You Don’t Sell Games. You Solve Problems.

Hey ,

Happy New Year!

2026 has arrived. I’m sure you’ve probably just come through a ridiculously busy holiday season, and are looking forward to the future. It’s a time to reflect and measure.

For some game store owners, 2025 was the best year so far. For others, not so much.

Last year we saw huge new releases, scarcity driving prices and customers crazy with flippers taking advantage, drama galore. It’s a wild time to be in the game business.

I hope you, dear reader, ended up in the “best year so far” camp, but no matter how the last year played out for you and your shop, 2026 is bound to bring its own set of problems/opportunities.

Which is actually my first thought of the year I want you to consider.

Gamers/hobbyists want to play something fun, preferably with people they like.

They want something cool.

They want something meaningful.

They want connection and experience.

Or they want to flex their competitive muscles.

Or test themselves.

Or prove themselves within their community.

They have a desire for some or all of those things, but they don’t have them… yet.

That’s their problem. It’s also your opportunity.

You sell all those things in a myriad array of formats, colors, and experiences, of almost every shape and size.

You’re not in the business of selling tabletop games.

Technically you are, but really, your store solves your customer’s problems by selling happiness in a box and creating a space for them to connect with other people.

Usually that’s a box of cardboard and plastic, but the physical product is just the vehicle for the transformation.

In a very real way, everyone is in the business of solving problems.

Problems create opportunity. If your customers didn’t have that problem, you’d have nothing of value to offer them.

You are destined to encounter problems this year. There will be aspects of the business that you struggle with. They might take the form of people, technology, time, scarcity. Who knows!

But the important thing is to remember that those problems are opportunities at the exact same time. 

Whatever you’re dealing with right now, someone else has probably already figured it out. You should find that person and talk to them.

You’ve surely solved problems over the last year that someone else would benefit from having the solution to. Let people know you can help!

Your time doesn’t have to be free either.

How much would you pay to solve a problem that’s costing you $10,000 a month? Quite a bit I would guess.

There is more money than ever in this industry as it matures and becomes more mainstream. The future of tabletop gaming is bright.

If you’re struggling with something in your business right now, I hope this helps reframe it into something you can take advantage of and you start 2026 off by crushing it!

Tom