I’ve played more games at this show than I have at a PAX in years; typically PAX Unplugged takes that crown, but I’ve discovered a unique solution: to never, ever sleep.

I’ve been playing Warhammer 40k: Kill Team nightly, in the 2v2 Brotherhood configuration, the 1v1 Arena configuration, or (God help me) both in one night. I’m getting to sleep at like three in the fucking morning. I’m not young in any way. Plus, I would say that I was not not drinking. We were doing battle with some German friends of ours who have hundreds of games between them and my friend Acquisitions Intoxicated Brewmaster Eric Benson and I have about, you know… twelve. But we were able to take the second game 26-25 when it looked like even from the first round the whole enterprise was doomed. The alliances were unlikely; my GSC outfit The Cult Of The Blessed Hour joined forces with the Adeptus Mechanicus, while der Germans commingled rigorously trained T’au with slavering, bloodthirsty Orkz. I learned so much the first game that I couldn’t wait to try it out in the second - the main thing I learned is that I can’t fight some theoretical battle where things go a certain way and it all makes sense. I have to fight the fight that actually sits on the table. You’d think that would be an easy thing to recognize and understand, but when this many variables are in play it can be surprisingly difficult. Also, I’ve learned this lesson many, many times before and I doubt will be the last time I try to integrate this wisdom.

Gabriel has been up surprisingly late each night also, affixed to the Switch until one or two in the morning, trying to master the interesting ideas Astral Chain has on offer. He’s blowing my mind with this shit: I assumed, correctly, that Platinum’s combat was going to be the latest iteration of their Bayonetta prowess. Burt he also says there are cool puzzles. And he says the writing is good, except… he hates words? I gotta grab this shit when I get home. He told me before the show that, well, I guess we did make a whole strip about it.

I’ve been taking notes about things I’ve seen here that I’ll get into later in the week, but we did announce some stuff at the show too. If Clank! Is your thing, you might be interested to know that we just announced the Acquisitions Incorporated: “C” Team Pack to honor the team of our Wednesday streaming game. It comes with figures, custom starting decks and an accessory for each character, and of course it’s usable in Clank! as well as Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated. It drops at PAX Unplugged. Some people are picking up their copies of our Legacy collaboration here at the show, and I’m so pleased it’s out in the wild.

I had commitments from 10am to 8:30pm yesterday, solid. It was real as shit. Back at it.

(CW)TB out.