Five Guys … in the Expo Hall (Day 2 & 3 PAX '24)
It was an early start for us for both Saturday and Sunday. We planned a mystery loot drop for both mornings at 8am. We found a random location that was within the Melbourne CBD and live streamed ourselves until someone found us. The prize was a signed copy of Yum Cha. The first drop was in Victoria Park, southside of the Yarra River and the second drop was behind Flinders’ station near the Queens Bridge, northside of the Yarra River. I think we’ll be doing more of these in the future.
After the mystery drop, we returned to our hotel for breakfast, gathered our belongings and headed off for PAX again. On our way in, we bumped into friends. It’s interesting how many friends you make over the years, I remember the first year we hardly knew anyone, and it was all a little bit scary, but the tabletop community is very friendly and welcoming. We couldn’t believe we have fans and value their support so much, they were so happy to say hi again for a third year in a row. Just like usual, Saturday is the busiest day of the three. Apparently, we had 85,000 attendees at PAX AUS this year.
Dirty Laundry being demoed!
It was definitely a different experience being at the front in the expo hall. Being in the expo hall has its pros and cons. There were several people who have attended PAX before that didn’t know we existed prior to this year, they said they didn’t make it all the way down to the tabletop area because there’s so much to see. Being at the front also gave us exposure to people we don’t normally get, a lot of video gamers tried tabletop for the very first time. There might be a new wave of tabletop gamer coming soon. One final thing, being at the front gives us a larger presence as a collective of independent developers, it showcases how much talent is within Australia. Being able to be referred as a collective I think gives us a little bit more recognition. On the flipside, some of the tabletop gamers and exhibitors didn’t have the chance to come find us or didn’t know where we were. Overall, I think the pros outweighs the cons.
At the end of Saturday, we decided to go check out the tabletop area. During the day when you’re exhibiting, don’t expect to have any lulls or time to go visit anyone else, especially if tabletop is on the other side of the venue. It was fascinating to see Disney Lorcana this year take up such a large floorspace. I was mesmerised by the giant Harmonies game that Games Australia had available for play. We managed to bump into @boardgameswithb and @boardgamesantuary as well, but didn’t want to interfere with their gaming session. After our little wonder in the tabletop area, we went to grab Thai for dinner.
Harmonies - Giant!
Soft shell crab with some salad!
At the end of Sunday, we had to rush off to catch our flight home, but before that, I had some important business to do. I managed to trade some loot with a few fellow exhibitors. I managed to pick up Bin Off, Treacherous Tides and Mean. It’s great when you can exchange games with others, so you don’t go home emptyhanded, especially not being able to roam around during operating hours. I have a small shelf behind my desk where I keep all the games of fellow Aussie game devs I’ve met over the last three years. Gives me a tangible memento of our journey and friendship we’ve made along the way.
I must mention food, straight we said our goodbyes we went and got some Five Guys before catching our flight. It’s a burger chain from the States that we’d been walking past for the previous few days from our hotel. We had to take the opportunity to try it. I’d have to say, it does live up to its name. The burgers were great and so were the fries.
Five Guys - Southbank
Attending PAX AUS is always a thrilling experience, with everyone sharing common interests in an incredibly welcoming atmosphere. As exhibitors, there's nothing better than seeing the smiles and excitement of people playing our games or simply stopping by to say hello for the third year in a row. Connecting with our fans and supporters is what makes the event truly special. In return, we’re committed to bringing even more joy to people's lives by continuing to create games and unforgettable experiences.