Stepping out of my comfort zone: My first Lorcana pre-release!

In August I took a leap and headed to Game Empire in San Diego for the Disney Lorcana: Attack the Inklands pre-release!

It was my very first time attending an organized TCG event like this, and while I didn't exactly dominate the scoreboard (finishing with 1 win and 2 losses) it was an absolute blast. The outcome on paper mattered far less than the experience itself. Everyone walked away with a couple of booster packs, a look at the new cards, and, most importantly, some awesome new friends in the local community.

Stepping into a local game store for your first event can always feel a bit daunting, but the welcoming energy from the Lorcana community made it so worth it.

Events like this are a great reminder of why physical tabletop spaces matter so much, they bring people together over a shared passion, whether you're playing to win or just playing for the fun of it.

To the team at Game Empire and the players at my table: thanks for making my first pre-release such a great experience!