Every Gamer needs a Group

I would be remiss to start this blog off without shamelessly promoting one of the major enablers of my gaming addiction... errr... HOBBY. I am from the southwestern PA area and I was fortunate to find a sizeable group of gaming "enthusiasts" in the area. Most groups I've either been involved with or known about usually focus on one maxim or one game they all enjoy, and as a result, usually tend to be pretty small, fragile, and fleeting, but no less fanatical. So when I found GASP, I was in for a bit of a shock.

GASP, or the Gaming Association of Southwestern Pennsylvania (visit www.gaspgamer.com), was started by a small group of gamers who had a broad taste in games (the history). Thankfully, that rather pan-genre attitude hasn't diminished over the years and as a result, GASP boasts some pretty impressive attendance numbers for both their monthly Games Days and the convention...

Wait... Did you say Convention??? Oh yes I did...

GASPcon is a yearly convention held each November in Monroeville, PA that typically lasts for 3 days and features a number of events and games as well as an ongoing silent auction, vendor hall, and special attractions. Now in it's seventeenth year, I've seen the attendance sore to almost three to four hundred people in a weekend. You may even seen me there running an event or two. ^_^

Now if you think this post is a little "gushing" in terms of its praise, I do have to fess up. I have been a member of the club since 2008 and I currently serve on the group's Royal Court, a group of folks who handle the operations of the club. Regardless, I cannot say enough good things about the group. They have a little of everything for everyone. Boardgames, miniature gaming, RPGs. I've seen folks from teenagers up to golden-agers play in the club, not to mention a good number of families.

If you're interested in an excellent gaming club and you live in the eastern Ohio, northern WV,  or southwestern PA area (Pittsburgh and surroundings), I'd highly encourage you to check them out. Be sure to drop by their website www.gaspgamer.com and be sure to sign up for the forums (the link is on the main page).