This weekend in Albany, around 200 Mensa members will gather at the 2011 Mensa Mind Games to play games submitted for consideration for the 2011 Mensa Select badge.

The winning games are typically simple abstract games that take only a short time to learn and to play, and the selection is limited only to games that were submitted for consideration. As a result, True Gamers tend to look down on the event and the badge.

There have been some exceptions to the above; for example, Magic the Gathering won in the early 90s. Recently, Gheos, Dominion, and Forbidden Island were among the winners. Either the Mensa players are now willing to play more complicated games, or the companies now willing to submit games for consideration has grown.

The great majority of Mensa Select winning games continue to sell well, either due to, or independent of, winning the badge.