December 19, 2009: Game Day Review

Last Friday was the last Game Day of 2009, and it was a doozy! We had everything from Warmachine to Nanuk, from Castle Panic to [NAME NOT READY FOR RELEASE] which is still in early development!

Fred from PSI (our fulfillment house) and Ross from Canada joined us. Since we normally only get to see these two at conventions and trade shows -- where we're all busy as heck -- getting the chance to roll some dice with them was a rare treat.

The highlights of the day were:

• Alex winning Nanuk with 32 points. I don't think I've ever seen a score that high!
• Space Alert in my office. The last time I played this game, it was in a loud crowded room. Closing off the rest of the world helped hear the CD, and really heightened the tension. This was the favorite of nearly everyone who played it.
• Ren Faire. I picked this one up on a lark, but the new release from Atlas Games had us shouting "Huzzah!" Literally -- it's one of the challenges. This one would be great with casual players.
• Ben teaching Warmachine. Since Ben was running teaching demos, his games were less explosive than others, but I'm pretty sure he converted everyone who played. More lead pushers means bigger minis games in the future!
• Mocking Terminator 2 The Boardgame. Ben brought this in, and it was just as terrible as you'd expect from a franchise cash-in. But making fun of a bad game can be fun, too!

These, of course, weren't the only games we played. Aton, Cthulhu Dice, Tsuro, Small World, and many others that I didn't notice (being, you know, absorbed in a game at the time). A selection of non-incriminating photos can be found here.

-- Paul Chapman