The end of BGG Con

The final 24 hours of BGG Con was basically a blur of gaming and sleep-deprivation, and then when I returned to reality, work got in the way of writing about my experience.

As a first-timer, I read through multiple forums on BGG about transportation, food, activities and what to expect. But in the end, I was totally blown away by my experience. Twenty. Four. Hour. Gaming.  Woohoo!

I returned to work telling my co-workers that the convention is just like a cruise. There are events scheduled, but in reality, you can do as little or as much as you want to. And I fully tried to take advantage of everything. So much gaming, so little time! And then just like that, four days passed, and it was time to go home.

I was fortunate enough to stay at the hotel where the convention was held. Thus, whenever I purchased a game, I took it right upstairs, instead of hauling it around with me the entire day.

I spent most of Saturday morning finishing up my Bingo card, which requires meaningful visits with game vendors. This is actually a great way to talk to new folks and learn more about their games. I actually sat in quite a few demos during this process. When I returned my completed black-out Bingo card, I received Geek Gold for my BGG account. Yay, I can purchase more badges!

The highlights in photos:

I purchased Francis Drake from Eagle/Gryphon Games and immediately busted it open to play. I love the components in this game — the plastic ships, glass beads and treasure chests to hide your booty — as well as the bluffing mechanic during your expeditions.

Got to play Sails of Glory, which is similar to the previous day’s Wings of War game, except this time it’s with ships. There is a wind element to account for during ship movement, and you need to spend a turn to load your cannons after shooting, so that you’re not shooting during back-to-back turns. During this game, we were lucky enough to play on a Geek Chic table. The company makes exquisite handcrafted wooden tables for your gaming needs. Super swank!

Before I knew it, it was time for the closing ceremony and raffle. I heard there were great prizes during the final raffle, and it was nice to see the bulk of the convention-goers squeezed into the main gaming room. In the center of the photo, you can see game designer Eric M. Lang (in the bunny ears) and actor Rich Sommer (Mad Men). I managed to find a seat in the very front.

Here is a shot of the amazing prize bundles. They had so many of these stacks that I lost count. So many prizes, but alas, I did not win one. Maybe next year!

And then this woman won a prize, but it was actually a setup for a marriage proposal. How sweet!

And then more gaming. I learned to play Sheriff of Nottingham. It’s a light fun game that involves bluffing and bribing, which resulted in lots of laughter and shenanigans.

I also learned to play Merkator. I really enjoyed this game. It has an interesting mechanic of picking up resources at a location, while completing contracts.

Lastly, Arkham Horror! It’s one of my favorite games and I was lucky enough to teach two new people about the game’s awesomeness. And in the spirit of BGG Con, we started the game at 1 a.m. on Sunday. Yep, we played until the wee hours of the morning, but in the end, Azathoth proved too strong, and we were devoured.

After a few hours of sleep, I did a quick lap of the exhibitor hall in the morning and ended  up purchasing a meeple cookie cutter from Meeple Source.

I showed restraint from buying another game, as I really didn’t have room for it in my luggage. I then ran upstairs, maniacally but carefully stuffed my games into my luggage, checked out and took the shuttle to my terminal.

It was a great experience, and I was very happy that BGG Con was the first gaming convention I chose to attend. The setting is really intimate, rock-star game designers (and an actor) walk the floor talking and gaming with folks, and everybody was just having a good time. I got to meet so many nice people, and hopefully I’ll see them again next year.

So BGG Con vets, did I do my first gaming convention correctly?