As September comes to an end and autumn begins to make itself felt, we’ve started experiencing some truly exciting developments at Sığınak. Our story is a bit unusual—I’m not even sure where to begin.
What started out as a simple “let’s build a man cave” idea has now grown into something that genuinely makes one incredibly happy: over 1,000 Instagram followers, 14 supporters (for now), and a steadily growing community.
Is it more valuable to be a founding member of a constantly evolving association, or to witness your dreams transform into something entirely different in as little as three months? I still don’t know the answer to that.
Anyway—enough rambling. Let’s get to the “how did this all happen?” part…
One Day, Can Went to See Mito…
Mangallara Fısıldayan Adam Furkan, Mito ve Ben
One day, Can—the chubby, bespectacled TTRPG nerd— went to see his big brother Mito and said:
“Mittooo, Mittooo (don’t get mad, Mert abi, hahaha!), wouldn’t it be great if we rented a place and played TTRPGs and board games? Or… what if we started an association?”
Mito thought for a moment and then said, “Ey Can! Let’s go look at some places.”
Jokes aside, we really were looking for a place. While Mert Ataman, me (Chubby Regie), and Barış were house-hunting, we started floating the idea among friends. First at İzmirCon, then among ourselves, the question began to surface: “What if we actually started an association?”
From there, the idea matured—and eventually, we found our current two-story, terrace-equipped space in Etimesgut.
Pain, Blood, and Tears (!)
3 Numaralı Oda’nın İnşaat Hali
If you shed enough pain, blood, and tears, you can apparently end up with a magnificent association building—did you know that, dear reader?
Since our association building housed only workplaces, we practically lived there for days on end. We repaired tables, chairs, and bookshelves; ate çiğ köfte, played PlayStation, went thirsty together, and battled the heat. During all this, Furkan kept us fed with barbecues. (Don’t say “wow, look at that wealth”—apparently, with enough faith, anything is possible!)
Mito said:
“If I’ve rented this place, I’m playing a game here on the very first night, my friend!”
By the way, an important note: I was going to include photos of Kerem and me sleeping on the floor and repairing furniture, but since they were taken in the summer heat, I decided not to—so as not to ruin your eyes or reading pleasure.
Friends who weren’t members but were always by our side carried furniture up four floors and decorated the association’s walls. We exchanged emails with people for days, asked for support without hesitation—and in the end, we found our sponsors.
And finally, today:
– What we started as a handful of TTRPG and board game enthusiasts,
– What we officially approved the charter for and opened in the middle of summer,
Sığınak Role-Playing and Board Games Association has now become an officially recognized organization.
Today and Tomorrow
Didn’t We Absolutely Nail This or What?
Right now, I’m breathing in that cold, damp autumn air of Ankara, letting it fill my lungs. I look back at what we’ve done and think: if we made it this far in just three months… what else could we possibly achieve?
Anyway, as I move into the second part, I put on “Silent Hill – Promise.” On the website, corporate communications, social media, sponsors, and the influencer side of things, Mete, Barış, and I are working together. Since most of the TTRPGs I run are horror-themed, I sometimes drift off into these strange kinds of music. There’s a game tomorrow too—I’ve written and finished the new scenes.
When I first met the team we founded the association with, one of the things I said was this:
— “Man, what’s the difference between us and our dads or uncles who go to the coffeehouse? Both of us show up, play games, and drink tea or coffee!”
Because of that, I sometimes call myself an “intellectual panda.” Don’t get me wrong—I have nothing against people who go to coffeehouses. In fact, if they tried some of these games, they might love them. But times change, technology evolves. I can’t help but wonder whether our kids will say similarly exotic things about us in the future.
Think about it: we’re talking about a generation that works an average of 10 hours a day (at minimum), plays games for 4 hours, spends 2–4 hours with loved ones, and sleeps 4–6 hours.
(Except, of course, for İsmail Abi, Gökçe Abi, Mito, and Hasan Abi… they’re the association’s Elders—the council of great sages who can play games even while sleeping.)
We’re getting older, dear reader… I rambled on quite a bit and dragged you along with me. If you’ve read this far without giving up, go get yourself a plaque and present it to yourself. Because there really aren’t many people left who read this much. You’re an awesome human being.
Let this be my first piece for now. Don’t forget to follow Sığınak’s website.
Absurd writings will continue.
— Chubby Regie