Convention Round-Up: Let's Play Green Bay

I had the opportunity to attend the second annual Let’s Play Green Bay this past weekend (April 12-14).  Last year I only attended one day, but was able to finagle both Friday and Saturday this time around.  Conventions can be great fun and the large ones are mini-vacations, in and of themselves.  But they can be expensive and intimidating.  Smaller, regional, low-key events will provide much of the same flavor, if not all of the same thrills, in a more accessible and casual atmosphere.  You can also save on travel expenses by attending closer conventions – or as in my case, staying with family!

Guide to Gaming: Research Before You Buy

Board gaming is a great hobby, accessible to a broad range of ages and demographics. As such, it is wonderful for both casual and structured social occasions, it can stimulate the mind, and it is ideal for family bonding. And it accomplishes all of that through fun. But like any hobby, it’s not cheap. Indeed, there are three major concerns that you, the average gamer, face when building your collection. One, you’re most likely on a tight budget. Therefore, you cannot take a “shotgun approach” to buying games, hoping to land a few diamonds amongst the rough. Two, your available free time is likewise probably constrained. So you want to be reasonably sure that the games you do buy are able to actually see the table from time to time. Which leads to three, there are so many games out there that it can often be overwhelming. Few things are more frustrating in this hobby than spending your limited budget on games that gather dust on the shelves because it turned out they weren’t interesting, good, or relevant to your gaming. How do you know which titles best fit your family, group, and personal gaming habits so that your money and time are used to best advantage? The challenge is to build a collection that is strong, suits a variety of situations, and that you will actually play – all without breaking the bank. So where to start?

FDQ: Conventional Thinking

So, the world’s largest hobby gaming convention is currently going on right now. And I’m not there. Essen Internationalen Spieltage. Or, simply Essen, for short. The show is conveniently named for the city it takes place in: Essen, Germany. That goes a long way in explaining why I’m not there – in that it’s a long ways away. To be exact, Essen is 4,389.4 miles from where I live. It is simply cost and time prohibitive for me to attend.

Having said that, I’m not sure I’d attend even if I had more adequate resources to do so. Sure, Essen is THE gamer’s gaming place to be. No doubt, it is the most influential and commercial of all of the industry's events. And yes, there will be innumerable things to do and hot new releases and insider information and great sales and nearly 150,000 fellow gamers! But that’s all too much for me.

I prefer the smaller, generally regional conventions and gatherings with less hustle and bustle. There’s a greater chance to do what you want and when. There’s more opportunity to meet one-on-one with game designers and publishers. Cost isn’t sky-high, access isn’t crazy, schedules aren’t overwhelming, elbows aren’t jabbing, and they smell better, too. Furthermore, the big conventions are rather irrelevant for me. I’m not a card carrying member of the “Cult of the New.” And new releases, of which there are far too many for me to keep track of and let alone buy, are a central focus of Essen and other big shows. I’m not even that keen on GenCon and Origins, the American counterparts to Essen (though still not nearly as large). But given their geographic proximity to me, it is an option I will always keep open if it ever becomes available. I’m not arguing it wouldn’t be a good experience. I’m just too laid back to press it.

What about you? Ever been to, or plan on attending, Essen? Do you think it’s personally worth all the hype? What about other big conventions? If so, which ones are accessible and worth the effort? Or is your gaming life content with less grander fare?

Takin' It to Go Part 3: Cards

Make sure to label things clearly.

So you've got your boards packed up nicely (in Part 1), and your bits are stowed away (in Part 2). What else remains? Of course, that's right, the cards. Almost every game manages to sneak them in somehow, and some games are composed entirely of cards.

Fortunately, cards are flat and rectangular, and stack easily. Unfortunately, not all cards are the same size—there's Euro, American, Mini-Euro, Mini-American, and a few other variations. No worries, though, just keep your wits about you and read this article!

Takin' It to Go Part 1: The Boards

Let's travel!

It's the holiday season, and for a lot of people, that means traveling. You've got family scattered halfway across the country, and since they don't have the decency to all come to you, you'll probably be on the road, away from home, and away from your shelf stocked with all your games. But you're a gamer, and we all know you're going to be bringing some games along to pass the time. The problem is, when you're trying to pack a car, those game boxes take up a lot of space. Even though you want to have a variety of options available depending on the mood and which people are around, you can only fit a few games, and then of course you risk them getting crushed or damaged in transit.

Fortunately, we at iSlaytheDragon have got your back. I just happen to have a few tips and ideas for packing those games away. With a little effort, you can make sure your collection is safe and that you have the variety you'd like to have available when away from home.  These tips can also help you with gaming conventions and other events in which you might want to have a lot of board games in a small amount of space.