Post UKGE, Pre Show
Where's a cursed spinning wheel when you need one?
After stressing out wayyy more than I needed to about everything and anything, we went down to the UK Games Expo in Birmingham last weekend and had a wonderful time. Despite losing the keys to the garage and being unable to get our trolley or 2 of the 3 banners we own1 we were still able to set up a really nice looking table.
And on a side note, the experience of trying to pick my own garage door’s lock which houses a massive spider has given me so much inspiration for a challenge in the Rogue’s Handbook2 that I want to write. I’m sure it had a worse time of it than me but seeing its long legs curling out from behind the lock whenever I’d been too quiet for a minute was horrifying.
This year’s UKGE was wonderful for me. Not just because it was our most profitable year yet but because I had an extra pair of hands on the stall which meant that I could actually go wander the halls and talk to all my friends that I rarely get to see due to the busy nature of cons and living 7 hours away from everyone!
I especially want to give a huge thanks to Rori from Montford Tales for sorting out furniture hire for us on setup day because I forgot to order mines in time.3 Go check out her Vampire and Werewolf duet games!
This year we took part in StampQuest again which continues to prove a great way to get people looking at indie games and gives folks a fun game to play as they shuffle around the packed halls. Probably about half the folks taking part stopped to ask about our games - or at least stood still long enough to hear the sales pitch - so that really helped us.
But the best part of the convention has to be hearing everyone’s stories. So many of you came by to let me know how much my games have impacted your lives. Making games can be a surprisingly lonely endeavour at times so to come to conventions and hear so many absolutely heartwarming stories really made my weekend. I’m so happy and honoured to know that my games have had such an effect. Thank you <3 I’m gonna stop writing this bit before I start blubbering again!
Pre-Show
My partner and I have a circus show this saturday and it’s a big ‘un! Unfortunately, tickets are already sold out so even if you’re local it’s unlikely you’ll get to see it this time round but there are rumours that we might do it again at a later date so fingers crossed.
I’ll try get some videos for the next newsletter as I really want to show off my quad stilt skills.
Golf Quest Release
Our comedy dexterity RPG, Golf Quest has finally released and people at UKGE were absolutely loving the ridiculous pencil flicking mechanics and the over-the-top Rivals and Events. Honestly, we couldn’t have hoped for a better response. When I first pitched the idea, my partner, friends, and even other RPG designers looked at me as if I’d gone mad and maybe I had but the end product is a beautifully mad thing that everyone should play.
We’ll have it up on the website after we do the Kickstarter fulfillment for it next week. Don’t want to sell out too quickly after all!
Media Of The Week
Where to start? I’ve got a whole pile of new RPGs to play thanks to some lovely folks at UKGE being willing to trade and or gift. I want to do them all justice so will endeavour to play and write about one in each newsletter. If there’s any I can’t get to the table, then I’ll at least write about my thoughts after doing a readthrough. Sound fair?
Apart from that I’ve been playing the poker themed blackhole, Balatro and I knew I’d get addicted to it. I avoided it for months until bloody Xbox gave it away for free and now I just see cards.
For those not in the know, Balatro is a wildly popular poker rogue-like where you play poker hands to beat higher and higher numbers. Between “blinds” you get to visit the shop and buy all manner of weird Cards that give you chips and mulitpliers to help you beat those numbers. And if you distill it to that it doesn’t sound that interesting which is good. Stay safe, choose life. Do heroin instead, it’s less addictive.4
1 had thankfully been left in the car since Tabletop Scotland so thats 1 point to being lazy!
More info to come soon! Probably over on the Blackwell Games Patreon!
This was in fact one of the things I was stressing about most. The idea of having to go buy tables from a B&Q or IKEA was not appealing after a 7 hour drive.
Don’t actually do heroin, obviously.