In February I had the absolute pleasure of attending Level Up Retreat in New Jersey. Vel and I made the journey to what I assumed is a small convention, but size can be deceptive. The size of the convention did not mean it wasn’t packed with people and things to do.

A few things to get out before we get into the meat of the adventure. The hotel, Delta Hotels Marriott Woodbridge, NJ, was amazing. Great parking. Rooms were lovely. Food from the in-house restaurant was nice. Wonderful, would stay there again. The local food was also good, I love checking out the local eats when I got to conventions/events.

This convention was geared towards board games, role-playing games, and tabletop minis. Their board game library was stacked with some amazing games that I personally loved and a bunch more that I wanted to try. I was awesome to see a bunch of game demos out on the floor showing their games off to people. Vendor halls are a great way to reach people but there is something very personable about being able to just sit down and learn a new games, and it helps when the people teaching you the game know extremely well. It is so much better than arguing about what you think the rules might mean.

Aside from the board game library you also had the option of a number of roleplaying games to pick from. You could join a scheduled game if there were seats available, learn to play a game you’ve never played before, or grab an open table and play a new game that you may have just bought from the vendors hall. There was no shortage of places to play and people to play with.

Of course, we cannot forget the tabletop minis. HOLMGANG, Level Up’s Tournament series had Warhammer 40k, Boarding Action 40k, and Blood Bowl. With prize support and minis that you could borrow. No minis? No Problem. That’s really thoughtful. These armies can cost a LOT of money to put together and that doesn’t include painting them. If you love the game but don’t have the cash for the army, they had your back.

As usual, I spent most of my time in the vendor hall for events. Everyone has their own way to have fun and mine is learning about new games and playing them. We love supporting our indie developers. Sporting everything from minis, roleplaying games, board games, gaming aids and even a charity, I was impressed.

We walked away with an adorable 3D Dragon for my Lily from 3D2U (who’s business card is also a ruler, made of wood. Honestly, I’m gonna use this) and had I all the money to throw at them, I would have. Dice towers, dragons, mimic boxes and monster books. I would have bought it all with nowhere to put all the stunning work. The Beaded Halfling has the best wooden tiles and accessories for your table. There are a few different things I love about his work. Laser cut wood tiles seems an easy concept. But the thought put behind his work is admirable. So, follow me here, the flat parts obviously fit next to each other but the sides that are decoratively cut can also be put together to form a canyon. He has a water section that you can put a clear blue plastic bit in to show that it’s water and still see the squares. Not water, that’s fine. He’s got green, red, black… you can have your players stepping in ANYTHING. Ew. Not to mention the blocks, working portcullis, stairs, pillars. I’m honestly so impressed and the prices are reasonable. If we were still played TTRPGs in person (and if we do in the future), this would be on my list.

Th3rd World Studios pulled me in with an upcoming charcuterie board game that I was sad was just a demo copy; I came down the next day ready to buy it. Alas, I only walked away with Arcane Academy, a game that I am really excited to play. Spellcasters dueling for honor and prestige has my name written all over it. (But seriously, if you are reading this, I need Charcuterie the boardgame when it comes out).

Arcane Academy was far from the only board game to buy. We also found Dice Fights. This is a game that is easy to learn and hard to master. I cannot play with my husband again because it won’t end well. Woodstock Games came up with a quick fun game that can be played just about anywhere. Roll dice, tally up, level up, next round. The box is even a giant die that can be used. One box is for 2 players, need more players, buy more boxes. That aside, I can’t wait for their upcoming game Terraform, I already have all the stickers. A huge shout out to Board Games for the Better, an amazing non-profit that gifts board games and board game experiences to improve mental health, stress and social engagement. I love what they do and can’t wait to work with them in the future (you know a girl likes charities) and we donated to get Bears vs Babies… it’s as weird as it sounds, and the box is fuzzy. Buy it.

Of course, TTRPGs were available with Mediastream Press with several roleplaying games that look incredible. I can’t wait to try Mansions of the Multiverse & The Demon Age. There is so much passion: I can’t wait to see what they do next. The artwork of Sally Cantirino (comic & RPG artist) is *chefs kiss* and you should follow this lovely lady. 3, 2, 1… Action Games has a simple system that loves the rule of cool. John has a lot of content already, I had to grab ‘The Devil in New Jersey’ and am (im)patiently waiting for The Hotel Exorcist. I got a book for my Lily by Jeri Shepherd. We left this convention with a lot of stuff and empty wallets . This isn’t even all the amazing vendors or people we met.

Again, everyone was incredible, but the one thing husband and I agreed on was that we weren’t leaving without The Big Shuffle. The gentlemen knew exactly how to sell an excellent game. This was probably my favorite booth set-up ever. We even got to meet the designer, Ken Oum, head of Previously Pluto (who is working on a sci-fi robot visual novel, yeah, a video game). I would never be able to give the game justice so here is what they say…

The Big Shuffle

The Big Shuffle is a film noir card game where you are trying to make your way in an uncaring city. You play a classic noir character who is trying to set up the perfect scene for their agenda. You have to play smart though, as it is easy for someone else to change the scene for their benefit also. Full of role-playing opportunities, The Big Shuffle pairs well with a cigar, whiskey, and smooth jazz.

That smoothest line was asking me my name, I said Crymson like I do, then them saying that the cards were also crimson. The Kickstarter deck had red foil edges… and you know a girl likes her red, so I had to get that special set. I loved playing a villain just trying to get her agenda taken care of. Loved the concept and would play with them anytime.

I loved Level Up, I love going to more unplugged conventions, meeting people and playing games. I can’t wait to see what their next event is so I can schedule for it.

Happy Gaming!