Last weekend on the 29th and 30th of July 2023, we had the lucky opportunity to attend Any Games Con 2023 at Jaya Shopping Center as their Official Media Partner. As a big fan of all kinds of tabletop games, roleplaying games, board games, and trading card games, I was especially excited to check out what the event had to offer.
Here are some of the biggest highlights over the weekend!
Board Game Free Play Area
It would not be a board game event if participants could not try out the variety of board games out there. Any Games Con featured a free play area at the ground floor of the mall where attendees could pick a board game to try and play with friends. There were both board games from international markets and from the Malaysian market that attendees could have fun with. There were also card games that attendees could try out, be it old card games like Magic: The Gathering, or even the new Grand Archive Trading Card Game.
Board Game Vendors & Doujin Booths
Around the play area and on the first floor, the event was packed with board game vendors and doujin booths that were closely related to tabletop gaming. You could find a variety of board games to purchase, be it brand new or second hand board games.
There were also other board game related items for sale, like dices, mats, comics and other stuff that you may use during your home gaming sessions with friends and families. There was even an actual tabletop gaming table that was being auctioned off, with the proceeds going to charity.
Local Board Game Designers
The thing I was most hyped about was the local game designer booths and exhibitors that showcased their board games to attendees. Not only were you able to playtest their new or upcoming games, you were able to talk to the designers and find out their thought process behind the designs of their games. It was truly a one-of-a-kind experience as someone who is entrenched in tabletop gaming.
Entering The Malaysian Guinness Book of Records
Although there weren’t many stage activities, except for the few designer and event organiser panels and sharing sessions, the most eventful moment of the weekend is when the Malaysian Guinness Book of Records representative came on stage to present the award for Largest Boardgame Event in Malaysia to the event organisers. Truly a momentous step for the Malaysian event scene as we step out from just cosplay events and embrace other types of nerdy or geeky events.
Magic: The Gathering Tournament with PS5 Prize
One of the highlights of the weekend was the ongoing Magic: The Gathering tournament that bolstered a whopping 40 players that signed up and played in the tournament to ultimately win the grand prize of a brand-new PlayStation 5. There were other competitions happening on a smaller scale as well, like the Grand Archive TCG competition that was held during the weekend.
Dungeons & Dragons Experience
If you watched the Dungeons & Dragons movie, but felt too shy or introverted to try the game yourself, then the event had sessions all day long throughout the weekend. The Dungeons & Dragons sessions were setup to be quick and easy for attendees to sign up and play based on the timing that they want. No need to go through the hassle of creating a character or reading manuals as the Dungeon Master and the session booth would have done it for you. I could not join as I was too busy enjoying the rest of the event, but the attendees had a blast slinging spells and swinging swords.
The Unsolved Mystery of the Mall
The biggest activity of the event was the Unsolved Mystery of the missing girl in the shopping mall, where attendees could pick up clues and try to solve the mystery. There was even a board that tied together all the lore to act as a reference for attendees who needed help solving the mystery. At the end of Sunday, the mystery solver won goodies to bring home with them.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the event with the multiple and various board games that were available to be played, as well as the atmosphere of friends and families smiling as they played together. I hope to see more of these kinds of events and hope that Any Games Con will return again in 2024.
For more information about Any Games Con, check out their Facebook and Instagram.
