PAXaus

Who doesn't love three whole days of gaming??

The Sheepcon crew had an awesome time at PAX Aus checking out the Ocular Rift, watching the LoL crowds in bemusement, attempting to last in the Johann Sebastian Joust—and of course trying out some new table-top games at the Top!

I really should've taken more photos...but there were so many distractions! (Expo Hall)

Dixit

In Dixit you take it in turns to make a story from one of your (rather abstract) cards. The stories vary from short phrases like 'Tragedy Strikes' or 'Donkey Konga' to drawn out and complicated fairy tales. After you select the story card from your hand you place it onto the table and the other players must attempt to obfuscate the situation by each adding a card with a similar theme to the pool. They then take bets on the likelihood of which is the 'real' story card. The first to 30 points wins the game.

   

Dixit would be a great game for friends who know each other well, you can use in-group memes and subtle jibes to confuse or reveal which card represents the 'real' story. It becomes a lot harder to play when teaming up with folk that you don't know too well, like with the PAX pick-up situation, and in those situations the jokes and stories often fall flat. The artwork on the cards is bright and lively, but the quality and overall amount of cards could be improved. In a game with six people, we finished the deck twice before the end of the game.


Magic: The Gathering

Before you jeer, yes sorry, a couple of us had never actually played MTG before (or not properly at any rate). The game is BRUTAL. We loved it. The PAX Learn2Play iPad systems (the electronic game is called Magic 2014: Duels of the Planeswalkers) were also gratifying and worth looking for if you, like us, haven't yet given Magic: The Gathering a shot.


Quantum Werewolf

A variant of the card game Mafia. The table is divided up into two Werewolves and one Seer and the rest of the table, who are Villagers. The Villagers are teamed up against the Werewolves, but they are ignorant as to who exactly the werewolves are in the group. The Villagers must 'lynch' suspected Werewolves in the hopes of stymieing the bloody carnage that happens every night. The Werewolves, on the other hand, are on the hunt. Every night the Werewolves 'kill' another Villager and attempt to place the blame on someone else. The Seer is the only Villager who has a chance to 'see' who the Werewolf is, strangely they are often killed off first, despite complete anonymity.

The game, again, is great when played with people who know each other's foibles, who have small petty vendettas and are willing shoot insults back and forth until they have to stop, gasping for air. The game was fun briefly, we played three hands before losing interest. A stronger narrative element might be needed for the game to be played more comprehensively.


The Xbox One display, well... It certainly lacked the awe-inspiring appeal of the Ocular Rift.

Definitely looking forward to next year!

We The Sheeple