/em> rise following its appearance on TableTop (credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/boardgamegeek.com\/geeklist\/169710\/wil-wheaton-effect-fact-or-figment-imagination#:~:text=This%20refers%20to%20the%20belief,of%20the%20featured%20game%20occurs.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Peter Brahan<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>TableTop encouraged thousands to get into games, exciting newcomers and hobby veterans alike. As Days of Wonder Vice-President Mark Kaufman said at the time, TableTop <i>\u201creinvigorated not only new people but it also got the core people going\u2026 And that\u2019s what brings new people into the hobby.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Wheaton <a href=\"https:\/\/wilwheaton.net\/2014\/01\/on-a-long-run-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recollects<\/a> visiting a bookstore and being approached by a young man who\u2019d been introduced to board games by TableTop. The man asked Wheaton for help choosing a game from the store\u2019s board game section, itself only there because of TableTop.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s no coincidence that the number of registered users on BoardGameGeek doubled in the 3 years following TableTop&#8217;s launch, from <a href=\"https:\/\/boardgamegeek.com\/thread\/754894\/2011-boardgamegeek-analytics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">under half a million<\/a> in early 2012 to <a href=\"https:\/\/boardgamegeek.com\/thread\/1322723\/1000000-users\/page\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1 million users<\/a> at the start of 2015. A month ago the site hit <a href=\"https:\/\/boardgamegeek.com\/thread\/2820713\/3000000-users\/page\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">3 million<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>TableTop isn&#8217;t solely responsible for these player numbers and sales increases but it played a significant part in them, leading to more and better games, communities and events.<\/p>\n<h2>Owlbear!<\/h2>\n<p>International TableTop Day launched a year after the first episode aired, on the 30th March 2013. It was a day intended to unite the world <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20140328193153\/http:\/www.tabletopday.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>\u201cin a common purpose of spending time together and having fun\u201d<\/i><\/a>. Livestreamed gaming was hosted on the Geek &amp; Sundry YouTube channel, and over 3,000 events were held in 64 countries on every continent (even researchers in Antarctica joined in).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_246470\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-246470\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246470 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-wp-pid=\"246470\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-130x73.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 130w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-187x105.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 187w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-215x120.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-300x168.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-414x232.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 414w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-470x264.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 470w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world.png?size=528x297&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-600x338.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-640x360.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 640w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-768x432.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-990x557.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-1024x576.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-1200x675.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/576;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246470\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-wp-pid=\"246470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-130x73.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 130w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-187x105.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 187w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-215x120.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-300x168.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-414x232.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 414w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-470x264.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 470w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world.png?size=528x297&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-600x338.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-640x360.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 640w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-768x432.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-990x557.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-1024x576.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world-1200x675.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/world.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-246470\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">TableTop\u2019s impact was felt worldwide (<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/87B1Wlz8fMo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Momentum grew annually but with the pandemic and the decline of Geek &amp; Sundry it\u2019s no longer centrally organised. Despite this, many gamers still celebrate on the first Saturday of every June \u2013 in 2022 look out for events happening on the 4th June.<\/p>\n<p>International TableTop Day is another example of the wider impact of TableTop stretching far beyond the episodes themselves at a community and personal level. <a href=\"https:\/\/seenontabletop.tumblr.com\/post\/46870111368\/how-tabletop-helped-save-easter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">One fan<\/a> used the day to briefly make things a little easier for their family: <i>\u201cI hadn\u2019t seen [Mum] laugh so much or so hard since before Dad died. It helped bring everyone together for something joyous\u2026 thank you, International Tabletop Day, for helping make our first Easter without Dad that little bit easier.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<h2>On the Fly Interviews<\/h2>\n<p>TableTop\u2019s production levels set a new standard for what a show about board and role-playing games can look like, something that was intentional from the start. <i>\u201cThis show is a standout for a reason,\u201d <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/wilwheaton.net\/2014\/04\/tabletop-season-three\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Day said<\/a> during the funding campaign for season three, \u201c<i>We pay professional people to make it. It\u2019s polished and stands next to TV show quality because we wanted to make something long-lasting, [that would] impact in a big way.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Day and Wheaton funded the first two seasons through the YouTube Original Channel Initiative, season three via crowdfunding and finally season four was funded by the Geek &amp; Sundry parent company Legendary Entertainment. Each ~30 minute episode cost \u00a330,000-\u00a340,000 and the team were determined to get as much from that budget as possible. <a href=\"https:\/\/wilwheaton.net\/2014\/04\/tabletop-season-three\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">As Wheaton said<\/a> <i>\u201cWe put everything we have into TableTop, because we love it, and we push our budget to its maximum limit so the show that we put out on YouTube can stand next to anything you see on Broadcast or Cable\u201d.<\/i><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_246465\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-246465\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246465 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-1024x573.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"573\" data-wp-pid=\"246465\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-130x73.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 130w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-187x105.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 187w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-215x120.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-300x168.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-414x232.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 414w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-470x264.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 470w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2.png?size=528x295&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-600x336.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-768x430.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-990x554.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-1024x573.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1087w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/573;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246465\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-1024x573.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"573\" data-wp-pid=\"246465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-130x73.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 130w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-187x105.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 187w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-215x120.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-300x168.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-414x232.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 414w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-470x264.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 470w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2.png?size=528x295&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-600x336.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-768x430.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-990x554.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2-1024x573.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/owlbear2.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1087w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-246465\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An owlbear bothers Felicia Day (<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/D7DvEIfrP84\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A lot of talented people created and edited each episode. Particular credit should go to series director, Jennifer Arnold, who set the tone of TableTop from the very first episode. Arnold directed 58 episodes and has since gone on to direct episodes of American Horror Story, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and more. With a rigorous shooting schedule and multiple cameras, interviews and graphics it wasn\u2019t an easy process. Just look at this episode timeline from editor Stephen Grubel for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/star-wars-x-wing-miniatures-game\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Star Wars: X-Wing<\/i><\/a> episode:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_246472\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-246472\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246472 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-wp-pid=\"246472\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-130x73.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 130w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-187x105.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 187w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-215x120.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-300x168.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-414x232.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 414w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-470x264.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 470w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing.png?size=528x297&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-600x338.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-640x360.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 640w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-768x432.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-990x557.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-1024x576.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-1200x675-cropped.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-1200x675-cropped.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/576;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246472\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-wp-pid=\"246472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-130x73.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 130w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-187x105.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 187w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-215x120.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 215w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-300x168.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-414x232.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 414w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-470x264.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 470w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing.png?size=528x297&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-600x338.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-640x360.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 640w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-768x432.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-990x557.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-1024x576.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-1200x675-cropped.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1200w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/xwing-1200x675-cropped.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-246472\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Editing timeline from <em>Star Wars: X-Wing<\/em> episode. Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/wilwheaton.net\/2013\/08\/next-time-on-tabletop-star-wars-x-wing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stephen Grubel on wilwheaton.net<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The result of the team\u2019s hard work is the lasting legacy that Day and Wheaton were aiming for. TableTop was and remains the pinnacle of video entertainment in the tabletop hobby, a showcase for this wonderful pastime.<\/p>\n<h2>The Golden Freeze Frame<\/h2>\n<p>The ultimate winner of TableTop was undoubtedly the hobby itself, but let\u2019s take a moment to celebrate the show\u2019s host and co-creator. Wil Wheaton was as important to the success and wider impact of the show as the entertaining guests, fantastic games and high levels of production.<\/p>\n<p>Wheaton comes across as welcoming, warm, witty, knowledgeable, passionate and entertaining. He invites the viewer into each episode, making you feel part of the gang and the game. It\u2019s impossible not to get caught up in his infectious enthusiasm for tabletop games of all varieties.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_246468\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-246468\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246468 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton-1024x548.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"548\" data-wp-pid=\"246468\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton-300x160.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton.png?size=528x283&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton-600x321.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton-768x411.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton-990x530.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton-1024x548.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1144w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/548;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246468\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton-1024x548.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"548\" data-wp-pid=\"246468\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton-300x160.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton.png?size=528x283&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton-600x321.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton-768x411.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton-990x530.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton-1024x548.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/wheaton.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1144w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-246468\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wil Wheaton celebrates winning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/reviews\/five-tribes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Five Tribes<\/em><\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/0bYD1TAmu3I\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In 2013 TableTop won the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dianajonesaward.org\/the-2013-award\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming<\/a> for bringing <i>\u201ca new energy and humour to the board-game field<\/i><i>\u201d<\/i>. As part of the announcement the committee specifically recognised <i>\u201cthe inestimable Wil Wheaton as the critical element in TableTop. Wil is not only executive producer, host, and co-creator, but this show would not be what it is without his genuine enthusiasm for tabletop games.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p>How lucky we are to have had Wheaton as our ambassador to the world. As the committee said:<i> \u201cThe games hobby could not want a better public face than Wil Wheaton.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<h2>Loser\u2019s Lounge<\/h2>\n<p>Not everything went smoothly. There were issues with how parent company Legendary Entertainment handled the release of season four (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/geekandsundry\/comments\/86p4au\/can_i_just_say_that_i_miss_tabletop\/dzjq519\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the problems seemingly starting once Legendary was acquired by conglomerate Wanda Group in 2016<\/a>), initially putting the season behind a paid subscription service before eventually adding it to YouTube.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_246462\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-246462\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246462 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-1024x581.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"581\" data-wp-pid=\"246462\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-130x73.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 130w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-187x105.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 187w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-300x170.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers.png?size=528x300&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-600x341.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-768x436.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-990x562.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-1024x581.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1069w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/581;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246462\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-1024x581.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"581\" data-wp-pid=\"246462\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-130x73.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 130w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-187x105.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 187w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-300x170.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers.png?size=528x300&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-600x341.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-768x436.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-990x562.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers-1024x581.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/losers.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1069w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-246462\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Seth Green, Claire Grant, Kelly Hu and Wheaton commiserate on losing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/boardgame\/flash-point-fire-rescue\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Flash Point: Fire Rescue<\/em><\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/2ONsWhGngWE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Day and Wheaton also knew there might be moments where game rules weren\u2019t followed, and had <a href=\"https:\/\/wilwheaton.net\/2012\/06\/amber-benson-meghan-camarena-and-michelle-boyd-join-me-for-gloom-on-tabletop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">already decided<\/a> that they weren\u2019t making the show for the people for whom any rules slip was unforgivable. In season three a few more errors slipped in than usual however, prompting an understandably disappointed and embarrassed Wheaton to <a href=\"https:\/\/wilwheaton.net\/2015\/06\/tabletop-kingdom-builder-and-screwing-up-the-rules\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">discuss the issue<\/a> and later <a href=\"https:\/\/wilwheaton.net\/2015\/06\/critical-failure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reflect<\/a> on his handling of the situation.<\/p>\n<p>Yet rules errors never impacted on the quality of the show or the obvious enjoyment of the guests. Rules can be tricky to remember, we all get them wrong occasionally. With its errors, TableTop mimicked our own experiences. It demonstrated that the joy of tabletop games is in our interactions with other players \u2013 so long as everyone is happy, a few rule missteps are largely irrelevant.<\/p>\n<h2>TableTop Trophy of Awesome<\/h2>\n<p>With its last moments muddied by the issues over rules and the influence of Legendary\/Wanda, it\u2019s easy to forget how revolutionary TableTop was. The series set crowdfunding records with season three, raising over $1.4 million to produce the series as well as spin-off RPG series Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana. In addition to the Diana Jones Award, TableTop won a gold ENnie for the <i>Dragon <\/i>Age episode, and the Best Game Related Publication at the 40th annual Origins Awards.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_246467\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-246467\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246467 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy-1024x552.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"552\" data-wp-pid=\"246467\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy-300x162.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy.png?size=528x285&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy-600x324.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy-768x414.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy-990x534.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy-1024x552.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1092w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/552;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246467\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy-1024x552.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"552\" data-wp-pid=\"246467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy-300x162.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy.png?size=528x285&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy-600x324.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy-768x414.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy-990x534.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy-1024x552.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/trophy.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1092w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-246467\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laura Bailey, David Kwong, Shannon Woodward and Wheaton celebrate winning <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/games-we-love-my-love-of-mysterium\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mysterium<\/a><\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/8d9TwIigGC4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The show affected the hobby at every level, from the industry down to the personal. <a href=\"https:\/\/wilwheaton.net\/2013\/01\/thinking-about-tabletop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Families started games nights, marriages were saved<\/a>, and parents of children with special needs found the show helped them \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/wilwheaton.net\/2013\/08\/tabletop-wins-2013-diana-jones-award\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">one mother spoke<\/a> of how TableTop allowed her to communicate with her autistic son for the first time in his life.<\/p>\n<p><i>\u201cThe impact TableTop has had on our industry cannot be overstated,\u201d <\/i>stated the Diana Jones Award committee,<i> \u201cthere simply is no greater advocate nor ambassador for gaming.\u201d<\/i> TableTop showed just what the hobby can be at its very best \u2013 an intelligent, vibrant, diverse community of people having a great time playing amazing games.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_246459\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-246459\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246459 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton-1024x541.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"541\" data-wp-pid=\"246459\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton-300x159.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton.png?size=528x279&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton-600x317.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton-768x406.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton-990x523.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton-1024x541.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1145w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/541;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-246459\" src=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton-1024x541.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"541\" data-wp-pid=\"246459\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton-300x159.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 300w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton.png?size=528x279&amp;lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 528w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton-600x317.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 600w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton-768x406.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 768w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton-990x523.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 990w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton-1024x541.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1024w, https:\/\/b1803394.smushcdn.com\/1803394\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/dayandwheaton.png?lossy=1&amp;strip=1&amp;webp=1 1145w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-246459\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Creators Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton joking around whilst playing <em>Munchkin<\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/V6oMBSiL7Zs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Thousands of the people playing tabletop games today are only doing so because of TableTop. There are game designers, publishers, artists and many others whose careers are built on the surge in popularity that resulted from TableTop. Hundreds of content creators only write, record, shoot and film because they caught the bug from TableTop.<\/p>\n<p>I wouldn\u2019t be writing about board games without TableTop, Meeple Mountain itself wouldn\u2019t exist without the series. <i>\u201cTableTop is what really got me into the hobby,\u201d <\/i>says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/authors\/andy-matthews\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Andy Matthews<\/a>, founder of Meeple Mountain, \u201c<i>and International TableTop Day is what inspired me to start <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/nashville-tabletop-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Nashville Tabletop Day<\/i><\/a><i>\u201d<\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s to TableTop. Here\u2019s to Felicia Day, to Wil Wheaton and to the ripples their show created that have shaped the tabletop hobby into the amazing place it is today.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks a lot for reading and until next time: Play More Games!<\/p>\n<p><i>*All data presented in this article was collected between 21st February and 6<\/i><i>th<\/i><i> March 2022. Gender and ethnicity data was collected using the episode guest lists<\/i> <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/TableTop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>available on Wikipedia<\/i><\/a><i>, combined with extensive web searching. Gender data was collected using pronouns from social media profiles, Wikipedia pages, etc. Ethnicity data was obtained from online profiles, or if that wasn\u2019t forthcoming by making an informed guess with as much sensitivity as possible based on guest name and appearance. Whilst not ideal, this was felt to be an appropriate method in this instance since perceived ethnicity is almost as integral as true ethnicity for visibly demonstrating diversity. As a result of the methodology, the author cannot 100% say that all 166 guests had their ethnicity accurately assigned and deepest apologies are offered for any inaccuracies. Any errors in assigning ethnicity are likely to have under-represented guests with a BAME background, meaning that TableTop would have done an even better job at promoting diversity in the community than stated in the article.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Join Meeple Mountain in celebrating the impact and influence of web series TableTop 10 years after it first aired!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":246577,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"MSN_Categories":"Uncategorized","MSN_Publish_Option":false,"MSN_Is_Local_News":false,"MSN_Is_AIAC_Included":"Empty","MSN_Location":"[]","MSN_Add_Feature_Img_On_Top_Of_Post":false,"MSN_Has_Custom_Author":false,"MSN_Custom_Author":"","MSN_Has_Custom_Canonical_Url":false,"MSN_Custom_Canonical_Url":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[7101,1290,2586,3579,1388],"coauthors":[1857],"class_list":["post-246461","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-board-game-history","tag-community","tag-diversity-in-gaming","tag-gaming-life","tag-video"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Celebration of TableTop: A 10 Year Retrospective &#8212; Meeple Mountain<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Join Meeple Mountain in celebrating the impact and influence of web series TableTop 10 years after it first aired!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/a-celebration-of-tabletop-a-10-year-retrospective\/\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/a-celebration-of-tabletop-a-10-year-retrospective\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Board Game Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"A Celebration of TableTop: A 10 Year Retrospective\"}]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Celebration of TableTop: A 10 Year Retrospective &#8212; Meeple Mountain","description":"Join Meeple Mountain in celebrating the impact and influence of web series TableTop 10 years after it first aired!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/a-celebration-of-tabletop-a-10-year-retrospective\/","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/a-celebration-of-tabletop-a-10-year-retrospective\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Board Game Articles","item":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"A Celebration of TableTop: A 10 Year Retrospective"}]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/246461"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246461"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/246461\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246461"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.meeplemountain.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=246461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}