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A GAMES club has not let the coronavirus lockdown completely shatter its routine.

Dumbarton Gamers Club is home to game fanatics across West Dunbartonshire, with its members enjoying a large array of popular tabletop and online games, including Warhammer 30 and 40k, Star Wars:Legion, Flames of War and Kill Team.

Of course, with the new social restrictions a result of the coronavirus lockdown, the club has had to be creative, and come up with new ways to keep themselves busy.

Liam Prior, from Knightswood, is the treasurer of Dumbarton Gamers Club, and has been a member for just over six years.

He told the Reporter: “While I’m missing our weekly club meetings, for me, gaming is only one small part of our hobby. I also enjoy the building and painting of miniatures, which I’ve been focusing on until the club can reopen.

“Many club members, including myself, have been sharing their hobby progress through social media. The main thing I miss is the social aspect.

“It’s nice to have a club you can go to every week where you share a common interest with everyone in attendance. Especially when your interest is somewhat niche and bores family members stuck in isolation with you.”

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The club is thankful that the internet is available to keep everyone connected, with online gaming now one of the most popular industries in the world. The UK gaming market alone is thought to be worth more than £5.7 billion.

“Some of our club members are playing online using an application called Tabletop Simulator,” Liam continues. “It’s an app available through Steam (an online gaming platform) that allows you to play board and tabletop wargames against your friends online.

“It takes a bit of getting used to and isn’t anywhere near as good as playing in person, but it scratches the gaming itch until the club can get back to meeting regularly.”

He adds: “A large proportion of our members are also video gamers. Many of us already played video games online together.

“Since the lockdown there’s been more sessions with more members getting involved. With the recent free release of Warzone for Modern Warfare its been easy to get new people involved.”

And for all those gamers who could be twiddling their thumbs without their routine meet-up, Liam has some advice: “Use the opportunity to get some modelling and painting done and share your progress with your fellow hobbyists online. If you really need to scratch that gaming itch, take a look into tabletop simulator.

“I see lots of people online complaining that they’re bored. If you’re in lockdown with such a person you could use the opportunity to introduce them to some games.”

The Dumbarton Gamers Club was due to move premises before the lockdown took place, and once everything returns to normal the club will carry on at their new venue at Vale of Leven Autism and Asperger’s Forum in Renton.

For those who find the time to take up gaming during isolation and wish to join like-minded people in the near future, they can check out Dumbarton Gamers Club on Facebook.