Things We Learned at Origins Game Fair

I recently wrote about preparing to run games at a convention – specifically at Origins Game Fair. That’s over now, so let’s look at how things went.

Overall Impressions

This was our first time at Origins, so we weren’t quite sure what to expect. Fewer people attend Origins than Gen Con, and it felt far less crowded. The convention happens in a much smaller space than Gen Con too, so we found it much easier to get around. We also rediscovered the glory of a connected hotel room.

The Games

All the tickets for all my sessions sold. Two people didn’t show. Everyone seemed to have a good time. One fellow asked if I was running at Gen Con, (I am), and promised to find my games there.

The Dealer Hall

I didn’t take any pictures of the hall, but here’s a shot of the loot we bought.

The dealer hall is much smaller than Gen Con’s, of course, but it’s a lot easier to navigate as a result. Origins is a manufacturer’s convention, and we could see that in the booths. Of course we saw many games and accessories for sale. But many booths advertised game manufacturing services. Gen Con features some of that, but the proportion seemed much higher at Origins.

Things I learned

For the most part, my preparations paid off handsomely. I had everything I needed for all the games, and a bit more, and it was easy to set up, easy to take down, and easy to move around.

Players appreciated the table tents and the briefing papers.

I had more pencils than I needed, though some did get used. Next time I won’t haul so many along.

But I could have used a second dice tray. I already bought another (see loot picture above).

My Favorite Moment at Origins Game Fair

During one of the games, the party (erroneously) thought they were looking for a 30-foot long snake.

“How can it be living here undetected?” objected one player.

“Maybe it has a disguise!” postulated another.

The first player then sketched this: