Octopus Overlords

At last year's BGG.CON I ran into a guy I had gamed with and he told me about his new business...

https://gamersranch.com/

It's a space in the middle of nowhere in Missouri for up to 20 people to hang out and play games. He is a board game fanatic and offers up his collection for play and he will teach as well. He also has consoles and VR setups and ATV tours and other stuff. Cool concept. Bring allergy meds.

I've heard of these kinds of places. One minute you're enjoying a nice game of Ticket to Ride, the next you're on a meathook in the barn awaiting dinner.

Good on him, if he's making money.

It would be nice to have enough money banked when I retire to set up a community center for gaming as a passion project with little regard to cost. It'll never happen but it's a nice dream. Making money off of people wanting leisure to game seems like a business model doomed to fail unless gaming is a feature cost of up business to support the real revenue.

The idea of a gaming resort sounds interesting. In the way back machine, I had wanted to open a cafe that catered to gaming loiterers. I think I could have made it work but I also think it would not have been a gold mine and eventually would have decided to work for the man anyway. Nowadays, cafes are everywhere and loitering is catered to not only in the cafes but in many other places where it was once shunned. It's justification for the $5+ coffee and $4 coffee cake, I guess.

I'm not sure he's too concerned with being profitable. He loves board games and this gives him an excuse to have a large collection and play lots of games... I'm not sure I get the living in the middle of Missouri part, but maybe that's just me.

There was a camp in my general area (central PA maybe?) that was offering "Adult Summer Camp" sessions where you could do board games, have LAN parties and play RPGs pretty much non-stop for some scheduled week in June or July. It sounded like it could be fun, but also a situation where I could imagine being overloaded rather quickly. I've learned from going to our local convention here in NJ that after a while, I need to get the F away from the crowds for a little while; at some point it's just too much.

I think I recognize one of the guys in the video on the main page; might have played a game or two with him at a local meet-up.

The ranch is actually not too far from me. Just need to find 19 other people to go in on it with me..

Wouldn't the wind scatter the cards and cardboard counters?

That’s some pretty country out there. But skeeters. Oh man, the skeeters.

hepcat wrote: ↑Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:36 am I've heard of these kinds of places. One minute you're enjoying a nice game of Ticket to Ride, the next you're on a meathook in the barn awaiting dinner.

One star. Was murdered. Would not recommend.