Friday Night Shots – Con Behaviour?

Happy Friday night!

I’m writing this earlier in the week because I am currently, as this post goes live, playing a game at Bottoscon 2026 and enjoying the hell out of the evening.

Or we could be eating dinner or gabbing with other con-goers, but I will be having fun regardless of what it is.

That’s the wonders of writing ahead of time!

(My Bottoscon 2026 Retrospective will be posting next week sometime)

(Also, apologies for how this is kind of even more of a stream of consciousness post than usual)

(Also also, apologies for all of the parentheses)

I originally had a review going live today, but then I listened to this week’s episode of the Boardgame Hot Takes podcast (really, you should go check these guys out. They’ve won an award!)

In the episode, Chris and Tim (Adam wasn’t there this week) were talking about games that they’ve played, and they started talking about things that they do at various types of gaming get togethers.

When the three of them get together for their retreats, often the focus is completely on playing games and they barely take any breaks to do anything else.

(I couldn’t tell, but from the way Tim talked about it, did they eat dinner while playing rather than taking a break?)

Chris mentioned that his group’s weekend get together (on the Oregon Coast somewhere, and damn do I miss the Oregon Coast, fuck you Trump), they also took time to do little things like walk on the beach or do things like that. Or even just take some breaks and Chris ended up doing some of his BGA turns.

I’ve been to other conventions where friends did other things besides gaming, and this whole conversation between them made me think about all of that stuff.

When you go to a convention, or even just a boardgame get together that’s a whole day, or a couple of days, how do you behave?

I’m not talking about whether or not you fart loudly in the middle of the gaming hall or something like that.

What I mean is do you just game and that’s it, because that’s why you’re there? Or do you take time to do other things as well?

I admit that because my gaming time is so limited (mainly just Sundays and lunches at work), when I go to a game convention, I want to play games as much as possible.

Sometimes a bunch of us just sit and talk for a while, though, whether because we’re waiting for somebody or it just seems a natural thing to do.

Other times, one of us will be off talking to somebody who we only see at conventions (which is what I would be doing somewhat if I could bring myself to cross the border and go to some conventions in Washington, where I would talk to my buddy Sean (from Thing 12 Games) and his friends who I only saw at conventions previously).

I plan to do a little bit of that this weekend (if I haven’t already by the time this posts) by sitting down and having a nice chat with Brian Train, brilliant wargame designer and apparently (though I’m not always sure why) a fan of this blog!

He will be having an open table where he will be demonstrating some of his designs.

That’s all well and good, but it’s all still part of the convention.

Whether you’re playing a game or socializing with people who are at the convention, you’re still at the convention (or off having dinner with friends or other convention-goers at an off-site place).

What about destination conventions, where maybe you might want to do something else as well?

I have a friend who would go down to Dragonflight in August and while she would spend some time gaming, she would also go on other excursions in the Seattle/Bellevue area.

She would make a bit of a mini-vacation out of it, doing other vacation activities as well as gaming.

Personally, I don’t want to do that because if I’m paying the money for the convention, I want to be at the convention and all that entails. I’m playing games, or I’m socializing with other gamers, or socializing while waiting for the next game, or whatever.

But some people aren’t wired like that, and they want to make a full weekend experience out of it that is more than games.

And that’s ok too!

It’s not me, but it’s good.

And sometimes you just want to go out and spend a little time with nature, recovering some of your energy, listening to the water of the Fraser River roll past.

I didn’t do that much at the old Bottoscon (this year’s is at a different location), but walking along the Quay in New Westminster to head to breakfast first thing in the morning was heavenly, looking out over the water and just luxuriating in being there.

Of course, when the gaming was done for the day, I spent an hour or so in my room on the balcony (in my coat, because it is November!), looking out over the river and catching up on my iPad and BGA turns.

That was also a rejuvenating experience.

(I am a bit of an introvert and so I do need to sometimes go up to my room and just be by myself for 10-15 minutes, so that time at the end of the day is so precious)

Will the new hotel offer these experiences?

Maybe the balcony, but it won’t be looking over the water. It may be looking out over the city.

And it’s in the middle of a busy commercial area.

But that’s ok. There are other things to do.

Even if gaming isn’t your end-all and be-all, there is shopping or lots of other things to do.

Me?

I’m going to be gaming, socializing with gamers, or socializing with friends (who are also gamers).

But that’s not for everybody.

When you’re at a gaming get together of some length (whether a convention or something else), what do you like to do?

Game game game?

Or take nature or excursion breaks and collect yourself?

Let me know in the comments.