Last week my company graciously flew my back to Albuquerque to participate in the company Christmas party. I decided to stay a whole week so I would have time to visit my friends. [read more… ]

Last night I had some friends over to play House of Whack. Most of them had played the version that comes in the box, but I wanted to show them the version that comes *outside* the box. This was the version I had always wanted to play. It’s not something that can easily be explained in a manual as you really have to experience it firsthand due to its emergent, organic game play. [read more… ]

I’m currently in the Self-Expression and Leadership Program, the third and final course in Landmark’s curriculum for living. The main focus of the program is to create a project that inspires you and has an impact in one of your communities or the world in general. They encourage you to think big and take on something unlike anything you’ve ever done before.

I looked at the communities in my life and I really struggled to find something where I could do a big project. There were some obvious things that I was probably going to do anyway, but nothing that really jumped out at me and lit me up.

Then it hit me. Single mothers are really important to me as they have had a big impact in my life. I wanted to do something that would empower, recognize and perhaps even aid them. Then I thought about how much I love movies. So I decided that I would enlist 10 women filmmakers to contribute or create a short 5-20 minute film on a subject that empowers women. The idea would be to have a screening at the Alamo Drafthouse. So the project would end up empowering and recognizing the filmmakers and single mothers as well.

I need to see if there are any sort of national organizations that somehow benefit or provide aid for single mothers. And I need to start talking to filmmakers, women’s groups and the like.

And I need a good name for the project.

House of Whack was printed by BoardGameDesign.com and the project rep for the job was Lisa Marie. She had to deal with all my weird requests for the game, changes in mid-stream, the whole tri-fold fiasco, etc. So, now that the game is done, I thought the least I could do would be to thank her for putting up with me. I think I made her day.

Dear ANDRE,

OH MY GAWD!

 As I sit at my desk taking the next call from a complaining customer, there arrived a HUGE box marked with the words FTD and GODIVA!!!  I sat and tried to imagine who in the world could possibly be sending me such a wonderful surprise marked with FTD and Godiva…. hmmm….

 YOU…it was from YOU!  Andre Monserrat, I screamed so loudly that I think the windows shook! LOL   

 There inside was a beautiful bouquet of ONE DOZEN of the most beautiful roses that I have ever seen. Not to mention the GODIVA chocolates that I was able to savor slowly  while opening the box! (who am I kidding…I gulped 2 right down!)  This is a wonderful surprise! I’m so elated and so appreciative that I’m leaving work early so I can go place them inside of one of my nicest vases so I can then place them on my table so I can adore them all weekend…. this is sweet…..real sweet!  They are all different colors and each one is a perfect rose shape. They are perfect and absolutely beautiful and they smell so yummy rose flower good!     

 You are thanked more than you could ever imagine…. thank you from the bottom of my heart. Glad I could do my job and help make your game a reality. Thank you, thank you, thank you.   

Many of you already know this, but perhaps as a kind of secret. I’ve made a commitment to being fully self-expressive and I’ve come to realize that being secretive is actually causing more difficulties than the problems I am supposedly sparing people from. Also, if I act like there is a problem or I am uncomfortable with who I am, that puts a kind of energy out there that I don’t really want. [read more… ]

Yesterday I did something pretty brave. I came out of the closet, so to speak, in front of a room full of almost strangers.

And I was totally okay with it.

And the world didn’t end.

And if you haven’t been paying attention to the code words I use in the message tags, then now is the time to start.

Nukes and I played Rock Band pretty much all day long. It is officially the best game ever. The drums are the hardest instrument because you’re actually playing drums as opposed to pretending to strum a guitar. I need a lot more practice if our band, The United Hobolition, is to make it to the top. I found the bass guitar very satisfying and backed Nukes up with some groovy strumming. The customization features are insane, a mini game to get lost in. I must have this game.

Oh yes, it will be mine.

This is what a storage locker filled with 162 shipping boxes looks like. Each one contains 6 House of Whack games. It is a sight I find simultaneously exciting and terrifying.

Action shot of Nukes attacking the House.

My display at the flea market, in the calm before the storm.

HoW spotted in the wild! Total strangers own my game.

I was in Dallas this past Thursday through Sunday for BoardGameGeek.con, a fantastic board gaming convention. It was a smaller, more laid back type of con than your GenCon or ComicCon, with perhaps only 700 attendees.

I cajoled Cory into going at the very last minute, so he, Nukes, Majcher and I headed up there Thursday morning. The con was at the Westin near the airport. The only thing nearby was a Denny’s and a Shell station. That Denny’s must make bank as it was the only source of reasonably priced “food” within several miles, as we found out.

The con itself was spread out between a large ballroom, a smaller ballroom and an overflow room. Plus there was a foyer area and a games library. The games library was this heavenly wonderland where you could find every game you had ever heard of, no matter how rare or out of print. Games that would cost you $300 on eBay could be checked out and played, even taken up to your room overnight. That right there should tell you about the top shelf quality of people at this convention.

I got to see Mischa again! Mischa is a gaming dynamo. I came down one morning, at what I thought was an early time (maybe 7:30 or 8AM) to find Mischa embroiled in a game of Galaxy Trucker. He had gamed through the night with no signs of stopping. Later that afternoon, I began to suspect the use of illegal stimulants, or, at the very least, a clone. How could someone do this? The secret to his staying power was revealed a few days later, but I shall take it to my grave.

I had the most fun playing obscure games, out of print games or games designed by my friends. Kapitan Wackelpudding left a deep impression. Shipping a stack of coffins and video games to Dracula land is no easy task. Tales of the Arabian Nights stole my heart. It is a game I should have been playing during my childhood at the same time as Talisman or Cosmic Encounter. It is essentially a Choose Your Own Adventure board game with role-playing elements. Thankfully, Z-Man is coming out with a new version next June. I learned the ferocity of soccer moms vying for the best looking garden in Garden Competition.

I played Dan’s Monkey Lab again, outwitting my opponents. I also had a chance to play Majcher’s Honeypot, which is a brilliant abstract strategy game. I was also delighted by his prototype of Fluffy Bunny Tea Party. It involves bunnies sitting around eating cakes, drinking tea and being horrifically polite to each other. Dan sold out of Chains of Fenrir, Majcher sold out of Honeypot and Ian sold out of Taktika. We were all really happy for Ian. He walked around in this kind of daze, unprepared for how well his game would be received.

I brought 12 units of House of Whack and managed to sell 6 of them! At first I was really overwhelmed. I felt kind of stunned by what it was I was trying to do and a deep terror grabbed hold of me. I didn’t think anyone was going to like my game. I wanted to give up and run far away. But on the morning of the flea market, I went down to the show room, claimed half a table, and set up a display for House of Whack. When the browsers flooded in like a Zerg rush, I kept my head and hyped the game to everyone who came by. My very first sale was to Aldie, one of the guys in charge of the convention. That was cool.

Friedemann Friese, a famous game designer was there as the guest of honor. He hung out and played games with everyone like a regular guy. You could always spot him in the room due to his shock of bright green hair. He always looked like he was searching for something, entering a room, head craning about, trying to spot something just out of view. I talked with him about what it was like when he had finished his first game and he said that he felt like he had no idea what he was doing, but, after the first game, nothing else quite gives you the same feeling. I get that.

Sunday morning found us packing up our massive hauls of treasure gleaned from the math trade and the flea market. If I had an extra $100 (and more trunk space), I would have matched Jake and Jen’s impressive finds. I think they got Arkham Horror and Descent for $40 total. Nice.

And then we came back to Austin.

The End.