Live at PAX Unplugged 2023

Learn & Play: Whist, Hearts, & Wizard - Basics of Trick Taking Games
Friday Dec 1
5:00pm-7:00pm
Learn & Play (Rm 204A)

Trick-taking card games have a long history, and Rym & Scott from the GeekNights podcast will break it all down. Start by learning Whist and Hearts, two classic games that can be played with a 52-card deck, then move on to Wizard, a modern classic first published in 1984. Rym & Scott will not only teach the rules to these games, but also delve into common strategies to show you how trick-taking has grown to be one of today's most popular card game genres. Whist will involve a short play of one hand, Hearts will play to 40 points, and Wizard will be a full game play until the end of the session. Players will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis at event start time. Additional audience seating is available.

Mastering Game Mechanics: Worker Placement
Saturday Dec 2
2:30pm - 3:30pm
Crab God Theatre (Rm 113B)

Tabletop games are usually defined by the combination of mechanics they incorporate and usually have one "core" mechanic. We'll say something is a "worker placement game with card drafting" or a "deckbuilder" or an "engine building victory point salad" game. This is part of our gaming lexicon. More importantly the mechanics of a game are fundamental to how it plays. To master games and game design one must master game MECHANICS at a fundamental level. Join the GeekNights crew for a deep dive lecture into the world of "worker placement." From Bus to Caylus to Agricola to Everdell worker placement games are a vibrant space in tabletop.

This is part of one of a series we are planning following up from Mastering Game Mechanics at PAX East 2013!