Obligatory COVID-19 Acknowledgement

I don’t know if you’ve gotten as many emails from companies as I have, all saying what they’re doing to help you during the pandemic, but most of them look the same to me.
Anyway, here’s ours.
Bill and I are both at our individual homes, doing our best to stay away from other people and taking precautions to slow the spread of the virus.
Please follow the advice being given out and practice social distancing and effective hand-washing.

Cancelled!

Clearly, most of the events mentioned in the previous news item have been cancelled or postponed. Breakout Con has been moved to the weekend of Hallowe’en, and the others are still up in the air. We were looking forward to these conventions very much, but we will have to wait and see what happens.

While at home, we are both still involved in BSGames activities, as Bill continues to create artwork, and is laying out a rulebook for From the Mist. I am playtesting Level 2 of Mathemagician’s Duel with my family. And, of course, we are entertaining ourselves with games, and hopefully entertaining you with our newest video on Youtube. If you don’t have a copy of Mathemagician’s Duel yet, or know someone who could use one during this time (especially with the kids home!), we’re still shipping, but you can also still order from some of the local game stores that have it. Check the list on the Mathemagician’s Duel page.

Educational Activities

As schools are closed, many families are looking for educational games and activities to do with the kids to keep their minds sharp. Obviously, we recommend Mathemagician’s Duel, but many games have good educational value, and many lists exist on the internet. As a part-time teacher, I set up an account on Teachers Pay Teachers, where I put many of the activities and worksheets that I created for my classes for download (for a small fee).
I have also just put a couple of my critical thinking math puzzle activities in our BSClub section for free download for members. Becoming a member is also free.

Help Small Business

Many businesses, particularly game stores and cafés rely on people coming into their store for their business. This is especially difficult for them right now, and many game stores have switched to online-only sales, and game cafés are offering take out and delivery on their food, since they can’t have people dine in and play.
These are small, local businesses that were opened by people that have a passion for games and people having fun. If they can’t operate, they’ll have to close up. Please do whatever you can to support your local store right now. Order food for pickup, order a game from them instead of from Amazon.

During this time of anxiety and self-isolation, be sure to reach out to others electronically. You can phone, text, video chat… being physically distant doesn’t really mean being socially distant. Follow us on our socials and see what we’re up to, and take care of yourselves and the people around you.