January Open Gaming Meet

On January 30, there will be a joint Open Gaming Meet and BALASA! at the 3rd Floor Activity Center near the Food Court and Cinema Ticketron, SM Marikina, from 10:30am til 9pm. For those who need directions for getting to the venue, you can download a zipped JPG file of a map here: [View Map].

The OGM is an informal gathering of tabletop games enthusiasts from various groups who try out new games and/or play favourites games, be it Boardgames, Miniature Wargames, RPGs, Card Games, or Board Wargames, with friends - new and old. BALASA! is similar to the OGM, but caters to CCG players and their communities.

Planned Game Sessions for the January OGM will be announced at a later date.

The following games will be showing up on that day as well:

Bang!(party card game for 4-7 players)
Cookie Fu (collectible dice game for 2 or more players)
Classic Waterworks (party card game for 2-4 players)
Eye of Horus (party card game for 2-8 players)
Family Business (party card game for 2-6 players)
Fight Klub (CCG for 2+ players)
Formula D (boardgame for 2-10 players)
Give me THE Brain! (party card game for 3-8 players)
Honor of the Klingon (party card game for 2-6 players), homebrew based off Honor of the Samurai
Initial D (CCG for 2 players)
Monopoly Express (dice game for 2-6 players)
Monopoly Deal (party card game for 2-6 players)
Munchkin Bites (party card game for 3-8 players)
Navia Dratp (chess-like game for 2 players)
Once Upon a Time (party card game for 2-6 players)
Res Publica (party card game for 3-5 players)
Risk Express (dice game for 2-6 players)
The Spoils (CCG for 2 players)
Senator (party card game for 3-5 players)
The Great Brain Robbery (boardgame for 3-7 players)

Additional games are also brought in by some of the participants, so one never knows what else would be available to play this month.

Planned Tournaments for the January BALASA! will be announced at a later date.

We have the following house rules and expect every participant to adhere to them:

  • - since this will be held at a Mall, please refrain from bringing in a lot of games. We suggest 1 to 3 games per participant, maybe 4 if the games are all small.
  • - as much as possible, bring at least 1 gateway game, since having the event at a Mall gives us the opportunity to get walk-ins hooked to our hobby.
  • - there will be a game counter to ensure the safety of your possessions. Please exercise caution on where you leave you bags.
  • - although some tables will be reserved for special demos / tournaments, all remaining tables are considered "open tables" and is on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • - we ask that all participants please be mindful of your fellow players nearby by not being too loud when playing a game.
  • - only the new OGM IDs will be handed out to participants, anyone else participating that hasn't gotten a new OGM ID will be handed a label sticker to use as their ID. VJ will continue tracking attendance so that people eligible for the new OGM ID will be awarded.
  • - do not put food or drinks on the same table as the games. A lot of these games are not cheap, or they're already out of print, or both, so please be considerate to the owner of the game.
  • - if you must eat while gaming, use a nearby empty table (if available) to eat your food. If a spare table is unavailable, eat / drink in such a way that crumbs / droplets will not fall on the game pieces.
  • - practice "clean as you go". Make sure that the tables are devoid of wrappers / empty bottles / etc. when you vacate it, so that the next group of players won't spend time cleaning up your mess. After all, you don't want people to think you're a slob.
  • - every participant that leaves the event area will have his wrist stamped, so that they can re-enter afterwards without having to pay.
  • - any participant caught disrupting the event will be asked to leave the event. If the participant refuses, he will be forcibly removed from the event.

Please note that all participants must pay an Entrance Fee of 50 Pesos when entering the joint OGM / BALASA! event.

If you have any questions regarding the OGM, you can contact current OGM Coordinator and host-in-absentia Vic Cabazor at 0917 247 4067.