Just a reminder that Free RPG Day is today, June 23rd. Find your local game store, pickup some free adventures, and play on.
About Dave
Dave "The Game" Chalker is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of Critical Hits. Since 2005, he has been bringing readers game news and advice, as well as editing nearly everything published here. He is the designer of the Origins Award-winning Get Bit!, a freelance designer and developer, son of a science fiction author, and a Master of Arts. He lives in MD with e and at least three dogs.
First off, I am a HUGE fan of Free Comic Book Day. So, I was awfully excited when I learned of Free RPG Day. Now I knew that with this being the first such event, things would likely be awfully low-key.
I live in Arlington, Texas.
I set out this morning to visit Generation-X Comics over in Bedford. I called them earlier in the week to validate what I had found on the event website, that they would be participating. I was informed they would be. They have a large selection of gaming items. I arrived to find no signage advertising the event and after walking the entire store began to question whether I had my facts straight concerning their participation.
“Are ya’ll participating in FREE RPG DAY?” I asked.
“Oh. Yeah.” The guy nodded, “We haven’t set that up, yet.”
So he goes to the far nether reaches of the store and lays out the items with a sign stating ‘one item per customer.’
I snatched up the CHANGELING: THE LOST Quick Start Rules (snazzy!) and made a few purchases as well.
My mission today was to ask about the event and make purchases in addition to snagging freebies.
Disappointed with Gen-X, I then headed over to the mid-cities location of Lone Star Comics and Science Fiction. When I asked them about the event last week, they said they were doing it up big with gaming demos and a sale.
Well when I got there, there was a gaming demo going on… but it was for some card game, which ain’t RPG, friend. Again as I walked the store, I found no indication that Free RPG Day was happening. I asked the clerk and she said, “Oh. Yes.”
This time, she reached into a box behind the counter and handed me a wad of items which included: Rezolution Quick Start Rules, Little Orc Wars, Wilderlands of High Adventure, Castles and Crusades Quick Star Rules, Tunnels & Trolls, and Dungeon Crawl Classics.
I was not afforded an opportunity to review the items, or make selections. It was just handed to me. Funny thing, I’m not much of a sword and sorcery gamer. I wouldn’t have chosen any of these.
Again, I made a purchase and thanked the clerk.
I applaud the folks over at Impressions Advertising & Marketing for coordinating this event. Free Comic Book Day has become a successful event for comic shop retailers nationwide. I would hope that FREE RPG DAY will one day provide the same excitement for gaming retailers. But in order for that to happen, retailers are going to have to get with the program and seize the opportunities presented.
Anybody have a better experience?
Aron
I certainly didn’t have a better experience. I went to the Family Game Store in Savage Mill, Maryland. They’re the closest game store to me, which was good, but I suspected it wouldn’t be a big event there since they’re primarily a board game store. To their credit, they had printed up their own signs that advertised the event throughout the store. They had a modest table set up near the back, next to their lone shelf of rpg products. I started to flip through the offerings, and it was a while before the owner’s son (who I had met before) came over to talk about the different products to someone else. I overheard him say “You can only pick one!” and he repeated this many times, like it would cost him money out of his own pocket if we ended up with a second rpg (but not important enough to make a sign stating limit one.) I thought it also bizarre because it was after 4 pm and they still had plenty of product out, so it’s not like they were in danger of running out.
The RPG selection there was dismal, not even carrying the full set of newer D&D stuff. And there were boardgame demos going on, but no rpg events.
If the goal is to expose people to new rpgs, this was the wrong way to do it, and hurts the smaller and more interesting games. (Same goes with Free Comic Book Day.) Having people run events and getting people interested in the games is important too.
Congrats Aron on hitting the jackpot with the store that didn’t care (even if it did take a second trip- something I considered.)
Free rpg day was a boon for me. I didn’t get everything I wanted on a count that most of it went early. But I did get some stuff I wanted to checkout and some I didn’t expect. A Prime Directive adventure was the big bonus for me. And I had thought that flying buffalo had been out of business… mad cool.
Not to mention I ran into a group that was looking for players and GMs. Very cool all around.
Still, the Family Game Store is a brick and mortar location that gives demos- that’s the best way to get gamers in, in whatever direction (board, RPG, card, Euro, etc). Support stores nearby or they won’t last…
But they did NOT have demos related to Free RPG Day. I wanted to support them, and would definitely have bought stuff, but I came away so frustrated with the whole experience that I didn’t bother.