Welcome to Board Game Bash!
Board Game Bash is a board game convention here in beautiful Austin, Texas. Come out and play some awesome board games with some cool gamers.
The convention will take place starting on Friday, August 3rd and run until Sunday, August 5th. That’s 48 hours of solid gaming! More details will be released as everything is worked out
If you have any questions, please feel free to check our FAQ or just contact info@boardgamebash.com.
Battlestar Galactica Drinking Game
BSG is a wonderful game, and easily in my top 5 games. I like the additions in Pegasus and Exodus. But it’s a long game fueled by accusation, mistrust, and deception. I like BSG because it’s not a game of mechanics, but a social game where you play the other players more than you play the game.
So the inclusion of alcohol can potentially take the game to another level. Since any game will be about 4 hours or so, let’s make the time pass with some booze!
First, define some terms. Players should, ideally, have two kinds of drinks at the ready. One should be lower in alcohol content, either a mixed drink or a beer or wine cooler (for the kids). The other should be something that will be shot. Two terms will be referenced below. A “sip” means just that. Take a normal sip from your lower-alcohol content drink. A “shot” means pound back a jigger of hard liquor or a mixed shot (for the kids).
Here’s what I’m thinking (like the rulebook, “human” is meant to include unrevealed Cylons):
- Every time the humans pass a crisis with “No Effect”, all the humans take a sip. Every time the humans get something good from a crisis, all the humans take a shot. (Good things from crisis cards are so rare that it’s worth celebrating.) If it’s a Supercrisis, then upgrade that sip to a shot. (No good comes from a Supercrisis.)
- Every time the humans fail a crisis, the Cylons take a sip. If it’s a Supercrisis, upgrade that to a shot.
- If a human is thrown in the brig, the Cylons take a sip. Any humans that wish to toast the successful skill check may do so.
- When a civilian ship is destroyed, the Cylons take a sip.
- When a boarding party makes it onto Galactica, the Cylons take a sip.
- Whenever a resource falls into the red zone, the Cylons shall chortle and take a sip.
- If a Cylon reveals himself outside of the brig, all Cylons take a shot in the form of a toast. The revealer should lead the toast.
- If the President or Admiral changes hands, the new President or Admiral takes a shot. If the CAG changes hands, the new CAG only gets a sip. The CAG changed hands too often for that to be a big deal.
- Executions! Any time a human player is executed (but before revealing his loyalty cards), all humans take a sip for the soon to be departed. If the humans killed another human, the Cylons take a shot. If the humans killed a Cylon, the humans take a shot. If the executed party was the Admiral, President, or CAG, whichever party took the shot takes another one.
- When one player looks at any other player’s loyalty card(s), the two shall clink glasses, toast to their shared humanity, and take a sip.
- Any time a nuke is fired, EVERYONE takes a shot because it’s time to get bombed.
- If a Basestar is destroyed, the humans take a shot. If Pegasus is destroyed, the Cylons take a shot.
- When the humans jump, but before the Admiral chooses a location, the humans shall toast with “So say we all!” and take a BIG sip, ideally finishing their current drink in a gluttonous gulp.
- When the Cylons get to the end of the Pursuit track (from Exodus), they shall toast with “And all this will happen again,” and take the BIG sip to finish their drink.
- When a human completes a personal objective (from Exodus), he shall take a shot while everyone else groans.
- The victors, human or Cylon, shall take a shot and then finish their drink upon winning. If the Cylon Leader wins, he takes an extra shot. If the humans lose, and a Cylon player remained unrevealed through the game, that Cylon player also takes a second shot.
- BLACKOUT VARIANT: Anytime a player accuses or insinuates another player is a Cylon, the accuser takes a sip. EMERGENCY ROOM VARIANT: Upgrade that to a shot. (Please do not play with these variants unless you’re in a suicide-pact boardgaming cult. If you are in a suicide-pact boardgaming cult, please find another cult to join.)
I realize that this can possibly lead to a chain of drinks. This is to be encouraged and celebrated.
I have no rules for New Caprica or the Ionian Nebula, since I haven’t played them enough. Feel free to add ideas for those in the comments.
I’m open to suggestions to improve this list. Just put it in the comments below. If I like it, I’ll add it to the official list.
This idea definitely needs playtesting, too.
Back from BGG
Wow, what a week. My other favorite convention, BoardGameGeek.Con, was last week, and it was awesome. It’s tough to remember everything that was played, but I can say that I had a fantastic time.
Played just two games of Battlestar Galactica, one with the base set, and one with both Pegasus and Exodus. I love that game. I’d like to come up with a solution to play a MASSIVE game that includes all three end games from the expansion. (Even though people hate New Caprica, I want to give it another try.) I’m also looking to come up with a BSG drinking game. Look for that in another post… Anyway, I rather liked the new personal goals that were included, but I wish that they were closer to the Cylon Leader goal, in that you don’t get a new one if you complete the old one. I’d rather an end-game goal where maybe some people win and some lose. I also liked the pursuit track and the massing of ships on the basestar board. I never got to explore what the new actions were over there. I’d really like to take some time with the Exodus rulebook. But that game is so wonderful, and I look forward to at least one more expansion for it.
Also played Blood Bowl: Team Manager twice. I’m glad that game’s as fun and solid as it is. It’s attracting gamers of all stripes, and I’m finding that both Ameritrash lovers (like me) can find common ground in it with Eurogamers.
Game show was very difficult this year and found the Superpals falling from a third place finish last year down to eighteenth this year. But it was quite fun and clever. ”Hoooot streak!”
Puzzle hunt was hot and cold, with some fun challenges and some that weren’t great. Again, fun was had, but we didn’t place so well.
Of course, Medieval Times was a highlight. We were able to arrange a great party of 23 people this year! Took our picture with the falconer, which was MEGATIGHT.
It really jazzed me up for Board Game Bash this August. I got to talk up the convention, and hopefully get some out-of-town word out there about it.
Board game conventions are awesome, and bring in a great crowd. I’ve always thought that board games have the friendliest community, and these cons always prove that’s the case.
BoardGameGeek.CON this week!
Yay! I’m heading up to BoardGameGeek.CON in just a little bit, and I can’t wait. I’m looking forward to trying out Battleship Galaxies and, of course, playing some Battlestar Galactica. BGG.CON is one of the major highlights of the year for me, and is, naturally, a major inspiration for Board Game Bash. BGG.CON is a solid five days of gaming that us Austinites are capping off with a trip to Medieval Times. You don’t have to be from Austin to join us, though. Just contact me about coming along, and I’ll add you in!
Planning for 2012
Even as last year’s Board Game Bash was going on, one of the questions I heard most often was “When is the next one?” I really appreciated that people enjoyed themselves enough to start anticipating another convention, so I was already thinking about what I’d do as a follow up.
Even though it’s barely been 2 months since the convention’s ended, I’m already knee-deep in getting ready for the 2012 convention. (Strange how 10 months can feel so short!) Right now, I’m trying to secure a hotel. I have a good weekend in mind for it, but until I get the space, I don’t want to commit to those dates. Trouble is, hotels are always looking for something bigger and better, and our convention doesn’t buy any food (as a group; we certainly visit the hotel bar and restaurant) and, being local, doesn’t buy any significant amount of room space. I don’t necessarily blame the hotels; they don’t want to book a small group now and miss a larger group later. But it does make planning somewhat difficult.
But I’d really like to have a location and date set in the next couple days.
