DowntimeTown – Dixit from Robert Florence on Vimeo.

ZOZ!

DowntimeTown – Summoner Wars from Robert Florence on Vimeo.

ZOZ!

DowntimeTown – Horus Heresy from Robert Florence on Vimeo.

ZOZ!

I know I promised that episode 2.1 of the show would be available a week ago. I apologise for yet another delay. I wasn’t happy with the approach I’d taken, so I ripped it up and will start again when I’m home from London.

I’m an annoying fusspot perfectionist.

It wasn’t weird enough for my liking!

For the past few months, I’ve been busy working on a BBC TV show. It’s a comedy sketch show called ‘Burnistoun’ and it’s been a huge undertaking. A lot of writing, and six weeks of long filming days. There’s been no time for playing games, and certainly no time to operate a one-man-website.

Here's me in costume for Burnistoun. YUM!

But the work is done. Last night I even got the opportunity to have a 7 hour long pen and paper RPG session. I have a load of boardgames that lie unplayed, untested. I got some great new stuff for Christmas. It’s on. It’s on. I’m back in the game.

I also have games that people have sent me to test. I’m going to get to these too, a huge backlog to catch up with, a huge amount of content for you people to read and watch. I don’t know where to start, there’s so much to play and do. It’s a wonderful problem to have.

It’s been horrible, not having the time to play games. It’s something that you need to make time for, because nothing quite beats getting round a table and losing yourself for a few hours. There’s nothing else that really matches that kind of group fun. Although I imagine swinging might be quite a good laugh, if you’re a bit sick in the head. Dogging too, if you’re even more sick. I’ll stick to the board games, thanks.

So what can you expect from here on in?

More episodes of the show, more reviews, news, features. I’ll hopefully have some guests contributing to the site too, so look out for that.

How long has it been since you played?

Get back in the game!

Watch the new episode of DowntimeTown now. A chat about Magic: The Gathering and a look at the brand new “Planechase” system. Watch using the vimeo below or on the youTube channel later tonight.

DowntimeTown Episode 8: Magic: the Gathering – Planechase from Robert Florence on Vimeo.

Zaa Ooo Zaa!

Enjoy.

DowntimeTown Episode 7: Space Hulk from Robert Florence on Vimeo.

DowntimeTown Episode 5 is now LIVE LIVE LIVE.

This time it’s all about Hour of Glory from Warmacre.

Watch it on the vimeo player on the right of the site, or it’ll be in the shows section soon, if youTube is more your thing.

Zaa Ooo Zaa!

You can, of course, click through to the section of the site called “the shows” and watch it on youTube, if you’re crazy.

This time, the show’s all about the wonderful Memoir 44, from Days of Wonder!

Zaa Ooo Zaa!

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved board games.

In my teenage years, I was all about Space Hulk and HeroQuest. Before video games stole me away for over a decade, I spent schoolnight after schoolnight rolling dice and establishing Line of Sight. At that age, I spent a lot of time in my bedroom. I wasn’t the type of young guy who would hang around on the streets. I’d be indoors, rolling up characters, gamesmastering adventures for my friends. I could create an entire world inside my own little room.

I could create an entire world inside one room.

When I finished up with the online video game show I co-presented (Consolevania) I felt I needed a break from video games. I was 31 years old. I’d recently been drawn back into the world of board games by way of a renewed interest in Games Workshop. I found my way to BoardGameGeek as all boardgamers eventually do, and I was sucked back into the hobby.

I’m someone who likes to talk. So I decided I’d talk about board games. I planned a new show. Not a review show, exactly. I’d had quite enough of occasionally having to be scathingly negative about people’s work on Consolevania. I wanted to do something positive. I wanted to talk to people about games I enjoyed. I wanted to try to promote the joy of this wonderfully social pastime.

At that time, I also had an idea for a board game of my own. A quirky and cut-throat thing called Supply & Die! I thought I could maybe incorporate the design of that game into the “storyline” of the new online show. And the show itself would be called “DowntimeTown.”

What is DowntimeTown? It’s me creating an entire world inside one room. Just like the old days.

As is often the case with me, I decided to run, and just skip the walking part. I planned a website. News, Reviews, Articles. Guest writers. And positive. All positive. The key thing is this: You will never see a purely negative review anywhere near anything called DowntimeTown. You may see a positive review with some caveats. You may see a review that’s only a mild recommendation. But you’ll never see this website, or this show, malign the work of a designer whose intentions were pure.

If I hate a game, I just won’t feature it. As my mother would tell me – “If you’ve nothing nice to say, don’t say anything.”

I can’t promise that this will be the best board game website out there. Because the Geek exists. But I can promise that DowntimeTown, in all its forms, will be the strangest, most unpredictable and most sincere love letter to tabletop gaming that anyone involved can manage.

I’d like to welcome you all on board. Watch the shows, read the writings, comment away. Share your passion.

Zaa Ooo Zaa!