You have entered the main hall of the convention center. All around you lights flash and rotate while colorful banners flutter from the rafters, inviting you to explore the myriad of games displayed beneath them.
Cosplayers are everywhere. You see someone dressed as a Carcassonne Meeple, another as a Pandemic lab researcher, and off in the distance you get a glimpse of some big guy with purple face makeup.
There are so many sights and sounds all around that you can't believe everything you're seeing. You wish you had a camera (or some handheld phone-like gadget that somehow also takes pictures).
It's like all your senses are exploding in hi-fi technicolor — and not at all like you're just reading about the experience in some dry, text-based adventure.
Ahead of you are the demo tables at the Z-Man Games booth, which are packed with people playing games. Behind the demo tables a tower of games rises up into the rafters.
To your left you spot the end of a long line that wraps around the edge of the hall toward a curtained booth with a sign that reads "''New Game Promos Today''!"
To your right, a shorter line leads into another booth curtained on three sides. Inside you can see shelves and display cases of your favorite Z-Man games. It's the Z-Man store!
Where do you go?
[[Game Demos]]
[[Promo Booth]]
[[Game Store]]The center of the convention hall is filled with a dozen huge tables. Between the bodies crowded around the brightly colored tables, you get brief glimpses of intricate game boards, oddly shaped pieces, decks of cards in various sizes and shapes, and dice in literally dozens of colors.
You came to the convention specifically to play new games, but every demo table is packed. You can't even get close enough to watch the gameplay. You glance at the signs hanging above the tables, which include Carcassonne, Stuffed Fables, and Infinity Gauntlet. The crowd is thick, but maybe you can squeeze through.
What do you do?
[[Squeeze through the crowd|Meet The Big Guy]]
Return to [[Hall Entrance]]Product reveals, con-exclusives, and all the other goodies that can be found inside a promo booth are some of the main reasons you got out of bed this morning and said "no, thanks" to breakfast. So, when you approach the Z-Man Games promo booth, you MUST get inside -- even if it means waiting in line the entire weekend.
However, you then realize that in your excitement to get to the convention this morning...your decision to say "no, thanks" to breakfast is coming back to haunt you. Your stomach rumbles.
You also notice a fairly large gap in the curtain surrounding the promo booth. The gap is at the back corner, out of sight of most of the convention. You only noticed because the end of the line snakes into the dim, dusty edges of the hall. You may be able to sneak a peek inside...if you can keep your hunger under control.
Which do you choose?
[[Sneak a peek through the gap]]
[[Go to the Food Court]]You enter the Game Store booth and look around.
As you approach, you see the Z-Man Games help desk off to one side, nestled against the side curtain of the game store. As a couple Z-Man employees talk to an overly excited attendee at the desk, you see Steven Kimball, the head of the studio, slip out from behind another curtain and head toward the desk to answer the attendee's question.
You are about to go to the help desk when something grabs your attention.
In the middle of the booth, on the floor, you spy a Z-Man Games tote bag that someone must have dropped. You look around but no one in the booth is paying the bag any attention.
What do you do?
[[Pick up the Bag]]
[[Talk to Steven Kimball]]
Return to [[Hall Entrance]]You step out of line to investigate the abandoned bag, which is bulging from all the game boxes stuffed inside. You pick up the bag to dig through the boxes to see what new treasures are within.
"Is that your bag?" demands a voice beside you.
You look up to see a tall, broad enforcer looming over you as he points at the bag. His eyes narrow, making him look even more menacing.
"Have you paid for those games?" he asks.
What do you do?
[[Grab the bag and run]]
[[Try to explain]]You slide between a couple of gamers who have turned to look at other tables and find yourself a step closer to the Infinity Gauntlet demo. The game is heating up. One player draws their next card, and a large grin creeps onto their face. Looks like things are about to get interesting.
You still can't see enough of the action because a big guy wearing some purple makeup is blocking most of your view. You try to sidle past him to get a better view, but your huge backpack, which sticks out well past your shoulders, slams the big guy in the side.
You turn to apologize when, just for a moment, as you look up, you think that he's not actually wearing face paint. He is truly purple -- and HUGE! Your gaze drops down past his bulging, purple biceps to a golden gauntlet that envelops one of his hands.
You close your eyes and shake your head, trying to clear your mind of the weird vision. But when you open your eyes, the "cosplayer" has raised his gauntleted hand as he stares daggers at you. With an evil grin, he presses his thumb into his middle and forefinger, and snaps!
[[After the Snap]]You open your eyes a moment later to find the purple cosplayer gone, along with half of the convention attendees. This must be some weird dream, you think. You probably fainted and are right now lying on a cot in the first aid station.
But what if you're wrong? What if this isn't a dream? The convention hall appears eerily vacant as motes of matter scatter and disappear into nothingness all around you. After pinching yourself to see if this is all real, one singular thought rises to the front of your brain: The demo tables are open!
While everyone else stands there dazed, with vacant looks on their faces as they try to figure out what happened, you take a seat at one of the demo tables.
Which demo do you choose?
[[Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers]]
[[Stuffed Fables]]
[[Infinity Gauntlet]]As you head over to talk to Steve Kimball, another attendee rushes forward and engages him in conversation. No big deal. You can wait your turn. Then, another attendee walks up. Then, other members of his team seem to pull him aside. You slowly begin to realize that you may be standing here for a while to simply say "hi."
You notice the tower of board games positioned behind Steve and realize that this setup would make for a great selfie, actually. Excellent! You may not be able to say hi, but a self-indulgent selfie thumbs up with Steve Kimball and a towering stack of games in the background will make for a good convention memory.
You pull out your phone and turn the camera on. Now, time for a pose. You go with, as you thought, the thumbs up and cheesy grin, making sure to get Steve in the pic with the tower of games. And...click.
FLASH!
The light from the camera rocks your senses and sends you reeling. You feel yourself fall, then falling, and falling...and then...your head hits something soft.
Your eyes snap open as you examine your surroundings. Confusion hits you as you see your apartment. Not only that, but it's the view from your bed. You look down to find yourself in your anime PJs.
You realize it was all a dream.
You sigh, roll over, and go back to sleep. The real convention will be here soon.
Your adventure has ended.The line finally moves ahead of you, so you know a new group must be about to enter the promo booth. Now is your best chance to get a behind the scenes view of the presentation.
You step out of the line and very nonchalantly saunter off toward the edge of the convention hall. Once there, and after making sure no one is around, you break into a jog toward the back corner of the booth.
Inside you see gamers filing into the other end of the booth and taking their seats in the rows of chairs that dominate most of the large booth. A long table stands between you and the chairs. The table is currently draped with a cloth that hides several large, amorphous lumps. That must be where they will demo the games they are revealing, you realize.
This is perfect, you think. You'll be able to see everything from here and get half your day back that you can use on other fun convention stuff instead of standing in line.
"Thank you all for coming to the Z-Man Games promo demo," says a melodic voice you can't see. "We're excited to finally unveil what Z-Man has been up to behind the scenes this past year."
As you listen to the intro, the marketing spokesperson steps into view and, maddeningly, stops behind the table, blocking your view completely. All you can see is the back of her business suit.
Well, at least you can still listen to her presentation, you realize. It's not a total loss.
"Now," she says next, "if you all reach under your chairs, you'll find headphones you can wear. The rest of this presentation will be broadcast for your ears only!"
You sigh. They thought of everything. You realize it is hopeless, and your time would be better spent checking out the other parts of the con.
Where do you go?
Return to [[Hall Entrance]]
[[Game Demos]]
[[Go to the Food Court]]You don't think there is any way this enforcer is going to believe anything you say at this point. You're pretty sure that no matter what you do, you're going to end up in con-jail and miss out on everything you came here to see today.
And...you can't end up in con-jail. Not you! You'd be banned from ever coming back to this convention. And...your name may get blacklisted for other conventions! Suddenly, you're not allowed at any convention...ever! Your days as a con-goer are finished! No more promos, no more early access, no more surprise announcements of unknown (yet softly whispered about for months) games! No more convention goodies...nothing! No!
Before you even think about what you are doing or the consequences, panic overtakes you. And. You. Bolt!
"Hey!" yells the enforcer, who obviously was not expecting that reaction from you. "Stop!"
You put the enforcer's hesitation to good use and sprint out into the main hall, hoping to lose him in the crowd. You reach the entrance unmolested. As you stand there panting to regain your breath, you hear the burly enforcer's voice in the distance, but you don't see any other enforcers taking notice of you.
Now, you just need to act cool, like this never happened. As long as you don't act suspiciously, and avoid the enforcer, you'll be fine.
What do you do next?
[[Leave the convention]]
[[Stay at the con]]"No," you reply. "I just noticed this bag sitting here in the middle of the floor."
"So, you thought you'd pick up someone else's property and start rummaging through it yourself, huh?" asked the enforcer.
"N-no. N-not at all," you stammer, even though that's exactly what you had done.
You think for a moment, hoping inspiration will strike and, amazingly, it does.
"I was looking for a receipt to figure out who all these games belong to," you blurt out so fast it even sounds like a lie to you.
"That makes sense," says the burly enforcer, apparently buying your story. "Well?" he adds after a long silence.
"Right!" you almost shout.
You go back to looking through the bag and there, below the large box you had noticed earlier, which you are very excited to find is a 20th Anniversary Edition of Carcassonne, you find the receipt.
You pull the receipt out of the bag and scan it looking for a name attached to the payment info at the bottom.
"It belongs to an M. Eeple," you say, doing your best to read the smudged printing. "Why does that sound familiar?" you add.
"It is pronounced, 'Meeple,'" says a booming voice behind you.
You turn around to see a giant wooden playing piece with a face staring down at you from the rounded, blocky head. In the back of your brain, you know he must be a cosplayer, but the costume looks so real. He has no hands or feet. His wooden limbs just end at rounded edges.
The giant meeple teeters forward, not even bending at the waist. You cringe as you worry that he is going to fall on you. But then he pulls back, wobbling a bit on his peg legs when he reaches full height. That's when you notice the bag, which is now, somehow, attached to his "hand."
"He's really a meeple!" you whisper, right before the heady scent of painted wood overcomes you and you faint.
Your adventure has come to an end.You make it out of the convention hall and all the way down the escalator with the bag in your hand. You can see the doors to the street just across the main lobby at the bottom of the escalator. You're almost free.
Just as you step off the escalator, however, you find yourself flanked by convention center security. They grab you by the elbows and hold you in place as you hear a familiar, gruff voice booming down at you from above.
Security turns you around to face the burly enforcer who steps off the escalator and looms over you.
"I'll take that," he says as he grabs the bag from your grip. "Take him away, boys!"
The enforcer chuckles. "I've always wanted to say that."
A moment later, you find yourself pushed through the doors onto the street outside the convention center.
Your adventure has ended.The food court features pretty standard convention fare. There are salads in clear plastic clamshell containers, bags of chips, and cans of soda everywhere. You also see those prepackaged sub sandwiches featuring ham, turkey, and baloney-colored slabs of meat along with orange-ish cheese slices and suspicious looking lettuce all wrapped up with tubes of mayo and mustard squished against the wrapper.
The sandwiches don't exactly scream "appetizing." However, you see people walking by with pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, and the like.
In the middle of the food court is a station containing condiments, plastic cutlery, napkins, and a hand-washing station that seems like it has hardly been used all day.
What do you do?
[[Choose some food]]
[[Wash your hands]]Your hunger has become too much to bear, so you decide to examine the food choices a little closer.
The prepackaged sandwiches and salads seem a little suspect. In fact, as you stand there checking them out, several people pick up plastic encased food items, hold them up to their noses to sniff, and then set them back down.
You decide to get something made fresh (or as fresh as possible from a window in a wall in the back of a convention hall). This leaves you with pizza at some random mall-like pizzeria, or hot dogs or hamburgers at the "American Grill."
Which do you choose?
[[American Grill]]
[[Pizza]]You're famished, but after spending some time in the convention hall, you realize you should wash your hands before you handle food that will enter your body. Just like the old saying goes, "Cleanliness is next to not getting the Con Crud."
After a vigorous 20-second scrubbing of your digits, palms, wrists, and backs of your hands, you turn to dry your hands and assess your food choices.
The pre-packaged sandwiches and salads seem a little suspect. In fact, as you stand there checking them out, several people pick up plastic encased food items, hold them up to their noses to sniff, and then set them back down.
You decide to get something made fresh (or as fresh as possible from a window in a wall in the back of a convention hall). This leaves you with a choice between pizza at some random mall-like pizzeria, or hot dogs or hamburgers at the "American Grill."
Which do you choose?
[[American Grill]]
[[Pizza]]You were always a fan of the classic tile-placement game, so you've been itching to check out the new version with a new theme. Now is your chance and you're not going to let a little thing like half of humanity being snapped out of existence stop you.
You lose track of time as you enjoy the Hunters and Gatherers demo, and eventually realize that, in light of the snap, you may want to see what has happened outside the convention.
You pack up your stuff, grab your free swag from the demo table, and head for the exit to see what this new world has to offer.
Your adventure is over.You have been really excited about the Stuffed Fables: Oh, Brother! Expansion ever since hearing about it. Now is your chance to get a first-hand look and you're not going to let a little thing like half of humanity being snapped out of existence stop you.
The demoer listens to someone talking to her through an earpiece and then turns to face you and the few other souls who have taken up spots at the table.
"Sorry, folks," she says. "In light of recent events, the convention hall is closing for the day. If we reopen again tomorrow, your passes for today will all be honored."
You are ushered out of the hall along with the rest of the attendees.
Your adventure is over.You have been really curious about the release of Infinity Gauntlet ever since hearing about it. Now is your chance to get a first-hand look and you're not going to let a little thing like half of humanity being snapped out of existence stop you.
As you wait for the Z-Man Games demoer to recover from the shock of the snap, you study the cards left on the table from the previous game.
At that moment, though, the demoer turns back to the table and you get a look at his face. His PURPLE face.
"You didn't think you would get off so easily, did you?" the big guy says.
He raises his gauntleted hand again, points at you with one golden-clad finger, and executes a second snap!
Your adventure is over.The hot dogs seem overpriced (well, more overpriced than the hamburgers), but those fries look too good to pass up, as does the chili and cheese toppings. Decisions, decisions.
You decide that you really want a juicy burger and some fries. You place your order and wait a few minutes for the cooks to finish grilling a batch. After you get your paper basket filled with fries along with a steaming burger wrapped in foil, you head to the condiment station to smother the burger and fries in ketchup.
By some miracle, a group leaves the table next to the condiment station as you are finishing up, so you head over there to enjoy your meal. You find you are ravenous and end up devouring the burger and fries in record time.
"Ahh," you say with a big sigh. "I'm stuffed."
Now What?
(if: (history:) contains "Choose some food")[[Visit Bathroom]](if: (history:) contains "Wash your hands")[[Enjoy Food]]You decide that you can't go wrong with pizza. Though, it seems most everyone else in the food court had the same thought. Hunger wins out in the end, and you step into line, the smell of the fresh slices wafting by, letting you know that the wait will be worth it.
By some miracle, a group leaves a table near the condiment station, so you head over to enjoy your meal. You find you are ravenous and end up devouring everything in record time.
"Ahh," you say with a big sigh. "You can never go wrong with pizza."
Now what?
(if: (history:) contains "Choose some food")[[Visit Bathroom]](if: (history:) contains "Wash your hands")[[Enjoy Food]]Almost immediately after dropping your trash in a receptacle at the edge of the food court, you realize that something is not right.
A low rumble and an unexpected burp tell you that you may want to head into the bathroom soon.
You find the bathroom off the side of the food court and rush inside. Immediately, you find the lights out and the only visible light is what streams in from the door that refuses to shut all the way. Having no other choice, you find a stall.
As you sit, you suddenly hear a low growl behind you, but the darkness prevents you from seeing it. Well...you don't so much "hear" it. Surprisingly, a box of text pops up into your view on the stall door in front of you. It says, "It is pitch dark. You suddenly hear a low growl behind you."
Before you can process what you're seeing, and certainly before you can type your response of, "I run out of the bathroom," you are caught by the creature in the dark. You were always weary that the convention food would be your undoing.
You are devoured by a grue.
Your convention experience has ended.You toss your trash in a nearby receptacle as the glow of hot food warms your stomach. As you walk back toward the main attractions in the convention hall, you revel in the savory memory of your meal. Although, after wolfing it down so fast, it's hard to believe you actually tasted any of it.
But the food was actually pretty good. Much better than you expected from convention fare. It pays to eat early, you realize, before the food sits around for hours.
With a full belly and fond memories of the meal, you look around to decide what to do next.
[[Game Demos]]
Return to [[Hall Entrance]] You decide to risk it and stay at the convention. If you just act natural, blend in, you won't get caught. You've been waiting for this convention for a whole year. You can't go home yet.
You find a crowd and slide between the people, moving deeper and deeper in, which closes around you like a comforting cocoon.
Unfortunately, your huge backpack, which sticks way out behind your shoulders, continues to bump and snag on people. You apologize continuously as they shoot you dirty looks.
Suddenly, you bump into something that feels like a brick wall right in the middle of this crowd of people. Your mouth gapes open as you see the enforcer standing before you. You try to apologize, but nothing comes out.
"Found you!" yells the enforcer. "Stealing is one thing, but muscling your way through crowds while wearing that ridiculous backpack is inexcusable!"
He grabs you by the arm, snatches the bag, and escorts you through the crowd, which seems oblivious to your pain and humiliation.
"Everybody move!" yells the enforcer. Just like in the //Princess Bride//, the crowd parts before him, creating a wide avenue for the enforcer to haul you to the entrance.
There, he hands you over to the convention center's security, who haul you outside and deposit you on the street.
Your adventure has ended.