Bangkok Hat 2020: Year of the Panther

Bangkok Hat was a personal highlight of 2019, which meant that Kris and my return to the tournament held a lot of both excitement and expectation. Would it be as good as last year? Could it perhaps be even better? Through an incredibly spirited team, even better food, and stellar organization, Bangkok Hat’s 20th anniversary tournament proved that even the highest of standards can be exceeded.

At the heart of my Bangkok Hat 2020 was my team: the Pink Panthers. A healthy mix off veterans, young stars, up-and-comers, and middle-of-the-road players like myself, we clicked as a team from before the first game. We established connections by all taking the effort to learn each others’ names right away (something that I didn’t even manage to completely do through the entirety of Bangkok Hat 2019). This helped bring us together and develop team chemistry right away. 

From this solid baseline, we never stopped growing as a team. We weren’t quite the star-studded teams that challenged the eventual A-bracket finals, but I’d wager that there wasn’t a team that had more fun on the field that we did. The Panthers fostered an atmosphere of growth – all team huddles were constructive and encouraging, and ended with a hearty cheer (either the classic Pink Panther theme or simply screaming ‘PP!’). We managed to take home the B Bracket Championship (also known as the Beer Bracket or Chumpionship). More importantly, we left the tournament as friends with some vibrant memories of a weekend well-spent.

Many of the other memories made from Bangkok Hat 2020 came from the moments spent eating the food provided for us. I have yet to have better lunches, dinners, and snacks at a tournament, and this year’s offerings outshone even last year. My favourites from this year were the khao soi (crispy egg noodles) and fresh coconut. Drinking from a freshly-cut coconut on the sideline on Sunday refreshed me and gave me the energy I needed to give the Panthers everything that I could in our last few games.

I was not the only one putting my all into this year’s Bangkok Hat. The organisers outdid themselves this year. They clearly wanted the 20th iteration to be one to remember. Apart from the outstanding food, there was also water, alcoholic smoothies, beer, and snacks, free to all participants. Everyone received a jersey and a disc as part of their registration. There were massages available on the sidelines. There was also a memorable party on the roof of a hotel, with free drinks flowing throughout. Almost the entire tournament ran on time, with only a few games on Sunday falling significantly behind. I cannot imagine putting together a tournament like Bangkok Hat, and the 20 years of experience are evident in every small detail.

While Bangkok Hat is not a cheap tournament, it is worth all of the money and effort spent to be there. My team was amazing, the food was incredible, and the tournament ran smoother than fresh coconut water. If you’re thinking about whether to make Bangkok Hat a part of your Ultimate schedule in 2021, just do it. If I’m still in the region, I’ll see you there!

Featured Image by Zrs Gamboa.

B Pool Champions!

Six Things From Sixes: Vol 4

Another year, another Six On the Beach. The best event of the Korean Ultimate calendar rolled around last weekend, and Kris and I once again cut a trip to South Africa short in order to be back in time for it (sorry Dalene!). With every Sixes that I go to, I learn new things about myself, Ultimate, the community, Korea, or all of the above. Here are the lessons that this year brought.

Never go full neon.

Every year, Sixes has a themed party. This year’s was neon, a simple yet effective choice. Partygoers were decked in every luminous shade imaginable. Some had a small neon accessory to complement an otherwise stylish outfit. I decided to don bright yellow neon shorts and a matching shirt. I also emblazoned my arms and face with neon bodypaint. I could see the light coming off of my clothes on the faces of those next to me in on the dancefloor. It makes you easy to find, but difficult to be close to for a long time.

If I get drunk enough, I will consume everything in sight, including cold cup noodles left at a convenience store.

Yep. Someone ate half of a cup of noodles and left them at the convenience store closest to the bar. I came upon them later and slurped them all, to the horror of those around me. Needless to say, I do not recall this event.

Sixes is a great place to say hello or goodbye to the Korean Ultimate community.

Between the revels mentioned above, the welcoming atmosphere, and the emphasis on having fun, there really is no better place to begin or end your Korean Ultimate journey than at Sixes. Every year, there are many heartfelt farewells for those whose watch has ended, and cheerful introductions from those taking their first steps in the community. These cycles beginning and ending at the same time is heartwarming sight to behold.

Seven! Seven! E-le-ven!

If you have a Nintendo Switch, bring it with you for all Ultimate travel.

You never know when express train tickets will be sold out and you’re staring down a 5-hour bus ride back to Seoul with no means of entertainment. You could talk to your wife, but who wants to do that?

The best hat tournaments show the organisers’ hearts and souls piercing every part of them.

Sixes would not be the wonder it is without its parents, Ollie and 선화. Their love for the sport, the people, and the event is clear from the moment it is first announced until long after it is over. While more serious tournaments are arguably improved by feeling like a well-oiled machine, the charm of Sixes come from it feeling like the biggest family gathering in Korean Ultimate. From impassioned speeches, to walking around checking on the teams, to making sure that everyone is adequately fed, watered and sunscreened, the team behind Sixes elevate it from an ordinary hat to a vital fixture of the Korean Ultimate calendar.

With my fifth Sixes and fourth post about it (if you like, you can read about my experiences in 2015, 2017, and 2018), I am pleased to say that Sixes never fails to improve on itself. This edition truly was the best yet, and I can’t wait to see how it will be topped next year!

Boards, Cards, and Happy Fun Times: My Four Favourite Tabletop Games

In my last post, I discussed how board games have impacted my life, and how they can help bring people together. Some games do this better than others. I may not have played a vast number of board games, but of the ones that I have, these are the ones that I have found to provide the most consistently fun experiences and worthy post-board-game-night stories. I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to try as many of these games as possible. You won’t be disappointed.

Munchkin

Image from fox.mmgn.com

In Munchkin, you start out as a level 1 character with no powers, abilities, or shiny things to make you more powerful. The aim of the game is to acquire loot, defeat monsters, acquire more loot, defeat bigger monsters, and eventually be the first Munchkin to reach level 10 and win the game.

Does this sound pretty dry and repetitive? Well, imagine that you’re facing up against parodies of classic gaming and pop culture tropes. In Munchkin, you can defeat Great Cthulhu with the Necronookiecon, or defeat a robotic version of Queen Victoria with a cane version of a gunsaw. The strength of Munchkin is its sense of humour. Whilst the game is mostly pretty balanced, the cards will often have you chuckling throughout your entire game due to the sheer insanity of the humour.

There are a host of different versions of Munchkin, with a unique setting in each. My personal favourites are Munchkin Cthulhu, Adventure Time Munchkin, and Munchkin Steampunk. If you’re interested to see how Munchkin plays, check out famous geek Will Wheaton play the game with Steve Jackson (the creator of Munchkin) and some of his friends here.

Love Letter

Image from The Nerds’ Table

In Love Letter, you are one of up to four suitors vying for the affections of a princess. Each turn, you play one of two possible cards to try and eliminate the other suitors from the round. If you are the last suitor remaining in a particular round, or you have the card of highest number value of the players left, you win a token of the princess’ affection. The first person to a set number of tokens wins the game (this varies depending on the number of players in the game).

What I adore about Love Letter is the amount of game you get for its size. Some games take up a large box. Love Letter is 16 cards, 4 rules cards, and the tokens of affection, all stored in a small cloth bag. It is perfect for occupying down times when travelling. Like Munchkin, there are a host of different versions of Love Letter, from Munchkin to Batman to my personal favourite, Adventure Time (you may be seeing a trend here). It is simple to explain and play, but has high replay value because of the shenanigans possible with the effects of each card. Watch Will Wheaton and co. play Love Letter here!

King of Tokyo

Image from davidkelly.me

In King of Tokyo, each player takes control of a monster. Players take turns rolling dice to see which monster will be crowned King of Tokyo by earning the most victory points or simply smashing the other monsters into the ground. During the course of the game, players can upgrade their monsters to have things like poison spit or psychic probes, each of which has unique gameplay effects.

King of Tokyo is probably my favourite quick and simple board game. It looks great, the game is well-balanced, it is easy to explain, and every person that I have played it with has loved it. There is great replay value due to the different monsters and the quick nature of the game. Games take between 20-40 minutes, so no-one’s brain is going to hurt overly much after a game or two. This game is great for families, game nights, and for anyone who enjoys playing with monsters and having fun. Watch Will Wheaton and friends play it here.

Cosmic Encounter

Image from fantization.com

If King of Tokyo is probably my favourite quick and easy game, Cosmic Encounter is probably my favourite game of a higher complexity. Whilst it is still not a whole-day-spanning, sprawling game like the Twilight Imperiums of the world, there is a depth of play in Cosmic Encounter that is far greater than the other games on this list.

In Cosmic Encounter, each player chooses one of 50 possible alien races. Each race has a unique power that breaks the rules of the game in some way. The players will use their powers during encounters with other players. These encounters revolve around encounter cards, which can be peaceful or aggressive. However, these cards are played face-down, so the possibility for shenanigans is high. A player wins the game by securing five colonies in other players’ territories. Unlike most games, multiple players can win the game at the same time. Here is a video explaining the game in a simple, accessible, and quick way.

Cosmic Encounter is a phenomenal game. From the sheer variety of powers available, to the heated discussions that happen during the encounters themselves, some of my fondest memories from game nights come from Cosmic Encounter. This is a game where almost anything is possible, and slyness and fast-talking ability are rewarded.

So, from the simple beauty of Love Letter, to the smashing fun of King of Tokyo, to kicking down doors in Munchkin, or shenanigans in space with Cosmic Encounter, these are my four favourite tabletop games right now. Many games came close to making it, but there is just something special about each of these four games. If you want to play a good game, you can’t go wrong with any of these, in my personal opinion. The great thing about games is that everyone has their own favourites. For some more good recommendations, check out TableTop (the video series by Will Wheaton I’ve linked multiple times already) or the BoardGameGeek leaderboards. There are board games for you. Go out and find them!

Board Games: The Universal Unifier

Gaming is a pastime that permeates almost every aspect of who I am as a person. I play games to relax. I play games to challenge my reaction times, logic, and emotions. I play games to tell stories. I play games to have stories told to me. The most social way that I play games is to have some fun with others. These games most often take the form of card or board games. Whether I play with my family, my friends, or my students, I find that games are a way to bring people together, regardless of circumstances.

Everyone has to start their gaming life somewhere. For most, this was playing simple games like Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly, or Bingo with their family. I am no different. I remember many weekends spent at my grandmother’s house trying to outwit my cousin and brother in order to win Monopoly. A board game or two were always present on family holidays, and a pack of cards was always at the ready. Anecdotes of hotly-contested games formed part of family banter – “Yeah, but you still couldn’t beat me at Monopoly!” was an oft-used retort to expressions of superiority. And yes, we played Monopoly to death.

As I grew older, particularly when I entered university, the door into the true world of board games was opened to me. All around me, dozens of games that I had never even heard of before were played and enjoyed. I took one last mental look at Monopoly and dove in. I played games of all sizes, lengths, complexities, and themes. I hunted for Thunderstones and Munchkinned my way to level 10. I became a successful, profitable bean farmer and laid train tracks throughout Europe. I planeswalked and fought giant monsters. I even fended off cannibals in a little house on a hill. I did all of this whilst bonding with friends that I keep in touch with to this day (although not as much as I should!).

When I landed in Korea, I thought that the attitude towards board and card games would be different. In the land where League of Legends and Minecraft reign supreme, I held little hope that my students would even want to open a game that wasn’t an app on a phone or computer. I should have rather remembered the experiences that I’ve been lucky enough to have throughout my life. When I first showed my students one of my board games, their eyes lit up, and I saw my young self in them. Now, board game lessons are a highly effective reward for good behaviour and work ethic.

Life without board and card games would be a lot less interesting. They bring people together like nothing else. Just this week, I have already had one board game night, with the potential to have two more before the week is over. Every time I pick up a game, I think of all of the memories that I have made with that game. If it’s a new game, I am filled with the giddy anticipation of what is to come. In my next post, I will list the games that I couldn’t live without (it will be out this week, I swear!). Until then, play more games!