One of the things I’d like to see here at Land of Redemption are resources for play group leaders and aspiring play group leaders. We have some very successful play group pleaders in this game. I’ve reached out to a few of them and some are willing to share insights with us, when their schedule allows. The type of person who hosts a play group is typically someone who gives of themselves. Those type of people usually have a pretty full schedule. In the meantime, I’m going to share a few things I’ve learned as a play group leader, mostly by trial and error.
My First Play Group
Several years ago I started a play group that met every Friday night. It consisted mostly of a group of friends that I invited and taught to play Redemption. I used self-made starter decks to avoid having everyone play the same decks. We had around a dozen people and it lasted for a couple years, but over time some people moved away. Other’s had kids and no longer had the opportunity to hang out regularly. Some just lost interest. Slowly the group died off. It had taken a lot of effort to get it started and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go through all that again and again to keep a play group going.
Take Two
It was around that time that some of the youth at church heard about Redemption, purchased starter decks online and learned to play. As the resident guru, I met with them to help them learn the rules and gave them some extra cards. These kids told their friends, who told their friends and before I knew it there were a lot of youth in the area playing, with new people interested all the time. We started opening our home one Friday night a month and inviting all Redemption players to join us. We’d bring in extra folding table and chairs. A couple times we had over 30 people! Each month I was teaching anywhere from 2-6 new people to play the game. Some of this was happening during the development of the I&J starter decks, which was extremely beneficial for the testing of those decks. Things have slowed down a little these days. We still have a regular group of around 20 players, with the occasional new player.
Tips to Take Away
That’s a quick overview of my two play group hosting experiences. Here are some tips I’ve learned that can help you establish or improve your own play group.
- Be excited about Redemption. If you’re not excited about it, you can’t expect others to get excited about it.
- Make sure you have a location to host. This could be your home, your church or another public location.
- Communicate with your player base and their families. Make sure they know when and where to meet. Let them know what time to expect your gathering to end. Remember, you’re building their trust, especially the trust of parents who send their kids to your play group.
- Be hospitable. This isn’t just a good idea, it’s a command from scripture. Some people are better at it than others but any of us can do it.
- Offer snacks/drinks. This ties into hospitality, but deserves it’s own bullet point because it doesn’t necessarily rely on you. I always remind my players/parents that bringing a snack to share it optional but encouraged. People love to eat and it adds to the fellowship portion of any Redemption gathering.
- Always have starter decks available to teach new players. The I&J decks are the best teaching tool Redemption has ever had. However, if you want to build your own teaching decks, Three Lions Gaming has recently started offering some great deck building packages.
- Encourage your existing players to invite their friends. You might even give them some kind of incentive or contest for bringing a new player.
- Have some Redemption product on hand. You don’t need to have every card available and extra packs for every set, that’s what we have Three Lions Gaming for. But have something available. Players are always looking for new cards and most people enjoy opening packs.
- Similar but different different than the last bullet point, offer a “free box” from time to time. This can simply be made up of your extra commons and uncommon. Occasionally I’ve even seen players offer bulk cards for the cost of shipping. Let the players dig through the box for hidden gems. Everyone loves free stuff.
- Redemption tournaments are a great way for players to get promos and packs, but don’t feel obligated to host a tournament. Until your players are well established in the game, a tournament might be discouraging for them. When you do decide to host a tournament, start small with a “Local Closed” tournament that involves only your player base.
If you’ve been considering starting a Redemption play group, now is a great time to start! Find a day and time that works for players in your area and start meeting regularly. If you’re an existing play group leader, or an aspiring play group leader and you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Either myself, or another experienced leader, will do what we can to help you!
To buy singles, sealed product, and other gaming supplies mentioned, please visit Three Lions Gaming!
Joey Shivers
Gabe, great thoughts!
Those of you who are just trying to get things started with a playgroup or with friends should know that any of use who have hosted for years are still learning and growing. The key to longevity seems to simply be willingness to ride the roller coaster. Sometimes there will be dry seasons, other times you’ll have players jumping in so quickly you’ll find it difficult to provide space or cards. Be willing to take a deep breath in the dry seasons, stay in touch with players who want to fellowship, and keep your eyes open for future opportunities. God has done awesome things through this game, so I see nothing wrong with praying for God to use you, and use the game, in your area. Just be willing to act upon that prayer!