I just finished my second day at GenCon, the “Four Biggest Days of Gaming.”
So we know that in a world where at least two versions of Pax pull more attendees and Essen Spiel exists that isn’t true, but it’s still a big deal. Or used to be.
It normally happens in August, but here we are in September 2021, over 2 years since the last iteration. Im here, and it’s… mostly it’s weird.
For anyone who doesn’t know, I used to make a living selling games at conventions. The pandemic obviously destroyed that business. I sent back my stock, wound down my company, sold my van, and settled into 18 months of unemployment. My last show was Pax East in February 2020. It sucks, and I’ve thought about little besides when I’d be back doing it again.
So here I am on the bleeding front edge of the pandemic-to-endemic era. GenCon was go, IPR asked me for help, and I was exactly done being held hostage by violent dolts.
So after two days? It’s a mixed bag, of course. I am alternating between palpable relief and joy of practicing my vocation with active mindfulness about risk mitigation (typing this from my hotel room where I ate dinner) with terror I’ve miscalculated. I’m used to occupying spaces between groups, as a retailer, as an associate of a distributor. I’m used to the oscillating high-and-crash I can experience at shows. But it’s a new thing to have that cycle so accelerated; to careen minute-to-minute. It can’t be healthy, right? But sitting at home the last 18 months, as I’m sure you all know, wasn’t a net plus to my life expectancy.
I chatted with a few folks I know and love this week, and it seems like that’s where everyone is. They all understand there’s risk, and they’re all unsure, worried, thinking always about that risk. But they’re also all folks who like me couldn’t survive much longer without this.
So I get it if you couldn’t imagine taking this risk yourself. I absolve anyone reading this who thinks I’m a goddamn idiot for being here; it’s an entirely reasonable take. All I can say is that 20% of the time I feel that way myself. But 30% of the time I feel like I can actually breathe again. So… into the breach.
If by any chance you are here in Indianapolis, stop by Indie Press Revolution and say hi and challenge me to figure out who you are from just your eyes.
The pickings as far as new stuff is pretty slim here this year, alas, but there’s enough titles that are new to me that I’ll certainly bring a few home, so expect next week to be a (hopefully) less existential after-action report and loot assessment.
GAMES LAST WEEK:
Nothing! I left Monday evening for GenCon, and our regular Friday Band of Blades session got rain-checked because one of our players got an unexpected opportunity. Cross your fingers for our Commander, everyone.
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But now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go sell another game!
In Between Days
I also spent 18 months unemployed throughout the pandemic, and I totally get that impossible feeling you're describing... both a need to break free and a fear that others will break you. It's one part prison escape movie, one part zombie apocalypse prequel. I've got an unvaxxed toddler at home & my own medical stuff making me more at-risk, so I wouldn't personally choose to do what you're doing, but I'm totally living vicariously through you reading your posts.
I'm curious if the few new games you do see reflect anything of the past 2 years of unprecedentedness. Are there a lot of viral apocalypse games? A lot of political debate style games. Any overthow-the-corrupt-government games? Any Tiger King vs Murder Hornet deckbuilder fighting games? Or did the industry swing the other way and realize that folks have had enough harsh reality, so it's making games about stuff totally divorced from the pandemic, or politics, or 2020? Or is there no clear trend, because the industry is not a single entity, and folks will do whatever folks will do likely based solely on a d100 roll?