I’ve been to a few conventions. I wouldn’t say I’m a “frequent” con-attendee but in the past couple of years I’ve gotten a chance to go to UK Game Expo, PAX East, PAX Unplugged, Dice Tower East, and Origins. I’ve also been to Gen Con a few times, probably about once or twice a decade since the 1980s. This doesn’t even count the many local “conventions” or large game meetups that may sell advance tickets that I’ve visited.
That’s not considered aggressive attendance compared with vendors who may attend 3-4 big conventions a year, every year. It’s also not frequent compared with the Board Game Grow crew who (most of them) attend Gen Con every year. Indeed, most of the BGQ team find it invigorating to get on the road and hop over to the next state to attend the largest game-playing convention in the world (sorry Essen, you’re big but you’re 100% marketing).
What is true is that, now, in this post-pandemic age, mega convention attendance is growing as are the number of all kinds of conventions. In the great before times, the numbers were steadily increasing. And then, everything went into a twister with some of the big conventions weathering the storm better than others. At gatherings near me, people were hesitant to go back to the same levels of social closeness until just last year. Now with this year drawing to a close, and apparently disposable income on the rise, the return of epic conventions and board game publishing is in full swing.
I have no doubt that the numbers for this year’s PAX Unplugged were the highest the convention has ever seen. (Editors note: It’s being reported that PAX Unplugged’s unofficial numbers have surpassed Origins, making it the second-largest tabletop convention in America). Even with at least 50% more added space for free play, the tables filled up even with plenty of people still milling around the Expo Hall. It certainly is the largest tabletop convention on the East Coast and they have managed their attendee flow better than last year with more accommodating crowd management, easier convention entrances, and an even larger central walkway for speedier movement up and down the hall.
One of my favorites, the “First Look” area with games brought over from Europe (likely debuting at Essen Spiel), was again a huge hit with a crowd of people. Everyone was eager to try SETI: Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence, Civolution, and Shackleton Base. Also popular were Black Forest, Australis, Rebirth, and Beyond the Horizon. This area is a huge draw for “cult of the new” fans who are eager to see what European publishers have cooked up which generally means medium to heavy weight Euro style games. In addition, because the games are taught by PAX Unplugged volunteers, there’s a lot less distraction than playing a demo at a noisy exhibition hall booth. You also get to play with friends or make new ones as you try to figure out just how many cubes you get to push on a turn.
The main thing that I see from PAX Unplugged is that, as they grow, they are willing to learn. I should hope so since they are still a relatively new convention. Judging by their post-convention survey, vendors and gamers are probably clamoring for more space at better prices and they still seem to have open ears and eyes on what works for a convention like this. Do panels and other events still draw in lots of attendees? Are roleplaying games getting enough space for games? I could easily see them adding another day to the schedule in the next few years and if that were to happen, their convention attendance numbers would likely rival Gen Con.
With that out of the way, I’d just like to mention a few games that publishers had me to check out.
Whisker Wars – This quick take-that card game from Glasshouse Games is designed as a less-than-polite gauntlet-throwing slugfest for good friends with a drink or two. The theme is one of a variety of mammalian warriors intent on attacking each other for… well because. The card effects are interesting and the game moves quickly with simultaneous card selection followed by an initiative order card resolution. The art, as well, is Redwall/Mouse Guard style and is exceptionally well done. Keep checking here and BoardGameGeek for updates.
Zenith – Flat River Group is bringing this PlayPunk title to the United States. It has a similar theme as Wild Space with anthropomorphic animals and aliens in a 2v2 or 1v1 lane battle for dominance. Players are looking to collect a certain number of influence discs representing planets of the senate. Players can play cards to gain technologies, advance certain discs, or gain money or Zenithium, the prized energy source. There are LOTS of card effects and combos to try. The play worked well and left me wishing I could have completed a full game.
Stellar Ventures – Friends of Board Game Grow, TableTapas Games, are bringing to crowd funding an intricate game of galactic route building and stock manipulation. There are numbers to crunch galore here and the similarity to an 18xx game is noticeable. I didn’t get a chance to play this, but it looks fascinating. The Kickstarter page is live for those who would like to get notified upon launch. I can tell a lot of time and affection has been put into this design so take some time to check it out.
What were your favorite parts of Pax Unplugged? Let us know in the comments below.
