Coffins and Tombstones by Fearlight Games is a tabletop miniatures skirmish set in a stylized Old West. Opposing players face off in scenarios, such as bank robbers versus townsfolk, and battle it out. Last man standing wins. Feedback from players was extremely positive. They told us that Fearlight’s Spectrum system was very quick and easy to learn, as opposed to some other tabletop miniatures games which have 400 page rulebooks. The skirmish format lets you jump in and fight a half-hour battle – you don’t have to dedicate all afternoon to a protracted engagement. Another plus is that while other games require the purchase of expensive miniatures to play, C&T comes with cardboard cutouts for players to use. For those who want to use minis, C&T is scaled for standard 25 mm miniatures so players can buy affordable Old West minis from companies such as Reaper Miniatures. Heck, they can even use a Cowboys and Indians toy set from the dollar store! When asked if they would buy the game, experienced tabletop war-gamers said “Yes.” Sounds like an endorsement!

In short, Coffins and Tombstones is affordable, accessible, and fun! And so we dub it Game of the Con!

Our sponsors really help to make this happen and we hope you will continue to support them year round: Game Citadel (d20 co-sponsor), Flip the Table, Topsham Games, BAGG, Hull Breach!, and Fearlight Games. EmbroidME provided us with wonderful t-shirts (featuring wonderful art by Catey Eason) and came on board as our SWAG Bag Sponsor. We’ve also been lucky to have a great venue at the Black Bear Inn since we started this crazy SnowCon thing! Thank you for treating the hotel and event space with the love and care you normally reserve for your favorite character sheet.

There were more demos than ever at SnowCon this year. We hope you were able to playtest and demo Quest for the Antidote, Hull Breach! Corporate Wars, Coffins and Tombstones, and Pixel Lincoln at some point over the weekend. Thank you to those games’ designers and companies for bringing their games to SnowCon.

Guest GMs Jay Libby and Andre Kruppa returned this year with new RPG campaigns and experiences, thrilling players with their craft. If only we could fit more sessions with them in the schedule! Please connect with them online and let them know how much you appreciate them spending time at SnowCon every year.

Without the amazing support and work of ALL our GMs we’d have a pretty boring weekend. Thank you from the bottom of our dice bags! We hope you will continue to wear your SnowCon 2013 Gamemaster t-shirts with pride (but please wash them first!)

Because one weekend is never enough, our vendors brought great product for you to purchase and continue playing at home. We’re very grateful to have hosted Game Citadel, Crossroad Games, All the Chains, and NSB Games in this years Vendor Room.

Of course, an essential part of SnowCon every year is the Game Library which was managed by the Bangor Area Gamers Guild this year. They did an amazing job beefing up the selection as well as recommending and getting orphaned gamers started on new adventures.

SnowCon has evolved much over 5 years and it’s been great to add expansions like Friday’s “So You Meet in a Tavern …” kick-off party at the Bear Brew and Sunday’s after-party at The Family Dog. Not only do we wish to thank the staffs of both establishments for putting up with us (especially the Bear Brew’s amazing service for 3 years running), but DJ DeHuman8 and the 2013 Nerdprov Players for ushering in another great gaming weekend.

To all the volunteers, players, GMs and anyone we may have missed, THANK YOU again for making SnowCon great. We can’t wait to see you next year!

(2013 Game of the Con announcement to follow shortly.)

Flip the Table is bringing Pixel Lincoln to SnowCon 2013! Through a special arrangement with Game Salute and designer Jason Tagmire, d8 sponsor Flip the Table will be running pre-release demos of Pixel Lincoln all weekend long.

In this classic adventure game, you will travel through time and space, searching for the pieces needed to restore the balance of time.

There are enemies in every corner, and as Pixel Lincoln, you must defeat them – but first you need to build an awesome deck! Equip the finest weapons, bring your best cheat codes, and do whatever it takes to get the highest score! Because in the end, that’s all that matters.

Pixel Lincoln: The Deckbuilding Game plays in about 45 minutes, and players will explore the highly customizable levels by revealing cards as they progress. Cards vary from items/power-ups to enemies, NPCs, secrets, bosses and much more. As you purchase or defeat these cards, they are added to your deck. Defeat all of the bosses or die trying!

This year NSB Games returns with Corporate Wars, the next set in the evolution of Hull Breach! Check out the scheduled demos in the gaming hall or visit their table in the Vendor Room all weekend.

Thank you NSB for joining us again this year and becoming a d4 Sponsor of SnowCon 2013.

In anticipation…we offer you OUR take on the classic hit, “Friday.”

Seven p.m., goin’ out in the evening
Gotta be fresh, gotta hit the con
Gotta have my dice, gotta have my game book
Seein’ everything, the time is goin’
Tickin’ on and on, everybody’s rushin’
Gotta get down to the tavern
Gotta catch my party, see my friends….

Rollin’ for my wisdom
Throwin’ my charisma
Gotta make my mind up
Which stat can I take?

It’s Friday, Friday
SnowCon starts on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the SnowCon weekend…
Friday, Friday
Gettin’ down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend

Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Lookin’ forward to the weekend…

Lookin’ forward to the SNOW CON WEEKEND!

<video to follow>

SING ALONG!

Strap on your six shooter and prepare for one hell of a ride! Coffins and Tombstones is the fastest, meanest, gosh darndest miniatures skirmish game this side of Dodge City. Your posse will be made up of Western heroes and legends, from Annie Oakley to Wyatt Earp. The Spectrum System dice will bring your western shootout to life as you make all of the tactical decisions. You choose when to be careful and when to get risky as you go head to head with your opponent and shoot your way to the top – just avoid the deadly Coffins and Tombstones. Each participant will also get a free PDF copy of the rulebook!

Founded in 2012, Fearlight Games was launched by Kirby Young as a home for a series of settings for The Spectrum System.

The Spectrum System is a set of core rules for playing any setting of miniatures.  Its main feature uses dice symbols rather than numbers, opposed rolls instead of target numbers, and allows the defender to roll dice and take his own fate in his hands. It includes a system for leveling up characters in your faction, making them better in between game scenarios and battles making the game all the better to come back and play. Ultimately, It is designed to give miniatures gamers more customization and give the players more interaction with their dice rolls. Additionally, Spectrum dice are customized for each published setting, adding more detail to the genre of the specific setting.

The Spectrum System was developed by Bryce Whitacre. Bryce wrote the first setting,Coffins and Tombstones. He also authored The Defeated Dead and The French and Indian War for Rogue Games’ epic historical horror RPG Colonial Gothic. Currently he is working for Margaret Weis Productions on the Age of Apocalypse Campaign Setting for Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, and working on the next couple of settings for the Spectrum System.

You can join the ranks of Vin Disel (who even got Dame Judi Dench to play with him!), Lexa Doig, George RR Martin, Wil Wheaton, Felicia Day, Stephen Colbert, Tim Duncan, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Kevin Smith, Robin Williams, Joss Wheadon, Matt Groening, Moby, Paton Oswalt, Michelle Malkin, John C Reilly, Karl Urban, and even Norwegian Minster for International Development Heikki Holmås and NBA coach Mike Brown.

But if that’s not your thing, you can always play Monopoly.

Check out the video!

There are some deeply ingrained stereotypes about Dungeons & Dragons, and those stereotypes usually begin and end with people shouting “NERD!!!” But the reality of the D&D universe is a whole lot more complex. Rather than being an escape from reality, D&D is actually a way to enhance some important real life skillz! It’s a chance to learn problem solving, visualization, interaction, organization, people management… the list could go on and on. Plus, there are some very famous non-nerds who have declared an affinity for D&D, so best stop criticizing and join in if you want to be a successful at the game of life. Mike Rugnetta expands on the magic D&D can bring to YOUR life!

YOU have been POISONED! Now you must venture across a vast and dangerous landscape in search of a cure. Growing weaker by the minute, you must balance both strategy and luck if you hope to survive. But the poison is the least of your worries! In your journey, you will need to battle monsters, outwit nature, and dodge your opponents’ meddling, all while trying to find the right antidote ingredients before it’s too late. Easy to learn but impossible to master, this game is fun for all ages. Good luck in your QUEST FOR THE ANTIDOTE!

Topsham Games, LLC, is a Maine-based gaming company that is preparing to launch its first strategy game, QUEST FOR THE ANTIDOTE, in the spring of 2013. Using Maine designers and Maine artists, Topsham Games, LLC is locally owned and operated. The company was founded by two local gamers whose love of board games inspired them to create their own. With one game on the way and dozens in the pipeline, Topsham Games hopes to develop exciting, challenging, and fun games for players of all ages. “Like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for more information!

photo by Shane Leonard

Playing games is only part of the fun at SnowCon every year. Bringing your favorites home with you means more gaming all year long! In our Vendor Room, you’ll find some of the best game retailers in the State of Maine. It’s a great opportunity to purchase that new game you tried out in the Game Library or something you’ve been dying to get your hands on.

Here’s some vendors to look forward to this year:

Game Citadel
Crossroad Games
Hull Breach!
All the Chains

And don’t forget to stop by the SnowCon merch table to get your Official SnowCon 2013 T-shirt featuring the art of Catey Eason.

We have a LOT of games on the schedule. More than we’ve ever had before.

But we’d be glad to have more!

If you’re thinking of running a game, feel free to submit one before January 13th. (And of course, you’re always welcome to post a game at SnowCon itself too! We’ll have forms onsite for you!)

So – SUBMIT! You will be glad you did!

(And so will we!)