Episode 373 – Top Convention Tips for Families

The Family Gamers Podcast

It’s June, kicking off “convention season” for a lot of people. So, we’re sharing our best tips for navigating conventions with your family.

373 Fact

Apparently, 373 is a “sexy prime“. (It’s 6 away from another prime number.)

Sponsor Message

If you want to see an estimate of what your fee would be to work with First Move Financial, you can go to FirstMoveFinancial.com/FamilyGamers: there’s a fee calculator on that page, as well as a way to set up a quick (free) phone call to see if they’re a good fit for you.

What We’ve Been Playing

Ogre Under – off the shelf of opportunity!
Cape May – also off the shelf of opportunity! It’s a nice game, but none of us loved it.
Unboxed – solve mysteries involving “ancient” games. How on earth are we going to review this?
Fleet: The Dice Game – an old favorite.

May Monthly Report

Anitra: 45 plays of 26 games. H-index: 3 with Ultimatch, Unmatched, King of Monster Island (enjoyed this MORE solo), and Mycelia.

Andrew: 21 plays of 15 games (but probably missing a few, since Anitra sees 23 plays with Andrew but he only sees 19 with her). H-index: 2 with Unmatched, Roll through the Ages, Sheep in Disguise, Ultimatch, Kirai: The Duel,

Welcome FB Community Members!

Say hi to our newest friends!

Backtalk

Last time: What is a thing you do (or an item you use) to simplify or streamline your game time?

Anwers on Facebook and Discord included:

Good inserts. Chat GPT?!? How-to videos. Game topper (neoprene mat) – signifies “it’s game time”. Having all the special bits & organizers. Having convenient storage for the most-played games. Learning a game with a second player.

SNAP Review – Compile

Normally we stick with games that are already available, but Compile will be out in August. It’s gorgeous and amazingly replayable, with over a thousand different deck combinations.

This might become one of our favorite two player games. Check it out!

Top Convention Tips for Families

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https://www.thefamilygamers.com/episode-70-cons-with-kids/

Choose the right kind of convention for your family. There are all different kinds: large, small, consumer-focused, game-playing-focused, and conventions where board games are only a small part. Even choosing how far away you’re ready to go and where you’re going to stay.

Follow your kids’ interests. If they have social anxiety, stick with smaller conventions (if any). If they’re not big board gamers, find a convention that follows THEIR interests. (Our boys really enjoy smaller conventions that focus on playing games. But Claire wants to go to big pop-culture type conventions where she gets to show off her cosplay.)

Make a plan so everyone gets to do at least one thing they really want to do (cosplay, role-playing games, meeting up with friends, meeting a celebrity, playing a specific game, etc.)

This means… do research! We talked about this a lot way back in episode 148 about FOMO. If you research ahead of time, you’ll have a better idea of where you want to spend your time.

Be prepared! Snacks, water, first aid kit, face masks if you’re inclined, hand sanitizer, vitamin C. etc. Notice places to sit, bathrooms, places to eat.

Take breaks! Especially important with big overwhelming conventions. Could be as simple as getting outside for some fresh air and sunshine (maybe get food and eat it outside). But it could be going to see other sights in your destination city, or going back to the hotel and splashing around in the pool. Sleep and quiet time are also important.

Backtalk Question:

What’s your favorite convention? Do you bring your family? What’s your best convention win or best convention story? Tell us all about what YOU think or remember when you think about going to conventions!

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