Over the weekend I was in Edinburgh, a city of old scale and culture. I attended a gaming convention there called Conpulsion.

There are three big wins for Conpulsion. It’s convenient, pretty and open-minded. Ever since Gaelcon (the big Irish gaming convention) was moved out of Kilmainham Hospital in the late 90s, I never found a con that could balance the compromise between convenience and aesthetics. However, that all changed at this year’s Conpulsion, set in the gorgeous network of rooms and balconies of Teviot Row House.

Teviot Row House…is the oldest purpose built Student Union Building in the world…It has six bars; a canteen; a coffee shop, a debating chamber (used for functions), a dining room…”

Marry this labyrinth with a clever gaming vision, and you’ve got Conpulsion 2010. You pay £15 at the door, and that gives you access to all of the rooms from 10am to midnight. That is, you do not pay to play. If you like the sound of a LARP or RPG, you just sign up.

Furthermore, if you’d like to try out an indie game or get a demo from one of the many talented designers, there’s a specific, super-comfy lounge area to relax in. I playtested three upcoming games (which I’ll talk about in more detail during the week) and two older but equally magnificent indie games that I’d been meaning to try out for ages.

If that’s not enough to whet your appetite, it should be noted that you can booze and feed all weekend, even while you’re sitting at your gaming table. The whole building, this gorgeous maze of gaming delights, is licensed. Imagine yourself in a fuzzy, huggable lounging chair playtesting Hammer Falls (with the writer), sipping on a 12 year old Scotch with your feet up.

Listen, I could go on for hours but if you’re not excited by now, this is going to get boring pretty quickly. To that end, here’s me signing off. If you know what’s good for you, come to Conpulsion next year.