Lanterns was the first game I officially locked into our schedule for this season. It was the first game I was able to announce, months ago, when I played it with Ivan Van Norman and Becca Scott (#BeccaCheats) on their show Game the Game.
Then, as it happened, Ivan and Becca (#beccaistheworst) were the first guests I was able to announce, because we decided to have a rematch on Tabletop. We also invited the former G&S Twitch Overlord, Zac Eubanks, to fill out the game.
Lanterns has enough strategy to make it satisfying for experienced gamers, but it’s also so easy to teach, learn, and play, it’s perfect for players as young as 8 years-old. It’s also great bridge to more complex games, regardless of your age.
I’ve experienced a lot of shitty and cruel stuff in the popular online boardgame forums, but I discovered this game because someone in r/boardgames was talking about how great it was. If my memory is correct, the same post brought another game we’re playing this season, Harbour, to my attention. I mention this because it’s so easy to just ragequit and want to burn the whole internet down when shitty people are shitty. We tend to focus on the garbage, because the garbage smells the worst and if it isn’t thrown away, can totally take over a place, but we need to remember that there are a lot of good, kind, enthusiastic people out there in the world who want to share the things they love with us, and who want to build and cultivate a positive community. I’m doing everything I can to make Tabletop part of the positive and awesome gaming community that has meant so much to me for over thirty years of my life. After last season, I didn’t know if that was possible, but this year I feel like it’s come back to what I always wanted it to be. It was a good idea to take out the trash, it turns out.
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I can’t wait to watch because #BeccaCheats and #beccaistheworst! I love the stinking garbage analogy, too, Wil. You really have a way with words.
This was the first board game I backed on Kickstarter, and I have never regretted it. I was so excited to see you choose it for TableTop this season!
Dude, I’m so glad you’ve stuck with Tabletop for another season. My daughter is now 13 and we’ve been watching most of the episodes and trying out different games these past few years becasue of your show. My wife organizes Tabletop Day game nights. It’s so cool. And we would have been too intimidated to try all these (expensive) games without your show.
As for the internet garbage, I treat it all as insults. If someone insults me or someone I know I stop to think if I care about the person’s opinion. 99.999% of the time I don’t. I’d have to respect their opinion and I’d have to feel they were right. If, for example, you were to critisize my strategy in a game I would totally listen, even if you were being a dick about it. Becasue I respect your opinion on that score (and doubt you’d be a dick about it anyway).
But folks I don’t know on the internet? Yeah, they can type all they want to and I don’t care.
Thanks for sticking it out, Wil. I almost talked with you at Gen Con last year in the exhibitor’s hall, but one of your people (what do you mean, “your people”?!?) said you were already running late for an obligation. If I’d had the time, I would have thanked you. Watching the Fiasco episodes of “TableTop” opened my eyes to the fun of RPGs, as it reminded me of my time working professional improv in the early 2000s when hardly anyone else was doing it in the St. Louis area. I still point out those 3 episodes as a perfect example of how to play that game to people who want to know how to play it. And I’ve used it to introduce a few people to the art of RPGs.
From there, I discovered the tabletop board game world, and holy crap, was I sucked in. Since then, I’ve designed 2 playsets for Fiasco, one Dread-like RPG game, one rules-light RPG system, and am in the middle of designing my first tabletop board game. So one little drop in the bucket, like your web series, has spawned potentially thousands of played games just from this one guy over here in the Midwest.
On top of all this, I’ve been able to connect with my 13-year old nephew, whose older brother never spends time with him, and whose mother is single and works full time. He’d already played Pokemon and Yu-gi-oh!, but I’ve introduced him to roleplaying, King of Tokyo, Quantum, Epic Spell Wars, Pandemic, Nexus Ops, Boss Monster, Legendary, Rampage, and others. For a kid with speech apraxia, board gaming has helped him socialize with others, which is something kids with speech apraxia tend not to do unless something interests them. It’s also given me a reason to spend more time with him, because other than gaming, our interests are pretty far apart. I’ve gotten the chance to learn what an amazing kid he is, and what an amazing mind he has.
Everyone’s going to have negative stuff to say about what you do. But people will always have something to say about someone else who’s doing something they aren’t doing themselves. So screw the naysayers. Keep on keepin’ on, my friend, and do like you always tell us . . . play more games.
I’ve felt the same way about a lot of forums (man, those Steam discussion forums can be toxic) but when they’re moderated or at least policed by dedicated members and when the overall attitude is welcoming, there can be great places for people to go to get more information and to join a community. I remember connecting with people on Amazon of all places because I’d post reviews of games I bought because of TableTop (or before and they just happened to overlap). There’d be the inevitable “Oh, hey, I saw this on TableTop!” and we’d be off to the races discussing the game and how well it fits (and the also inevitable suggestions for other games).
There was a game on Steam where we users created a really great environment (until the Dev pulled the plug and it just faded away… 🙁 ) that even repelled trolls. A handful of us were welcoming, even to some potential trolls–who we often seemed to convert because they were just curmudgeons that probably just needed some less sarcastic contact online–and it created a largely safe environment to ask questions about the game.
I dunno. To me, I sort of see TableTop as this beacon (Gondor calls for aid!!) for people who assumed boardgames consisted entirely of Monopoly clones that you only played at Aunt Meg’s place because that’s all she had could find shelter in a cruel, serious world. I haven’t tried the G&S forums for TableTop but if those are moderated well, I’d hope they’d be fairly safe from overt negativity. A place to connect with likeminded people who also want to know what Becca did to earn the title of Top Supreme Uber Cheater of Deceptiville. 🙂
Yay- Wil. This post gives me hope.
The show is awesome. So much fun to watch.
I’m going through serious withdrawal!
Harbour really is a great game. I’m glad you’re bringing it to TT.
I was just looking at the list of guests for each episode and have to ask… Will Felicia be joining you?
Yes. She played FATE Core with us today.
Dunno if it was intentional, but in that photo, there’s totally [what appears to be] a “china ball” aka a Chinese LANTERN directly above/behind you. (it’s flagged off with some black wrap, I think)
So, uh, I see what you did there. 😉
hashtag photovideonerd
Keep up the good work!
I’ve only played Lanterns once, but I found it an excellent little game that I’d love to play again.
As for toxicity of the internet, fortunately the worst of it seems to be confined to certain “communities” which most of us can avoid, though your learning of Lanterns from Reddit is a reminder that there are cool people everywhere.
Well I think I know what to do with our recently cleared old DVD shelf 😀
BTW, our local boardgames group plays Codenames using the Concept Board, OR Dixit cards for an added twist sometimes…
Keep it up Wil, we appreciate you! And totally agree about the garbage. Life is so much easier when we toss out the trash and can relax a bit. Thanks Wil!!
Wil,
Thank you for doing Season 4(#6SeasonsAndaMovie?). I absolutely love the show and cannot wait for new episodes!!! This year looks like a great group of games.
When it comes to the garbage:
Expect the best, prepare for the worst, forget what they think, and do your own thing!
Wil,
Do you happen to know when Season 3 DVDs might be available?
I have no idea. That’s not something I handle at all. Maybe ask someone at Geek &n Sundry?
No problem; thanks for the reply!
Good job making a thing! Can I show you the comic book shoes I made??
https://flickr.com/photos/9413273@N04/sets/72157665855302273
That is so freaking cool!!!
Thanks! First try. Made them for motor city comic con and sadly they don’t hold up well to wear. Will have to explore fabric ideas for the second run. Claire seemed to think they were neat!
-Mimi
Yay Will!! Let me tell you my co-worker snd I were talking board games and he mentioned your show, fir the past 8 months we have been looking at your episodes for guidance on which game to buy first or how to play the games. My pantry is filled with a bunch of game boards making our selection on game night bigger and better. Please keep doing the show, dont give up because of some trolls, you have a big community that supports you!!
Thsnk You for making our games nights better!!
“it’s so easy to just ragequit and want to burn the whole internet down when shitty people are shitty.” Best description of the internet I’ve read in a while. Haters are going to hate man. Can’t let it get you down.
We’ve watched your show over the years and I am especially appreciative of MUNCHKINS. It is just fun to play, and it was a great way to introduce my daughter to gaming and role playing games. We’ve enjoyed it all a lot!
Thank you Will.
Wil,
Tabletop has had a huge positive impact on my life. As a newly divorced father of four, I was struggling to find ways to connect with my children and make the time I got to spend with them more meaningful.
Then I found Tabletop. I hadn’t really played board games since I was a kid, but when I watched your Smallworld episode, I knew what I wanted to do on my next weekend with my kids.
We took a trip to a local game store, walked out with Smallworld, and haven’t looked back.
Tabletop brought my family into the gaming community. It gave a divorced dad a way to connect and have fun with his kids. So, yeah, for me and mine, Tabletop has been and continues to be a very positive force.
Thank you so much for that.
I’m most excited to see this one featured on Tabletop! I don’t even know what the actual game looks like, but judging from the box (for better or worse :P) it looks like a lot of fun!
Wil, this is the first mostly complete photo of you I’ve stumbled across of you since you started your reboot – good job mate. You are looking super healthy. Inspiring stuff from a fitness and health point of view, and mental health point of view. The wifey and I started our reboot recently, and you are a big inspiration for me. Loving your new outlook, your new writing, and every time I read about you getting a good nights sleep I do a nerdy air-fist-dragon-punch-thing on your behalf.
Unrelated to tabletop I know, but you’re awesome dude, keep up the tops work.
Please don’t listen to all the horrible people. Tabletop makes me so happy. It is something I can watch and keep myself distracted from all the scary thoughts my mind wants to think. And it’s given me ideas for games to buy and play with my family. IT IS FUN in a world filled with quite enough meanness already without folks taking a poo on your passions. You are fighting the good fight. And so many of us see that. Thank you.