Our Story
All Mana of Games was initially founded in 2017 by local gaming enthusiast Mike, beginning life as a small series of informal pub takeovers where a handful of players gathered around beer covered tables, to throw dice, and draw decks. Those early nights were driven by a simple idea: providing a welcoming space where people could play the games they loved and meet others who shared the same passion... with beer.
There was a lull around 2019 (for obvious reasons) and then in the February of 2020, we reopened as a social club in the function room of a local pub. Word spread, tables filled up, and new faces became familiar ones.
As attendance grew, so did the variety of games, the length of conversations, and the sense of belonging around the table. We also made the leap to our new home at Nuneaton URC Hall!
At its heart, All Mana of Games remains true to its origins: a friendly, inclusive space where people come together to play, socialise, and share their love of tabletop gaming; one table, one game, and one great evening at a time.
Mike Hearnden
Founder
Born and raised in Nuneaton, I’m a former bar manager turned university lecturer, proof that character progression is real.
A lifelong nerd, I wanted to be a palaeontologist until I was 12, then decided living in a fantasy world sounded better (that plan is still ongoing).
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I’ve been tabletop gaming in one form or another since I was 14, with a particular love for board games, TTRPGs, MtG, and wargaming. I’m also a self-published TTRPG adventure writer, because apparently I wasn’t nerdy enough already.
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I live with my partner Mel and an impressive cardboard and paper collection that has definitely outgrown the available shelf spaces which has led to my annexing the garage.
For AMOGlandia!
Dean Shickle
Co-Founder
Originally from the North East, I settled in the West Midlands after leaving the Army, where I served for 17 years. A self-confessed nerd from an early age, I was raised on He-Man, Thundercats, and Visionaries (yes, I’m absolutely that old).
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I have a lifelong love of Discworld, with Sir Terry Pratchett firmly holding the title of favourite author of all time. My tabletop gaming journey didn’t begin until 2019, when a late-night Google search for “sci-fi hobbies near me” led me to the nearest Warhammer store. It’s been a steady decline ever since.
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These days you’ll usually find me playing D&D, MTG, or Warhammer 40k (Raven Guard and Chaos Knights). I live in Nuneaton with my fiancée Cherrelle and my dogs, Prince and Nigel, all of whom remain unimpressed by my miniatures collection.
Melissa Marsden
Secretary
I am a proud nerd with a love for board games and crafting, and am the driving force behind keeping both the book club and craft club running smoothly.
As the group’s dedicated secretary, I thrive on organisation, making sure details are in order and everyone stays on track.
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Creative, approachable, and always happy to help, I'm rarely far from a good game, or a well-labelled spreadsheet.
Charles Pattison
Wargaming Champion
I’ve been Wargaming in one form or another since I was eleven playing a wide variety of wargames ranging from the battlefields of the Third Age to the Grim Darkness of the far future and back to the war-torn fields of 1940s Europe.
Alongside Wargaming I have a love for Role Playing Games, when I can squeeze them in between Wargames. Alongside a small collection of board games.
In my less free time, I work as a software developer after reskilling at university in Nottingham. And in the time between all that I live with my partner Lily alongside our rather large combined wargaming collection in our office/combined hobby room.
