📸Anecdotes from Demoing IADS: The Game at Tabletop Conventions

The Immediately Tickled Military Member

During a bustling post-lunch con crowd, I had the pleasure of meeting an Air Force AOC officer and his patient daughter — who clearly had no idea why her dad had suddenly doubled back while passing our demo table.

He whipped left toward our large IADS: The Game banner and, before the usual “Cool map!” that draws most con-goers in, he turned to his daughter with an impish smile and said:

“I’m going to buy this. I can’t believe they did this. This is ridiculous.”

Then, noticing me suppressing a chuckle behind the table:

“I’m going to buy this.”

Shaking his head, still smiling:

“Why didn’t I think of this first?!”

Our trusty floor banner that caught the attention of many con attendees!

🙋🏻‍♀️ I can usually spot this moment of visceral recognition before the words even come out. These are usually military members — especially those who work around air platforms — and they get the tongue-in-cheek nature of the game. They love the witty reimagining of everyday work jargon into game mechanics, and they especially appreciate the fact that all the graphics are 100% PowerPoint — exactly the software where so much of their life already takes place.

👀 There’s a very specific look we’ve come to know and love — that mix of pleasant surprise and nerdy glee when someone realizes their mundane work lingo has been gamified with coasters, radar maps, and tokens.

We loved rolling dice with a couple Air Force linguists at Amazing Comic Con Aloha 2024!

Our friend, Steve playing with the Maritime Capabilities unit cards, several of which represent his vocation and areas of expertise!

Fox, another Navy friend, taking out an absolute horde of Long Range SAMs during this VUL at Westside Comics and Games!

😆Back in 2019, when Ric first started developing IADS: The Game, he explained the concept to me as someone who worked in banking, and I immediately got the humor:

“It’s like seeing a board game called ‘Financial Literacy: The Game.’”

And honestly? The metaphor was spot on.

Come join us every Wednesday at Your Hobby Place Alexandria for their weekly board game night!

🎲We recently had a great example of this exact moment during our launch at Your Hobby Place Alexandria. Our first customer there, Tom, fit the “Immediately Tickled Military Member” archetype perfectly. He spotted the ONC (Operational Navigation Chart) from across the room, made a beeline for our table, and — no surprise — picked up a copy.

The next day, we saw him again. He’d already played multiple VULs with some gaming buddies:

“We busted out the Advanced Capes... it was super playable!”

“We played like four rounds — it was fun!”

💡Most con attendees in the Tabletop Gaming Room don’t know what IADS stands for before they sit down — and those demo interactions are just as special and fun! But this type of player? The Immediately Tickled Military Member? We see you. And we love you.

Until next time!

— Madonna