Get ready to flip some monopoly boards—International TableTop Day is nigh! On April 5th, 2014, fans of tabletop gaming around the world will gather together for the largest (known) game day in the (known) universe.
International TableTop Day was born from Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day’s hugely popular TableTop web series on Geek & Sundry. In each episode, Wheaton and a rotating group of celebrity friends play a variety of games ranging from established classics to new indie publications. The show was an instant hit and is credited with reinvigorating the tabletop gaming industry, garnering a Diana Jones Award (an industry honor for “excellence in gaming”) in its first year. One retailer even dubbed the bump in sales as “The Wheaton Effect,” a boost corroborated by publishers such as Days of Wonder and Calliope Games.
International TableTop Day’s stated mission is to unite people in the “common purpose of spending time together and having fun.” They seem to have exceeded their expectations with 2013’s inaugural event, which was a huge success featuring more than 3,000 events globally, spanning 64 countries and all seven continents.
This year, TableTop Day plans to go even bigger. In addition to regional events, Geek & Sundry is hosting a sold-out live event featuring Wheaton, Day, and friends in Los Angeles. The event will also be broadcast via livestream on their YouTube channel. Events for 2014’s TableTop Day again span the globe, with local gaming groups, shops, cafes, publishers, and even individual fans hosting events in their area.
Highlights of this year’s events include an (invite-only) exclusive tour of the Z-Man (Carcassonne) offices, a slew of events at Fantasy Flight’s (Descent, Arkham Horror) new Games Center, and a day of gaming at Looney Labs’ (Fluxx) municipal center. (I highly recommend checking out their new card game, Loonacy, which I got to preview with the Steve Jackson Games team at Toy Fair this year—it is good, fast fun.)
A full (easily searchable) list of events is available on the International TableTop Day site, while additional updates, giveaways, and information can be found by following @TableTopDay, @GeekandSundry, and #TableTopDay on Twitter.
Have fun, and try not to be this guy.
When Nancy Lambert doesn’t have her nose buried in a book, she’s busy writing, crushing heroes in Descent, or putzing around online. She has not bitten anyone to date.
