2025 Year in Review
I thought perhaps, as 2025 comes to a close, I’d write a bit of a recap of 2025, and a discussion of what comes next.
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RageCon 2025
My last RageCon was in 2019, when they were still at Circus Circus in downtown Reno. They are now in the Grand Sierra Resort, far from the hustle and bustle of the biggest little downtown in the world.
RinCon 2024
I just returned from RinCon in Tucson, a lovely 650-person convention that is always glad to have me as a guest. (Hear that, bigger cons?)
My Poker Cruise
Last week, just for the heck of it, Carol and I took a seven-day poker cruise. This is the recap of that event, in case you might want to do it yourself.
Gen Con 2024
This was my first year back to Gen Con since Covid. I finally decided that for freelance work, and general catching-up, it was time to return. It didn’t hurt that I got a free room.
Origins 2024
Last week I went to the Origins game expo in Columbus, for the first time since 2018. It was great to see all my industry friends and to make a few new ones, and I spent a good deal of the weekend playtesting a new game.
The Value of Smaller Cons
To paraphrase a popular meme, “Use the good china. Because just being alive is a special occasion.” Or to put it another way, no convention is too small. And here is the best example.
DunDraCon 2024
This weekend was DunDraCon, the President’s Day gaming convention in San Jose, where I spent three days working on new games in the Protospiel room with talented game designers from the Bay Area.
OrcaCon 2024
This blog post is mostly a deep dive into the first-round development of Cold Comfort, with some scattered notes about OrcaCon along the way.
GobbleCon 2023
Last weekend was the eighth and final GobbleCon. I played games all weekend, of course, including strange new things and old favorites. Here’s a brief recap in no particular order.
Pacificon Recap 2023
Another convention recap: Pacificon in Santa Clara, Labor Day Weekend. Game design and travel notes. Enjoy.
Dragonflight 2023 Recap
This weekend was Dragonflight, a 43 year old convention in Seattle, where games were played and friends were made. Come read all about it.
RinCon 2023
RinCon was a great success. I got a huge amount of testing and demoing, saw very good friends who I rarely get to see, and thoroughly enjoyed the weekend.
KublaCon 2023
I went to KublaCon. Here is the report.
GAMA Recap
I just returned from the GAMA Expo. That’s the Game Manufacturers of America’s annual trade show, where publishers pitch their wares to distributors and retailers, and designers pitch their ideas to publishers.
Back-to-Back Game Shows
This month, I visited ConQuest Avalon in Sacramento and GameStorm in Portland, two gaming cons just a week apart. I met new friends, saw old ones, and invented a brand new game.
JoCo Cruise Recap
Last week, the Crab Fragment family sailed on the JoCo Cruise.
DunDraCon Recap
In the end, DunDraCon was a lot of work and a lot of fun, and as usual I have returned home with a long list of changes, and the enthusiasm to make them.
OrcaCon 2023
I spent most of the weekend testing games, mostly Bitin’ Off Hedz and Shipwrights. I also played some published games, caught up with friends, and ate about a pint of cookie dough.
GobbleCon ‘22
I’ve mentioned this before, but I really do enjoy a small convention where I don’t have a lot of scheduled events. I get to play games, see friends, and recharge that energy that only comes from getting out of the house!