Fireside Games at Gen Con 2023: Immerse Yourself in Castle Panic!

Posted on Leave a comment
Gen Con logo
Gen Con logo

We’re beyond thrilled to be part of Gen Con 2023. As the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection takes center stage, we invite you to join us at booth 2434 and at our large events. Get ready for exclusive editions, amazing discounts, engaging events, and plenty of gaming fun. Let’s dive into the thrilling plans we have in store for you!

Castle Panic Deluxe Collection and More: Prepare for a gaming feast as we present the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection at our booth. This extraordinary collection includes the highly sought-after deluxe versions of the Castle Panic base game, all four expansions (The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, Engines of War, and Crowns and Quests), a playmat, plus all of the promos ever made for the game. Immerse yourself in the ultimate Castle Panic adventure with the monster minis on rotatable bases, wood tokens, plastic castle pieces, and more.

The Castle Panic Deluxe Collection game box over a white background

Deluxe Bundle Offer: Looking for deluxe versions of just the most popular expansions? Our Castle Panic Deluxe Bundle is designed to deliver just what you want. During Gen Con, we’re offering the Castle Panic Deluxe Bundle at a special discounted price. This incredible package includes Castle Panic Deluxe, The Wizard’s Tower Deluxe, Crowns and Quests Deluxe, and an epic playmat. Normally valued at $310, you can snag this exclusive bundle for only $250 (while supplies last). Don’t miss out on this extraordinary opportunity to elevate your Castle Panic gameplay!

Small Games Bundle: Looking for travel-sized gaming adventures? Our Small Games Bundle is here to deliver! Priced at only $75 (a $110 value), this bundle features Here, Kitty, Kitty!, Bears!, Dastardly Dirigibles, and Stringamajig. As a special treat, we’ve included free promos to enhance your gaming experience even further.

Promos Galore: We believe in sharing the love of gaming, which is why we’re thrilled to offer a free promo with every game purchase at Gen Con (while supplies last). These game-enhancing goodies are our way of saying thank you for being part of the Fireside Games family.

Exciting Events: Step into Castle Panic Adventures: Get ready to embark on thrilling Castle Panic adventures with our exclusive Gen Con events:

  • The Wizard’s Tower Event: Join us on Thursday at 6:00 PM for an unforgettable event centered around The Wizard’s Tower expansion taught by the designer in rooms 144-145. Cooperate with your team to defend the castle against hordes of monsters. Keep the Wizard’s Tower standing to use magic spells and fire against flying monsters and more. Reserve your spot now at https://www.gencon.com/events/230194.
  • Crowns and Quests Event: On Saturday at 8:00 PM, prepare to be part of an exhilarating cooperative adventure with the designer in room Wabash 1. You’ll play as a character with a special ability. And in addition to slaying all of the monsters with at least 1 tower standing to win, you’ll need to complete 2 quests. It really changes up the base game! Secure your spot in this epic event at https://www.gencon.com/events/230195 and prepare for an unforgettable gaming experience.

We can’t wait to see you at Gen Con 2023. Visit us at booth 2434 to immerse yourself in the Castle Panic universe. Discover the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection, take advantage of the Castle Panic Deluxe Bundle and the Small Games Bundle, and collect free promos with your purchases. Don’t miss our thrilling events centered around The Wizard’s Tower and Crowns and Quests expansions. Let’s make Gen Con an unforgettable gaming extravaganza together. See you there!

Castle Panic Second Edition Launches

Posted on 1 Comment
Boxes for Castle Panic, Castle Panic Big Box, and Crowns and Quests over an orange sky background with the text Second Edition, Available Now!
The box for the Second Edition of Castle Panic

Today’s the day! After years of work, we are super excited to launch Castle Panic Second Edition. With all new art, heavier card stock, and a custom die, this version looks better than ever.

The Crowns and Quests box over a white background

In addition, we are launching the newest expansion, Crowns and Quests. This expansion adds 12 playable characters with unique powers and 18 Quests that completely change how the game ends. you can search the forest for magic scrolls, assemble magic portals to teleport the Castle to safety, and more. The combination of character powers and variety of quests means you’ll have almost endless adventures in Crowns and Quests. Fans of the first edition of Castle Panic will be happy to know that none of the components of Crowns and Quests are combined with any other components, so this expansion is completely compatible with the game they have at home.

The box of the Castle Panic Big Box Second Edition over a white background

For the fan who wants it all, we are also launching the Castle Panic Big Box Second Edition. This all-in-one box contains second editions of all the Castle Panic games (Castle Panic, The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, Engines of War) and Crowns and Quests. The Big Box also comes with 6 promo towers and 7 promo cards to round out the complete collection.

Insider tip: The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, and Engines of War won’t be released on their own until January, February, and March, so the Castle Panic Big Box is a great way to get them to your table right now.

More details on any of the games can be found in this post.

Thank all of you for your support and enthusiasm over the years. We can’t wait for you to try Crowns and Quests and enjoy these beautiful new editions. Good luck defending Castle Bravehold!

Announcing Castle Panic Second Edition, a New Expansion, and a Big Box

Posted on Leave a comment
6 game boxes for the Castle Panic second edition over a white background

It may be hard to believe that Castle Panic first made its appearance on game tables almost 13 years ago in September of 2009. Since then, it’s been an amazing journey filled with adventures and stories as we added to the world with 3 expansions and 3 variations. After all those battles, the time has come to update everyone’s favorite cooperative tower defense board game. We are incredibly proud to announce the upcoming release of Castle Panic second edition!

The entire Castle Panic line is getting all new, bright, colorful art, a wide variety of diverse characters, and a few updates to make the game play even smoother. It’s still the same great cooperative game that players have loved for over a decade with a fresh new look.

What’s Different?

The biggest change is to the artwork, which makes the game look like it came right out of an animated movie. This is the same artwork used in the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection offered on Kickstarter in 2021.

New card designs make it easier to tell cards apart and to see what part of the board they affect.

6 cards from Castle Panic 2nd edition over a white background

The board is refreshed as well and now includes iconography to help color-blind players identify the different areas of the board more easily.

Castle Panic second edition game board

The game comes with a custom die that’s colored to match the medallions in each arc of the board.

A close up of a white six-sided die with red, blue and green numbers sitting on a colorful game board

The weight of the card stock used has been increased to provide a more satisfying feeling in your hand.

Lastly, the Castle has a name now! After asking our fans to submit their best ideas and vote on their favorite, we can all proudly band together to defend Castle Bravehold.

The rules are staying the same for Castle Panic. For The Dark Titan and Engines of War expansions, a minor change has been made to a few Monsters. The Dark Sorceress, Breathtaker, and Shaman are now all Mega Boss Monsters, like the Dragon from The Wizard’s Tower. This standardizes some rules that previously had those Monsters using their own ruleset.

When’s the Next Expansion Coming Out?

We are thrilled to announce the launch of a brand-new expansion, Crowns and Quests!

This expansion adds 12 playable characters with unique abilities that allow players to take on a role in the royal court defending Castle Bravehold. Each character is assigned to one of the six towers at the start of the game. If that tower is destroyed, the character is lost, and the player must continue without that ability.

The game box for Crowns and Quests next to 4 cards from the game over a white background

You’ll need those abilities too, since there are now quests that the players must try to survive to win the game. At the start of the game, players choose 1 Standard Quest and 1 Endgame Quest. Until both of those Quests are completed, the pile of Monsters will refill over and over.

Standard Quests include searching for magic scrolls, looking for a cure for a plague of madness, holding off magical stones that cause the Monsters to spawn closer and closer to the Castle, and much more. Once the Standard Quest is achieved, players move on to the Endgame Quest, which they either complete or perish trying. Endgame Quests feature challenges such as collapsing caves to stop the flow of Monsters, racing against time to destroy a cursed obelisk, and placing magical portals to teleport the entire Castle to safety. There are 11 Standard and 7 Endgame Quests to choose from, providing hours and hours of replay as players explore all the different challenges.

A Standard Quest and an Endgame Quest over a white background

Because none of the components in Crowns and Quests are combined with components of the base game or the other expansions, this new expansion is compatible with both the first and second editions.

What if I Want It All?

For players that are looking to collect the entire second edition all at once, we are launching the Castle Panic Big Box second edition at the same time. This (not surprisingly) large box contains Castle Panic, The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, Engines of War, Crowns and Quests, 6 promo towers, and 7 promo cards. The custom box also comes with a vac tray insert to hold all the items.

The box for the Castle Panic Big Box over a white background

When Can I Get It?

Castle Panic, Crowns and Quests, and the Castle Panic Big Box will be on store shelves on November 30. The Wizard’s Tower will hit store shelves January 25, The Dark Titan on February 22, and Engines of War  on March 22.

Thank you to all the amazing artists that made this new edition possible: Justin Chan, Anthony Cournoyer, Jakab Ferdinánd, Javier Guzman, Maggie Ivy, Tad Lambert, Britt Pezzillo, Quel. This line looks amazing because of your talent and dedication to the project.

We hope all of you are as excited to see this fabulous new version on your table as we are!

Castle Panic Deluxe Pledge Manager Closing Soon!

Posted on Leave a comment

Heroes stand before castle with text announcing Pledge Manager is closing soon

Heads up gamers, the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection pledge manager is closing on January 15th! There are just a few days left to place your late pledge or complete your pledge for the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection that was launched on Kickstarter.

This amazing deluxe version is available in a variety of options including Castle Panic Deluxe and The Wizard’s Tower Deluxe on their own, as well as both a Wood Collection and the Deluxe Collection to suit fans of any appetite.

Boxes for the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection and Wood Collection

Both collections contain all the components for deluxe versions of Castle Panic and ALL the expansions, including the not-yet-released Crowns and Quests.

The Deluxe Collection includes over 180 plastic minis for all the Monsters as well as wooden tokens, while the Wood Collection skips the plastic Monsters in favor of just keeping the wooden tokens.

These deluxe versions will only be offered in extremely limited quantities after the pledge manager closes, and time is running out to add this exciting collectible edition to your game shelf!

You can access the pledge manager at CrowdOx by clicking HERE. Don’t miss out!

Castle Panic Deluxe Collection Pledge Manger Is Live!

Posted on Leave a comment

Castle Heroes stand near text announcing the Pledge Manger is Live on Crowd Ox

 

After quite a bit of fine-tuning, we are excited to announce the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection pledge manager is live! We have teamed up with the kind people over at Crowd Ox to send you a simple survey in order to collect the info we need to fulfill your rewards. Invitations were sent this morning at 10:30am Eastern time.

The invitation was directly to the email address linked to your Kickstarter account. Be sure to check your spam folder in case it was captured there!

You do not need to make a login and password in order to access your survey as you will receive an email with a unique link. If you want to go back to review your info, simply click on the link in your email again.

It is important to submit the completed survey as quickly as possible in order for us to commence fulfillment.

Crowd Ox gives you the opportunity to verify your reward, and verify and validate your shipping address. On top of all that, you can also upgrade your pledge level or add additional items and add-ons to your existing pledge!

If you run into any survey related issues, you can reach out directly to the Crowd Ox team right from the bottom of the form (see image below). They are very friendly and quick to respond!

arrows showing how to get support while using Crowd Ox

I have moved, how do I edit my address?

You can go back into your survey at any time to update your address.

Illustration of how to update your address on Crowd Ox

If you missed out on the Kickstarter, there’s still time to get in on the fanciest version of Castle Panic we will ever create! Just hop on over to the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection pledge manager at: https://app.crowdox.com/projects/fsd/castle-panic-deluxe-collection to get started. You can choose a pledge level, input your address, and even include extra copies or add-ons in your order.

Thanks again!

 

 

Castle Panic Deluxe Collection Ends!

Posted on Leave a comment

The Castle Panic Deluxe Collection campaign has ended. It’s been an amazing adventure on Kickstarter, and we are so glad to have gone on this journey with all of you. We’re very excited to bring this collector’s edition of Castle Panic and all the expansions to the tables of fans everywhere!

What’s Next?

Now that the campaign is over, we will switch our focus to finishing up the final touches before we go to production. We will be posting updates on the campaign page on Kickstarter, as well as on social media. These updates will include final graphics and minis for the new Crowns and Quests expansion, so stay tuned! We are expecting the games to be delivered to backers around the world by May of 2022.

Oh no, I missed it!

Not to worry! Late Pledges are now open and you can get there through this link. The Pledge Manager surveys will go out towards the end of June. Once the Pledge Manager opens you will be able to confirm you address as well as upgrade your pledge or include any add-ons you would like. This step will be necessary in order to complete your purchase, so keep an eye out for those surveys.

 

We will have copies of the Deluxe Collection for sale on our website and at conventions after the game fulfills, but they will be in extremely limited quantities. The best way to make sure you don’t miss out is to back the game now.

Thank you for your help in creating this amazing piece of Castle Panic history!

 

Castle Panic Deluxe Collection Live NOW!

Posted on Leave a comment

A group of heroes stand before the castle. Plastic minis from the deluxe game nearby.

We’re excited to announce that the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection is now live on Kickstarter!

Now you can defend the castle with all new art, wooden tokens, Monster minis with rotatable bases for tracking damage, plastic Castle and game pieces for the base game and all of the expansions, and a brand new expansion with a royal court and quests.

The campaign offers a variety of configurations to suit every fan. Have the Big Box and are looking for minis to add? You’ll want the Castle Panic Deluxe: Plastics Only pledge level and the Deluxe Expansions Plastics Only add-on. Looking for all the upgrades but not into minis? You’ll want the Castle Panic: Wood Edition pledge level. Want it all? Pick the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection.

New Expansion

This Kickstarter features the premiere of the brand new expansion Crowns and Quests in deluxe format. Become a member of the royal family or inner circle. Choose from a variety of playable Characters with unique game-changing powers. Survive the attack while attempting to complete Quests such as retrieving magical items, destroying a cursed temple, teleporting the entire castle to safety, and more.

Check out the pledge levels here:

  • Castle Panic: Wood Edition: Complete game that includes all new art, plastic castle pieces for the Walls, Towers, Fortify Token, and Tar, plus wooden Monster tokens for Castle Panic base game ONLY.

 

  • Castle Panic Deluxe: Plastics Only: Includes plastic castle pieces for the Walls, Towers, Fortify Token, and Tar, plus all the Monster minis for Castle Panic base game ONLY.

 

  • Castle Panic Deluxe: Complete game that includes all new art, plastic castle pieces for the Walls, Towers, Fortify Token, and Tar. Includes wooden Monster tokens and plastic Monster minis for Castle Panic base game ONLY.

 

  • Castle Panic Deluxe with The Wizard’s Tower Deluxe and Playmat: Complete games that include all new art, wooden tokens, plastic castle pieces and plastic Monster minis for both Castle Panic base game and The Wizard’s Tower. Includes the playmat.

 

  • Castle Panic Deluxe Collection: Complete games that include all new art, wooden tokens, plastic castle pieces, and plastic Monster minis for Castle Panic, The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, Engines of War, and Crowns and Quests. Includes the playmat.

You can also combine your pledge levels with these Add-ons:

  • The Wizard’s Tower Deluxe: Complete game that includes all new art, wooden tokens, plastic Wizard’s Tower, and Monster minis for The Wizard’s Tower ONLY.

 

  • Crowns and Quests Deluxe: Complete game that includes all new art and plastic pieces for Crowns and Quests ONLY.

 

  • Deluxe Expansions Plastic Only: Includes all the plastic pieces and all the Monster minis for The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, Engines of War, and Crowns and Quests.

 

  • Playmat: 20” x 20,” neoprene version of the board

 

This game will NOT be sold through distribution. It will be available on our website at an increased price. Don’t miss out! Back this project today!

CLICK HERE TO BACK ON KICKSTARTER

Castle Panic Deluxe Collection coming to Kickstarter May 11!

Posted on Leave a comment
Castle Panic Deluxe Collection Launches May 11

Castle Panic Deluxe Collection Launches May 11The official new date for the Kickstarter launch of the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection has been decided: May 11!

We’re excited to offer all new art, wooden tokens, Monster minis with rotatable bases for tracking damage, and plastic walls and towers for the base game and all of the expansions. They will be available in a variety of configurations to suit every fan. In addition, we’ll be rolling out a brand new expansion that will include a royal court and missions! Sign up now to follow the campaign.

Castle Panic Deluxe Collection relaunching in March!

Posted on Leave a comment

Hey everyone!

First off, we wanted to thank all of you for your patience while we’ve been cranking away on getting this project ready for its relaunch. The big news is that as of today we are art complete! This means we have all the new art done for Castle Panic, The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, and Engines of War.

Castle Panic Heroes standing together

It’s a big step and we’re pretty darn excited! We are still working on completing all the minis and that’s going to take a while, but we are making good progress there as well. In addition, we have a lot of graphic design, logistics, and packaging issues to figure out, but it’s all moving ahead.

Which brings us to the next big announcement. Based on where we are and what needs to be done, we are going to plan on relaunching this project on Kickstarter as the “Castle Panic Deluxe Collection” and we are scheduling that launch for March. We won’t have the preview page up for a while yet, but we’ll let you know when we do.

We hope you’re as excited as we are to see this project relaunched, so if you want to follow along, be sure to keep up with us on our social media. Thanks again for all your support!

Announcing the Castle Panic Big Box!

Posted on 2 Comments
Castle Panic Big Box

Ten years ago, we launched Fireside Games with the release of Castle Panic. Back then cooperative games were still a new category, and we weren’t sure how well our tower defense game was going to be received. It didn’t take long to realize Castle Panic had a lot of fans, and they wanted more!

Over the years, we’ve created 3 expansions to keep players on their toes, and one of the questions we get asked most often is “Can I buy all of them at once?” Now, as we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Castle Panic, we are super excited to announce the Castle Panic Big Box coming in July!

For the first time ever, we’re offering Castle Panic, The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, and Engines of War all in one awesome box. This limited-edition collection includes full versions of all the games as well as 12 promo items. We’re including all the promo cards we’ve created for all the Panic games, as well as all the promo towers originally created as part of International TableTop Day. We’ve even turned a few non-card promos into playable cards. The promo cards include Any Color Hero, Feather, Crossbow, Fickle Fortune, All for One, Agranok Level 6, and Jury Rig. The promo towers included are from 2015 all the way up to the brand-new 2019 tower, each with their own rule.

Castle Panic Big Box Full Game

In addition to the promo items, we’ve revised the rules so now all the games are included in a single, comprehensive rulebook. The new rulebook includes setup guides that make it easy to play with any combination of expansions.

The game box features a plastic insert tray with storage for every piece from every expansion, making it easy to setup the game and get started. Plus, the bottom of the box lid has a handy image showing where every component is stored in the tray to help with putting the game away.

Castle Panic Big Box Insert Diagram

It’s been an amazing 10 years and we hope players are as excited for this great collection as we are. The Castle Panic Big Box makes a great way to complete a game collection or start a new one.

Engines of War How-to-Play Videos!

Posted on Leave a comment
How to play Engines of War video

If you’ve been wondering what it’s like to build catapults, lay traps, and fight off siege engines in Engines of War, the 3rd expansion to Castle Panic, we’ve got what you need! You can now check out our Engines of War how-to-play videos to learn how to use the Engineer to build equipment, survive the Shaman, and more.

If you’re already a pro at building and want to combine Engines of War with the other expansions, check out our videos for playing with The Wizard’s Tower and The Dark Titan!

If you’re ready to try your hand at all this crafting, pick up a copy of Engines of War and experience how the Panic is building!

Engines of War Builds the Panic

Posted on Leave a comment
Engines of War Builds the Panic

022First, the Monsters came crashing out of the Forest hurling Giant Boulders at anything in their path, visiting Plagues on Archers, Knights, and Swordsmen, and banging up against Fortifications and Walls as they rushed to tear down the Castle Panic Towers.

Then, The Wizard’s Tower brought magic, fire, and flying Monsters to mix, and The Dark Titan brought . . . well, the Dark Titan! And his conniving comrades, the Dark Sorceress, the Boom Troll, and Elite Monsters.

Engines of War Builds Panic

Now, Engines of War builds the panic with Monsters rolling back into battle with a Siege Tower, War Wagon, and a Battering Ram. This time, they’re bringing a Shaman, Breathtaker, and Goblin Saboteurs, too. Good thing the Castle defenders have an Engineer on their side to build Catapults, Ballistas, Barricades, Spring Traps, Pits, and Walls.

Engines of War Builds Panic

You’ll have a blast working together to build weapons with Resource Cards that add a new, light economic mechanic to the game. Engines of War can be played with Castle Panic alone or with The Wizard’s Tower and/or The Dark Titan. It plays in an hour, accommodates 1–6 players ages 12 and up, and has an MSRP of $17.95. Look for it in stores this November, and read more about the game here.

Engines of War Builds Panic

As Seen on TV! Orphan Black

Posted on Leave a comment
Orphan Black logo

If you are a fan of Orphan Black, you may have recognized a few familiar “faces” in the new Season 4 set location, Rabbit Hole Comics.

In episode 2, “Transgressive Border Crossing,” formerly separated clones Sarah and Cosima are reunited in a secret lab in the basement of a Comic shop. When Sarah and Mrs. S enter the shop we get a good little “geek out” when they pan the shop and there is an eye-catching display of our favorite games.

We caught this quick picture to show off a little. Forgive our proud little hearts. :)

Games shown: Bears!, Castle Panic: The Wizard’s Tower expansion, Castle Panic: The Dark Titan expansion. You can even see a bit of Bloodsuckers and The Village Crone if you look closely!

The Dark Titan Review Round Up

Posted on Leave a comment

It’s been a few months since Agranok returned from banishment and invaded the Castle Panic towers with his army of Elite Monsters. Now that The Dark Titan expansion has hit table tops around the country (and world), let’s take a look at what people are saying…

Ryan Morgenegg of Deseret News says, “For fans of Castle Panic, the purchase of The Dark Titan expansion is a no-brainer. For a relatively small price, the game offers a bunch of new content  and the toughest challenge yet.” You can read his full review on the Deseret News page.

For those of you new to Castle Panic, check out PostPostModernDad’s review. He introduces new players to the joys and woes of defending your home in Castle Panic and gives a great overview of what this expansion adds to the game, without overwhelming you with the nuances of adding the first expansion, The Wizard’s Tower, as well.

His verdict? “The Dark Titan enhances and underscores Castle Panic‘s inherent cooperative play making it a fantastic addition to the game. Buy it.” Well, we can’t argue with that, now can we?

The Opinionated Gamer (aka pastor guy) states, “fans of the game will find new challenges and interesting twists that don’t overwhelm the sold engine of the base game.”

And Rick Teverbaugh of the Herald Bulletin believes this expansion will remind you why you loved Castle Panic in the first place and encourages you to get it back on the table. There’s no reason your Castle should be gathering dust in your game library!

“I can virtually assure all gamers there will be moments of panic when it seems all might be lost – and with the challenges put forth, that might really be true,” says Teverbaugh.

Still need some convincing of the amount of drama and panic held in the small expansion box? Check out the dramatic retelling of a play through of The Dark Titan in The Dice Tower video review by the fine fellas at Boardgame Corner (click HERE to skip straight to the epic story time!).

Randy and Mark of Boardgame Corner both agree the expansion “is a blast to play” with Mark really loving the 5 different levels of difficulty for Agranok.

“It goes from manageable to completely insane,” Mark says. We’re pretty sure that is what Justin (De Witt, designer of Castle Panic and its expansions) was going for!

If you still haven’t tried The Dark Titan expansion for Castle Panic, we invite you to check out our How to Play videos, including a video on how to play with both expansions. For more information on The Wizard’s Tower expansion, visit our webpage.

Ask for Castle Panic and its expansions at your Friendly Local Game Store!

International TableTop Day – Part 1

Posted on Leave a comment
Geek & Sundry sign

Anne-Marie and Justin took a whirlwind trip to LA to attend the flagship TableTop Day event at Geek & Sundry’s secret Headquarters in Burbank. The day started off early with people lining up to get in. The “secret” headquarters weren’t so secret with giant, inflatable G&S logos everywhere, so it was pretty easy to find.

Justin and Anne-Marie got there early and were able to see the place while it was still empty. Geek & Sundry has a pretty sweet soundstage to work with!

Since we were sponsors of TableTop Day, we were given a VIP table where we could show off The Dark Titan. We had help this year from local game gurus, Eric Burgess and Devi Hughes. These two were awesome, running demos and keeping players entertained all day long. We couldn’t have done the event without them! Plus Eric brought famous strawberry donuts from The Donut Man, which of course Justin had to try.

 

Before long, the doors were open and gamers came flooding in! Tables were filled and many games began. People were excited to try The Dark Titan, but a lot of the people that came by the table hadn’t played Castle Panic yet at all. They soon realized they were getting a special treat when the designer of the game taught them how to play!

Devi gets some players started on a game of Castle Panic with The Dark Titan.

Felica Day kicked things off with a quick speech and was there all day playing games with people and shaking hands. Geek & Sundry had a library where players could check out games, as well as a merchandise booth where you could get a drink or pick up some sweet G&S swag!

While Eric and Devi taught some demos, Justin and Anne-Marie went out into the crowd to visit with fans and take in the whole event. We found some Bears! players, and Anne-Marie was able to teach the game to them, but she didn’t get the highest score that game!

There was a photo op with a couch and cutout of Felica Day that got a lot of attention that day as well as a Loser’s Couch. Here our buddy Patrick from Crash Games poses with a group of players that were defeated.

 

It was a great time with a great feel to it. Justin took this panorama shot standing in the middle of the soundstage, which kind of gives you a little bit of the feel of the whole thing.

Click to enlarge

 

The event was so large, they had to extend it out of the soundstage and into a tented area in the parking lot. And it was NEVER empty.

We also encountered a group of Munchkin players diving into the world of Munchkin Panic, so we stopped to talk with them. Once they realized they were talking with the designer of the game, they wanted to get their photo taken with Anne-Marie. It was a lot of fun to meet fans of our games at this event, since so many of them are new to gaming they are very passionate and very excited to meet the creators in person.

 

There were also 3 food trucks at the event providing Hawaiian shaved ice, Japanese-style hotdogs and gourmet grilled cheese. The lines may have been long, but it was worth it.

 

Later in the afternoon, Wil Wheaton arrived and thanked everyone for coming. It’s fun to see how drawn to him people are, and he really does make a great ambassador for gaming. He was running a live stream on Twitch that should be available shortly, and we’ll let you know once we have access to that.

We ran a bunch more demos and made a lot of players happy. Even if Agranok did crush their towers, players still left with smiles on their faces.

 

Eventually though, 6:00 rolled around, and it was time to close down the event. Wil and Felicia gave a very nice closing speech reminding everyone that this hobby brings us all together like nothing else and also pointing out that this year TableTop Day was celebrated on every continent on the planet, including Antarctica! It was really great to be a part of something so big, and we hope everyone had a blast playing games with old friends and new ones. Thanks to everyone that helped organize an event, or just joined one to make it more fun!

The Dark Titan Launch Party!

Posted on Leave a comment
Agranok cake

It’s official, The Dark Titan is now available everywhere! Last Saturday, we headed out to local Austin store, Wonko’s to celebrate the release of this highly-anticipated expansion to Castle Panic.

We started up our first few games and then took a brief break to slice up another one of our now famous cakes! Jarred once again went above and beyond by creating a fabulous cake featuring the Dark Titan himself, Agranok, looming out of a Castle-shaped base.  Agranok was chocolate-covered Rice Krispies, and the cake was chocolate with cherry filling. The towers were ice cream cones filled with cake, so the entire thing was edible. To top it off, Jarred placed two small containers in the cake that when filled with dry ice and water caused spooky smoke to flow out over the Castle, just like the cover of the game!

 

After being devoured in his delicious cake form, the Dark Titan came back for revenge in board game form! Game after game saw walls crushed and towers destroyed as players felt the wrath of Agranok!

 

Agranok was defeated in our first game and the Castle survived, but our next game wouldn’t fare so well. Once again our villain showed no mercy to children, as these excited young gamers were about to find out when he made his way into their Castle along with a few Heralds for backup.

 

As the afternoon went on, we started up new games to let players try their hand at the new expansion. Here, Anne-Marie gets a family up to speed before they dive in.

 

In between games, Justin and Anne-Marie signed copies of the base game as well as both expansions. Wonko’s could barely keep up with demand as they sold out of The Wizard’s Tower and The Dark Titan was flying off the shelf! The day ended with many happy gamers going home with new games, promo cards, happy memories, and bellies full of cake. We wish all our fans out there the best of luck in taking on this newest challenge. Here’s to many more successful battles and saved Castles!