PAX Unplugged 2025

The Haul

The Games

Pirate Borg (RPG)! I was finally able to play an RPG with strangers! A goal three years in the making! My first game was masterfully commanded by Simon, pulling the rope for Limithron Games. I was the captain and I killed an undead captain and took his sword on the first turn of combat. Sorry not sorry.

Force of Extinction (RPG)! This was a doozy. Sit, learn, and play a new RPG from the designer! I loved Jasper's masterful turn as the Narrator of Critical Role's Thresher and being a player at his table was so rewarding. I played a survivor who was a farmer/lion tamer, cultivating the mutant plants that have taken over the world. A rollercoaster; from the first moment, where we learned in real-time that the plants can talk to the final moments where I was eaten by a monster I cloned in a desperate attempt to save us. Thank you, Jasper, for being an inspirational GM and thank you, Stef, for making this happen!

Godkiller (RPG)! ANOTHER amazing chance to learn and play from the designer! This time, GM Connie Chang of the Transplanar RPG channel. We got to build some incredible characters, but didn't have time to actually play any scenes. Luckily, some of our new table friends wanted to talk a little about what we would have done. The character building and bonds definitely gave me a good sense of the world. Would definitely try again, with an extra hour to play.

Goblin Laundromat (Wulfhorn Games). The only game I got to try in First Look. A quick and silly drafting game that we played very wrong and hastily. I really liked it though! Probably going to buy it.

Star Wars: The Deck-Building Game (Fantasy Flight Games). We played a demo just for the heck of it. Some neat ideas in this game, but there are a lot of buy and build games that aren't part of the Disney behemoth.

Cthulhu: Death Might Die (Asmodee). I jumped into the middle of a game and brought all of my RPG energy to the complex rules, I think giving the demo giver a minor existential crisis. It was Sunday. It probably wasn't entirely me.

The Work

This year I was in RPGs. Cons: none of my RPG knowledge or skills were needed as I walked the halls and told people how to get to coat check answered questions and organized lines! Pros: all of my co-workers were very positive and we really made the best of it. We walked around with whiteboards asking random polls and inviting passers-by to play seconds of games with us. My favorite was "Which Wins?" with two options. BUT! When they picked, they had to replace the losing choice that I erased. I will probably make this into a game. I really missed First Look. Please remind me to fill out all the proper forms next year.