Bronwen and I spent last weekend at Tabletop Scotland. The convention is one of the largest in the UK, the largest Adventurers League event here and has now been in Edinburgh for two years.

So, now that the 2024 honeymoon was over, how did it go?

Tabletop Scotland 2025

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Returning to the Royal Highland Centre for a weekend of dice, cardboard, and camaraderie, Tabletop Scotland 2025 was, for team Geek Native, a resounding success.

Even before we saw the official 9% increase in unique visitors, the convention felt noticeably bigger and better than ever before.

The growth was palpable in every corner of the venue. There were more games to play, more demos to try, more exhibition booths to explore, and a definite increase in the number of attendees filling the halls with an energetic buzz. The improvements weren’t just in scale, but also in quality. Outside, a wider variety of catering, with veggie and gluten-free options readily available, was a welcome sight. Inside, the addition of a wee pub created a fantastic social hub that made a real difference to the atmosphere, especially in the lively moments before the pub quiz.

I spent the entire weekend there – Friday, Saturday and Sunday – and while it felt like an age, it still wasn’t enough time to see everything. The true magic of Tabletop Scotland lies in the connections it fosters. It’s about the thrill of discovering a fantastic new game, but it’s also about bumping into friends you haven’t seen in years, the ones that real life has kept you from. This show has a unique ability to revive long-abandoned campaigns (okay, briefly).

The gaming itself is superbly managed. The North Hall was smartly split between a huge open gaming library and the main trade hall. Upstairs, the dedicated area for roleplaying games was even better organised this year, with prepared Game Masters ready for their players. Booking a four-hour game is a brilliant way to spend an afternoon, though be warned: sessions sell out at lightning speed when they go live online! While some on-the-day spaces are reserved, I didn’t see many empty seats.

The event attracted an impressive mix of talent from across the industry. We had major publishers like Modiphius, Free League Publishing, and Chaosium (household names for any tabletop roleplaying fan) alongside a thriving scene of Scottish indie designers and gaming studios. Seeing creators make the trip up from England only cements the convention’s growing national importance.

If there were any negatives, they were minor. For me, the journey is a bit of a marathon, involving a walk, a long tram ride, and another walk from the park and ride. But trekking there and back three times was a small price to pay for such a brilliant experience. And maybe by 2026, the AIs will be in control and will have built public transport all the way out to the Centre.

Watching the dice fly and listening to the happy buzzroar of hundreds of gamers, I was reminded of why we love this hobby. Tabletop Scotland was a fantastic showcase of community and creativity. It was worth every minute, and I will absolutely be back next year.