Welcome to Maple to me, people uniting players around the
world. A 30-minute exploration of PJ
and Gareth ball. Game experiences from across
both sides of the Atlantic each episode.
They share their thoughts and opinions on the world of war
games including their favorite themes games, hot topics and
much, much more. Hey, good morning everyone and
welcome to episode 38 gencon with a J.
I'm PJ. I'm Gareth and we are going to
talk about gencon 2023 which took place where Gareth In egham
that famous suburb outside of London, outside of London.
Okay. Good cause I had no idea what
kind of sounds kind of Southwest West.
Kind of are more West. I'm not quite sure, but it was
about is outside London. So who put this together?
Jen e, JH, engine, Eve's. That's why it's about at gencon
with a J. Not with a G.
The player ones. I like it.
Yeah, so Jen Corner.
Think this is a 2nd Gen Con. We missed the first Gen Con a
comment below. Why you missed it.
Last year. It gencon is to celebrate
Jenny's birthday, which was last week.
Wow, was a birthday Extravaganza.
White Pro is a place to be, because not only was it Jenny's
birthday? And we had gencon to celebrate.
Yeah, it was my birthday and my wife's birthday on Sunday.
We have the same birthday, so happy birthday to Do you and
Carrie and happy birthday to Jenny if she's listening.
So yeah and it was a know that that's cool.
It was good. Yeah it was quite nice hanging
out with a group of I don't know, 20 or so Instagram members
of the community and there were a bunch of y'all.
We had a birthday cake, we have birthday, at least I think three
Renditions of happy birthday, which was absolutely awesome
coming but last time somebody saying happy birthday.
So so there was cake as well. Made by Cara, who made a
delicious, like, kind of sponge cake.
Which was you had a lot of baked goods to didn't that.
Yeah. These, these General Instagram
Community sessions that we have between us all ourselves.
Have lots of board games, of course, awesome people.
And then we just have a food list and everyone just says I'm
going to bring X and so there's home baked, cooking, there's
guacamole. That always comes.
There's snacks Galore sweets Galore.
Your bread, all the things you need.
And this, this venue had a even had a little kitchen area was
actually a cafe, sometimes we had.
Yeah, there's a lot of grazing, did you know?
Did you know, the Craig was a baker now.
So, the day before, which I guess this happened on Saturday.
So, I guess this woman Friday, he was sending me photographs of
things. He was baking in preparation for
this. Like me and Craig's.
Yeah, that was jealous. That's a little joke.
There was a lot of really awesome cakes.
Cinnamon buns, coming up those, but yeah, I was really busy the
last couple weeks. I haven't really paid attention.
So we just turned up slightly later than everyone else.
Most because I had to go and cute by records at some
ridiculous hours every morning. Like, 4:30, we got up because in
Sasha record a bus a whole different podcast.
So, we got, we got there about 12 and then, All these events.
And if anyone's interested in and they're in the UK, the want
to come along just message us and yeah it's just play games.
So tell me more about the venue like where was it?
So it wasn't an atom is Nigam. It was in a old church.
I don't know how old the church was, but let's say it's a modern
modernist church, he says. And then at some point it
started to be used as a community center so it's
actually called something. Community Center.
So it had said the organ in place and where the sermon would
speech, but there was a ball pit and there's a crash area and
there was a say like a cafe is a cafe during the day, so making
good use of the space, which makes it ideal for ball games.
That's great. That's awesome.
So what did you play? What do you get to play?
So I'm getting there. Getting there slight later.
The thing was in full swing. So we sat down, We played
Galileo project. First of all, which is in the
series of like Demeter and then, you've got ganymede's this
continues, the story that counties can same kind of 1990s,
early vectorbase, graphical, right?
Artwork. And we play that with John from
try win games, okay? And we had a, we had an incident
know, we had an incident What happened?
Now, the tables were slightly too small.
So if I had to do some critique of the venue for some ball
games, you need a slightly larger tables.
Now the gallery approaches, actually quite modular.
So you kind of got bored, you move around.
Anyway, they were overhanging by about an inch and about a third
of the way through hijab has managed to flip.
He's bored upwards. Luckily, you can, you can kind
of calculate the reset, you know, where things went.
Because the way the car Has laid out but we lost one of the
markers and that it hardly even bounce.
Like, you know, I was just like, I've hardly ever shifted it,
everything else is the middle of table, but how can we have lost
it? So then we spent about 20
minutes, maybe 15 minutes looking and being careful.
Not to trash the rest of table and we gave up.
I mean it was a muscleman Conan. There was a massive drain like,
you know, churches where they eventually succumb in which we
lifted up not a drain like he's like an air vent, but Years and
years of dust was beside over here.
But yeah, we would have seen this bright yellow token.
So we decided that it must still be here and we would wait till
the end of the game, pick up the tables and move them.
So, we finish the game which was very enjoyable.
Shout, go check it out, tidy it up and lift the table.
That was like, a wrought-iron table legs.
Lift it up. And there, it was the yellow
token and all its bright Glory. Which was a relief.
I have a similar story from this weekend.
We played Frost Haven, we got in several scenarios but again, for
saving takes a lot of space, right?
So, I have the scenario book, and I'm trying to lift it up so
I can get ready to read the next section and all of my cards that
are in my hand or on top of it, slide onto the floor, okay?
No, big deal, pick them up, great.
Keep playing until the following morning.
When Katie's cleaning up and sweeping the floor and she's
like, I found one of your cards. I was a card short, he would
never need him, and I didn't even realize it.
It's a good thing. I survived that scenario.
Yeah, it was close. But yeah, you got to watch that
tables but table presents. We've got haha.
I live them. If Parts in this little pop.
Yeah, that I'm not even sure what they came from, but we
found them. And I've got up here on the
side, put it away later and it's now two years in and then, I
don't know. I mean, I think I'd have to sit
there and maybe take a photograph, but Instagram and
ask the I'll steer the masses for over.
There you go, the community challenge.
Well what else did you play? Because Craig from, get in game,
Ginza games as there and his wife Becky.
Now, he's famous for numerous things but one thing he does run
isn't online Blood on the clock tower.
Yeah, most weeks which you have attended in the past.
I have attended several of them. Yes.
So with him, in hand of a, you know, a real life copy, we
decided to play that. Now, the whole full of children
at this point as well, hadn't really have anywhere to play it.
So we went outside with a nice nice day.
Okay. Yeah.
And we sat outside in a semi-circle and we played with
nearly 40 50, 50, new players, old players, and had a great
time. There was one L've 12.
Yeah, yeah, tens. Yeah, yeah.
It's Genesis. I think, and then.
Yeah. Craig is amazing.
Amazing job. Being a Storyteller.
I started out on the evil team as a spy Brad from games of
Benny, was the Imp. He's always bad.
He always bear. That's sad and got picked out
quite quickly and then killed himself the next night.
So I became the Imp and then proceeded to cause Havoc with
think it's Ali, who was new never played before, if any
social deduction games, she was the baron.
So we there ourselves to evil Victory by her.
Are her other half was the Saints, which if he dies during
the execution, the good team will lose.
So, it's yeah. So he always plays always plays
Blue. We turns out actually, they're
only about 25 minutes from where I live.
So, I have another set of Gamers on the south coast that's great,
is where to be. So we will some point.
I hope soon get to hang out with those guys as well.
That was really fun to see a blond cocktails.
Brilliant, everyone had a good time.
Good and we ended the the just one game we might have saved.
To but he got a bit cold inside to speak of rain.
So inside became then we played chai, which we spoke about yes
with Craig. I think we didn't maybe four
episodes ago, we did. So we set down Phi myself and
carry Craig and Becky and it was just as delightful as as I
guess. You've got it as well.
Haven't, you know, I know it's just Craig, we both said,
because of you. What we what we talked about was
how What it is? Yes, that's right.
That's right. And that try for two is got its
own problem. Yeah, it's because I'm problems.
So, yeah. So I would.
Yeah, I enjoyed that. It's a nice kind of set
collection. I love components, very nice.
It was a standard version that lived up to what I expected.
Now, at this point I'm starting to fly a fade, I am feeling
tired. Yeah, I think I woke up at 4:30
we were queuing About 5:30 5:40 into degrees was really cold and
me being slightly older. Now, I'm not really made out for
standing in queues for three hours, for some records and then
go into convention. Anyway so we then were taught to
keep the heroes out. Talk to me about that, I don't
I'm not familiar with that. So I'd say I think one of the
seven certain team of crew of got it but Brad was very keen to
teach yes, you are on the evil team you inside a dungeon, it's
kind of got a whole set of Maps. You play through as a campaign,
but we started with the jester. Entry-level map.
You have a mixture of different monsters, you are.
So I was like the Wizards. Craig was the dragon Carrie was
like a slime and Kira was a ghoul.
They've all got different powers.
So I have 2 words, you can teleport and do some stuff to
Dragon. What is it wasn't his own in the
Treasure chamber? And you'll start on the map.
You can basically car drafting So you draw five cards, you play
the card, it might move, or you might activate a room, or you
can shoot, or you can attack and every turn.
So let's say, I go end of my turn, the heroes try to invade.
So another card is revealed and the heroes start coming into the
dungeon. So you kind of remind me of the
games like Dungeon Keeper from like yeah kind of early late 90s
early notices where you and you just trying to defend.
Okay so you basically key take it in turns turn Invade turn
invade. And what's quite stressful as
every time, a hero moves into a room, if there's a hero that's
been kind of knocked out or is kind of been utilized, he gets
kind of energized by another hero arriving in Tokyo activates
again, so you can actually end up with going into room with two
Heroes that were basically resting and they get
re-energized and they come back at 3:00 and what needs to happen
is they need to basically go through rooms.
Opening treasure chests. If they get to the Dragon's
treasure hordes, and four of them are in there and the end
around they activate, the game is over, it was close a couple
of times and we got to the very last cards and actually was a
rest card. And so we were successful, so it
was good. I was feeling very tired and
then we decided I needed to eat so we had some pizza that was
delivered in and that gave me the second wind and that at that
point, some of the kids had gone home.
You've gone home because we have quite a few younger families
there. So then we talk lights or
rolling Realms nurse, who Shelly from out of town games.
Yep. And her son and we played
through around a volume Realms. I do like rolling Realms is so
easy to teach. Oh good.
And it's a nice a really nice rolling right?
It really is. Yeah, you know, now generally,
when I teach that, I still stick to the original Yeah, Realms.
Yeah, no promos. No promises.
No. We added in when added in,
right? In the last round was the
Pattaya because we play Liberty Leah, right?
With them before Liberatore has an easy realm.
Yeah. Easy until you really mess up
like I did and I wrote the number down then in realize how
much I'd messed up on that card, but it is a nice is a nice card.
So if if anyone's listening and hasn't checked out riding
Realms, do it's from Jamie stigma based on many of the
games. Seen his portfolio, ball games
under stoma and then he said he left the primaries in which is
what's wonderful. And then we have an hour to go
and we've wrapped today up with Planet unknown, man.
Now you're as if I weren't jealous enough, I don't pay them
for ages. I still haven't played it.
I can't find a copy, any gas and it's this was a thing is Jenny's
copy. So what's great is people bring
you know, Four or five games each and the end up in a big
pile. And then we had about an hour
and a half to go, and we broke off into three groups, and we
mixed up because I've been with carrying Kira the whole way
nearly because where we arrived late, we're always kind of out
of sync, right? So when we were finished, other
teams that finish, so we kind of picked up some stragglers, but
in that game carrying, Kira went to play.
Stop the train, so seduction. Okay, like Nick building review,
K, Harrison try, The hustle that table and the other group.
Play something I've completely forgotten so I won't dwell on
it. Yeah, so four of us sat down
myself Lizzie ballgame with my family.
No Cara and then a singer games by forgotten to gentleman's
name. But they hadn't played before.
And we sat and played that through, which is obviously, you
are got the lovely Lazy. Susan Spinning Wheel taking a
tile placing on the map, trying to score optimally and it's
nice. It took about an hour and then
we tidied up left the place like we found it.
There was a lot of rubbish. Lots of foods redistributed.
Games packing up and then we left.
Hmm. And that was me.
Got home about 11:00 p.m. so I think that's be about 10.
So we're talking about an hour hour drive now Drive.
Yeah, about now was in into London was a bit longer getting
there but yeah, it's really good and then we will.
So that's Pat's Gen Con, and I, then think the next time we will
see, everybody will be at UK games Expo, which is coming up.
Coming up. What that is the end of May?
So let's be honest, there's only five or six weeks away.
I've got a convention before. That, what have you got?
I've got a geek way to the West in st.
Louis May 17th to the 20th and is what sort of currents is at
board gaming, or is it got tray? It is so it is, it is all play
games. There's a Small vendor Hall.
But his so small is small, it's really focused on open gaming,
right? So it's just a huge haul.
The tables for gaming and you can bring your own games and
play, whatever you want to do. They also have the games
library. That is housed at Miniature
Market. Okay?
St. Louis.
Yeah. Which is massive, and then I've
got a play in Wind section. So Katie and I have been really,
and we're going to be very strategic about it this year.
So, we went through the A and win list, wrote down the games,
we want to play, underlined could hear my paper underline,
the games that we hope we get to play, and we hope we win, one of
which is planet unknown, it has that word that.
And so you play, so you play the game and then like when you're
done, you turn it back in and they've got a little thing for
you to fill out. I have not done the play and win
before. No, I don't know if you, I don't
know if you do a review or you just put in your name and it's
like a Apple drawing, but at the end of the, at the end of the
weekend, you know they'll call out names and and you'll win
that company. You win the copy.
Okay, yeah, yeah. So that's how I understand it.
So the more you play the, maybe the less popular games you play,
I guess you've got a better chance.
You could you had quite a list you want to?
Or is it? Is it a secret?
You don't people know you're just distracted.
You I don't think it's a secret. I don't know how much of a
strategy it is but There's what we got two, four, six, eight.
And about 25 games on this list, the list is huge.
So we kind of had to narrow it down.
The other thing too is so like I said, Planet unknown if we even
get a copy right because if it's if it's checked out and someone
else is playing it you have to check it out yourself.
Yeah so like if you check it out, I can come and join you in
play it only. I can win in.
Yeah, which is okay. I mean, I'm okay with that too.
Because the other the other objective of geek way, the
beauty of geek way is it's allows us to play games.
And then when we get to Gen Con, that's gencon with a G will
know, Willie, okay. We know we want to buy this game
or, you know, or not right. I know a lot of people use board
game arena for that same purpose, playing games that are
new to decide whether the purchase it or not.
So it's kind of our very own. So we're doing that and then I
have an interview this Friday. With double exposure to see if
I'm going to get a position to work at Origins the legs.
All right. When's Origins Origins is June
June? It's June.
I don't know if she is a couple of weeks usually often games
like space two weeks after UK. Yeah, so I'm excited, I'm
excited about that. I do real quick.
I want to tell you my parallel story while you were at gencon
with a J, right? So like I said, we played Frost
Haven. We got a group together, we
played the first three actual scenario is that if that's all
you've got together with frost even know because two weeks ago
we played scenario zero which was teachable right?
Okay yeah so we played scenario 1 and this is not really
spoilers scenario. One is when you actually arrive
at Frost Haven and the scenario is that it's under attack and so
you've got to go and help out. Well it was my last opportunity
for a teacher. Moment for one of our players
who had never played Gloom Haven.
So Midway through the game, I was I was killed.
So they're still playing for another two hours.
That's when I started bothering you with all my text messages
got you because I'm like okay I just want to call you and so
yeah it's a way to house nothing you can do.
Yeah. Then I could do that sucks.
It's okay. It was fine two hours, two
hours. Yeah.
But you know, there could brought Scotch broth with corned
beef and turnips and so I got to eat Katie.
Made a bread pudding. So, I got to eat that too and
hang out and just chat with people and then interestingly
enough, there's a knock on the front door.
Yeah, Iseman, yes. Won't tell ya.
What CPS, what did that? What did you get?
I so far. Ian guard.
What is that? We were a late pledge to this
game. It's by Sky Kingdom game.
Okay? Yeah.
It is a 12 two-player Cooperative campaign driven
game. They've got the foreteller app.
And it's kind of like it's similar to ISS Vanguard in that
it's, that campaign Cooperative type of a game except this is
very much, you know, swords and armor and fighting in the winter
of I so far, haven't really gotten too much into it.
We organize the cards and everything.
The box is thirty-six pounds in weight.
It is amazing. Company Miniatures idea, for
chips, know because you've got have you finished, Isis young,
Vanguard? No, no.
You got frosting on the go, maybe stop buying Campaign
games. But we've got forsaken that's
coming. And we've got myth wind, that's
on our way. He's basically put them into
deep storage. Yeah, and play them in.
Well, you know what happened, right.
The pandemic a lot of game designers started focusing
because everyone was home but now we're now we're not locked
down anymore so and they're all starting to come in right.
There are starting to arrive at your door and Yeah, you know?
So the beauty is what we're thinking about although I don't
know they're going to do it, but I tried to convince Katie, I was
like, why don't we restart ISS Vanguard with two of our friends
because it plays for crazy. No, it's not.
That's great because we now know how it plays.
So it's like, now we can on Friday nights with the two guys,
the four of us, because of clay, and then, during the week,
Katie, and I could play, I See faryon guard.
That was the appeal to the game is that it's a one or two
player. Game Frost Haven is video other
group. So yes.
A statement another group. Okay, so to be fair, Frost Frost
Haven, there's there's Katie and I and three guys, two of which
are also in the Friday night group.
So there's some overlap. There's overlap.
It's a very small group but so yeah, a lot of campaign games.
Yeah. It's good news for us.
Is that we got mosaic Which I think you've got having you.
Yeah but I have the I have the middle version.
Yeah, we've got you have the you have the Colossal have the
Sphinx. I believe it shipped.
There's something shipped from Game Quest over here so I think
there's come in Craig that is retail version.
Yeah, it's definitely available now and then only 12 weeks away
13th of Of may we have T.I 20 Imperium day three lined up
already. So I think okay, everyone nearly
is available. Okay?
So that would be from the will be fine.
It's a day after your birthday, he would seem No kidding.
No kidding. Sorry, check that out.
It is. It is not far away.
That is my birthday. It is not far nice.
Now maze. Really busy for us because we've
got weddings, we've got as a Kings coronation the same
weekend. We've got.
So we were talking with some people at work and we're talking
about doing a viewing party here at work for valuation.
Yeah, I think my sister's wedding.
So I'm not sure how much that she going to see.
And then, okay, so you had Jenny's birthday, was you and
Carries birthday on Saturday which was gencon you and it was,
would you say net International records day?
Yeah, that that moves, but it's always about this time of year,
okay? But then Sunday yesterday.
Right? Was Sir.
George day. Yes, which is big in your
country as yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, right. Yeah.
But I'm big, I say big. There were a lot of posts.
Yeah, it is G. Yeah, yeah.
People do celebrates it. So for our American and
non-british listeners, what is what exactly is saying?
George Daley? What's the significance?
There, I've no idea you're asking me a question about I'm
so sorry, I'm sorry from Wikipedia for you, patron.
Saint of England. Okay, establishing Tudor period.
Which is kind of like 1485 to 1603.
Yeah, let's go. Henry the summer and it's
observed in 23 countries around the world.
Whoa, he's always loved 23rd of April.
Okay. And yeah, it's celebrating since
George, which is lots of read. So, I'd suggest like, I'm
looking like only one wants. Nobody going to read about it on
Wikipedia, clearly, I'm not that spun up on the The Saints days
across the USA. Yeah.
But it's so much it's more entertaining to hear it from
you. It's in, read it on Wikipedia, I
could, I could read a paragraph. Maybe it's the other show I
could Ascend to show with a page read out.
There's a lot of history, I can imagine.
Yeah, okay. We went to Winchester and then
we played went for a Thai restaurant and we played love
letter in the afternoon, so good.
So good out and about and that was it, when they've got day off
today and then the show goes out tomorrow.
So how about, since we're coming to the end of the episode?
How about a little Lagniappe? Are you okay with a little
laying over it? What do you got?
So last week was travel games, right?
All right, so we picked up what I think and I posted something
or I shared with you, the ultimate travel game.
Just release this Friday in retail is azul mini.
I saw looks red Keith's so it is so it's your basic Azul.
The beauty is that the player Matt have grids, it's a plastic
grid and he's little sliding markers for you to keep your
score. Keep track of your score.
Tiles are smaller, you're still that quality and fake like?
Yeah, there's a little indentation because when you
they sit on your player Matt and it's just very lovely, the box
that the game comes in fits inside a cloth bag.
With the Azul logo on the outside and has, you know, it's
like a little tote bags and handle and that bag is what you
use to put the tiles in as you're drawing them out, of
course of the game. So every component of the game
that makes it travel libel tribal, portable quotable better
word portable is incorporated into the game.
So great design. Great game.
Lots of fun. Did you, did you purchase it?
We did. We did we bought it, we played
it. How much the early on Saturday
morning? 20 U.S.
Okay, that's okay. Oh, yeah, and a zul is a little
bit more, you know, obviously is more than 20 and so for $20, you
could get a copy of his ou'll just a little bit smaller.
Yeah. I think it might sold our Rizzo.
Yeah, I may be a travel version would be quite like the idea of
travel, cause it's quite nice game.
Just again, back to small space on the table in a bus.
Yep. Yeah.
Sugar and, and the player Matt is plastic.
It's completely encased in plastic.
So, yeah, if you were to spill a beer, yeah, that's something can
don't do that. But if you were to write it, how
many Has it helped you so for, okay, fool, ya 224.
So I'll check it out. $20, that is your Lagniappe of the day.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is. And that we are buying on the
nose 330 minutes in. And with that action, we will
say thank you PJ. It's been a pleasure carrying
gencon with a J with you and I will speak to you again soon.
Thanks everyone for listening. Please Subscribe.
And as always, we love to hear your thoughts and ideas.
So make sure to leave those in the comments and don't forget,
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