Little Wars has built a fellowship of gamers that spans generations
When Van Vo took ownership of what is billed as the oldest operating independent game store in Louisiana, he knew he wanted to reinvigorate the community that he had been a part of since childhood. Little Wars first opened its doors in 1987 on Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge, and it has been selling games and hosting tournaments ever since.
Shortly after taking ownership of Little Wars in 2017, Vo planned a tabletop gaming event to welcome a dwindling community back to the store. Just as Vo had set up and was ready to welcome players, the building’s electricity went out. It was July, so the temperature in the building rose to over 80 degrees, and Vo started to think about canceling the event.
But the response he received was unexpected. People were too eager to see this beloved store’s revival. Equipped with personal fans and battery-powered lamps, players and friends gathered in the store that night to play the tournament as planned.
“It was just incredible,” says Vo, “and it still sticks with me that they would personally choose to be miserable for the sake of this community.”
Vo says Little Wars functions equally as a shop and event space. It hosts tournaments and events for any pastimes customers are interested in. The main types of tabletop matches include the role-play-focused Dungeons & Dragons, the card game Magic: The Gathering and miniatures battle simulator Warhammer. And though these are the most commonly played, smaller franchises also have a space at Little Wars. If interest is expressed in a lesser-known game, Vo will invite players to casual gatherings until a larger community is built. From there, the group may grow large enough to hold official tournaments in collaboration with game publishers.
Little Wars patrons range from established members who have been playing these classics since the height of their popularity in the ’80s to middle and high schoolers looking for an after-school activity.
Around the time Vo took over the store, Dungeons & Dragons was reentering the pop-culture zeitgeist due to the popularity of the Netflix show Stranger Things. Many parents began taking intrigued children to the store to learn more about this fantastical game from the past.
It became so popular among kids that the store launched its first D&D program for players ages 11 to 16 in 2018. Even with the ever-present temptations of video games and social media, these young people have chosen to spend their free time picking up a retro hobby.
As technology becomes more present in children’s lives, they begin to crave experiences that exist beyond a screen, Vo says. “I honestly think that the more technological the world becomes, the more a counterculture develops,” Vo says. “I spend all day at work sitting in front of a computer. I don’t want to go home and then also sit in front of a computer.”
Little Wars’ young community has grown so much that the store held its first D&D summer camp in 2026. Vo says he was most excited to see adults who grew up playing the game introduce their children to this world.
It takes a strong community to keep generations coming back to a space after almost 40 years. It’s the same type of community that will gather in an un-air-conditioned building in the middle of July to prove their dedication.
The space Vo has cultivated is much more than just a shop for so many. And this new wave of interest from young people gives the space the same attention it saw in the ’90s. When Vo travels to conferences, he speaks to other game store owners from around the world, and they have seen the same positive trend.
“At the end of the day, people will always want to spend time with each other in person,” Vo says. “Everything that I sell at my store you can probably buy for cheaper off of Amazon or some online seller. But people come and they support us because they like to have the community space where they can spend time with other people.”
This article was originally published in the September 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.
