Our annual summer convention was a private event, but I had visited other conventions over the years, always traveling with or connecting with people I knew. The events were busy and I always had a great time. Game conventions can be a bit overwhelming, though. At every event, I would notice a couple, a family or small groups of friends that seemed uncertain about how to get started. There would be hundreds (or thousands) of board games to choose from in a room full of folks laughing and having fun. The board gaming community is typically very friendly, but it can be hard to make those initial connections. I would often see those new folks checking out all the titles available to them, eventually selecting one to take to a table. At this point, they would pull out the rules and start teaching themselves how to play. I always thought about how lucky I was to have others to teach me new games at conventions, and occasionally I offered to teach a game to a table pouring over a rule book.

I wanted Fun K-Town to provide folks with an easy "on ramp" for joining the gaming fun. I knew that a lot of the folks attending Fun K-Town would be game convention veterans, but there is a first time for everyone. I wanted Fun K-Town to be a great "first convention". This led to the Game of the Hour. Folks can just show up at the Game of the Hour corner and join the next round of game instructions. Nothing to sign up for. A quick way to meet other gamers. A great opportunity to learn a game.

Thanks to our sponsors, our Game Hosts and the Fun K-Bunch, the Game of the Hour has been a huge hit. If you enjoy board games and are going to be in the Knoxville area this spring, make plans to join us at Fun K-Town and check out a Game of the Hour for yourself.