It was a great pleasure to sit down with Dante Santos the other day. He is the purveyor of all things roleplaying at Chance Encounter Games on Roosevelt, just south of 64th, where you can not only play Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and other such games, but can browse and buy beautiful art, figurines, and more D&D dice than you thought you would ever find!
Growing up, Dante’s passions leaned toward underwater robotics (which is already pretty cool, if you ask me!) and engineering which eventually led him to being a program manager at Microsoft for a few years. But Dante’s other primary passion had always been role-playing games like D&D. He found that not only did he love the camaraderie and creativity of being part of a questing crew, but he had a flair for storytelling and world-building. He gradually moved from participant to sought-after guide.
Then came the pandemic, which changed so much for so many. Dante began doing more online games, and was soon leading 11 of them (which, if you are familiar at all with role-playing games, you know is a LOT; essentially a full-time gig in and of itself). This caused him to radically rethink what was truly important to him. Thus was Chance Encounter born, the shop we now know and cherish, at 6317 – 1⁄2 Roosevelt Way NE.
But Chance Encounter is not just a place to play games or buy merch; rather, Dante sees it as a locus of community togetherness in a world that has become so very isolating and impersonal. He believes that when we come together as a community, we create a better place to live and play, and make each other’s lives more meaningful. With so much bleakness around us, having a safe haven where we can meet friends old and new nourishes our souls. When the table in back is not otherwise reserved, Dante encourages everyone to schedule a game night or other activity to build your own community.
Another vital role Chance Encounter plays is to promote the work of local artists. No fewer than 85 artists are represented in the shop, giving them an opportunity to reach a broader audience and clientele. Each item is curated carefully by Dante to ensure it is in tune with the ethos he is trying to create.
June will mark the one-year anniversary of when Chance Encounter first opened its doors, and there will, of course, be a big anniversary party! Dante is looking forward to welcoming even more of his neighbors and friends to celebrate this landmark with him.
So, drop by the whimsical, delightful, welcoming world of Chance Encounter Games. There is so much to see and do, all in a warm and welcoming environment. I’ll see you there!
Chance Encounter Games
6317-1/2 Roosevelt Way NE
Wednesday-Sunday, 1-10 PM
chanceencounter.games
dante@chanceencounter.games
Each month, the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association’s Business of the Month recognizes a neighborhood business for their great service and community involvement. To learn more, please email contact@rooseveltseattle.org.