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Shortly, I will be attending Tabletop Gaming Live. And one thing I know is true, board game shows are incredible.
I've only ever been to one board gaming convention. It was UKGE and I only went this year. I won't lie when I say I was apprehensive, I'd only played games with friends and family up until that point. Talking about the hobby seemed taboo in real life situations as I was under the impression the hobby was still small. Saying this, I'd only been blogging for about five months at that point and was stunned at the online presence of the hobby. But it still didn't quell my worries of engaging with new people. It was new and unusual, almost scary really! But the plunge was worth it and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Now, I'm counting the days until Tabletop Gaming Live, my second convention, and once again the worries are here... but so is the excitement! So, naturally I've done my homework to make sure I'm prepped, but I still can't help the hype!
What Is Tabletop Gaming Live?
The show follows a sequence of events over the months of August to October. It follows on from GenCon (USA) and will have many of the games revealed at the show, which really sets a sense of excitement.
And it's almost the prelude to Essen Spiel (Germany) in October, giving a preview of what's going to be on offer there! The show is hosted by the magazine, Tabletop Gaming, and will be host to lots of exhibitors, retailers, talks, tournaments and a whole host of other exciting board game activities.
What's On Offer?
There are plenty of things that are going to be on offer at Tabletop Gaming Live, including the obvious. I've got my eye on the Giant King of Tokyo for a start! I can't imagine anything better than rolling giant dice and moving a huge Mecha-Dragon into Tokyo City to cause some mayhem!
On top of that is the Pandemic Survival tournament. It sounds mad that there could be a Pandemic tournament. It’s co-operative! However, it's incredible to watch! The objective is to outlive the competition and demonstrate your prowess in contamination control. A simple decision can make or break a game, and you can see the devastation or glee in the competitors faces!
What show would be complete without Big Potato Games challenging anyone and everyone to a game or two! Take them on for a game or two of OK Play Duel, the 1v1 version of their five in a row, tile laying game.
There will be a whole host of talks going on over the course of the weekend. From experienced developers to talks on how to roleplay, it looks to be an amazing line up. The Workshop will be there for all gamers to get their teeth sunk into something new. If you want to learn to paint those hundreds of miniatures, or if you want to actually make a game, that's definitely worth a visit.
Of course, there will also be a whole host of exhibitors showing off their games and giving you a flavour of what's on offer! Zatu Games will naturally be attending and setting up shop. I really advise you come say hello! Talk games, talk tabletops, talk anything, and put faces to screen names.
What I'm Hoping For!
Excited as I am, the overarching question is what I want from this. Everyone's going to go with their own goals. Some as simple as acquiring games, some bigger. I'm hoping to play some new games and to get an awareness of what's upcoming in the world of gaming!
The hobby changes so quickly from week to week, and the hype is always high when discussing games. However, what's being hyped on is based on who you ask! A bit of personal direction on what to look forward to would be brilliant, otherwise I'll just have to hype on everything! And whilst I'm there, I might even pick up a game or two... Who am I kidding? I'll definitely be getting a few games!