The Story of Empire
From childhood game nights to a community shaped by play.
Empire began long before its first official session in 2012. It grew from family game nights, handcrafted fantasy worlds, and a love of bringing people together.
What began in one humble school library has grown across Perth, with its heart remaining the same: great games, shared adventures and genuine connection.
01 ·
Around the Family Table
Games were part of David’s life from the beginning. Growing up as one of five siblings meant plenty of time around the table playing classics like Monopoly, Scrabble, Risk, Rummikub, and The Game of Life.
Plenty of laughter and sibling rivalry
Games as a way of spending real time together
The beginnings of a lifelong love of shared play
02 ·
Strategy, Imagination & New Worlds
As David grew older, games became deeper and more imaginative. Chess, Magic: The Gathering and Warhammer 40,000 introduced new worlds of strategy and creativity.
As a teenager, he also created Mythical Monsters, his own fantasy role-playing game, complete with maps, creatures, items, character sheets and adventures for friends.
Create, experiment and adapt
Think ahead and solve problems
Build entire worlds around a table
03 ·
Bringing People Together
In his twenties, David began hosting regular game nights that grew into lively gatherings of 20 to 30 people.
Games like Werewolf could bring the entire room together. Newcomers had an easy way to join in, strangers quickly had something to talk about, and friendships grew through play.
The lesson was simple: a great game can turn a room full of people into a community.
04 · 2012
Empire Begins
While completing his final teaching practicum at Subiaco Primary School, David started a voluntary after-school games club in the school library.
He called it Empire.
Students gathered around remarkable modern board games
Demand quickly grew beyond the places available
Community support helped build the first games collection
The foundations were already there: great games, face-to-face connection and somewhere children genuinely wanted to be.
05 · 2013—2016
Taking Root
Empire followed David into his teaching career, first at Queens Park Primary School and later into the Steiner school community.
Along the way, the club began developing traditions and an identity of its own:
Tournaments, prizes and recognition for good sportsmanship
A rapidly expanding world of modern games through WABA (David became a committee member of the Western Australian Boardgaming Association)
Empire's first logo and artwork, created by board game artist Ian O'Toole
A growing emphasis on cooperation, creativity and connecting across age groups
By 2016, Empire was becoming more than simply a place to play board games.
06 · 2017–2019
More Than Board Games
Empire continued evolving beyond the games themselves.
In 2017, the first Artist Alley invited children to design their own Family Crest, beginning a creative tradition that continues today.
Creativity became part of every term
Sportsmanship, kindness and responsibility were celebrated
Children helped recognise peers who strengthened the community
The collection continued expanding across strategy, storytelling, cooperation, dexterity and silliness
How children played together became just as important as what they played.
07 · 2020-2022
Return and Expansion
After a pandemic pause in 2020, Empire returned with extraordinary energy.
The first term back at Perth Waldorf School filled with 30 children and a waiting list, before Empire expanded into additional school communities.
At the same time, new ideas began taking shape:
Older students returned as Keypers, helping younger players
The first Empire Values put the club's culture into words
David began sharing board gaming with other educators through teacher Professional Development workshops
Empire was becoming a community that could grow beyond a single room or school.
08 ·
Growing Up with Empire
Something unexpected began happening as Empire grew: the children grew up too.
Former attendees returned as Keypers, teaching games, welcoming younger children and taking genuine responsibility within the club.
One of them was Will the Healer, who returned years later as a trusted young leader and, at 17, helped run Empire while David was overseas.
Players had become mentors and leaders.
09 ·
Empire Today
More than a decade after that first school-library gathering, Empire now brings children together across Perth through play, creativity and community.
More than 150 carefully selected games offer opportunities to strategise, cooperate, negotiate, imagine, teach, laugh and take risks.
Artist Alley invites children to create. Keypers help others belong. The Six Pillars now capture many of the qualities that years of shared play have revealed.
Empire has grown enormously.
Its heart remains true.
