This blog differs compared to our usual style and is written by two members of our content team from their own perspectives. We hope you enjoy.

This weekend I was fortunate enough to visit I#72 with the @Mastodonapp.uk / Universeodon.com team. Here are some of my highlights:

Firstly it was great to see the EscapeFromTarkov Arena exhibition. As a pretty new gamemode to a notoriously difficult game, it’s awesome to see people play this at a level I have neither the time nor patience to match. The last Insomnia I visited was I#70 and this wasn't a part of it so I hope to see more of EFT next time!

Secondly, although I missed The Dark Room this time it can't not be mentioned. I was lucky enough to bump into the hilarious John Robertson who was lovely and humble and happy enough to take a picture with us. He talked to us about how lucky he is to have so many people enjoy his show and how flattered he is to have us want a picture with him. I disagree, the man is nothing less than hilarious and deserves all the credit he gets. Please check out The Dark Room if you ever get the chance, and if you cant make it make sure to watch it live on Twitch!

Lastly I must mention a personal favourite of mine, the Just Dance exhibition! Although I don’t play the game nor have the courage to go up and try, those that do are electric! It was lovely to see the exhibition level up a bit from I#70 and have a whole stage competition. Congrats to those that took part and the winner! Though Richard if you see this you were my personal favourite, great energy!

All in all a great experience and highly recommended.

Thanks,
Harry (CrunchySalmon)

This was my 3rd time attending Insomnia, and as usual it was a great event, with different aspects of all things gaming on display to enjoy! As always the NEC was full of people in some incredible cosplay, really adding to the experience. Although I'm not nearly talented enough to have any idea what's going on, one of my favourite parts of Insomnia has been watching the esports tournaments, the skill and precision the players have is always amazing to witness!

On Saturday evening we awoke to,  yet again, find ourselves in a Dark Room. This was my 4th time seeing the dark room now, and as usual, John (@Robbotron) was absolutely hysterical. Unfortunately for John, it seemed as though every joke he made about a Darren; however far-fetched; had already happened to them. Some highlights: he brought back Soggy Bob (the one and only @ceelaypes), he gave Rage (@RageDarling) a turn finally, lawnmower Darren played minesweeper, he completely forgot about the sponsor until the end of the show. All of the Darrens who took part were good sports, and although all of them did die, they still won some great(?) prizes. If you haven’t seen the dark room before, it’s currently touring, and you can also catch it live on twitch!

Session Zero was another highlight of Insomnia for me. Even though my first experience of the chaos will never be topped (when Rage brought Harry/CrunchySalmon up on stage to be a barbarian ancestor) it was still a great show. With the addition of the DM Josh’s dnd newbie brother, our adventurers made their way, on request of King Arthur, to sink a ship full of gold (to keep inflation down of course). They encountered an army of bees, some cats, and an angry cow - tamed by Rage’s milking…- before finding the ship. Predictably, the king - who truly was awful - betrayed them, but his knights and his wife all turned against him, and he was defeated using a prosthetic leg from the audience! What else would you expect from a comedy improv dnd session, with audience suggestions, and rolls determined with a giant fluffy d20? Personal shout out to Josh (@JoshStrifeHayes)- I bumped into him around the NEC and he was lovely - and even gave me a couple of encouraging words for my first time as a DM!

As always, Insomnia was a great experience, and regardless of what your interests are - whether it’s LAN, Indie or Retro gaming, TTRPG, board games, or if you’re there for the cosplay competition - it’s a great weekend. Would highly recommend!

Mitch (@PrinceMumbles)