Friends,

I thought I’d take a few minutes and ruminate a bit about why we’re grateful this holiday season. It’s the sort of thing one does when the leaves turn and frost begins to creep across the morning ground, and if one is the Supreme Marketing Goblin, one makes an email about it.

And to be clear, we are grateful. Any business that’s still standing after 5 years, especially these last 5 years, has a lot to be thankful for. Better than that, we are more than standing: we’re bouncing a bit on our toes. Not quite jumping for joy, mind you, but there’s a bit of spring in our step. A twitch of joy even.

So, without further ado, things that we’re thankful for:

  1. We’re grateful for the hopefully escalating trend of parties starting off at 3rd level. There’s been a marked decrease in first level barbarians swinging axes and chasing our interns around in an attempt to level up. 
  2. We’re grateful that the bulette in the parking lot is apparently satiated and settled in for its winter nap. In related news, Phil’s parking spot has opened up. I get to assign the spot, so if you’re interested bring your checkbook.
  3. We’re grateful to the proliferation of talented writers and game designers in the industry. This is truly a golden age, and we’re lucky and proud to be standing on their shoulders. 
  4. We’re grateful for professor Zot and the boffins at Lab 99 who finally perfected the Raise Silver Edition ritual.*  
  5. We’re grateful to our family and friends who have and continue to support this wild ride we’re on.**
  6. We’re grateful that the lunchroom hooked horror is departing, having apparently been hired by Twitter to run their new, more budget-conscious kitchen. We wish it the best.
  7. We’re grateful to the players who were driven from their tables by an unseen enemy and just kept playing anyway.***
  8. Most of all, of course, we’re grateful for you, our customers, who have stood with us through these wobbly first years, rife with kraken as they’ve been. Thank you.

I could go on a bit, but my editor is gathering up the material components to cast Power Word Concise, so I’d best wrap this up.

Keep a sharp eye out in your inbox for our first annual B&G Holiday Gift Guide! There are things in the store to raise your spirits, and if jamming presents under misappropriated religious totems is your thing, ordering time approaches. 

I’d personally recommend the newly raised Silver Edition of Ghosts of Saltmarsh. Just as Sinister as it always was, and now newly risen from the grave.****

Thanks again

Supreme Marketing Goblin

*  Under the direction of the Marketing Department, naturally.

** The test of a true friend is how many times they’ll politely listen to you whinge on about supply chain kraken before stabbing you in the eye. From our rather unscientific data it appears to be three. 

*** Zoom kinda counts as another enemy, but there are a lot of good VTT platforms out there now, and they’re getting better all the time.

**** Well, retirement actually. It was on a beach at Cabo.