It's FREE RPG DAY, So Head To Your Local Game Store Today!

Today is Free RPG Day! Free RPG Day was created in 2007, and enables gamers to play and pick up free tabletop roleplaying games at local game stores from publishers such as Paizo, Atlas Games, Steve Jackson Games, Goodman Games, Monte Cook Games, and more! want to find a participating retailer near you? Use this handy tool here!

The list of participating publishers is:

• Atlas Games
• Paizo Publishing
• Q-Workshop
• Steve Jackson Games
• Flying Buffalo
• Goodman Games
• Monte Cook Games
• Renegade Game Studios
• Chaosium
• Chessex
• Lamentations of the Flame Princess
• Ulisses Spiele
• Pelgrane Press
• Troll Lord Games
• Word Miniatures
• Off World Designs
• Studio9 Publishing
• UltraPro

 

[TrippyHippy]

And you know this how? From your extensive marketing research?

Why does Impressions (the company behind Free RPG Day) offer Free RPG Day? Why do so many RPG companies participate? Why does WotC, and other companies, put money, time, and effort into in-store organized play? Why is WotC currently making special editions of their D&D gamebooks that are only available in your local FLGS?

Because, due to their marketing research, they feel this is a part of the market they need to "connect with" in order to grow. Not the only market, to be sure, but an important segment of the market.

I'd be happy to see you compare notes on your marketing research, but seeing as there are only a handful of FLGS in the world and increasingly fewer, certainly compared to the time the Free RPG Day initiative has been operating, it seems a moot point. Anyway, I welcome your aggressive response.

 

[GMMichael]

Oh man, it sneaks up on me every year.

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE RPG!

This offer includes a free upgrade to Modos 2 free version 1.1 when it's released on Christmas, 2018.

Also, swing by Roll20.net and check out the weekly Metroid campaign using Modos 2, as well as the upcoming Lord of the Rings dungeon-crawl for Roll20 Con 2018

 

[scourger]

It’s free to the consumer. Retailers PAY for it. I rode 1 hour each way to my fNlgs (favorite NON local game store) for it. I was 6 hours too late for the swag I really wanted, but I got something. And I traded a tub of old stuff for new, including a sword and a cool game for my son. Plus, I spent all the cash in my wallet. Another great free RPG day overall.

 

[JeffB]

This event always strikes me as good for the publisher and the consumer, but amounts to very little, if anything, for the brick & mortar retailers the event was intended to be helpful for.

 

[Xavian Starsider]

I have been to a few FRPG days in the past few years at my local store and even tried out new games (which is kind of the point) but the owner has been so frustrated that most people just want to demand their swag and leave. They don't play or buy anything. Just give me my free stuff so I can go. So this year, for the first time, he opted out of the program. Which was kind of a shame since I hoped to run Scritch Scratch (the free Call of Cthulhu adventure) but someone decided to run Genesys for FRPG day and I showed up for that so at least we made something happen.

 

[lonelynoose]

Collector's Corner in Baltimore MD did it right. Drop in D&D from open to close, a table full of free RPG day stuff (limit 2), and 40% off all RPG items. I picked up the two 5e modules but most were scooping up one module and one Viking Dice. The store was slammed with customers. I also picked up a Starter Set for a friend and will probably throw the modules in there as well.View attachment 98577

edit: added pic.
edit2: whoa... pic too big.

 

[Paul3]

My local store was very busy. Sale on all games. No limit on free stuff. I grabbed about 4 items and also bought something. Seemed to work exactly as intended.

 

[DragonBelow]

This event always strikes me as good for the publisher and the consumer, but amounts to very little, if anything, for the brick & mortar retailers the event was intended to be helpful for.

The basic idea is that some of the people that get something for free will buy something. This is what I did. Somebody, that wasn't planning on walking to the store, did and bought something. I know the store pay for those boxes, but I don't think the idea is to make a profit with just one sale.

 

[Zarithar]

Around the Table here in Lynnwood Washington did a great job. Demo'd some of the games, promoted it via social media for several weeks in advance, held raffles to keep people in the store... and it seemed to work. I got several nice freebies including the Goodman Games 5e adventure, We Be Goblins 5 for Pathfinder, some dice, etc. I ended up spending around $100.00 on other things as well, so it seemed like it was working out well for them. In any case, they definitely did it right.

 

[Bill Winski]

I'll add my rant... Went to the store close to where I live (within a mile) & was told I could pick one item out "if I bought something" (!).
I won't be visiting that store again, ever.