House of Slack News

November 5, 2002:
Essen Game Fair isn't as well known in the US as the big summer conventions like GenCon and Origins, and that's a shame. Having been to both Essen and GenCon, I can say that the former dwarfs the latter. But it's not just size that defines Essen - it's an entirely different experience than a US gaming convention.

First, there's the crowd. What struck me was how normal the crowd was. At GenCon, the crowd is predominantly male, and the character of the crowd is dominated by its more fanatic elements. At Essen, the crowd seemed more like a cross section of society. There were far more women and families in the crowd, which was great to see. It was proof that gaming, if viewed as a normal leisure activity, could appeal to a wide segment of the populace.

Second, Essen was almost entirely exhibit hall. Or, to be more precise, many exhibit halls. I believe there were 11 in total the year I was there and they were packed with game companies and dealers. The exhibits themselves were very different from what you see at a major US con also. There were many tables set up for demos, and you were encouraged to sit down and learn to play the game. Not only that, but you were encouraged to play the game through to completion. In many cases, you were able to learn directly from the designer, which was a gratifying experience. Despite the press of the crowd, which was substantial, once you were in a booth, there was an almost leisurely quality to the play. Yes, they were there to sell games, but they were also there to make sure you had a great time.

Secretly Essen was just an excuse for
more game shoppingThird, the number of games available for purchase was staggering. I knew that Essen would be a budget buster, so I pulled a massive amount of cash out of my account and limited myself to that and no more. And it wasn't near enough to buy everything I wanted. Not only did I want the dozens and dozens of new releases, but I also wanted to buy every obscure older game I came across. I forced myself to buy things that were less likely to find their way across the ocean, but it was difficult not to go overboard. Some would argue I did go overboard, but I consider those people to be fascist killjoys. For anyone who revels in the art of games, who takes joy in just seeing the breadth this hobby offers, Essen was a revelation.

Anyone who is a great fan of gaming owes themselves a trip to Essen at some point. October is a nice time to be touring Europe, since it's off-peak and many attractions won't be busy but the weather is still decent. We made a three-week trip out of it and had a fantastic time. It's not a trip that I would do every year, since I'd want some turnover among the exhibits before I went back, but it was one of the best experiences of my life.

May 15, 2002:
The winner of our Super Secret Prize Givaway is Rob Duman of Colorado! He will be receiving a free copy of all future House of Slack games. (If you weren't aware of this prize, that's because it was Super Secret!)

February 25, 2002:
Foresight moves to blind playtesting!

Foresight, the second game House of Slack will publish, has moved into blind playtesting. We're looking for volunteers at the moment for playtesting a traditional card game, but with a unique twist. After this round of testing, we'll be printing shortly, so it won't be long before you'll actually have to choose which House of Slack product to purchase.

February 7, 2002:
We're in distribution! Thanks to the fine folks at Wizard's Attic, you should be able to buy our game through normal channels. If your store doesn't carry Ascension at Firepeak, ask them about it — they should be able to get it through any of the major distributors.