This was the greatest GenCon for me to date! Hands down. I mean professionally, personally and spiritually. So many things happened and it is impossible to sum them up or this feeling of joy. Good job writer, saying you don't have words to describe something and then using words to talk about that (a comment from a redline). As a staunch member of the once-bitten thrice-shy club, I am hesitant to talk about my GenCon in fear of it all being a fevered dream moments away from being shattered. But alas, here's tempting fate...
First off, I got to hang a bit with my crew, You Too Can Cthulhu. It is always a pleasure to see them and do an annual huddle for the Black Letter games. This was my first year going to the Diana Jones Award and dipping my toe into the professional world of game design at GenCon. I also attended the Ennies with the Pelgrane Press gang and watched them sweep up awards for all of the hard work they have done. It was galvanizing and spectacular to watch.
The days were filled with running the two games I wrote: Old Business in a New Town (Trail of Cthulhu) and Lost Legends: Utopians (Call of Cthulhu). Both got rave reviews from the players and they introduced a crop of new players to Trail of Cthulhu, and exposed others to the wonders of 7th Edition Call of Cthulhu. I gotta add in some player feedback and then shelve those scenarios until they are up on the site.
It was fantastic to meet a host of new friends and colleagues, and finally meet some of the old ones in person. A special thanks to the Pelgrane crew for the warm welcome and LATE nights of drinking, joking and general geekery. Hopefully I embarrassed myself only minimally (doubtable).
I referenced this already on social media, but it keeps playing through my brain, because it is why I do this: to make gaming a safe space for my daughter and other people of color. To have a young black woman tell me this was her first GenCon and my game is the reason she will be back next year, makes the crazy hours of writing and researching worth it (my wife Jill may disagree having to deal with the light of a computer screen peaking under the door while she sleeps).
So many other things happened, so many people to shout out to and games to play. Instead, I am going to spend time recuperating (writing), avoiding the con crud and start planning my games for next year. No matter what happens, I will always remember this GenCon and this gaming high.