Today, I participated in the TooManyGames convention, marking my first attendance at this event and my return to conventions after a four-year hiatus. I opted for a Sunday badge because, as you know, managing hobbies with a kiddo in tow can be a bit of a juggle. Interestingly, two years ago when I had just started working on a game about the war in Ukraine, then titled “Never? Again…” prototype, and after writing an article about the board game community during the war, I was invited as a speaker to this convention. However, my English was not strong at the time (at this time either 😅), and I decided not to participate. So, let's start from the beginning.
This morning, as everyone gathered, there was a meeting with cosplayers due to a cosplay show. That's not really my scene, so I spent about 80% of my time in the Tabletop Games area. I browsed through all the vendors for a while, then headed to the Tournaments Area. I was the only one who showed up to play 'Lil Everdell, so it looks like that tournament will have to wait until next year. However, I stuck around for the Azul Tournament, which was a blast. Great guys, fun gameplay, and though I didn’t win (my wife definitely would have if she were there!), I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Afterwards, I visited the indie game publishers and was pleasantly surprised to discover how many are based on the East Coast. They're actively publishing and participating in conventions like this, which really inspired me to gear up for the upcoming Games Night Market at PAX Unplugged and to put the finishing touches on some of my prototypes.
One highlight was discovering a small game called Token Terrors: Battlegrounds by John de Campos of Terrible Games. It’s an abstract tactical game for two players with six different factions, each with unique abilities. The quality of the product, fun gameplay, and the style were exactly what I appreciate. Meeting the game designer and artist (yes, he's both!) was a pleasure. I supported his publishing venture and even received an expansion featuring the Firebirds as a gift.
The day wound down with many indie game designers beginning to pack up their displays. It was also great to see so many local indie video game developers. I tried a lot of awesome games, although I was quite surprised to find that they were all developed for Steam and none for consoles. As someone who only plays on consoles, it was a bit of a letdown realizing that these great games wouldn’t be accessible to me.
Lastly, I took a significant step with my Chernabog card from Disney Lorcana, submitting it for grading. There was a company CGC at the convention that took my card, and now it's a waiting game—about 3-4 weeks to find out the grading results. When I bought the booster, the card was valued at around $180; now it's between $90 and $100, which isn’t too bad. While I don't expect to make a fortune if I decide to sell, the proceeds could help me invest in more cards, acknowledging that trading card games are somewhat akin to gambling ☺.
Looking forward: next time, I’m going all out with a 3-day VIP entry to spend even more time with indie game designers and possibly even serve as a vendor with KOZAK Games. This convention was a whirlwind of tabletop excitement and indie ingenuity—a reminder of why I love this community and a rekindling of my commitment to contribute to it.