Canada Plays 2026 Vlog & Wrap Up! | Highlights, games & the goody bag!

0:00 Hey friends, it is Jenna. What is up? And welcome back to the board game garden. And welcome to a fun little wrapup of an event that I recently went to. And that is a thing called Canada Plays, which if you've been around the channel, you would know that I have been going to this for the past 3 years. This was my third year going to Canada Plays. And it's basically a board game industry kind of conference thing that is presented and run by Asthma Canada. And I kind of think of this as the Canadian Gamma, which gamma is kind of like the industry board game industry convention conference that is held every year in the US, but we kind of have a little mini version for us here in Canada where board game publishers as well as retailers and media all come together to just talk new games, better ways to help support the board game industry here in Canada. Uh there's a bunch of different like panels and stuff for specifically like the retailers. And this year for the first time we actually did like a board game content creator/ media like panel thing which initially I thought it was going to be like a panel where we talked to an audience that was watching.

1:12 But it ended up being kind of just a circle chat with a bunch of different content creators. It was a lot of fun. I do think that next year I'm hoping that we are able to do it a little bit more at a bigger scale and in front of like I said an audience where we can kind of discuss better like how we as content creators can support the retailers as well as the different publishers. I think that'd be really really good and kind of have a panel that way. I think that would be a lot of fun. But I still had a lot of fun with the one that we did this year. It was nice to be able to get together with all the different content creators and chat about the differences in the space that we have and our experiences. And there were quite a few like different kind of creators in the chat. There were YouTubers, Instagrammers, Tik Tockers, um even like bloggers as well, which I think is really nice to still have in the space. Anyways, without further ado, we're going to get into this video. If you guys are interested in seeing one a little vlog slrapup of everything that I did at the event, as well as once we were finished with that, I will go over what we have here, which is a goodie bag that they sent us home with. I'll kind of show you guys what we got in here.

2:24 I'll also go over like my highlights of the conference/convention as well as some of my favorite games that I played throughout the three days that Canada Plays is. So, if you guys are interested, then just keep on watching. Give this video a big thumbs up if you enjoy. Also, hit that subscribe button down below if you've yet to do so. We'd love to have you here in the garden. And yeah, without further ado, let's get in to this little vlog segment of this Canada Plays wrap-up. Shall we

2:53 let the road begin?

3:10 I'm pretty

3:31 Oh my god.

3:35 Do those legs go all the way up.

4:16 One extra.

4:33 Okay. Ready?

4:38 You score your itinerary card.

4:42 I scored two points. All right.

5:19 Three, four, three, four.

5:35 the backside for other

5:40 why they're cousins.

5:46 They're cousins.

5:47 They like look similar but like not identical.

5:51 There's so many animals.

6:03 Okay, Jedi, you go.

6:18 I am not showing you this time. Jesus. Do it on his own. They're just going to

6:29 I'm not It's even better if you don't show his face.

6:59 Oh my god. He's going to hurt himself.

7:10 Chaotic garden.

7:12 All of my friends. This is going to be so shaky. That's Tuesday.

7:53 Gingerbread. Gingerbread. Gingerbread. Gingerbread. Tyler, you were elbow in the head.

8:39 Mhm.

8:59 trying to keep the wave. [singing] Ready to work. They actually show up better on camera.

9:17 There's a little sticker.

9:19 Where's our little sticker?

9:23 Maybe we'll make our living room our gaming room and our downstairs.

9:42 I love this song.

10:05 So, we're here. Of course. There he is.

10:43 Woohoo!

11:07 That was a

11:18 I'll capitalize it after you get your

11:23 I don't even know who it is.

11:25 Well, until I meet another one.

11:28 That's what Tyler has already.

11:31 How many times?

11:37 Wait, that's terrible.

11:39 Explain the game to me.

11:42 No, do it now.

11:43 I can't do it right now.

11:44 What happens? What's Why is it bad to have the same number? just never turns on.

11:52 Yeah.

11:53 Like I'm like I could just take a picture of this and I'm like that's

11:56 Yeah.

11:58 And this

12:00 I know. I was wondering.

12:03 J Show me your hand.

12:30 No, you're good. It's not you.

12:51 on the left.

12:53 Okay.

12:54 Yeah. And then uh the weird upside down slant goes on to block on the left on the farthest. So it is on the same

13:20 cat.

13:25 Oh, crow bird. Yeah, I just

13:45 Well, I'm sure there's other ways. All right, J. I can play with my kids.

14:04 They're not really in here.

14:10 Oh, wait. So, is this like you only got one more river to make that boat? I've become I used to be I think I think

14:46 Heat. Heat.

15:20 But this is our very cool.

15:48 That's right.

16:12 That's enough right now.

16:33 They still do a bunch of Nightmare Before Christmas and Hello Kitty stuff, so it was an easy jump onto there. But yeah, you're right. It was

16:57 right now so What do we do?

17:48 Everyone's so focused.

17:53 Yeah, exactly. I guess it's just if you need the flexibility

18:04 I was going to use my hand

18:14 and then I get points I get

18:23 recording a puzzle competition.

18:25 You do the puzzle. Jenna, you won. Celebrate first.

18:30 Oh, you're blurry. Celebrate again.

18:39 I want I want that one.

18:40 And this goes up.

18:41 That one.

18:42 And then this is up to four

18:44 for actions. I want that one.

18:46 And I would like to move.

18:50 Don't look

18:51 my man over here.

18:54 Don't look at the car there. Oh, they're nice though.

19:00 Oh, nope. Wrong place.

19:02 Don't look.

19:02 What do I need?

19:03 I'm not looking anywhere.

19:04 No. Yep, that's the right place.

19:06 One, two, three.

19:08 You could you get a point?

19:09 I get a point. Okay.

19:10 It's cute. No,

19:24 there it is.

19:55 Show us the puzzle.

20:00 Yeah. Show us the puzzle, J. I have two left.

20:16 Ending the game.

20:21 What's the score? Let's see.

20:36 We've all been the first giants

20:38 content creators in the wild

20:41 behind the bushes

20:42 in their natural habitat.

20:44 In their natural habitat

20:46 or oi

20:47 none of that

20:53 uh things

20:54 batteries. And then you get an extra point if you have any luck going. So like you add your odd. So I have three. So I would score three points.

21:30 Yeah. Or you can use this. You can pick the same

21:50 Natalie.

22:11 Oh god. if you are.

22:25 I don't know.

22:29 Very good. The owl flat. Am

22:31 I supposed to do that?

22:38 Hey, I don't know what You got two really good ones. I love this character.

22:47 You have Belle.

22:48 I just want

22:50 I need Bell.

22:52 A

22:53 I want her later.

22:57 Queen of hearts. Belle. Sorry.

22:59 I got you give it back after.

23:02 That's one.

23:05 Yeah. I need Mirabel and Val. You got two of mine. You need this. Where? Wow.

23:14 I don't know how to open.

23:16 I can't be a TCG content creator.

23:19 I need Penny. I need Penny the Orson.

23:22 I have this which I'd give it to you, but I would want it back.

23:26 I want

23:27 cuz I like these people.

23:30 And then I need

23:31 I am I'm going to cry.

23:33 I'm going to cry.

23:34 This is me painting. This is piles. We're playing piles right now. Yeah. No, nothing there.

23:41 It's so I don't get it. I don't get it. What is the

23:51 I don't I guess I'm off to find somebody else.

24:01 I'm done. I left it.

24:05 These were the four cards that I needed. All

24:22 right, so that is everything for the vlog segment. Hopefully you guys enjoyed seeing what I got up to, the games that I played, the people that I hung out with, the memories I made. It was such a fun event. It is always so nice to be able to hang out with friends. As you guys saw that I also had Tyler and Ilia from Cave stay here at the house and we were able to play some games before Canada plays and just hang out and I just love Tyler and Ilia so much. So yeah, it was really nice to have them here. They stayed in our guest bedroom. It was a good time. I also do want to say a huge thank you to Asthma Canada. Huge thank you for always inviting me to Canada Plays. It's been so so much fun the past 3 years and I always love going and participating and seeing all of the new games that Asmin is coming out with along with other publishers. You guys saw that there was like a trade show as well, which is always nice to walk through and see all of the games that are coming out. Um, so yeah, anyways, we're going to get into the goodie bag.

25:18 This I am very excited about. Like I said, I've gone the past 3 years, and they've always sent us home with a goodie bag. And every single year, it gets better and better. So, starting off, I do have first my little badge here, which it has my name on it, the board game garden. Very, very cute. Love that. I have so many badges from different like conventions and stuff. Um, so I always love keeping those. Um, we also have this, which you guys saw that we took part in a speed puzzle competition. This is something that we did the first year that we went to Canada Plays. Last year we didn't do one and then this year we wanted to do it again. So, we did a speed puzzle competition. We did get second last, but we weren't the last group in the room that finished the puzzle. So, we did this in a little over an hour, which I feel like is pretty impressive. 500piece puzzle. It's like little windows with a bunch of cats. I decided I wanted to take it home and maybe I will do the puzzle again. I actually do have quite a few puzzles uh in my cabinet that I really need to get out and do more puzzles cuz I do love puzzles. Um but another thing that was not part of the bag, I think Capstone sponsored a lunch.

26:29 I think it was the lunch on uh Tuesday. They sponsored it and it was like Mexican. So there were these little sombrero on the table and yes, I did bring one home because I thought it was very cute and I wore it quite a lot on Tuesday. But that is pretty much everything for things that didn't actually come in the bag. We also did the like Lorana pack opening thing which was so much fun. It was like a quest pack quest trade quest collection collect quest collection quest. I don't know what it was called but Ravensburgger and Laura Connor are wanting to do more of those and I would love to take part in more of those because it was so much fun and very just like communitydriven. We were like trading cards with people and it was just a good time. Everyone was giving me their animal cards, which I just love collecting any sort of like cute animal cards from Lurana. So, I got a bunch of like cats from the aristocrats as well as like the dogs from 101 Dalmatians and just a bunch of different animals from various uh Disney movies. But anyways, let's quickly go through what we got here. First thing, this is probably the thing that I'm least interested in, but that's just because I'm not really into minis and stuff. I do want to get more into mini painting. I do have minis. I do have mini paints. I just haven't gotten into it yet, but I should. Um, but this is from War Machine. They're just some minis, which I did open it, and you have to actually make the minis yourself, which I am probably too lazy to do that, so that will just be sent on to someone else. Another thing that we have in here is a little brain box. Uh,

28:01 I think this is like a little trivia game. It's about soccer. Not really that interested in soccer. We will see if maybe one of my nephews wants this. Um I think my nephew Ryder plays soccer and possibly my nephew Grayson. I'm not 100% sure. Um but yeah, not that interested in that because I don't play soccer. Um one thing that I'm very excited about is this IQ Link. It is a solo logic game, which you guys know if you watch the channel how much I love logic games. This is one of those things where it gives you like the first few um kind of things in the puzzle and then you have to fit the rest of them in. Um so yeah, 120 challenges, easy to expert, ages 8 to adult. I'm actually very excited for this. I think that'll be a fun thing to like bring traveling and stuff to do on a plane. Next one here is the only game that I actually opened up and played from the bag and that is Denup. Guys, I am obsessed with this card game. It is fantastic. I believe it is kind of the next Scout in a way. Um I don't know if it's the same designer as Scout, but I think maybe possibly. But very cool game. Really really enjoyed playing this. I think we played it a total of like three or four times throughout the uh convention. So happy with that.

29:23 Another one that we played during the convention is a brick like this. I actually had quite a bit of fun with this one. that we played as a group and it's just a fun like real time building game where you're playing with a partner and you have to like build the thing that's on the card. One person has the card, the other person is building it. So, the person with the card has to explain to the person that is building what to like grab and what to uh build. So, super fun little game. Next here, I'm actually very excited for this because this is the final version of nature. I believe this is like the retail edition. I did cover this on the channel and I do have like a bigger kind of deluxified version of this with all the expansions. So, just having this smaller kind of more compact retail edition of it I feel like will be really nice. It also says that there is a promo included which is fun. Um, next up, this is a game that I actually already have and just recently uh called, but that is Skyrockets. It is a very fun game. I will say I'm just not a huge fan of realtime games. This one's a little bit too stressful for me and it is a fun one, but really not one that I want in my collection. So, I'll probably gift that to friends, family, anything like that. We also have this game right here, which this is called Pick Your Poison.

30:46 As someone that loves like potions, witchy things, this is a party game that I could get down with. So, this is the would you rather do party game. So, you're like picking a better of the two. Uh, which both of them are probably bad. So, you're trying to pick what bad thing is better. Um, next up we have this right here, which is a little promo promotional edition of a game called Feeling Cute, which I think I saw some people playing this. It looks really cute. Uh, it just has a bunch of really cute animals on the cards and they're like in a line. I don't really know what you have to do with it, but feeling cute, I think, is a really cute name for a game. Next up, we have Row Your Goat.

31:31 This is a game by Exploding Kittens. Looks like it's another like party game where you're taking your turn playing your goat cards. If you spot a matching set of three colors or boats, grab your or grab a lifesaver. Okay, so it looks like it's like a fast again real time game, which not a huge fan of, but if it's like finding patterns and stuff, I feel like I would enjoy that. Um, so that's another little card game. We have another game that I actually have a copy of already, so I'm going to be able to gift this to someone. But this is a game called Inheritors, which this is a fantastic game if you haven't played it yet. Such a good hand management card game. You're like playing cards down in front of you in numerical order trying to get influence in these different like animal factions. Super cool game.

32:19 Definitely recommend. Um this one here I was actually so excited to see in the bag because I have played this one but I didn't have a copy myself. That is up or down by Capstone Games. This is a very fun game. If you guys have seen me, I've talked about Ohanami quite a bit, which is a game where you're creating gardens of cards in a line that are either having to be in uh like ascending or descending order. This has that kind of vibe, but plays in a very different way. Um, super super fun game. We also have a copy of Flip 7. I do already have a copy of Flip 7, so I'm going to be able to gift this to someone. And this one is like the normal retail edition that has the hang card. Mine I have like a smaller box that they were giving out when Flip 7 was first released. Um I think they were giving it out at Gen Con and I got that which I like that box better. Another game here that I'm going to be able to gift to someone is Katan on the Road. I actually just did a how to play of this game and it's actually quite enjoyable. This is a great game if you're looking for katan but not katan katan. I still don't know how to say it.

33:28 Um but if you're looking for a game that feels like katan uh but doesn't take as long uh it's very cool. It's like a card game version of katan. Um okay. Next up we have toil and troubles. Toil and troubles. This is a game from grandpa beck. I've actually only ever played I think it was Skull King is the only uh Grandpa Beck game I've played before, but this one looks very fun. Find the magic if you dare. I think there's a little bit of push your luck in this game. I actually really like the look of this game. I love the like magical kind of uh forest creature kind of vibe to it. Have a bunch of random little things. We have a code to get nature on Steam, which I actually already have.

34:16 Um, you guys saw that I did a little blind box unboxing in the vlog portion and I got this little like raptor. Very cute. We got this metal for Splendor Kids. We got a little token here for Canada Plays. I got some Spottit uh stickers. They're like Canadian stickers. That's really cute. I opened a play booster of some new Magic cards. Uh, I don't remember what I got, but I do enjoy some magic. We also have this, which I'm quite excited about. This is a solo adventure in Canada's wilds. It's called Again, Alone Against the Frost, Call of Cthulhu. I think it's like a solo kind of adventure book. I have a few different like solo journaling adventure book kind of things that I really want to get into. And also, if you have any like solitire journaling kind of RPGs, like solo RPGs, let me know if you have any that I should check out. Um, but then we also have two two more in here. Oh, I have a few other things down here. We have a little denup pin. We have the little dinosaur that I unboxed. Very cute. We have Dixit kids, which is very cute. I love this. Um, I do think that it says the cards that come in here you can use in normal Dixit. Uh, which I appreciate and they look really cute. I don't know how this one plays, but I'm excited to try that.

35:47 Maybe I can play that with my nieces and nephews. And then lastly, we have Pan Panipoo, where the answers take shapes. So, I think this is like a party game where you're rolling dice, you're collecting the shapes indicated by the dice, and then you have a certain amount of time to make what's on the card with the shapes that you got from the dice. Um, so it sounds like a fun little uh party game that I will love to try. So, yeah, there we go. That is everything in the bag. It is empty. And I feel like this video is going to be very long, but hopefully you guys enjoyed seeing all the things that came in the goodie bag. A huge thank you again to Asthma Day Canada for sending me home with so many goodies to try. Um, like I said, there's quite a few here that I already do have and enjoy, but there still is quite a lot here that I'm happy to have in the collection and to be able to try. Um, but anyways, as for kind of some highlights of the convention as well as some of the games that I really enjoyed, one thing, one like big highlight for me was just being able to hang out with friends, either local friends. All of us are very local, but it is really nice to have some specific thing that brings us all together, to be able to hang out and play games. Obviously, another highlight was that I was able to have Tyler and Ilia come here and we were able to spend some time together. Francis was even able to come hang out with us. We went on a hike and we played some games here before Canada Plays, like I mentioned,

37:17 and it was just wonderful. I feel like a lot of the highlights are mainly just the people. I just love that. Another highlight was the speed puzzle competition. So much fun. We just got really into it and really tried. So, that was a big highlight. The Lorana collection quest thing was very fun. some of my favorite games that I played. Obviously, like I mentioned, I played Denup a ton. That was a huge highlight for me. We also played a game called Tucu. I don't I forget how to pronounce it, but I think it's TCO. Uh but I'll put a picture of that game here. Um we also played Forestry, which Forestry has been a game that I've really really enjoyed. There was also a flip and right game that I really enjoyed called Locust that I really want to get a copy of. It kind of reminded me of like Gonchan Clever, all of those games. Um, but with Polyomino shapes and how much that I've been enjoying Tedoku. Um, I'm not surprised that I enjoyed Locust cuz it kind of gave me the similar vibes as Tedoku. So, really enjoyed that one. And then we did play a few games here like I said before we went to Canada Plays and I had a chance to play Kokeshi which Keshi was so much fun. Absolutely loved that game. Um, we also played Tend, which obsessed. Um, as well as postcards. I finally got to play postcards. Absolutely loved that one, too. And then we did play a trick- taking game that Ilia brought to Canada Plays called Casting Shadows, which I really liked that one as well. Um, so

38:49 yeah, overall played a ton of fantastic games. Had a fantastic time. Came home with a bunch of awesome stuff. And again, huge thank you to Asy Canada for always having me at Canada Plays. It's always a great time and I'm excited for next year, which next year is going to be their fifth anniversary, so that's very exciting. And yeah, thank you guys so much for hanging out today. Hopefully you enjoyed watching the video. If you did, please give this video a big thumbs up. Also, hit the subscribe button down below if you've yet to do so. We'd love to have you here in the garden. Uh, comment down below any of the games that you saw here in the goodie bag that you think I should try. Would love to know. And yeah, I love you guys so much. Remember, you are somebody's reason to smile. and I will see you in the next board game video. Bye friends.