Aug

ProtoTO

by ProtoTO

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Event Information

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Date and time

Fri, 19 Aug 2016, 5:30 PM –

Sun, 21 Aug 2016, 9:00 PM EDT

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Location

2111 Dundas Street West

Toronto, ON M6R 1X1

Canada

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Event description

Description

Playtester tickets will be available online until 4 PM on Friday, August 19, 2016. After that, they will be available for purchase only at the door throughout the weekend.

ProtoTO is Toronto’s first board game prototype convention. From Friday, August 19 to Sunday, August 21, 2016, designers will get the chance to test out their tabletop games and receive feedback from playtesters. All attendees will also get access to BoardAgain's extensive game library during Open Gaming on both Friday and Saturday evening.

The weekend-long convention will kick off with a Designer Panel featuring publisher Kevin Nesbitt of Mercury Games, Tanya Thompson, Director of Product Strategy and Inventor Relations for Marbles: the Brain Store and Canadian designers:

Eric Lang (Blood Rage, Quarriors!, Arcadia Quest, and Kaosball

Christopher Chung (Lanterns)

Daryl Andrews (The Walled City and Caffeine Rush)

Paul Tseng (Outer Earth)

Tickets

$35 - Designers
Includes:
-Four 1.5 hour playtesting time slots (total of 6 hours)
-Chance to submit game to publishers and potentially pitch game at convention
-Exclusive access to work through design question with Scott Nicholson, coordinator of the Game Design and Development program at Wilfrid Laurier University during "Office hours with Dr. Nicholson"
-$5 Game Crafter gift certificate
-Access to prototyping materials provided by The Game Crafter and Print & Play
-Designer Panel on Friday evening
-1 free raffle ticket
-Access to Board Again's game library during Open Gaming

$10 - Additional design team members
Co-designers or design teams must buy 1 "Designer" ticket, as well as any "Additional design team member" tickets.
Includes:
-$5 Game Crafter gift certificate
-Access to prototyping materials provided by The Game Crafter and Print & Play
-Designer Panel on Friday evening
-1 free raffle ticket
-Access to Board Again's game library during Open Gaming

$10 - Playtesters
Includes:
-Access to all 3 days of ProtoTO. Playtesters will have the opportunity to provide feedback for games created by local designers (and possibly help shape the next big thing!)
-1 free raffle ticket
-Access to Board Again's game library during Open Gaming
-Designer Panel on Friday evening

Publishers and Media: For ticket inquiries, contact us directly at info@protoTO.ca

Format

The convention will kick off with a Designer Panel featuring Canadian tabletop designers on Friday evening.

Each designer will get four 1.5 hour playtesting time slots on Saturday and Sunday: 1 session in the first half of each day and 1 session in the second half of each day. Designers can schedule their sessions back to back if they prefer to have a full 3 hour block of testing each day.

Designers can choose to test the same game on both days or test out as many different prototypes as they like. Designers will need to submit information for all of the games they plan on testing during their time slots before the event (so we can add it to the website, and include in handouts the day of). We will email designers closer to the event for game info.

Any games that aren't registered can be tested out during Open Gaming on Friday and Saturday nights.

Friday:

5:30 PM: Doors open

6:30 PM - 7:30 PM: Designer Panel featuring Canadian designers Eric Lang (Blood Rage, Quarriors!, Arcadia Quest, and Kaosball), Christopher Chung (Lanterns), Daryl Andrews (The Walled City and Caffeine Rush) and Paul Tseng (Outer Earth)

7:30 PM – 11:00 PM: Open gaming (Game library provided by BoardAgain)

Saturday:

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Session 1

11:45 AM - 1:15 PM: Session 2

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Session 3

3:15 PM – 4:45 PM: Session 4

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM: Session 5

6:45 PM – 8:15 PM: Session 6

8:15 PM - 11:00 PM: Open gaming (Game library provided by BoardAgain)

Sunday:

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Session 1

11:45 AM - 1:15 PM: Session 2

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Session 3

3:15 PM – 4:45 PM: Session 4

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM: Session 5

6:45 PM – 8:15 PM: Session 6

8:15 PM - 9:00 PM: Raffle draw and closing remarks

Development stage of prototypes

ProtoTO is about designers testing out their prototypes, and not demoing final products. Please only present games that you want feedback for.

Prototyping space and materials

Desks will be available throughout the space that designers can use to work on their prototypes. The Game Crafter and Print & Play will provide prototyping supplies including various sizes of blank cards and chipboard components. ProtoTO organizers will also provide paper cutters, corner punches, cutting mats, Xacto knives, glue and scissors, among other supplies. If more items are needed, there is a Dollarama at Bloor and Dundas.

Games

Designers will be emailed closer to the event for game details.

Follow #ProtoTO online

Twitter: @ProtoTO_

Hashtag: #ProtoTO

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/ProtoTO

Web: www.protoTO.ca

Location

ProtoTO will take place at BoardAgain (www.boardagaingames.com), located at 2111 Dundas Street West in Roncesvalles. BoardAgain is conveniently located 5 minutes south of the Dundas West subway station. It can also be accessed by both the 506 College and 505 Dundas streetcars. The location is wheelchair accessible, please contact us at info@protoTO.ca if you have any other accommodation requirements.

BoardAgain is an inclusive space that hosts weekly gaming nights and private events. They believe in the power of board games to bring people together, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or ability. BoardAgain shares space with the offices of Women on the Move, an organization that supports female entrepreneurs.

Parking

There is a Green P Parking lot located at 2201 Dundas Street West, just north of the convention space. $1 for a half hour, up to a maximum of $7 for 24 hours. They accept coins or credit cards only.

Food and drinks

There will be cold (non-alcoholic) drinks and light snacks available for purchase at the convention. Outside food and drinks are allowed.

It is recommended attendees bring a water bottle, which they can refill on site.

There are many great restaurants in Roncesvalles, all within walking distance of the convention.

Sponsors

A big shout out to BoardAgain for letting us use their space (and game library!) for the convention. BoardAgain’s Michelle Isocianu and Matt Pfaff will be around throughout the weekend to help suggest games to play and explain rules during Open Gaming. BoardAgain also has a large selection of games for sale (including Lanterns and Outer Earth, designed by Toronto designers Christopher Chung and Paul Tseng, respectively).

Michelle Isocianu and Matt Pfaff

Twitter: @boardagain

FB: www.facebook.com/boardagaintoronto

Web: www.boardagaingames.com

The Game Crafter will provide a $25 gift certificate for the ProtoTO raffle, as well as materials designers can use to work on their prototypes throughout the weekend.

Twitter: @thegamecrafter

FB: www.facebook.com/thegamecrafter

Web: www.thegamecrafter.com

Print & Play will provide a prototyping package for the ProtoTO raffle, as well as materials designers can use to work on their prototypes throughout the weekend.

Twitter: @PrintPlay

FB: www.facebook.com/PrintPlayGames

Web: www.printplaygames.com

Organizers