Board games have always been integral to Comic Con Africa. This year, though, it’d be quite easy to get sucked right in and forget to check out the rest of the Con. Unplug Yourself is, once again, the official tabletop gaming partner for the event, which kicked off Thursday, 24 September, and runs until late on Sunday, 27 September.
You’ll want to head on over to Hall 5, the easiest spot to access the board game hall. It’s been given far more room to manoeuvre this year, allowing for some extra activations that haven’t always been present. And, of course, there’s ample room for a full-blown Catan tournament. Head in, pay R50 for a green wristband, and you’re all set.
Unplug Yourself, but not like that
Arguably the most popular modern board game of all time is Catan, so it only makes sense that Unplug Yourself is giving it this much attention. You’ll find several tables loaded with the iconic game that’ll require 3-4 players to tackle before DLC. Play game after game throughout the day, and the organiser will keep track of all the points you’ve managed to assemble. The more points you amass, the bigger the prize you can trade them in for.
If Catan doesn’t gel with your vibe, the board game hall is littered with ‘how-to’ stalls that’ll run you through the basics and complexities of whatever game takes your fancy. There are the big names — like Catan, Yu-Gi-Oh, and 7 Wonders — but also lesser-known games like Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. No, really. The more intricate games will obviously require more time for teaching, while basic ones can be done in ten minutes.
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Once you know how to play, grab one of the open-use board games on offer and a few buds to settle some scores. This way, you can try out different games without wasting your hard-earned money (other than the R50 wristband) first. If you’re happy with something, there’s a dedicated board game store to take it home with you.
Finally, there’s the speed-puzzler wizards. That green wristband will give attendees access to a puzzling competition where the name of the game is speed. You’ll be timed to see how long it takes to complete an entire puzzle, with the best times landing themselves on the leaderboard. The names at the top will earn all sorts of big prizes. This is reset daily, so you have another shot at scoring the high score if you’re coming back tomorrow.
