UPSET® Blog

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Comment to UPSET® Game Player 2008

From: "Jayne Donaldson"
Date: Fri, April 24, 2009 9:55 am

Hi Paul and Stuart,

Jake was thrilled with the Game Player of 2008 title. Thanks! Jake wore his sweat shirt to school and another boy told Jake that he too had that game it made Jake feel special waring the sweatshirt. Small world considering there is only 400 kids at Jake's school. He still plays upset on a regular basis and beats us constantly... We are moving beginning of August to St. Maarten... We did buy an extra game and it is already packed ready to go. Original game stays here for when we do return periodically. we wish you guys all the luck in selling this great product.

Keep in touch.
Jayne

Comment from Game Designers:

"Thanks so much for the email Jayne. We shall miss you, your husband Ken and of course Jake at the craft and gift shows this year. We hope you guys have a wonderful life in St. Maarten and if we're ever visiting there we shall look you guys up."

All the best,
Paul & Stuart

Thursday, April 23, 2009

UPSET® Game Player of 2008

Of the many UPSET players we met and/or heard from last year, one player who made a lasting impression was Jake Donaldson. We first met Jake at a craft and gift show in Oshawa, Ontario and, when he approached us about playing the game, we were a little apprehensive because he was only 7 yrs old. UPSET’s age recommendation is 12 and up, but a smart 10 year old could play providing their mental math skills are good. We asked Jake if his math was good and in a very confident manner he informed us that he was a level ahead in school for math. So we sat down and proceeded to teach him the game. To our astonishment he wasn’t kidding about his math skills at all. Even his reading/comprehension skills were excellent.
Jake played many games that day and his parents, Jayne and Ken - of The Peddlar's Post, bought UPSET for him at the end of the show. Needless to say Jake has played many games since and when we saw him at other shows he was able to teach people how to play on his own. Jake quickly turned into our good luck mascot and we always liked having him around. He is certainly an UPSET Champ!
A couple months ago we heard from Jake after he got back from his trip to St. Maarten. He sent us this email and picture, here’s an excerpt:

Hi Guys,
It’s Jake. I Just Got Back From St. Maarten… I met two kids down in St. Maarten they were from the United States and they loved the game. Well Gotta Go.
Bye
From Jake


Well, we hope to see Jake at some of the upcoming shows again soon and we wanted to say thanks for being such a GREAT UPSET FAN!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

2009 Season for Craft and Gift Shows

The new season is already off to a great start with 3 exciting shows even before Easter.

First was March 7th - 8th in CHATHAM, Ont.
It was a pleasure to meet again many of the vendors we had been running into at all the pre-Christmas shows we attended. It was also a pleasure to introduce UPSET to a whole new set of enthusiastic gamers including JACLYN, LUCILLE, LESLEY, JO-ANN and ELLEN. Great players all and great meeting you.

Next up (April 4th - 5th) was the annual London Arts and Crafts Spring Show and Sale held at the Western Fairgrounds in London, Ontario. It was our first visit to this huge and impressive facility and the show was very well attended and lots of fun for everyone.
This was our first meeting with Britney whose mother had a nearby glass-vending booth and we would run into her and her twin sister Arnell at subsequent events.
Also Joanne J. went home with a game and later in the week e-mailed us saying she was playing it every day but she had a couple of queries regarding play. Glad to hear you’re enjoying the game so much, Joanne, and hope our reply cleared things up for you.

Maybe the highlight of the show came on the second day when siblings Tristan, Matthew and Rachel (above) sat down to play with father (and later, also, mother) looking on. The three teens already knew and enjoyed playing a game they simply called “Dice” which uses the conventional scoring system of ones, fives and three of a kind just like UPSET so they were very quick learners.
They also delighted in the new and different twists that UPSET introduces to the basic formula, especially when Tristan rolled U-P-S-E-T and knocked his brother and sister off the board. He was merciless and Rachel and Matthew were then determined to beat him down. Unfortunately for them his lead was now too great and he needed only 150 for the game and was all ready to start counting his chickens before they had actually hatched. Matthew and Rachel persevered and Tristan’s chips dwindled inexorably down. Finally Tristan lost the last of his chips and once again failed to get that final 150 and was knocked out.
Then began the final race to the finish which Rachel won and it was agreed a great time and a great game had been had by all. The three young people were enthusiastic and energetic (even exhausting!) but they were great sports and, with parents sharing their play, it was a family event such as our company, p.s.PlayGames, hopes to generate and sponsor and support.

And so on to KITCHENER and the FROM OUR HANDS TO YOURS CRAFT AND COLLECTIBLE SHOW on Good Friday and Easter Saturday, April 10 and 11th. Another very pleasurable event with lots of games going on.
Holly beat Susie and then another Sue lost to her daughter Heather.
Donna and Michelle had an exciting game and a young guy named Chris had an excellent game with Paul.
Max may have been styled Master of the Universe but he didn’t manage a win at UPSET at the show this time around. He went home the proud possessor of a new game, however, and, no doubt, he has now added UPSET success to his title.
Britney and Arnell played several times again and Mary and Jacob enjoyed a game.

Background: Britney and Arnell

Foreground: Alex, Derek and Stuart (hat)

Best of all, Derek, whose grandparents were also exhibiting at the show, brought over what seemed like most of his family to have a try at the game. These included Grandpa and Grandma and also Pam and Alex. Pam and Alex played a game themselves while Grandma was only able to spare a few brief moments with us. Grandpa, on the other hand, spent a while watching on and getting the hang of the game. As he explained, he was pretty sure he would be the one Derek ended up playing with the most and he wanted to be prepared. We wish Good Luck, Grandpa, but as nearly everyone in the family got themselves a game, you may find yourself playing a bit more than you expected. Enjoy - it’s GREAT to get UPSET!

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Monday, April 20, 2009

UPSET® Game Tips From the Game Designers

Some important tips that will help you be an UPSET® Champ!

Tip #1
Be sure to collect Keeper Cards whenever possible - they will help you win the game.

Tip #2
Beware holding on to your Keeper Cards too long; one of the best parts of the game is stealing other Keeper Cards - unless it's your card being stolen!

Tip #3
Did you realize players can join in a game in progress if everyone is agreeable? You don't necessarily have to wait around if someone is late getting home from work/school/lectures etc. Start the game and let them join in when they arrive. True, they may be at a slight disadvantage to start with but a few good dice throws, a couple of lucky cards, and they could be up with the leaders before you know it. Just be sure to make them stake the pot with their 10 uPcentS before they start!

Tip# 4
Length of game - For 2, 3 or 4 players, the regular game to 10,000 points gives a great game experience although the short game to 5,000 is still loads of fun. With 5 or 6 players, the short game to 5,000 points is probably best. (Be advised that the roller-coaster play and the usual edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting finishes can leave you feeling quite drained and exhausted!)

Tip# 5
Don’t show your disappointment if you draw the Bluffer Card from the deck. It’s not completely useless; holding the Bluffer along with other Keeper Cards gives you a little bit of protection against Keeper Card stealers - they may steal the Bluffer instead of a card you really want to keep.

Tip# 6
Try not to leave yourself needing only 50 points to win. It can be surprisingly difficult to get just the ‘5’ to win and you can bust many times and lose many uPcentS trying!

Tip# 7
If you are looking to play a short game then start without having to roll at least 400 points to get 'on the board' or into the game. When we demonstrate the game we always by pass this rule to get people into the game as fast as possible.