Columbia Tower Club Pre-PAX Tabletop Gaming Event for 2015!

For those of you looking for information on the 2015 Pre-PAX event, please click here.

Final donation tally: $4650

We made the donation to MEOW Cat Rescue today to the tune of $4650.00. That's going to make for a lot of kitty food, medical care and happy kitties.

When you add in the donations in the donation jar in the kitty room and the company-matched funds, it will most likely push the donation amount over $5000! Thank you to everyone who made this event such a success! We'll be back next year, but you can keep in touch throughout the year by coming to our monthly events. You can keep up with the latest by joining this Facebook group.

Want to learn how to play more games? Watch your favorites being played on TableTop!

Post-event survey! Win a game!

We have created a survey for event attendees to fill out. Do so and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a game of Tsuro! Only event attendees are eligible to win. Surveys like this help us tremendously to make future events more awesome, so please participate if you attended!

Click here to be taken to the survey!

Some very early numbers

Folks, we haven't factored in the net revenue from ticket sales yet, but donations today alone topped $3200. There's a decent chance that we will eclipse $4000 total. It always takes about a week for the dust to settle on these, but... wow! Just shows again how awesome the tabletop gaming community is.

Happy TableTop Day! Here's some info for checking in

Well, it's upon us! Happy TableTop Day!

We will be printing up the attendee manifest this morning at 9:00 AM. If we still have tickets left after that time, you'll still be able to purchase them online. We'll be checking in folks electronically from 11:00 to 11:30, so we'll be able to find you in the system. After 11:30, we will hand check-in over to the club, and they will only have the printed manifest. Therefore, please make sure you print and bring your ticket if you purchase it after 9:00 this morning and plan on arriving after 11:30.

There will be an attendant in the 5th Avenue lobby who will let you up on the elevator. Check-in will be on either the 40th or 75th floor. If you get to 40 and see nobody, take the elevator up to 75. We will check you in there. Tickets at the door are $50 CASH. The clever gamer who wishes to purchase tickets last minute will do so electronically and save themselves some money.

See you all soon!

Confirmed: We will have a deck of "Exploding Kittens" to play-test tomorrow

Seattle's own The Oatmeal himself has graciously donated a play-test deck of Exploding Kittens for us to play-test tomorrow. So much win!

Floorplan, parking and other important stuff

TableTop Day is almost here! Here's some information for you for Saturday. First of all, here is this year's floorplan. Click on it for a bigger image.



We don't have the northeast rooms this year, but we do have the southeast rooms. The kitties will be in the Board Room (southeast corner office) on Saturday. Very Important Kitties!

Parking: Your best bet is to park in the Columbia Tower Club garage. It's a flat $9 for the whole day. Just be sure you're out of there by midnight (which shouldn't be a problem, since the event ends at 11:00) or you will be charged BIG bucks (like $30-$40).

Public Transportation: The closest bus stop is the Pioneer Square Transit Tunnel station. It's 2 blocks up the hill from there.

Check-in: Doors open at 11:00 sharp on Saturday for main session/all session ticketholders. It's not required, but it helps a lot if you have a printed copy of your ticket when you check in. We will have a check-in station on the 40th floor from 11:00 until 11:30. If you arrive after that, proceed to the 75th floor and see the concierge desk, which will be on your right as you exit the elevator. For evening session only ticketholders, you will also check in at the concierge on 75. Evening session attendees may start showing up any time after 4:30.

If you have any questions, please email Matt at dawgsledevents@gmail.com. Thanks, and see you Saturday!

Game of the Day: Five Tribes

Today's Game of the Day episode, Five Tribes from Days of Wonder, just so happens to be today's actual new TableTop episode! In this meeple-intensive worker placement game, you are assuming the role of potential successors to the recently deceased Sultan. It's a heavy game, but in TableTop fashion, it's one that can also appeal to the casual gamer. Who has what it takes to ascend to the throne? Find out on today's episode, Five Tribes!

Update: Donations are off the hook! The TableTop Gaming community is awesome.

The generosity of the gaming community is staggering! We have over 80 items that have been donated to date, and this isn't even all of it yet. All of these will be going home with attendees, and we're working on a way to make sure that they get distributed in a way that's more fair than in the past. More details to come on that, but in the meantime, feast your eyes on this!

3 Hares Games
Lagoon: Land of Druids

Analog Gamer
$30 gift certificate (x2)

The Broken Token
Pathfinder: ACG Organizer
Marvel Legendary Organizer

Calliope Games
Double Double Dominoes
Roll For It! (x4)
Tsuro (x3)
Tsuro of the Seas (x2)

Castle Productions
The Great Debate

Cheapass Games
Get Lucky
Give Me the Brain
Stuff and Nonsense

Daft Concepts
Various Band Boxes
Star Wars X-Wing Movement Templates

Game Company No. 3
Oh My God! There's an Axe in My Head (x2)

Grandpa Beck's Games
Cover Your Assets (x3)
Scheming and Skulking (x3)
Grandpa Beck's Golf (x3)

Donations from GameWire
7 Wonders (Asmodee)
Custom artwork by Brittanie Boe - Dead of Winter
Custom artwork by Brittanie Boe - Lagoon: Land of Druids
Custom artwork by Brittanie Boe - Power Grid
Custom artwork by Brittanie Boe - Takenoko

IDW Games
Diamonsters
Dragon's Gold (not even out yet!)
Raftus Cactus

Lone Shark Games
Maze of Games
Smash-Up: Pretty Pretty Expansion (x2, from Paul Peterson himself!)

Mayday Games
Coconuts Duo
Toc Toc Woodman

North Star Games
Evolution
Wits and Wagers

The Oatmeal
Signed copy of How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You (x2)
Playtest version of Exploding Kittens (Unconfirmed, but likely)

OutNerdMe
Various Posters (x25)

Paizo Publishing
Pathfinder: ACG - Skulls and Shackles Base Set (x5)
Pathfinder: ACG - Skulls and Shackles Character Add-On Deck (x5)

Passport Game Studios
Kingsport Festival
Quantum
Samurai Spirit

Tasty Minstrel Games (TMG)
AquaSphere (x2)
Eminent Domain (x2)
Harbour (x2)

USAOpoly
Bang! The Walking Dead
Munchkin Adventure Time
Reverse Charades
Risk: Halo Legendary Edition
TacDex: Pirates
Tapple
Telestrations
Yahtzee: Doctor Who Edition

Voodoo Bunny
Incredible Expeditions: Quest for Atlantis

Don't have tickets yet? Better hurry! They're going fast, and both previous TableTop Day events have sold out. Click here to get yours.

Game of the Day: Geek Out

Today's game, Geek Out from Playroom Entertainment, is a trivia game where teams bid against each other to name the most "stuff" from a given pop culture category. You can play with primarily "nerdy" categories (like sci-fi, comics and fantasy, as examples), or you can play with more mainstream categories like TV, movies and others that "muggles" might enjoy more. Because of this, you can play this game with pretty much anyone. Enjoy today's episode, Geek Out!

Specialty drinks for TableTop Day!

Here's the post you've all been waiting for--the drinks! But first, a quick ticket update. We have a good supply of day session tickets left, but there are only 10 spots left for the evening session (and/or the all day session). Get yours while they last at http://TableToDay2015.shindigg.com.

To celebrate TableTop Day, why not have a drink? Here are the signature drinks that you will be able to get at the event.

GALLIFREY DOUBLE SUNRISE
A sweet and tart cocktail with a cherry kick to it that rounds it out very nicely.



Ingredients for Gallifrey Double Sunrise:

• 1 oz Pineapple Juice
• 1 oz Lime Juice
• Orange Juice
• Grenadine

THE TICK BLUEBERRY LEMONADE
Either have the bartender hand the person a spoon when they hand them the drink or put a tall spoon in the glass for them to walk around with. It’s sort of a “thing” with the Tick.


Ingredients for The Tick Blueberry Lemonade:

• 12 oz. bottle of Jones Soda Berry Lemonade
• 1 oz. Blueberry liqueur
• 1 oz. Vodka
• 1 Blue Twizzler

The Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver
Ah! Big, flashy, lighty thing, that’s what brought me here! Big, flashy, lighty things have got me written all over them! Not actually, but give me time. And a crayon.



Ingredients for The Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver:

• 1 shot vodka
• 1 shot blue curacao
• 1 splash Rose Blue Raspberry Mix
• Fill glass with orange juice (to color)

Love Potion #8.5
Inspired by the drink of the same name in The Sims 2



Ingredients for Love Potion #8.5:

• 8 Raspberries
• Crushed Ice
• 10ml / 0.33oz. Chambord Raspberry Liqueur (Or Raspberry Juice)
• 50ml / 1.5oz. Raspberry Lemonade
• 100ml / 3.3oz Champagne (Or Tonic Water)
• Top Up with Lychee Juice
• Mint Sprigs
• Fresh Lemon Juice

International TableTop Day "What's Your Game Plan" contest submission video

Here's the video we just entered into the International TableTop Day "What's Your Game Plan" contest. The rules were strict: It had to be 60 seconds or less. Therefore, a lot of footage was left on the floor of the virtual cutting room, but it's still pretty cool! Have a look:



HUGE shout-out to Ryan Brothers for the video editing assist!!

TableTop Day list of donations

These are the games that have been donated to us for TableTop Day. Apparently, a lot of people like cats. All the links should work, so go ahead and click around to see stuff. All of these things will be going home with attendees! This list is nowhere near complete, so check back often to see what we've added.

3 Hares Games
Lagoon: Land of Druids

Analog Gamer
$30 gift certificate (x2)

The Broken Token
Pathfinder: ACG Organizer
Marvel Legendary Organizer

Calliope Games
Double Double Dominoes
Roll For It! (x4)
Tsuro (x3)
Tsuro of the Seas (x2)

Castle Productions
The Great Debate

Daft Concepts
Various Band Boxes
Star Wars X-Wing Movement Templates

Game Company No. 3
Oh My God! There's an Axe in My Head (x2)

Donations from GameWire
7 Wonders (Asmodee)
Custom artwork by Brittanie Boe - Dead of Winter
Custom artwork by Brittanie Boe - Lagoon: Land of Druids
Custom artwork by Brittanie Boe - Power Grid

IDW Games
Diamonsters
Dragon's Gold (not even out yet!)
Raftus Cactus

Lone Shark Games
Maze of Games
Smash-Up: Pretty Pretty Expansion (x2, from Paul Peterson himself!)

Mayday Games
Coconuts Duo
Toc Toc Woodman

North Star Games
Evolution
Wits and Wagers

The Oatmeal
Signed copy of How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You (x2)
Playtest version of Exploding Kittens (Unconfirmed, but likely)

OutNerdMe
Various Posters (x25)

Paizo Publishing
Pathfinder: ACG - Skulls and Shackles Base Set (x5)
Pathfinder: ACG - Skulls and Shackles Character Add-On Deck (x5)

Passport Game Studios
Kingsport Festival
Quantum
Samurai Spirit

Tasty Minstrel Games (TMG)
AquaSphere (x2)
Eminent Domain (x2)
Harbour (x2)

USAOpoly
Bang! The Walking Dead
Munchkin Adventure Time
Reverse Charades
Risk: Halo Legendary Edition
TacDex: Pirates
Tapple
Telestrations
Yahtzee: Doctor Who Edition

Voodoo Bunny
Incredible Expeditions: Quest for Atlantis

Don't have tickets yet? Better hurry! They're going fast, and both previous TableTop Day events have sold out. Click here to get yours.

Game of the Day: Stone Age

Time to play a game that is a bit "heavier" than most games on TableTop. Wil doesn't put many heavy games on TableTop for reasons outlined in this episode of Not The Flog, but because Stone Age from Z-Man Games is a visually compelling game that doesn't take itself too seriously, it made the cut. The game features the mechanic known as "Worker Placement", where you assign game pieces (in this case, cave men) to locations on a game board that give them "stuff". The cave men compete against the other players' cave men for the best "stuff". Enjoy going back in time as Wil brings you Stone Age!

Game of the Day: Sheriff of Nottingham

Yesterday's episode was a bit of a downer, so let's go someplace happier: Sherwood Forest! In today's game, Sheriff of Nottingham from Arcane Wonders, the gang attempts to smuggle goods past the Sheriff--or to make it worth his while not to check for contraband. Naturally, hilarity ensues. A group of actors playing a game where they have to take on different roles is must-see YouTube. Enjoy today's Game of the Day, Sheriff of Nottingham!

Game of the Day: Dead of Winter

Happy Con Withdrawal Day, everyone! Going back to the real world is scary, so let's journey to someplace much less horrifying: A post-apocalyptic zombie world. Today's game, Dead of Winter from Plaid Hat Games, is a collaborative game where the players must overcome hurdles that the dystopian game-verse throws at them. Furthermore, there's a very good chance that one of the players is a dirty, dirty traitor. Yes, there are zombies, because zombies. (Side note: Wil GOES OFF on zombies in pop culture at the beginning of this video. It's an epic rant.)

Hopefully this helps you forget the scary real world you're living in for a few minutes. Enjoy Dead of Winter!



Tomorrow, we're going to start offering free games for people who help us to promote our event. Stay tuned for this and another Game of the Day.

Game of the Day: Cards Against Humanity

"You don't want to watch this episode of TableTop. This episode of TableTop will be offensive to everyone. It will be rude. It will be in exceedingly poor taste, and it will be outrageously profane." -Wil Wheaton

Yup, it's time to showcase the game that sends you outrageous holiday gifts in the mail every December: Cards Against Humanity. Here's the thing about CAH: If you are with a group of people that you don't know very well, just play this game for one hour and you'll come out of it knowing them better than you probably ever would have liked to.

This one's definitely not suitable for playing out loud at work, and you'll want to make sure that the kiddos are in bed before watching. Enjoy!



Gag reel:


Emerald City Comicon is this weekend! Therefore, we won't be putting up any new Game of the Day posts until Monday. Enjoy the con, everyone! Stop by the gaming area and play some games with us!

Videos of Meow Cat Rescue kitties!

We're working on a video for the "What's Your Game Plan" contest being put on by Geek & Sundry. Today, we went on location at Meow Cat Rescue to get some footage of kitties. The finished product won't be ready for a week or so, but we have some raw footage that is highly entertaining. Here's 4 of our favorites from today.

Video 1: 3 gray kittens playing




Video 2: The Creamsicles! These kitties will feature prominently in our montage of games.




Video 3: Your move, Mr. Wheaton!




Video 4: The star of the show! This kitty has had a bit of a rough life, having been permanently injured by being hit by a car. You'd never know it, though, with the way she can JUMP!

Game of the Day: Tokaido

Today, we travel to the Far East to travel the ancient Japanese traveling road known as Tokaido. The game, from Passport Game Studios, is a set building game taking place in ancient times. The competition is fierce in this game, so sit back, relax and enjoy the season premiere episode of TableTop for season 3, Tokaido.


We'll soon have some raw footage up from our filming session at Meow Cat Rescue earlier today. We can't wait for the finished product--It's doing to be adorkable!

Game of the Day: Forbidden Desert

International TableTop Day exists largely due to the success Wil Wheaton's YouTube series TableTop. Now in its 3rd season, this series is single-handedly responsible for bringing awareness to and launching the success of many fantastic games that otherwise might not have received the exposure they richly deserved.

Today, we are bringing back our "Game of the Day" feature, where we will present an episode of Season 3 of TableTop each day up until TableTop Day. Our first feature is Matt Leacock's cooperative masterpiece Forbidden Desert from Gamewright. In this game, the players collaborate to repair their airship and escape the desert before the shifting sands seal their doom. Matt Leacock's other 2 collaborative games that have been featured on TableTop, Pandemic and Forbidden Island, proved too much for Wil and his cohorts to handle. Is the 3rd time the charm? Find out as Wil and the gang play Forbidden Desert!


We'll have new episodes pretty much each day from now until TableTop Day, so check back often! In the meantime, to quote Mr. Wheaton, "Play More Games!"

Seeking a video editor for a TableTop Day contest!

TableTop Day is only 23 days away! We're getting excited, but in the meantime, we would like to enter a video contest to win some SWAG that we can pass along to you. To help us to do so, we are seeking someone who has a clue when it comes to video editing.

This is the contest we want to enter: http://www.tabletopday.com/contest (Note that the graphic says that the deadline is March 21, but if you read the fine print, you'll see that it's been extended to April 4.)

If you can help us win this contest, you'll get your pick of 3 things from the SWAG box that we will get for winning. Whether or not we win, we'll still comp you 2 tickets to the main session just for helping. Production will probably involve going to Meow Cat Rescue to film some adorable kitties, as well as some footage from the Columbia Tower. Your job would just be to edit it so that it comes out awesome.

Contact Matt at dawgsledevents@gmail.com if interested in helping!

All About Meow Cat Rescue -- and SPOKESKITTIES!!

First of all, it is confirmed that we will have adorable spokeskitties at our event once again! Last year, we had 4 of the cutest kittens ever come visit us.

Now, here is some information about Meow Cat Rescue, the provider of said spokeskitties and the charity we are raising money for at this event.

Our Mission         

With respect and compassion for all animal life, MEOW promotes lifelong relationships between people and companion animals, providing shelter and care for each precious life until adopted into a forever home.

Our Vision         

MEOW envisions a day when society will be free from the dangers and nuisances of irresponsible pet ownership, when every pet born will be assured loving care all of its natural life and will never suffer due to abuse, neglect or ignorance.

Our History         

In the early 1990s, a small group of animal-loving friends made a commitment to create a better life for homeless animals. With little more than determination, they started Mercer Island Eastside Orphans & Waifs, now commonly known as MEOW Cat Rescue & Adoption, a non-profit organization with a no-holds-barred no-kill philosophy. MEOW continues to be staffed almost entirely by volunteers.

Our Goal         

MEOW 's goal is to help create a "no-kill nation", where people are responsible for their pets, where there are no helpless creatures abandoned in boxes or left to fend for themselves in parking lots, where there is no longer a need for any healthy companion animal to be euthanized.

Today         
MEOW places approximately 1000 animals into permanent homes each year. Our application process ensures that every adopted animal is placed in an environment where there is appropriate space, human contact, and a commitment to safeguard and care for the animal for its entire lifetime.  Newborn or senior, healthy, ill or injured, all are valued at MEOW. Each year MEOW is faced with the impossible and each and every day we recommit ourselves to something we truly believe in, the motto we adopted at our inception,”all nine lives are precious”.    

NO PRICE INCREASE for the daytime session this year!

We are pleased to announce that there will be no price increase over last year for those wishing to attend this year's main session! As with last year, the base cost is $35/person, and this gets you 6 hours of gaming, food and festivities. The format is unchanged from previous years: From 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM, we have the run of the entire top floor, and there will be food, prizes, games galore and KITTIES!

Our evening session is a more exclusive event. It will be smaller and more intimate, and as the food offerings will be more substantial than the daytime event, it has a higher price point.

Get your tickets here!

Announcing the 3rd Annual TableTop Day on Top of the World Benefiting Meow Cat Rescue!

Dawgsled Events is proud to announce the official launch of the 3rd Annual TableTop Day on Top of the World! We have once again selected Meow Cat Rescue in Kirkland, WA as our charity beneficiary. This year's event takes place on Saturday, April 11, 2015.

You can buy tickets here through our ticket provider, Shindigg.com.

In the coming days, we will be using this site to communicate updates and post developments. Check back often to see what's new!

Any posts below this are from our previous events.