It’s been four years since I’ve been at Gen Con. Time to return.
I’ll be arriving late on Wednesday, so I might be at the DJA, but will probably be getting into the hotel sometime after the award has been handed out. I don’t have a clear favorite in this one, but I’m leaning towards Gloomhaven or Gen Con getting the award this year. Nothing is really jumping out at me as in prior years.
So!
Most of the time, you can meet me at the John Wick Presents booth, #2338, over at the edge of Hall H, facing Hall G. I’ll be there on Thursday from the opening of the exhibit hall until 2, then I’ll be back again from 4 until the hall closes! Maybe I’ll get some time to grab a bite of food and strategically hit a booth or two during that break.
Friday, I’m at the booth between 12 and 4, so I think I’ll be able to see more of the booths that day — there’s about a dozen booths I want to check out, but I don’t know when I will get the time! That morning I’m pitching a game to a publisher, so there’s about ninety minutes between doing that, getting some pre-lunch food, and working through until four. I want to head to the Unknown Armies panel at five, so that only gives me forty minutes, realistically, to see the floor. There’s a staff dinner I’ll be at, then the ENnies at 8.
Saturday, I’m at the booth again at open, until two. Then it’s a quick lunch and a pitch to another publisher and then finally a long block to see all I can in the exhibit hall. I have a free evening, so maybe I’ll hit up Games on Demand or try to get into an off-book after-hours Star Wars game (if I don’t get to do that on Thursday, but I think I’ll be wiped that day.)
Sunday I’m at the booth again, but just for the first two hours. I’ll have about three hours to actually *do something*, but I’ve got to leave to the airport around 3.
Things I want to check out while I’m there:
Booth 3027 is Gamelyn Games and I’ll want to see about getting Tiny Epic Galaxies, which I think they might have at the show. Of the Tiny Epic games, I think this one will have the best reception at home.
Booth 2827 is Ninja Division, where Marie-Claude Bourbonnais will be on hand. If you don’t know her, she’s a glamour model, cosplayer, and craftswoman. She’s a savvy businesswoman and unlike other popular model/cosplayers, she creates her own cosplay costumes. Over at her blog, she details how she creates her costumes. (Warning: her website is very much NSFW, unless your work is okay with boobs and butts.) Anyway, she’s a cool person and yeah, I guess I’m a fan.
Booth 3058 is Restoration Games. My copy of Stop Thief is more-or-less on the way (probably being delivered as I get to their booth). I think there’s a promo card for Stop Thief there, but I want to say hi, regardless.
Booth 2491 is Modiphius Entertainment. Star Trek Adventures just launched and I’m sure the booth will be mobbed. I like some of their work — they brought Tales from the Loop state-side — and I’d like to see what else they’ve got.
There’s a bunch of cool companies in the Family Fun Pavilion, which I’ve never seen under an actual pavilion now that I think about it. Most of the companies I meet at New York Toy Fair are in this little cluster.
Big booths like Days of Wonder and Fantasy Flight Games I want to check out, just because they do fantastic things. Plus, I know some people at both companies and want to say hello. UPDATE: Twilight Imperium 4 will be available for sale, which is supposed to be a 4Q release. I’m hopeful the Rebellion expansion will also be available as it’s supposed to be a 4Q release as well. (As are Fallout and the new Civilization games.) Expect new stuff on the floor when they open and one more surprise thing on Friday afternoon after the InFlight presentation.
Plaid Hat Games just announced a game that’s similar to Mice & Mystics. I’d like to look that over at booth 1537. Maybe look at the Dead of Winter second game whose name escapes me.
Greater than Games is right next door at 1343 and I’ve got to say hello to the Chris I know from twitter and the Chris I’ve heard of from twitter. And see what’s up with Sentinel Comics RPG.
At booth 1317 is Pelgrane Press, where I’ll be dropping money on the Dracula Dossier kit and kaboodle, if it’s in. They’re the same group that did the wonderful campaign I keep going on about for Trial of Cthulhu. They’re right next to Green Ronin at 1321 and just up the aisle from the wonderful people at Atlas Games in Adventure Retails’ booth 1401, right next to the Steve Jackson Games booth at 1413. (Which is right next to Z-Man at 1429!) Dang. That’s a lot of booths.
iello is at 249, right across from Posthuman at 357. Friends at both places.
And on the way out, there’s Who North America, that Doctor Who store that’s based in Indy doing a ton of business each Gen Con. They’re at booth 132, right near Zombie Orpheus Entertainment in booth 100, where I did some of my first industry gaming work.
Oh, and our boothmates at Indie Press Revolution have the Dresden Files Cooperative Board Game with lots of promos that I might have to get. Our cousins at the Indie Game Developer Network at at 2437.
I hope to see you there!