Board Gaming Convention
10th – 12th August 2018
Holiday Inn Maidenhead
Manor Lane
Berkshire
Maidenhead
SL6 2RA
Buy Tickets
Opening Times & Registration
Opening Times
The con is open from 9am Friday 10th August until 8pm Sunday 12th August.
Single and Two Day tickets permit entry from 9am until late on the relevant date(s).
Registration
When you arrive at the hotel, please make your way to the HandyCon registration desk (note that this is not the hotel reception desk!) located near the entrance to pick up your pass.
Please bring your ticket with you, in either printed or digital form, to speed up check-in. If you do not have your ticket with you we will need you to provide some form of ID.
HandyCon registration is open from 9am until late each day.
Open Gaming
Open gaming is available for the duration of the convention. We have a large main open gaming area as well as several other rooms which can be used when not being occupied by tournaments and events. We also have use of the bar area and restaurant area at certain times of the day.
Are you coming along on your own or do you just need some extra players? No worries! We have ‘Players Wanted’ signs for anyone looking to fill seats as well as a noticeboard for anyone looking to organise a specific game. You can also connect with players beforehand on the HandyCon Facebook Discussion Group.
Games Library
The Games Library is open to all attendees for the duration of the convention. If you wish to borrow a game from the library, just write your details on the board provided. You can browse our library below using Cardboard Butler, which gives you some nice filters to help you find what you are looking for, or view it on BGG.
Please be sure to return all games in the condition you found them.
Events
Friday
Two Rooms and A Boom
Date & Time: 10th August 2018 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: TBA
Entry Requirements: None
A social deduction/hidden role party game for six or more players. There are two teams: the Red Team and the Blue Team. The Blue Team has a President. The Red Team has a Bomber. Players are equally distributed between two rooms. The game consists of five timed rounds. At the end of each round, some players will be swapped into opposing rooms. If the Red Team's Bomber is in the same room as the President at the end of the game, then the Red Team wins; otherwise the Blue Team wins. Lying encouraged.
No need to pre-book tickets, just turn up.
Saturday
Mini-Games Challenge!
Date & Time: 11th August 2018 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: TBA
Entry Requirements: None
The HandyCon Mini-Games Challenge returns once again!
Always a lot of fun, the Mini-Games Challenge pits teams of gamers against one another in various adapted dexterity and smaller games, with the team with the most points winning kudos and possibly a prize!
No need to pre-book, just turn up either with a team or on your own and we will put people together.
Sunday
Gaming Rules! Game Design Contest
Date & Time: TBA
Location: TBA
Entry Requirements: See 'Find Out More'
Gaming Rules! and HandyCon have joined forces to launch the first Gaming Rules! Board Game Design contest. You have to design a game, make a prototype and design a sell sheet on the theme of 'Discovery'. This contest will be judged by industry professionals: Paul Grogan, Peter Blenkharn and Dave Mortimer. Now is your chance for excellent feedback and quality advice!
Find Out More
Tournaments
Friday
Azul (Little Spoon)
Date & Time: 10th August 2018 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: Tournament Zone
Entry Requirements: None
In the game Azul, players take turns drafting colored tiles from suppliers to their player board. Later in the round, players score points based on how they've placed their tiles to decorate the palace. Extra points are scored for specific patterns and completing sets; wasted supplies harm the player's score.
Book Tickets
Gaia Project (Big Spoon)
Date & Time: 10th August 2018 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Tournament Zone
Entry Requirements: Knowing the rules is highly recommended.
Fourteen different factions live on seven different kinds of planets, and each faction is bound to their own home planets, so to develop and grow, they must terraform neighboring planets into their home environments in competition with the other groups.
Book Tickets
Saturday
Flamme Rouge (Tour de HandyCon)
Date & Time: 11th August 2018 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Tournament Zone
Entry Requirements: None
Flamme Rouge is a fast-paced, tactical bicycle racing game where each player controls a team of two riders: a Rouleur and a Sprinteur. The players’ goal is to be the first to cross the finish line with one of their riders. Players move their riders forward by drawing and playing cards from that riders specific deck, depleting it as they go.
Book Tickets
Wifflebowl: Baseball Highlights 2045 (HandyBowl)
Date & Time: 11th August 2018 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: Tournament Zone
Entry Requirements: Knowledge of the rules is recommended.
Baseball Highlights: 2045 is like watching TV highlights of early 21st-century baseball games, with the gameplay being full of theme with no outs or innings and without bogging down in a play-by-play baseball simulation. In this quick and interactive game, players build their teams as they play, combining both strategy (building your team) and tactics (playing the game) without any of the downtime.
Book Tickets
Sunday
TBA
Other
18xx Tournament
Date & Time: 10th August 2018 9:00 am - 12th August 2018 8:00 pm
Location: 18xx Room
Entry Requirements: Experience of 18xx is recommended, but a teaching game is on offer for new players.
18XX is an ad-hoc tournament; that is any games played from the 18XX stable of games can be counted as long as a score sheet if filled out and placed in the scoring envelope by Sunday lunchtime! The tournament includes the whole stable of games based around the theme of making money from running railroads, and asteroid mining in the case of 2038. Essentially, they are complex business games in which the players generally buy shares in the various companies that are available, and attempt to run them for profit.
Book Tickets
Great Western Trail Drop-in Tournament
Date & Time: 10th August 2018 9:00 am - 12th August 2018 6:00 pm
Location: GWT Themed Table
Entry Requirements: Knowledge of the rules is recommended.
This is a drop in tournament that will take place over the course of the convention. To participate, you must play a game of Great Western Trail at our special themed table and record your score at some point over the weekend. The person with the highest recorded score by the closing ceremony on Sunday will be the winner!
Demos
We shall have demos of various games running throughout the weekend.
We shall provide updates closer to the time.
Playtest Zone
Come and play yet to be released games and give your feedback to designers! We will be releasing more details of who to expect at the convention closer to the time.
If you are a designer and have a game you would like to playtest at HandyCon, please email Paul Harris for details.
Bring & Buy
Details of the bring and buy and how to enter your items will be available closer to the time.
Charity
Each year we choose a charity to support with donations from attendees, events and the bring and buy.
We will be announcing the supported charity closer to the time.
Trader
The CCG and Boardgame Social
Barny Baker from The CCG and Boardgame Social will be there for the duration of the weekend with a selection of games for you to purchase. If there is anything specific you would like Barny to bring along for you to purchase at the con, please get in touch with him beforehand.
Accommodation
For those of you wanting to stay on site, the Holiday Inn Maidenhead, we have managed to negotiate the following room rates:
- Double Room – £60
- Twin Room – £70
- King Bed Room – £70
- King Bed Executive Room – £85
All room rates include breakfast and have a £5 double occupancy suppliment.
These room rates are available from Thursday to Sunday night for both HandyCons, so you can stay the night before and the night after the con at the special rate.
Rooms can be booked online using the Group Codes (found under the ‘More Options’ toggle on the bookings page) ‘HC4’ for HandyCon 4 and ‘HC5’ for HandyCon 5. Alternatively you can call the hotel on 01628 506070 and quote the above codes.
Although the total accommodation available on site has increased, we advise booking early to avoid disappointment.
Food & Drink
Food: We are working closely with the hotel to provide a special HandyCon menu with options for vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.
Drink: Free tea, coffee and iced water will be provided for attendees, available from the refreshment stations. The bar also serves Starbucks Coffee and various soft and alcoholic drinks.
Nearby: Maidenhead town centre has many restaurants and shops and is just a 20 minute walk away, or 15 minutes by bus.
Please note that food and drink not purchased at the hotel may only be consumed within bedrooms and not in any of the Public Areas.
We shall release more information about food and drink closer to the time.
Harassment Policy
HandyCon is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable gaming environment for everyone who attends. Please behave respectfully to all other attendees, ensuring all can feel safe and enjoy themselves regardless of gender, gender identity, sexuality, appearance, race or religion.
Physical and verbal harassment will not be tolerated and the organisers reserve the right to take appropriate action including warning the offender or expulsion from the convention with no refund, and in some cases informing the police.
Some examples of harassment include:
- Offensive verbal comments
- Explicit sexual images or references
- Deliberate intimidation
- Unwanted attention or following of persons
- Unwanted recording or photography
- Sustained disruption of games or activities
- Innappropriate physical contact
- Unwelcome attention, including sexual remarks, jokes or taunting, leering, staring or suggestive gestures
To report harassment: If a request to stop behaviours does not get the desired result or there are continued problems with one gamer, please report the problem to a member of the HandyCon team.
Latest HandyCon 4 News
T-Shirts, Tournaments & Events
The deadline for t-shirt orders is drawing near! Closing date for orders is midnight Monday 16th July. We are highly unlikely to have any left over to purchase at the con, so be sure to order if you want one! Adult: £12 Child: £10 We have decided to offer two designs; one with just …
Gaming Rules! Design Contest Announced
Attention Games Designers, creative people and any gamer whos ever said ‘I’ve got some ideas for games’! 50 Day HandyCon announcement. I wanted something BIG to punctuate the fact that HandyCon is now 50 days away and I have something…. I am excited to announce that Gaming Rules! and HandyCon have joined forces to launch …
HandyCon 4 & 5 – Child Tickets
Hello HandyPeople! Just a quick PSA for those with younger gamers: Following feedback at UKGE and after much consideration, we have decided to introduce half price tickets for children between the ages of 6 -15, with children 5 and under being allowed free entry to HandyCon 4 and 5. Please note that all under 16s …
HandyCon 4 & 5- Big Update Incoming!
Hello HandyConners! We have a rather large and important update for you, so let’s crack on. HandyCon has moved! This is a big one. For those of you who did not see the update on social media last Wednesday, HandyCon has a new home. For the foreseeable future the Holiday Inn Maidenhead will …
HandyCon 2 – Thanks, feedback and the future
Hello HandyConners! First up, I would like to say a huge thank you to all of you who attended HandyCon 2 last weekend. It was an absolutely fantastic weekend of gaming, filled with lots of memorable experiences. Feedback Survey If you attended HandyCon 2, it would be very much appreciated if you could take a …
