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"I think it's wrong that only one company makes Monopoly." - Steven Wright
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The best part of July is Hanabi!

(Hanabi means fireworks in Japanese. It's also a perfect game for 4th of July picnics.)

 
Summer is hot, but games and puzzles are cool. We've got tons of great new games as well as lots of fun events for all ages, including the Summer Games Club, board game tournaments, and the highly anticipated release of Magic the Gathering: Origins. This newsletter also includes all of the information about our 5th annual Celebration of Gaming and our 4th annual USED GAME SALE, info about WashingCon, our mini gaming convention coming in September, and a great feature article about local game designers! So read on, friends, and we look forward to seeing you!

Don't forget to stop by and pick up a great new game for your Independence Day activities. We also have a big display with lots of awesome travel games and puzzles.

NOTE: We will be closing at 3pm on July 4 in order to celebrate Independence Day!                  

June Recap

         
Labyrinth in the News

This month, Hill Now did a fun interest piece on us. You can read their kind words about your friendly local gaming store here!
 
Board Game Battle: Small World
 
Small World is a game that features warring races competing for a land mass not big enough for everyone to share. Similar to Risk, players try to capture the most territory, but unlike Risk, play is restricted to a limited amount of turns. We had a great turnout for our tournament. Congrats to Will Harris, our Small World champion. On July 5th we will be hosting our Splendor Board Game Battle which will feature special limited edition prizes!

Commander League
 
As part of our new series of Tuesday night Magic: the Gathering events, we held a month long Commander League with fun prizes for the top players. For those interested in learning new formats, Commander is a multi-player format which features one-hundred card decks and forty points of life. Decks consist of all unique cards, no duplicates, and players tailor their decks to work with a Commander card. Commanders are very powerful legendary creatures who determine how the game will run. Commander is a fun twist on the classic card game that allows players to make the most out of their collections.

Thanks to all who played, and be sure to come check out our Legacy tournament on July 7, as well as the beginning of Origins Sealed Deck League. 

Our 5th annual
Celebration of Gaming!

It’s almost time once again for our annual sale and celebration! From August 1st through the 9th, find special discounted items all throughout the store. You'll also get to roll the D20 of Discount Awesomeness on any product that isn't already marked down. We’ll also bring you a special program of events all week long, including the popular Used Game Sale and our crazy fun Odyssey of Gaming competition. Come and help Kathleen celebrate her birthday! To see the schedule of events, check out the flyer on our website. 
 

4th Annual Used Game Sale...


Following the success of last year, we are sticking with the same format for this year’s used game sale. We'll have a live and silent auction on August 1, beginning at 1pm. And, on August 2, family games, puzzles, and everything that didn't sell in the auction will be on sale in a Rummage Sale.

Every year just keeps getting better, so DON’T MISS IT. Last year we sold almost 500 games: the highest price paid for a game was $180 for an unopened Kickstarter version of Age of Sails, and the lowest paid was $1. 

Click here to learn more about the Used Game Sale and for how to sell your games and puzzles! You can also already register for a bidder number for the auction. The website also includes a list of games that will be for sale. This list will be updated regularly as more games are added to the list.
 
If you have any further questions on how our used game sale works or would like to sell some of your games, please email us.

Event Calendar Highlights

Star Wars: X-Wing Casual Play

Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game is a tactical ship-to-ship combat game in which players take control of powerful Rebel and Imperial fighters, facing them against each other in fast-paced space combat. Featuring stunningly detailed and painted miniatures, the X-Wing Miniatures Game recreates exciting Star Wars space combat throughout its several included scenarios. Select your crew, plan your maneuvers, and complete your mission! This month is casual play, so come test some new fleet builds! No RSVP necessary. 
 
July 4, 11am-3pm (Note: we will be closing early on July 4 for the holiday.)

Board Game Battle: Splendor

This is a tournament for the board game Splendor, so prior experience playing the game or reading the rules is recommended.

Every month Labyrinth brings you a new fun board game tournament! July's tournament will be for the popular game Splendor, where players compete as gem traders to gain the most wealth. This tournament will have two preliminary rounds, with point values assigned for placement, and total points. These two rounds will be followed by a final round to be played between the top four players. 

Entry fee is $5, which will be awarded back to the top four players as Labyrinth gift cards (exact amounts depend on the number of players.)

Other prizes for the top four players include:
1st: A Splendor play mat, a set of alternate tokens (including gold), a set of 4 new nobles
2nd: A set of alternate tokens (without gold) a set of 4 new nobles
3rd & 4th: A set of 4 new nobles
 
RSVP on our Eventbrite here
July 5, 12pm-4pm
 
 
The month of August will bring two fun competitions. During the Celebration of Gaming, we will once again hold our Odyssey of Gaming on August 8. It's a really fun competition where you have to play several games, and the winners receive gift cards for the store. More details will be posted by July 15.  And, we will be holding our regular Board Game Battle featuring Evolution by local game company NorthStar Games on August 15.

Magic the Gathering: Origins Pre-Release
 
It's that time again! Join us for the prerelease of the new Magic: the Gathering set: Origins! The format is Sealed Deck. We will have two Sealed Deck events on Saturday, July 11, and one Two-Headed Giant Sealed Deck event on Sunday, July 12. You may only register for one event on Saturday, July 11 (if you are registered in the morning event, you may not also be registered in the afternoon event). You may register for both one Saturday event and the Sunday 2HG event as well. Registration opens at 1pm on July 1.
 
 
 
 
First Moves Game Club for Little Kids
 
Our “First Moves” classes are specifically designed to help young children learn the basic skills needed to play games. We play all sorts of great games designed to help dexterity, logic, math, language, and even social skills. Cost is $10.
 
Register via Eventbrite.
July 18, 9:30am-10:30am.
 

Netrunner Tournament

This tournament recommended for those who already know how to play. There is a $5 entry fee, payable upon arrival. (Cash is preferred!) The entry fee goes towards prizes. Prizes include: a Criminal runner Silhouette playmat, alternate art Gordian Blade, alternate art Pop-up Window, and Criminal deck boxes featuring Silhouette.

Please plan to arrive by 10:50am. If your schedule changes and you cannot attend, please log into Eventbrite and cancel your registration so that we can let in someone from the wait list. The store will open at 10:30am to accomodate arriving players.

Register Via Eventbrite.
July 19, 11am-6pm

 
Kids' Night Out
 
Need an excuse for date night? We have a solution! For only $40, we will watch your elementary school-aged child, dinner included. So, while you're out having a nice evening, they'll be having fun playing games, and even learning something while doing it! Recommended for ages 6-12.

Register via Eventbrite.
July 18, 5pm-9pm

 

Learn to Play Pokémon Class

The game of Pokémon is very strategic and improves math skills. This two-hour class is for children from 6 to 10 years old. Children must be able to read well enough to read the text on the Pokémon cards. Cost is $30, and includes a deck of Pokémon cards.

Register via Eventbrite.
July 25, 4pm-6pm
 
Kids' Tabletop Roleplaying Group

This is an event for kids, 10 and above, who have a real interest in tabletop roleplaying games. We'll teach you the basic rules of a featured RPG game, and guide you through an adventure. We'll also talk about how to run your own game, and how to create characters, monsters, and worlds. Perfect for creative, storytellers. Cost is $10.

Register via Eventbrite.
July 26, 4pm-6pm
 
 

New Ongoing Events


Summer Games Club

School’s out, but Labyrinth aftercare is still in session! This game club for kids entering grades 1–6 will meet at Labyrinth for nine weeks this summer. Drop in for $20 per day, or sign up for any full week at $15 per class. When you register for 3 or more weeks the cost is only $10 per class.

For more details, visit out website. 
 

 
Regular Weekly Events
 
And, don't forget our regular nightly events starting each weeknight at 6pm.
 
Tuesdays - Tuesday Night Magic - Leagues, fun events. Check our Facebook or Eventbrite for registration details.

Wednesdays - Roleplaying Games - check our Eventbrite page each week to see games that have open seats.

Thursdays - Board Game Night - No RSVP required.

Fridays - Friday Night Magic - Registration on Eventbrite is required. Registration opens at 1pm on the Friday of the event. 

Make sure to check out our Google event calendar for even more events. 

Announcing: WashingCon! 

 


In addition to all of the summer activities, Labyrinth is excited to announce that this September we will be partnering with local game designer Ben Rosset (of Mars Needs Mechanics and Brewcrafters fame) and Matt Grosso (host of the popular game night at DC's The Argonaut) to create a mini gaming convention in DC. The convention will be called WashingCon, and will take place on Saturday, September 12th from 10 am to 10 pm at Westminster Church, 400 I Street SW. Only one block from the SW Waterfront Metro Station!

This family-friendly day will include lots of awesome gaming, giveaways, meet and greets with game designers, play testing new games, and maybe a fun competition or two.

This event is almost SOLD OUT. Buy your tickets now!   
The event's website is: www.washingcon.com.
Facebook: Washingcon  Twitter: @washingcondc 
If you would like to volunteer, or have any ideas/suggestions, please contact us via e-mail. 

July Highlight
Supporting local business through games


Did you know that tons of the games we sell are developed right here in the greater DC area? Some of our favorite companies like North Star Games, ThinkFun, and Looney Labs are local. There are also some great designers in the area, like Ben Rosset (Brewcrafters, Mars Needs Mechanics) and Dave Chalker (Get Bit!, Heat). So when you stop by and support your friendly local game store, you're also supporting your friendly local game designers! Check out some of our favorite games from local designers and companies.

North Star Games

Founded by Dominic Crapuchettes in 2003, North Star Games focuses on party games that are fun for the whole family. Based out of College Park, MD, North Star's hits like Wits & Wagers and Say Anything have received dozens of awards.
 

One of our favorites from North Star Games is Happy Birthday. It's a great card game where players take turns having birthdays and giving gifts to each other. All players pick a present from their hand that they believe would be the best choice for their friend's birthday. The birthday kid chooses from the selection of optimal gifts and awards a point to the player who gave them the best gift. Happy Birthday also has an older brother called Crappy Birthday where instead players focus on choosing the worst gift for their friend from options such as a toilet planter, feet boots, or gnomes dressed like the band Abba.
 


Coming soon is the second edition of Evolution. Evolution is a game about adapting your species to be the most formidable, durable, and successful species on the board. 

Join us in August for our Evolution Board Game Battle!


Looney Labs

Also located in College Park, our friends at Looney Labs have created a plethora of games that are fun for all ages. Designer Andy Looney, former NASA scientist, created his first game Fluxx in 1996. The game has gone on to win the Mensa Award and has spawned over a dozen spinoffs.

A classic Looney Labs favorite of ours is Chrononauts. In this game, competing time travelers try to change historical events to create and shape their ideal timeline. Important events like World War II are "lynchpins" and can cause cascading ripples through time, changing much of the course of history when altered. Events like the Cuban Missile Crisis, when altered, can cause all later events to cease existing. Chrononauts is a great game for history buffs and families alike.
 

The latest hit from Looney Labs is a card game called Just Desserts. In Just Desserts, players compete to satisfy the orders of picky customers with a wide array of desserts. Each customer has a favorite dessert, and can be satisfied either by that exact dish, or by a combination of important ingredients like chocolate, fruit, or peanuts. Just Desserts lives up to the high standard of humor set by other Looney Labs games, and it's a lot of fun to play.


ThinkFun

Founded in 1985, ThinkFun is known for making high quality puzzles and games. Located in Old Town Alexandria, ThinkFun has been a good friend of ours and often visits for events. Like Labyrinth, ThinkFun focuses on building the community around games and using their games and puzzles for education.
 

Possibly the most popular puzzle game ever made, Rush Hour is a huge hit from ThinkFun. Based on a classic block-sliding game from Japan, Rush Hour pits the player against other cars in a traffic jam that must be solved so their car can break free. Spinoffs include a junior version for younger players (featuring an ice cream truck), and a new two-player game called Rush Hour Shift.

 

A great new selection from ThinkFun is All Queens Chess. A fun take on the classic game, All Queens Chess gives each player six chess queens on a five-by-five board. Each player's goal is to get four of their queens in a row, while blocking other players from doing the same. All Queens Chess is an awesome two-player strategy game that's more than meets the eye.


Ben Rosset

Ben Rosset is a long-time friend of Labyrinth, and one of the leading forces behind the upcoming WashingCon. After the success of his first game, Mars Needs Mechanics, Ben went on to design the current hit Brewcrafters, and its companion, the Brewcrafters Travel Card Game. Brewcrafters gives players the job of running their own microbrewery. Points are awarded to players for making the most creative brews.
 


Dave Chalker

"International Game Celebrity" Dave Chalker (He hates it when we call him that, but it is just soo much fun.) is another Labyrinth regular. His first game,Get Bit!, has received multiple awards, and is a great game for both new gamers as well as more seasoned players. In Get Bit!, each player is trying to swim away from a hungry shark, and the player who doesn't plan ahead could end up as shark food.
 

His new game, Heat, is a heist game where players try to complete the most jobs while avoiding the attention of the law. Heat is a unique game that plays quickly without sacrificing the fun of a deeply strategic game.
 


Jason Matthews

When looking for deep strategy, look no further than DC local Jason Matthews. Designer of games like Twilight Struggle and Founding Fathers, Jason is a highly praised game designer who works on the Hill.
 

His biggest hit, Twilight Struggle, has been described recently by FiveThirtyEight as the greatest strategy game ever designed. A war game for two players, Twilight Struggle is a competition between the United States and the U.S.S.R. during the Cold War.

 
Be sure to check out our website and our Facebook for the most current news and announcements about events and new games. Until next time, keep gaming, and remember, play nice!
Copyright © 2015 Labyrinth Games & Puzzles, All rights reserved. 
You're receiving this email because you filled out a mailing list form at our store, Labyrinth Games & Puzzles, in Washington, D.C. We send this out to let you know about new events, neat inventory, and holiday ideas. 

Our mailing address is: 
Labyrinth Games & Puzzles
645 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Washington, District Of Columbia 20003

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