The creators of Exploding Kittens will host a new gaming convention with some of the same sensibilities as the game; Burning Cat will be held in Portland, Oregon on May 16 and 17, 2020. The name not only carries on from the title of the game in a similarly twisted way, it also plays off Burning Man, the annual art festival held in the Nevada desert. Like Burning Man, the event will end with the immolation of an icon, when the Burning Cat statue will "erupt with the light of a thousand stars."
The group says it wants to "fix the things that were wrong with traditional conventions," which it lists as the fact that "most conventions are basically a glorified shopping mall," and that "despite being a gaming convention, very few people play actual games, or have actual fun."
They promise gaming and that the show will be "a source of games discovery;" guest speakers, including Matthew Inman of webcomic The Oatmeal and the game Exploding Kittens; tournaments; an after-hours game night; ways for game designers and artists to meet and create new projects; and The Ring, where oversized games will be played, including Cat-themed American Gladiator, Hairball, a dodgeball variant with massive hairy balls, a dunk tank full of La Croix, and the world’s largest game of freeze tag.
Given that Inman’s audience was big enough to raise nearly $8.8 million for Exploding Kittens (see "8.8 Million Card Game Kickstarter Biggest Ever"), we’re guessing that the show will draw well in its first year, and given the sense of humor with which the event is being staged, we’re guessing that the attendees will have fun.

In Portland
Posted by Milton Griepp on June 26, 2019 @ 11:22 am CT

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