Episode 431 – Small Conventions

We missed recording last week because we were too busy… going to our favorite small convention. So this week, we’ll talk about small conventions!

0:00:00 Fact for 431

It’s a big year for Greek myth. 431 BC marked the beginning of the (second) Peloponnesian War, the end of the Golden Age of Greece, when Athens lost its dominance to Sparta (and less than a century later was conquered by Macedon).

Sponsor Message

Did you know that according to a recent poll sponsored by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling only 18% of Americans feel very confident about their retirement? So if you aren’t sure about retirement, you’re not alone. If you want to talk to a professional to see if you are on track to achieve your goals, go to firstmovefinancial.com/familygamers to schedule a quick free phone call and see if First Move is the right fit for you.

0:03:45 What We’ve Been Playing

Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons *
Jekyll & Hyde vs. Scotland Yard
Gygès *
Seikatsu (our review – out of print but should be coming back soon)
Skulls of Sedlec
Stroop
Peak to Peak *
Llama Llama *
Whoa There Cowboy *
Bus & Stop *
Taverns of Tiefenthal * (after first seeing it at PAX 2019!)
Looot *
Unmatched Adventures: TMNT (review coming soon)
Phase * (Kickstarter opens early October)
Champions of Midgard *
Machi Koro
The Phantom of the Opera *

(*) First mention on The Family Gamers Podcast

0:29:00 The Family Gamers Community

Welcome new members! We’re so happy to see so many new names.

0:30:25 #Backtalk

We asked you about your “Icarus” game. (A game you were convinced your family was going to play all the time – and time has shown that it’s a game you’re actually never going to play.)

Read the responses on Facebook or #backtalk channel of the Discord.

You can enter the VNTYPL8S giveaway. Read the review and check it out!

0:36:15 Small Cons

We’ve talked about conventions plenty of times on the podcast – we go to PAX Unplugged every year, and try to make it to a few other big conventions when we can (Origins, GenCon, Essen, PAX East).

But this past week, we went to a very small convention: CuseCon, which has only a few hundred attendees.

Small conventions are perfect for simply playing games, and won’t overwhelm you with choices. It’s also a much easier environment to meet up with friends, or to make new boardgaming friends!

Andrew compares a small convention to a “staycation” – you’ve committed to being somewhere and playing games, rather than hoping you get around to it when you have free time.

• A small convention is less expensive than a big one.
• It’s easier to do less, or do things in the same area that aren’t the convention.
• It’s less intimidating, and may be calmer.
• It’s easier to play prototype games with designers.
• The people who run the convention are THERE and accessible. It’s easy to volunteer or have input!
• It may be easier to bring a child (or to get a babysitter and go for just a few hours). You can keep an eye on a gamer child without needing to keep them “on a leash”.
• You may be able to stay in the same hotel where the convention is – much easier for family logistics!

Both large and small conventions have their place, but a small convention is much easier to dip your toe in the water.

0:54:00 New Backtalk Question

If you know you’ve got a whole day where you can’t go outside, which game do you grab first and why? Do you get a small appetizer game to set you all up for something big, or do you get the big chonkin’ game to the table first? Do you play 1-2 big games or a bunch of small ones?

Tell us on the #backtalk channel on our Discord, or in our Facebook community.

Find Us Online:

Facebook: @familygamersaa and thefamilygamers.com/community
Twitter (X): @familygamersaa
Instagram: @familygamersaa
TikTok: @familygamersaa
Bluesky: @familygamersaa
Threads: @familygamersaa
Youtube: TheFamilyGamers

or join the Family Tabletop Community on Discord! thefamilygamers.com/discord

Or, for the most direct method, email us! andrew@thefamilygamers.com and anitra@thefamilygamers.com.

PLEASE don’t forget to subscribe to the show, tell your friends about the show, and leave us a review at Apple Podcast or whatever your podcast subscription source is. We’re also on Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.

You can also now find us on YouTube Music! So pull it up and give us a listen while you’re toiling away at work :)

If you’d like to support The Family Gamers, there’s three ways to do that. First, you can pick up some sweet sweet merch: T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and stickers! Go to store.thefamilygamers.com

You can also support us on Patreon, if that’s more your speed. We have a few different support tiers from just a couple of dollars to show your appreciation – which we appreciate – up to five, ten, or even $20/month. There are all sorts of different rewards you can get, which we tried to make unique. You can see those at thefamilygamers.com/patreon.

Thirdly, you can start your Amazon shopping at TheFamilyGamers website, using our Amazon affiliate link.

Music for The Family Gamers Podcast is provided with permission from You Bred Raptors?

The Family Gamers is sponsored by First Move Financial. Go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/familygamers to learn how the team at First Move Financial can help you pile up the victory points.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:19 — 44.1MB)

Subscribe: Spotify | Podcast Index | Email | Youtube Music | RSS