News

(Image from geekdad.com)

Gen Con Madness! Nobody likes convention - unless it's got the word 'gaming' in front of it. Ba dum tshh! In case you hadn't heard, Gen Con is an annual gaming convention - THE annual gaming convention - that takes place near the end of July in Indiana. This year they hit the highest attendance record ever with 61,423 pairs of feet shuffling through the doors and into the EXPLOSION of gaming chaos! Unfortunately, Rules of Play couldn't make it (sob!) but I'm here to provide a round-up of all the best bits and bobs from the internet for you - yes, you! - in case you couldn't make it either. For some fantastic gaming gadgets, check out these trinkets! My absolute faves are these Jack Daniel's dice. Made from the inside of a whiskey barrel, you'll find these online or in your plate of ribs the next time you eat at TGI Friday's. 

(Delicious whiskey dice - where's the Lambrini dice for the Welsh girls?)

One huge feature of the convention is the plethora of games to try, buy and tell your mates about. For details on new and exciting games like Codenames, the U.S. version of Mysterium and more, check out the wrap-up blog from GeekDad, featuring their favourite moments from the convention! 'Codenames' was a smash hit at Gen Con - check out the review from Shut Up & Sit Down!

(Brand new party game 'Codenames' from Vlaada Chvatil, creator of 'Galaxy Trucker' and 'Dungeon Lordz'.)

Another fab component of Gen Con is the ridiculous fun it has to offer, even if you're not specifically doing anything. You could stand still in a crowd and enjoy yourself, which usually you need dodgy substances to do. Some of the awesome extra features included the incredible Cosplaying - click the link for photos! Though they're not that attached to board games, the innovation is amazing. My personal favourite is this badass Sauron. I mainly like the couple in the background of the photo, whispering sweet nothings to each other as Sauron declares the end of Middle Earth as we know it.

More fun was to be had from the fact that Gen Con itself was one big game. Beacons were situated all around the convention center, with attendees trying to find all of them to win a prize. There was also a dedicated 'hold-your-breath-and-don't-move-a-muscle' area, with children building structures from cards and learning how to cope with disappointment when they inevitably collapsed. Women also kicked ass with a 'by women, for everyone' day-long series of events from ConTessa that features seminars on building RPG systems from scratch and celebrated women in gaming. Now, how best to wrap up this wrap-up? Why, with the biggest balloon sculpture I've ever seen, of course! Tim Thurmond, professional balloon sculptor and owner of the world's best job, attempted to break a world record when he blew up this huge octopus at Gen Con. What a world, people. What a world.

The Power of Voodoo! Who Do? You Do! In fantastic news for me, my favourite ever film (1980s David Bowie classic 'Labyrinth') is being made into a board game! The UK company River Horse is teaming up with the Jim Henson Company to make the game, slated for release in 2016. While there's no real news yet, River Horse has hinted that there will be figurines of Ludo, Hoggle, Sarah, and the Goblin King himself, Jareth. Speculators (as in, me) are also hoping the game will include some kind of maze (duh), crystal balls, a tiny baby in a stripy onesie, goblins that randomly break into song, terrifying animals that take off their heads, door riddles, the cutest worm you'll ever see and a hat made out of a sassy bird. God, that film is terrific.

In Other Film News... The board-game-turned-film that started it all, Jumanji, is being given a sequel. A firm family favourite featuring the late and great Robin Williams, this film was a gem of many childhoods and has since taught us that you can make great films based on board games but only one and it was Jumanji and any other film that tries to do it will fail and I hate them. A worthy lesson, I think you'll agree. The film will be released on Christmas day in 2016 by Sony, the company who responded to news of an all-female Ghostbusters film by announcing a remake of an all-male Ghostbusters film. Yeah, THAT Sony. The internet has gone mental, of course. Sony, I have one thing to say to you: 'A law of 'Jumanji' has been broken. You will slip back even more than your token.' Have that, monkey boys! 

Game Of The Week - Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective. The game is afoot, Watson! Elementary, my dear boy! Let me step into my mind palace! These are all real quotes from varying creations of the classic Sherlock Holmes, but who cares? You've got your own mysteries to solve, your own quotes to create! In Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, 1-8 players will solve mysteries in Victorian London. You'll interview suspects, search the newspaper for clues and deduce what exactly happened to Professor Moriarty, and what was the deal with those dead lions? With several cases to be picked at and solved, this is not a 'play me once' kinda game. This is a game that demands the highest intelligence and the shrewdest of detective eyes. You've always wanted to be Benedril Cumberdonk - now you can be! Or is it Bendyduck Cucumberpants? I've never been good with names, but hey, I'm not the detective! YOU are! Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective will be back in stock on our website and in store THIS TUESDAY! For a video review from Shut Up & Sit Down, click here.

New Releases / Restocks / Coming Soon!

New Releases Coming Next Week! A whole bunch of Pokemon XY7 Ancient Origins!; Mage Knight - Shades of Tezla expansion; restocks of Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective; Netrunner Old Hollywood Data Pack; Star Wars Force & Destiny RPG Core Rulebook (already in store); Eldritch Horror - Strange Remnants expansion (already in store); Star Wars Armada Maneuver Tool (already in store); King's Kilt; Dead Man's Chest; Villains and Vigilantes; a bunch of The Princess Bride goodness, including A Battle of Wits, As You Wish and Miracle Pill; Istanbul - Mokka & Bakschisch expansion; Caylus; Shadowrun - Bloody Business; Cypher System RPG; and Unleashed - Skone Empire RPG!