I changed nice weekend into hard work weekend and still I am happy as a kid…
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.
I strongly believe that good board game is the one that tells a good story. You play it and suddenly you are sucked into it, you feel chills on the skin. Emotions grow. In a moment you defend castle. You hear roar of warriors. You smell boiling oil. You are into it.
That's how I design my games. I always want to tell a good story. I want players to be into it. As deep as possible.
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