ConnectiCon

ConnectiCon is a large, multi-genre convention held every year in Hartford, CT. Being only 30 minutes away from me, it’s become an annual tradition to attend. Every year the convention seems to get bigger and bigger, spilling over from the Connecticut Convention center into the nearby Marriott and Hilton.

The con used to be mostly an anime one, with little space for much else. Now there’s huge areas for video games, tabletop games, and other awesome events and panels. The special guests each year continue to amaze me.

Of course we’re here to talk tabletop games.

I spent a majority of my first day at ConnectiCon checking out the lay of the land and playing games. I was able to track down Jim Courtney of One Day Games and play Avarice, a prototype he’s been working on for quite some time. In the game you’re trying to snag a briefcase full of intel and make a quick getaway while everyone who doesn’t have the case is out to get you. It’s a faced paced game of back-and-forth with almost rock-paper-scissors mechanic. Only lasting a few minutes each play through, it can easily be setup and played again and again. Jim is currently still tweaking the rules, and doesn’t have an idea of when he’ll bring it to market. I’m hoping we’ll see it sooner rather than later.

phoenixcovenantWhile walking through the dealer room I caught a game being played in the corner of my eye. Further inspection revealed that game to be Phoenix Covenant, a game described as Magic: The Gathering meets Final Fantasy Tactics meets Fire Emblem meets Yu-Gi-Oh. After listening to an overview of the game, I got a chance to sit down and give it a shot. While still in its early phases, the game shows much potential. The crew hope to get a Kickstarter going soon, and will be sending me over a prototype to play and get more familiar with for a full preview.

Once back on the open gaming floor, I headed over to the game library to see if there was anything new from last year (and to see if my own game, ElementaliS, was still there. It was.) and found something that looked rather amazing. Serpent’s Tongue. A buddy of mine behind the table mentioned that the designers were at the con, and pointed me to where they were set up. When I got over there, I was blown away.

serpentstongue

Serpent’s Tongue has one of the coolest gaming components I’ve ever seen. A faux-leather bound codex that is central to the game’s mechanic and theme. The game is all about casting spells, and has you translating the language invented for the game to make things happen. Translate the alphabet, pronounce the words correctly, and use your codex to cast spells. The coolest part is that the language invented for the game is a fully functional one, and learning it will greatly help your odds in the game. This is another one I’m expecting on my doorstep soon, so a full review will be coming.

Between playing 2 unpublished prototypes, a handful of other games, and geeking out a bit with other members of the press in the press room, my first day of ConnectiCon went by like a blur. The next day blew by much quicker, as I took my oldest son with me and held a CT Beyblade tournament through the World Beyblade Organization. Toss in a few games of Magic: The Gathering, and checking out cosplayers, and our day was over before we knew it. I’ve now had 2 days to recover, and I’m STILL beat.

While ConnectiCon may not have as much new stuff to see as Toy Fair or PAX East, I’m always able to catch something that I can’t at the other 2 conventions. Add that to the fact that I can sleep in my own bed at the end of the day, and it’s an event that I just can’t miss. I can’t wait until next year.

With that, I leave you a picture of my son with his very first press badge.

presspass