YORKTON / SASKATOON - One of the things which has proven a lot of fun over the years is attending game conventions.
While there are huge events in Europe and the U.S., fear not you don’t need to travel internationally to find a gaming con.
For example, there is ToonCon, which has happened annually in Saskatoon, with the exception of 2021, in Saskatoon. The event is set for April 8-10.
The event is organized by “a group of board gaming fans, we have no affiliation with any organisation, although we are sponsored by the game stores in Saskatoon,” explained John Burt.
Burt said ToonCon has succeeded because of the events offered each year.
“The primary elements that attract people, and get them coming back every year, after year, after year are the games we host, the camaraderie of the players, and the friendships that develop during games,” he said.
“Another big draw is the games library, of which we have 250 or so games, some that are not common, such as Le Passe Trappe.”
The event is all about the games.
“ToonCon is about table top gaming, we have hosted a D&D L2P (Learn to Play) in the past as well, but we have no speakers, or Q&A sessions,” said Burt.
One other attraction is the annual game auction, a fun way to game exchange.
“It is a fun and good way to get games to try out inexpensively,” offered Burt. “We do have sometimes have KickStarter games that people have ordered and decided it is not for them, so the variety is quite huge.”
The 2022 edition of ToonCon could be more interesting than most since the pandemic has impacted recent events, so there is something of a backlog of games to showcase and play.
For Burt, Twilight Imperium IV is the game he is looking forward to, “because the game is good, and the players are so relaxed and friendly with each other.”
Another of interest is 1844, “because I love train games, but never get a chance to play the 18xx games often,” he said.
And, “Food Chain Magnate, because it is enjoyable to watch people play it.”
Asked if there are games with a local connection, Burt said not in 2022.
“No, there are a couple of local (Saskatoon) designers but none of their games are being played this year, the closest connection is Brass Birmingham, which was published by a Calgary company, Roxley Games,” he said.
In 2020, the event attracted just under 200, with growth every year.
“This year I cannot hazard a guess as to how many people there will be, I am thinking that it may even shrink a little. This year is a guess,” said Burt.
Early registration began March 20, and closes April 1, so if interested go to www.tooncon.ca and register.
