This last weekend we set up at the first ever GameCon Canada inaugural event. Unsure of what to expect at a convention that would cater to both the video game audience and the table top gamers, it was an adventure for exhibiters and attendees alike!
I was pleasantly surprised at the flow and ease of this convention, the helpful staff, the friendly table neighbours, and the depth of the conversation had with everyone who stopped by our table, as well as the tables we were able to venture out to visit.
I was pleasantly surprised at the flow and ease of this convention, the helpful staff, the friendly table neighbours, and the depth of the conversation had with everyone who stopped by our table, as well as the tables we were able to venture out to visit.
The whole family came, and we left with some great souvenirs, fun memories, and some new friends!
What I love most about being able to get out to the convention is the rekindling of inspiration. Being a room filled with creative, fun-loving people, re-visiting my own creative projects and remembering why I loved them in the first place, and meeting with people who make you want to make your next piece even better than the last (and RIGHT NOW!!!). As a full-time mom who came from full-time teaching, that spark can feel so lost under the weight of everything else that needs to get done TODAY, and while convention days are long and busy, they are also a chance to spend some time with that part of myself that I'm pleasantly surprised to find isn't lost at all.
So it might just be a little party sparkler right now, waiting to ignite into something greater, but for this post I'd like to raise my little sparkler to a couple of up-coming board games and their design teams for daring to pour their heart into something new.
What I love most about being able to get out to the convention is the rekindling of inspiration. Being a room filled with creative, fun-loving people, re-visiting my own creative projects and remembering why I loved them in the first place, and meeting with people who make you want to make your next piece even better than the last (and RIGHT NOW!!!). As a full-time mom who came from full-time teaching, that spark can feel so lost under the weight of everything else that needs to get done TODAY, and while convention days are long and busy, they are also a chance to spend some time with that part of myself that I'm pleasantly surprised to find isn't lost at all.
So it might just be a little party sparkler right now, waiting to ignite into something greater, but for this post I'd like to raise my little sparkler to a couple of up-coming board games and their design teams for daring to pour their heart into something new.
Unscrewed by Mean Hyena Games
90's Cartoon Throwdown Mayhem (in a Box)
When I first walked by this booth, my eye immediately fell to the crude and absurd (but in a good way!) cartoon standees. The box only confirmed my impression, and designer Chris Cooke was more than happy to walk me through this up-and-coming game.
I'll be honest, this game does not speak to my personal aesthetic, however, I happen to have married a board game geek who enjoyed the 90's classics far more than I did (it helps that he's also a little bit older than I am and probably remembers it better than I do anyway).
I instantly saw images that made me think of Ren & Stimpy and Rocco's Modern Life, cartoons that hubs and I reminisced about recently as our sons discovered Spongebob Squarepants for the first time just a couple of weeks ago. Hubs remembers these shows with great fondness. I myself have vague recollections at best, and yet somehow have the Log Song firmly planted in my brain -- ironically enough hubs did not remember the Log Song at all!
I'll be honest, this game does not speak to my personal aesthetic, however, I happen to have married a board game geek who enjoyed the 90's classics far more than I did (it helps that he's also a little bit older than I am and probably remembers it better than I do anyway).
I instantly saw images that made me think of Ren & Stimpy and Rocco's Modern Life, cartoons that hubs and I reminisced about recently as our sons discovered Spongebob Squarepants for the first time just a couple of weeks ago. Hubs remembers these shows with great fondness. I myself have vague recollections at best, and yet somehow have the Log Song firmly planted in my brain -- ironically enough hubs did not remember the Log Song at all!
It was of no shock to me when Chris Cooke mentioned those shows specifically as inspiration for his game design, that with a little Warner Bros Roadrunner and Wiley Coyote action of using anything and everything ACME has to offer for offing the guy next to you, which is exactly what this game is going to immerse you into. You aren't just a grotesque 90's cartoon reject, you are the BEST grotesque 90's cartoon reject, and By Golly, when there's only room on the time slot for one of y'all, well, thank goodness you're just a cartoon or this would RRREEEAAAALLLY hurt!
Each player begins on a small grid board. A variety of boards are available for playing with, each with it's own unique assortment of mayhem-inducing obstacles and strategic(ish) game-changers. I say strategic(ish) because the mayhem will most likely override any well-laid plans you've made. Pictured here are Oil Slicks to send your opponent shooting off, "X" of where the over-sized Anvils are going to drop (as soon as a target is in place, of course!), and some portals which could either save you or push you off to somewhere you do NOT want to be.
Each player is given a unique attack power, so not only are you "goin' huntin' fur wabbit" with your own strength, but are going to use the terrain to knock or squash every opponent in your way. Yes, this is Last Man Standing, but it's even more chaotic than that!
These frames descend between rounds to shrink the size of the playing board. If you've pushed an opponent to the outer edge of the board, they will automatically be killed as the new frame descends upon them! Now as you continue to play, you can push your opponents into the new ring of hazard, which will only grow into new rings of hazards as you continue to play new rounds. If you've survived this long, it's a bloody miracle (and yes, I mean BLOODY, as you can slip on the blood splatter of your fallen foes!). BUT IT GETS EVEN MORE CHAOTIC THAN THAT!!!
Each player pre-plans 3 turn movements. You get 2 Direction cards and 1 Improvise card which gives you a one-time action. You get to choose which of your 3 cards you are going to use over your 3 turns, but they have to be decided BEFORE the round begins, and every player places their choices FACEDOWN so you have NO IDEA where your character is going to be on the board and what they will be up against once other players have done their turn. You just have to cross your fingers and hope that the cards you picked will still work in your favour when your next turn comes around, though you have have inadvertently just thrown yourself into peril or certain death!
This is NOT the game to play if you are a Type A Strategist who has to win. Prepare to lose, and lose in the stupidest way imaginable. This is a game for people who want to laugh at themselves and make memories with friends who can embody the ridiculousness of the game in front of them.
Is this a game I would be drawn to if I were single and just playing with my current collection of girlfriends? No, probably not. But did I jump excitedly and run back to my hubs about this game because I know HE would love it? Absolutely! And I am adding this game to our "must-have" list because I can already picture it on our table, me cynically trying my darndest to pulverize my husband all of his friends, while probably sliding uncontrollably into a lava pit with no time to relish in my victories.
We have such fond memories of playing chaos games like Dragon & Flagon, where you stumble around sometimes one turn too late to punch someone who isn't there anymore, only to get hit by a flying chair you didn't see coming.
Is this a game I would be drawn to if I were single and just playing with my current collection of girlfriends? No, probably not. But did I jump excitedly and run back to my hubs about this game because I know HE would love it? Absolutely! And I am adding this game to our "must-have" list because I can already picture it on our table, me cynically trying my darndest to pulverize my husband all of his friends, while probably sliding uncontrollably into a lava pit with no time to relish in my victories.
We have such fond memories of playing chaos games like Dragon & Flagon, where you stumble around sometimes one turn too late to punch someone who isn't there anymore, only to get hit by a flying chair you didn't see coming.
Quick rounds mean that player elimination doesn't make for dead space, it makes for a couple of minutes to watch your so-called friends meet their inevitable demise (VENDETTA! VENDETTA!) and then everyone has a good laugh before pouring another round and playing the next game.
I wasn't able to sit down and play a full game at this event, but Chris Cooke humored me into walking through as much of a game as he could while still needing to answer questions of other passers-by.
Unscrewed is a game for 3-5 players, plays for around 30 minutes (or less!) and is waiting anxiously to launch on Kickstarter! For more details (and probably far more accurate details) check out their official website: https://www.meanhyenagames.com/ or any of their socials for MeanHyenaGames. And while I cannot yet give a detailed review of gameplay, I'm confident enough to declare that this game is "BETTER THAN BAD, IT'S GOOD!"
I wasn't able to sit down and play a full game at this event, but Chris Cooke humored me into walking through as much of a game as he could while still needing to answer questions of other passers-by.
Unscrewed is a game for 3-5 players, plays for around 30 minutes (or less!) and is waiting anxiously to launch on Kickstarter! For more details (and probably far more accurate details) check out their official website: https://www.meanhyenagames.com/ or any of their socials for MeanHyenaGames. And while I cannot yet give a detailed review of gameplay, I'm confident enough to declare that this game is "BETTER THAN BAD, IT'S GOOD!"
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