Convention & Meetup Norms

Conventions, game stores, and local meetups are where Spirit Island meets public play. The game’s complexity + cooperative nature create specific social pressures that don’t show up in living-room play. This chapter is about navigating those gracefully.

Venues covered: BGG.con, Gen Con, PAX Unplugged, UK Games Expo, Essen Spiel, local FLGS (friendly local game store) meetups, board-game meetup groups (e.g., Meetup.com boardgame groups).

The pre-game conversation

Pickup games with strangers live or die at the pre-game conversation. Cover these topics before anyone touches a spirit panel:

1. Who’s played before?

• “Anyone played Spirit Island?” — open the conversation.
• “What expansions do you own / have played with?” — calibrate expansion availability.
• “How many games have you played?” — 1, 5, 50+?

2. Target difficulty

• Agree on adversary + level before spirits are drafted.
• Err down a level from the most-experienced player’s comfort zone when mixing skill.
• “Let’s do Brandenburg-Prussia Level 2” is a clean target; “let’s see how it goes” is not.

3. Time budget

• Honest time estimates: 2P with a mixed table = 120 min minimum including teach and setup. 4P = 180+ min.
• Never under-promise. “This takes about an hour” for a 4P Spirit Island game is a lie.
• Agree on a hard stop: “we have 3 hours before I need to leave.”

4. Table-talk norms

• “Open hands or hidden?” Default: open. Some strangers prefer hidden.
• “Coordinate turns or play independently?” Default: coordinate. Adjust to preference.
• “Rules questions handled how?” — default: consult the rulebook; don’t house-rule without asking.

5. Expansions + aspects

• “Are aspects okay?” — default: no aspects for teaching games.
• “Branch & Claw events / Jagged Earth events?” — default: no events in learning games.

Convention-specific etiquette

BGG.con / Gen Con / PAX scale

• Library borrows: Many cons lend Spirit Island from the game library. Return with all components, sleeved if sleeved.
• Demo games: Greater Than Games sometimes runs demos. These are ~30-min abbreviated experiences, not the full game.
• Tournament-style play: rare for Spirit Island; most events are casual pickup.

FLGS meetups

• Respect the store’s hours — don’t start a 3-hour game at 7pm if the store closes at 9.
• Tip the staff or buy something if you used the space.
• Help set up / break down if you’re a regular.

Meetup.com groups

• RSVP accurately. Cancelled RSVPs 30 min before game time cost the group structure.
• Arrive ready to teach or ready to learn. Don’t arrive expecting a particular role.
• Respect the group’s expansion norms; don’t bring Nature Incarnate if the group is base-game-focused.

UK Games Expo / Essen

• Open play areas are first-come; claim tables politely.
• Language norms vary — default to English at international cons; switch if invited.

The “how long is a game?” question

Never say less than:

These are honest. Shave 10-15 min only if your group has run this exact configuration many times.

Rules clarifications at the table

• Don’t rules-lawyer strangers. If someone is mid-play misplaying a card, don’t interject unless it’s a game-affecting issue.
• Do offer corrections diplomatically: “I think this card’s text is slightly different — can I check the FAQ?” Then actually consult Querki FAQ.
• Accept clarifications gracefully: if you’re the one being corrected, say “oh! thanks,” not “well actually…” Convention tables are not rules debates.

Difficulty expectations

A common failure mode:

Experienced player: “Let’s play Russia L3.”
New player: “Okay!”
Three turns in: “Wait, this is awful…”

Pre-commit difficulty. If the table agrees to L3 and then the newer player realizes it’s too hard, it’s the experienced player’s responsibility to downshift expectations (not the table’s to restart).

The “helpful stranger” risk

A stranger player who is experienced may try to:

• Teach rules you already know (annoying).
• Alpha-game your turn (worse).
• Explain “the meta” with authority (eye-roll-worthy).

Non-confrontational responses:

• “I’m good on rules; let me play my turn.”
• “I’d like to try my own plan; thanks.”
• “Interesting — let’s see how my approach works first.”

You’re not obligated to be taught by strangers. Friendly but firm.

Drafting spirits at conventions

If a convention table has randomized spirit draft (drawing from a bag, etc.):

• Don’t negotiate extensively for your preferred spirit.
• Play the spirit you drew; it’s part of the fun.
• If you genuinely can’t play the spirit (e.g., you’ve never seen Starlight before), swap with a table-mate quickly and move on.

Personal items + sleeves

• Sleeved cards: most convention games use sleeved cards. Use the sleeve orientation the owner uses.
• Dice / tokens: use the game’s components, not personal alternates.
• Phones: silenced. No photo-reviewing mid-turn.

Social media + content

• Ask before photographing players’ hands or boards. Not everyone wants to appear in your game-night Instagram.
• Don’t record video without asking.

End-of-session norms

• Help pack up. Sort cards by expansion if the owner uses that system.
• If you borrowed sleeves / dice, return them.
• Thank the teacher if there was one.
• Don’t linger critiquing a game with strangers — quick “gg” and move on.

Common mistakes

Cross-references

• Playing with Strangers — reading unfamiliar players.
• Teaching Methods — the Hook + Quick teaches for con environments.
• Alpha-Player Problem — amplified at conventions.
• Post-Game Debrief — session closing with strangers.

Last revised: 2026-04-19