1. Playing games with lovely folk
Airecon is a relatively small convention. I’ll happily go along on my own with incredibly vague arrangements to meet people. Admittedly it’s my local convention so I often see people that I know but I also usually manage to get a game in with people who I basically see annually. It’s such a joy for me to be able to connect with people over board games. Sometimes I only know one person in the group but I feel comfortable joining. It’s such a friendly convention. I managed to meet some friends in the quiet rooms too – such a lovely space. If you feel overwhelmed by the busyness of the convention they are a really valuable addition. There is also loads of open gaming space and it is clearly one of their priorities. I didn’t use this system but they do have light sabres that you can borrow in order to indicate that people can join you for a game. Both nerdy and practical – genius. There is a G.A.M.E. system which you can use to find games but I’m such a luddite that I’ve never really looked at how that bit works. Best to have a look at their website for more details on that.
2. Trying new games before you buy
One of the best things about any convention is trying out new games for free before you invest in your own copy. There are definitely some games I’ve concluded I don’t need after playing them – whether that’s because I didn’t enjoy them, whether I already have something too similar or sometimes for me it’s too tricky to teach. There’s the occasional game that just won’t go into my head and I’m better at identifying them now – it’s not to do with complexity it’s just the way my brain works. There are two ways to try out new games – there’s an extensive board games library from Travelling Man which is free to borrow from as well as lots of exhibitor stalls too. I usually do a mixture. The benefit of playing in the demo areas or at stalls is that there are lots of people to teach you how to play which is lovely. By the end of the weekend my brain is usually quite full so it’s nice not to have to wrestle with any rule books.
This year I particularly enjoyed Pipes a new one that Wotan Games are working on, Harmonies from Asmodee and at the Hachette stall I loved Flow, and Focus – I’ve now got copies of these two so you can try them at my events.
3. Playtest area – meeting game creators
The playtest area is very exciting to me. I love to watch the journey that games go on from their first inception to spotting the shiny, finished product on the shelves in a games shop. It’s one of the things I loved and now miss about the board games community on Twitter. This year I had a really interesting chat with Dissent Games about their adorable bus game which was designed by school kids and Dissent was able to bring to life. It’s fascinating – there are so many cool details like the coloured buses that match their routes and the use of route numbers as part of the game.
Spokes by Radical 8 games was looking good too. Set in a velodrome it’s an unusual game where you use the spokes from your bike to change routes and stay ahead. The components are very satisfying – colourful and tactile – just what I’d expect from Radical 8. It funded successfully on Kickstarter in March but you might still be able to make a late pledge if you’d like.
You may have played Zuuli at my events – it has been signed by Oink Games which is awesome so it’s now called Moving Wild. The new game from Unfringed is Fetching Feathers. I was so looking forward to trying this out having seen the art work. It did not disappoint. For a start – it’s birds in fancy hats! You pick and pass cards and try to make sure you have created the right environment for your birds despite the changing demands of the seasons. I really liked it.
4. Games adjacent ‘stuff’.
I also enjoy a wander round the stalls. Airecon doesn’t have an overwhelming amount of stalls and because of that there’s a good variety without too much overlap. It also means that you don’t end up accidentally overspending. I treated myself to a delicious mega cookie from Wanderer’s Rest as well as some white chocolate restorative potion dice! I perused the gorgeous dice at Rune Fable and patted myself on the back for not buying any as I really shouldn’t. But they are beautiful. I did treat myself to Gonggi (the jacks style game from Squid Games) from Blue Cyborg. I have been playing it obsessively – it’s so addictive and it was only £6! They also had a cool array of fidgets. I’m excited for Sneaky Rascal‘s upcoming game Restless Spirits and so since I can’t buy the game yet I got myself some of their little art cards which are just gorgeous. There were lots of other stalls that I enjoyed wandering around and of course there are lots of stalls selling games. Again, not so many that you can’t meaningfully compare prices. I find at some conventions I just end up paying whatever stall I happen to be at because I can’t hold all the different prices in my head as there’s too many.
5. Treating myself to a solo RPG
This seems to have become a thing I do now at conventions. There were a few stalls selling RPGs and they all sounded so good. The Ghost Heist game by Red Mug Games is definitely worth checking out. In true AuDHD style I have started all of my previous purchases with gusto and good intentions. ‘I’ll just write a chapter a day…’ ‘I’ll just respond to one prompt a day…’ ‘I won’t write everyday I’ll set aside one day a month and write all day…’ to be fair to myself, I have finished a couple of the shorter ones and after I backed Why We Fight by SDR games while I was at Airecon I was inspired to get one of the old ones out and have a go at it. I am quite determined that by the time Why We Fight arrives I will be completely caught up… or I’ll have finished one of them… or just done a bit more… So, no rush SDR games! Why We Fight is a timely game where you play as an Eco-Punk fighting fascism and trying to make the world a better and greener place. When I do sit down and do some writing I find it really satisfying. I love being absorbed in creative writing but I struggle to know what to write or how to start so RPGs are perfect for me. I can be creative but there are prompts. You can read the start of one of the ones I finished here. I’ve actually completed Portal at Hill House a couple of times. Maybe a more realistic intention would be just to do a bit when I feel like and not worry about completing it. Yep, I’ll aim for that.
Bonus extra – it’s local games for local people and non-local people too…
It’s 40 minutes up the road from me. I couldn’t in all honesty tell you all the great things about Airecon without mentioning that. Also, if you live in Leeds you definitely have no excuse not to check it out. Next year it’s 12-15th March. See you there?
