As some of you may know, I’m a big fan of board games, card games, and tabletop RPGs. But I wasn’t always into board games and tabletop games, except for Magic the Gathering(MTG); I’ve played most board games casually. That was until 2010 when the second edition of Betrayal at House on the Hill came out. A good friend brought the game to my house as an alternative since we always just played MTG. After playing a few stories, I became addicted to the board game. I got myself a copy, and from there, I started playing fewer trading card games and buying more and more board games. The year 2023 isn’t over yet, and here I am with my calendar marked for PAX Unplugged 2024. For those of you who don’t know, PAX Unplugged is one of the biggest tabletop gaming conventions in the world. This year, I was able to attend PAX Unplugged from December 1st to 3rd with my good friend from So Zetta Games, Kurigan560.
We enjoyed browsing the exhibitor hall for three days, attending workshops and guest panels, and enjoying the best tabletop gaming. Whether you’re a newcomer like Kurigan or a seasoned veteran like me, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at this convention. That is why I wanted to share my experience attending what I think is the best convention.
The exhibitor hall featured some of my favorite names in board games. We had Czech Games Edition, Fantasy Flights, Game Toppers(The MVPs), Magpie Games, Paizo, Pokemon, Ravensburger, Restoration Games, Stone Blade Entertainment, Wizkid, and many more. While at the exhibition hall, we damaged our wallets by buying new games and took some game demos of upcoming games. Out of all the demos we played, I’m most excited about Star Wars Unlimited. It is a Star Wars-themed TCG game coming out in March 2024. The game features an enjoyable combat mechanic and incredible art. Here is a picture of the two promo cards we got for participating in the demo.
Another fun thing we did while at the exhibitor hall was hunting down promos across the different exhibitors. Most exhibitors had fun promos you could get by buying merch, taking a demo, or asking. Some of my favorites came from Teetturtle and Dragonshield.
Lastly, we attended a few workshops and panels. Sadly, our schedule was super booked, and we could not participate in many of the workshops and panels we wanted, but out of the few we could attend, I want to highlight the Painting for the Unartistic workshop. I’ve seen similar panels on my other visits to PAX Unplugged, but I’m usually discouraged since they require you to pay an additional fee. This year, it was free, and we got a free miniature to paint; plus, we learned a few tricks and tips on how to paint our future miniature. I would like to see more of these free workshops in the future.
PAX Unplugged was, as always, a great experience. Without a doubt, I was not disappointed. From traveling with friends, making new friends, playing fun games, and buying cool stuff, there was something here for everyone. I expect PAX Unplugged 2024, scheduled for December 6th to 8th, 2024, to be even better.
Will you be joining us at PAX Unplugged 2024? Are there any upcoming board games that have caught your attention? We would love to hear your thoughts and continue the conversation in the comments below or on our social media pages. Let’s keep the gaming community thriving and growing together!
-Zetta