boardgames

I haven’t been since pre-Covid, but I am trying to go this year! I’ve attended as a guest and demoed for a publisher in the past, so assuming not too much has changed, I can speak to it a little.

Saturday tends to be the busiest day, Sunday the least so. There’s gonna be a million games to see and play, and you absolutely won’t be able to get to them all; I would suggest taking a lap and getting a lay of the land before deciding if you want to sit down for any demos or playthroughs, because they can take a while depending on the game. It’ll also help to see if your group wants to do something together or divide and conquer a bit.

I usually try to walk away from one of these events with some kind of souvenir game or something, and often don’t decide what it is until I’ve seen everything I want to. That said, it’s very possible for high-traffic booths to sell out of their stock midday Saturday or early Sunday. Some sellers stagger their supply so they have more each day, but you can always ask them about stuff like that if you’re curious. Just keep an eye out on things you like if they’re getting a lot of attention.

And on the other hand, there’s a lot of value to checking out the smaller, less popular booths. There’s a lot of cool offbeat designs that you won’t find in too many other places, and lots of great people behind them that you can meet and talk with - tends to be my favorite part of the event. Everyone is really nice and welcoming for the most part, and pretty open to socializing. And speaking of, if you are socializing a lot, small amounts of distancing and a bit of sanitizer will go a long way. Even pre-Covid, people got sick after these events a lot!

Overall though, just go and feel it out! You’ll definitely find fun stuff to do all over. There’s usually hundreds of people painting minis, and hundreds more busting out games onto group tables from the huge free-play libraries. Stuff like that is nice to check out during a break even if it’s not your main thing (and you will want breaks). Food in the convention center is also passable, but not great. If you’re open to leaving the building and coming back in, Reading Terminal Market is across the street, and it is amazing. Countless options for whatever you might want, though it will be crowded, so keep that in mind if you’re feeling overwhelmed by crowds already. (Give it a google either way - seriously, it’s awesome.)

Hope any of that helps! I’m not as seasoned as some others I’m sure, but if you’re wondering about specific stuff, I can share whatever I know. I’m sure you guys will have a good time though, it’s a fun event.