Long Island Tabletop Gaming Expo returns to Cradle of Aviation

Put down the controller and start interacting in a game at the Long Island Tabletop Gaming Expo inside the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City on March 18 and 19. Here, attendees can engage in a variety of gaming where tabletop overtakes technology.

“Typically, if people see a board game, role-playing game or card game with a manual, sometimes they can get intimidated. But, the expo is all about accessibility, therefore we offer guidance with our Game Masters,” says Joel Albino, operations coordinator. “You can show up not knowing anything and we will teach you how to play each game as well as being on hand to answer questions. We have a lot of beginner friendly guided sessions that require no experience.”

Here are five attractions at the expo that will get you in the game. 

INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES 

Enter a live dungeon called “The Cave Crawl of Doom,” which is a 90-minute experience broken down into five rooms each with a different set of tasks to complete ($10 entry fee per person).

“In one room, there will be riddles that you have to figure out in a certain amount of time. If you don’t do it, you take a point of damage and some of your health gets taken away [each player begins with five points of health],” says Courtney Tricarichi, event coordinator. “When you proceed to the next room, you will face physical challenges ranging from a Nerf dart game to balancing an egg while walking across a specific area.”

Try your hand at an escape room called “Escape from Expo Island,” an hourlong activity that’s fun for the whole family ($10 entry fee per person).

“You are stuck on an island and you need to find one of the divinity masks in order to awaken the spirits to allow your group to escape,” says Tricarichi. “It gives a component of physicality and you can mix together parents with kids participating together at the same level.”

To keep your energy up, food will be available for purchase in the museum cafe as well as from food trucks outside. There will also be a marketplace with over 50 vendors selling a wide array of games and game accessories.

BOARD GAMES 

The easiest gateway into the gaming world is through board games that range from old school Battleship to modern day Catan.

“Playing board games is a form of entertainment that gets the family unit back together and it’s a way to make additional friendships,” says Dave VanderWerf, board game coordinator. “Plus, there’s the thrill of figuring out the game, working with the mechanics, trying a new strategy and potentially winning.”

There will be about 200 games like Carcassonne, Splendor and Codenames in a board game library available for open play as well as a board gaming museum featuring replicas of ancient games like Senet from Egyptian times to Milton Bradley games from the ‘50s, ’60s and ‘70s like Rack-O and Stay Alive.

Scheduled games are available with assigned Game Masters teaching titles like Twilight Struggle, Clank!, Wingspan, Agricola and Azul plus four tournaments (no fee) each day involving games like Ticket to Ride, Uno, Yahtzee, Stratego, Clue and more. 

There will also be a special section for attendees to beta test some unpublished games by local board game designers.

ROLE-PLAYING GAMES

Take on a new persona in a role-playing game like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, The Border Kingdoms, Dark Heresy, Fallout, Hero Kids or Masks. Most games last for about three hours each and it’s strongly suggested to sign up online to preregister for one of the five sessions scheduled for the weekend.

“Every player becomes a character with a different objective. Sometimes you might have to rescue someone or look for an answer to a riddle in order to help everybody in your kingdom,” says Tricarichi. “Each character has varying abilities. For example, you might be a cleric, who can heal people or a barbarian with fighting skills.”

CARD GAMES 

Perhaps the most challenging games to play independently are card games. However, there will be learn-to-play segments for beginners (free) as well as league events for advanced players ($15 entry).

Eminence Gaming will organize Magic: The Gathering card game events while Collectors Emporium runs Pokémon events in beginner and experienced formats.

“This will be a Pokémon release weekend for a new set of cards — Scarlet & Violet,” says Tricarichi. “In celebration, events will be held using the newly released Pokémon set.” 

MINIATURE GAMES

Face off head-to-head with an opponent in a war-based miniature game where players go back and forth with their armies in various scenarios using miniature figures that they built and painted themselves.

“Each game has specific characters,” says Jesse Harchack, event coordinator. “People usually come with their own miniatures. However, we also have some demo stations where people can learn miniature games as well.”

Tournaments will be held for BattleTech and Monsterpocalypse as well as a miniatures painting contest ($10 fee for each).

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.