In 2012 I was invited to Play Festival in Modena. I got an honor to be a special guest along with such guys like Martin Wallace or Mac Gerdts. Quite a thing, isn’t it?

How I spent convention?

I spent it doing interviews on Friday afternoon for Italian boardgames services. It was live stream, it was cool, I met couple of Italian geeks from different sites and clubs.

I spent it going for a party to Italian pub on Friday evening. I spent whole evening with Martin Wallace and his family at one table, surrounded by some about one hundred Italian geeks, who were making a tremendous noise, who were shouting, laughing, drinking, singing and making very loud applause every few minutes for no single reason. For me – great night to be remembered for ever.

I spent it presenting prototype of Convoy to Italian geeks during special event dedicated to new games. Table next to me Martin Wallace was presenting new variant of A Few Acres of Snow and P.I.

I spent it having workshops with young Italian game designers (I was assigned to Erik Burigo who is not very young but about whom you will hear sooner or later because he has 'the prototype’ in his drawer!).

I spent it visiting Venice too…

As you can see, it was quite a fun. I liked Play Festival very much. I like it so much that I decided to come to Modena again, this time with Portal Games booth. How I spent convention this year?

I didn’t do any interviews because on Friday afternoon I had to carry boxes with games to my booth, arrange booth and prepare for next day show…

I didn’t go for a party on Friday, because I had to go to bed early so I can work hard for whole Saturday and Sunday…

I didn’t have workshops with authors because I was stuck on booth presenting Robinson (6 demo games in a row)…

I didn’t visit Venice because right after fair I had to go to Germany (and because my GPS got crazy and we were lost for a quite a time)…

Yeah, that is how I manage to change 2012 FunPlay Festival into 2013 HardWorkPlay Festival. That is what I do. I take things I love and change them into my day time work.

Did regret it?

Not at all.

Boardgames are about people. This is social hobby. You meet people and you play with them. This year I managed to meet 50 times more people that last year. They were coming to our stand and play our games, they discovered Neuroshima Hex or Zombiaki, they played Robinson, talked with me, took autograph or photo with me, asked about our Essen releases…

Next year I go to Modena again. With a booth again. And I hope to meet those all Italian geeks again. And I strongly recommend you to go to Modena too.

We are at our friend flat. Kids are bored. We’ve just finished playing 'Hands Up’. Kids kinda like it but don’t want to play it again. Olek and Nina go to other room. Our youngest kid, Lena stays and wants to play again.

Our friend has no games for kids. But don’t worry, this is no problem. I am game designer. I am pro. I look around looking for some components I could use. I found a d6 die. Fair enough.

’Highest wins!’ I say to Lena. I take die, I roll 2. Lousy me. Lena takes die and throws it up very high almost destroying our friend’s chandelier. Die lands few meters away, next to sofa. 'I won!’ shouts Lena and runs to find die under sofa. She is so damn happy.

Yeah, highest wins…

Merry rolls with laughter. Lena wants to play again. Chandelier sway dangerously. I think I’ll better come up with a different game…

You know, every time I think I can’t suck more in terms of rulebooks, life shows I can. I can suck more. It seems there are no limits for my suckness.