So here's my recap of Free RPG Day. I started the day at Games Plus in Mt. Prospect, IL. I got there before opening and I'm glad I got there early. I was around #15 in a line that was two dozen deep before the store opened. Once they opened there was a slow, orderly line making its way to the freebies table. The range of offerings this year was great, and it's gratifying to see the industry embrace this event as it has. Our Free RPG Day flip book went fast; the stack has half gone when I left.
The gamers mobbed the store after grabbing freebies, which I was glad to see; Games Plus got some good business. Several customers purchased stacks of Goodman Games modules, and I was there to explain the coupon for one transaction. I chatted with one group of gamers that had just started Castle Whiterock! They're on level 3 and are gunning to make it through the whole dungeon. I told them to email me when they finish...lots of people start that adventure, but a lot fewer finish it!
After Games Plus I headed over to Dean's Dugout, a sports cards and collectibles store in Naperville, IL that is branching into games. Dean's Dugout has a great space with a very large gaming area. They carry two RPG lines: D&D and the complete selection of Goodman Games. They have one of the nicest Goodman Games displays I've seen. I got there after opening, but there was a nice presentation of the remaining Free RPG Day offerings and a group actively gaming. And it turns out the game organizer there is a friend-of-a-friend; he knows one of the Etherscope writers I've worked with.
From there I went to One Stop Comics down in Oak Park, IL. This is a comics shop that has repeatedly gotten into and out of gaming, based on what their local competition does. They have an eclectic mix of gaming product. From a Free RPG Day perspective, they had a nice display of both this year's product AND several of last year's products. If you're looking to complete a collection of Free RPG Day product, give them a call!
Here are some pictures...
The crowd outside Games Plus before opening
Forming a line for the freebies table inside Games Plus
The selection of Free RPG Day product at One Stop Comics