PAX Unplugged 2017 Report!
Where do I even start? I had a great time at PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia! I’ve been a long time attendee of PAX West so it was interesting to see the similarities and differences between a video game focused PAX versus a board game focused PAX.
One of the greatest things about board games is how it brings people together. Unlike video games, board games have a physical component and usually involve multiple players. I traveled with my friend and co-developer, Justin, and on both the flight to and from Philly we became friends with the third person sitting in our row of seats. We spent most of the flight playing games like Wordsy, Oh Hell, and Sushi Go. It’s amazing how you can meet a complete stranger and bond with them over games. That’s the magic of board games.
Philadelphia!
Oh Philadelphia! City of American history and delicious hot sandwiches. There was no shortage of food for sure. PAX Unplugged was at the Pennsylvania Convention Center which is conveniently located next to the famous Reading Terminal Market, which is filled with all kinds of wondrous food. I think I may have had a cheesesteak almost every single day.
The convention center is also located a couple blocks away from Chinatown, which is also a great source of food with a lot of places open late at night.
Exhibitors
This was my first time at a board game convention of this size, but the number and quality of game publishers with booths seemed impressive. It was great being able to see the latest games and being able to play demos. In particular, I enjoyed the Renegade booth where I was able to meet Mandi Hutchinson, one of the hosts of the Dice Tower podcast.
I also learned how to play Sundae Split courtesy of the designer, Nate Bivins. It’s an “I split, you choose” game with set collection scoring. But when you split the piles, you put some of the cards face down so there’s a bit of bluffing involved as well. This was my favorite game of the convention because of how easy it is to learn but how interesting the mechanics work.
It was also great to see a lot of game publishers from the Seattle area representing like Daily Magic Games, Calliope Games, Paizo, Wizards of the Coast, Blue Heron Entertainment, Emergence, and Monocle Society.
Freeplay
One of the biggest concerns for me was the freeplay library and table space. PAX has always had a tabletop freeplay library, but it’s been fairly small because PAX is usually a video game focused con. However, it looks like the collection has definitely been bolstered! You might not have been able to get the specific game you were looking for, but there were plenty of good choices.
As day turned to night, the exhibitor portion of the hall closed down, and the freeplay tables quickly filled with people. It was crowded but not so much that you couldn’t find an open table. I was impressed at how closely the supply and demand of table space was matched.
Alpha Build / Unpub
My main purpose for attending Unplugged wasn’t to promote/playtest my game, Fantastic Factories, but I certainly couldn’t pass up the chance to grab a table through Unpub! This room was packed with players and designers every day. People were friendly and it was easy to spend hours and hours here. I was able to meet a bunch of designers and play some really unique games.
One of my favorite moments from Unplugged is when the person we met on the flight over brought his gaming group to play Fantastic Factories. And then the next day one of them brought over yet another person because she thought our game was worth sharing with others. Nothing makes a designer happier than when players come back to play again and share your game with others.
What was missing?
The only thing I was disappointed with was the lack of scheduled games or a learn and win area. I have a long list of games I wanted to play but didn’t want to spend my time at a con reading rulebooks. I was hoping to have people teach me games but there very few opportunities. I think PAX Unplugged would benefit from scheduled games with dedicated teachers and/or a learn and win program where publishers donate games to give away and encourage people to teach/learn those games.
Conclusion
Overall it was a great con and a great trip. Philadelphia seems like a great place to have PAX Unplugged. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, and it was great being able to play some games, make new friends, and stuff my face with food.
Games played
Wordsy, Sushi Go, Oh Hell, Ahead in the Clouds, Province, New York Slice, Sundae Split, Stir Fry Eighteen, Fantastic Factories, Stellar Leap, No Thanks, Paperback, Flip Ships, Cursed Court, A Game of Thrones, Fire in the Library, Unearth, Petals in the Wind, Circle the Wagons, Continental Drift, Abandon All Artichokes, Gerrymandering, Drapple, Hero Realms, and Menu Masters.
