BoardGameCamp Announced!

As part of a group of avid board game fans, I've been involved over the past few months in bringing a new type of event to life under the GameCamp brand. BoardGameCamp is going to be part of the London Games Festival in October 2010, and you're all invited to join the pow-wow.

The concept is to have a large, free form space in which people can play, discuss and build board games. Each attendee is free to decide what they'd like to get involved with, and can switch between activities throughout the day.

Play will be centred around a board game library, stocked by the event stakeholders and topped up by campers who'd like to bring their games to play with others. Modelled on the PAX library, you'll be able to check out games in exchange for a valid form of ID, and there'll be a great mix of table-top classics and exotic games printed in small runs.

Connect describes the unconference style talks that spring up around the camp site. A play session may plant the seed for an idea that you'd like to mull over with friends, or childhood memories may be unlocked when you rediscover a game you haven't seen since you were young. Talk subjects are thrown up onto an open schedule so that the whole camp can attend.

Build is for those who'd like to create an experience for others to enjoy. Using the classic tools of the trade (dice, cards, Post-it notes and poker chips), teams will aim to design, build and playtest a game in one day. Meet other designers in an ideas market in the morning and bring your game to life.

BoardGameCamp is going to take place at Whittaker House, Richmond on Saturday, 9th October 2010. This is eBay, Gumtree and Paypal's main UK campus, so there'll be plenty of room for gaming. The entrance fee of £10 will cover lunch, so no need to pack your own.

We're all very excited about celebrating one of our favourite hobbies with other gamers, new and old. Tickets will be released soon, so keep an eye on the GameCamp website and Twitter feed for details.