If your question isn’t answered here, or you think of a question it might be handy to have answered here, email us at hello@strangegamesfestival.co.uk
Events and activities
- Can I bring my own Nerf gun?
- I want to run a game or event
- How do I find out what’s happening during the festival (and before!)? What’s Discord?
- What else is on?
- What roleplaying activities are there?
- What’s Werewolf?
- Are board games provided? How should I look after board games?
Booking and tickets
Site and camping
- Will I be able to park my car?
- Can I bring my Camper Van or Caravan?
- Are campfires allowed?
- Will there be food and drink to purchase?
- What’s the toilets/showers situation?
- Can I bring a gazebo?
- Can I smoke? Is there a smoking area?
- Can I bring dogs and/or other pets?
- Accessibility and Baby Change
- Safe Space Policy
- How do I get to the Festival?
Covid
General
Can I bring my own Nerf gun?
Please don’t – we want to keep the guns and balls/darts confined to the arena area, and not have to search the woods for lost ammo!
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Have I got a ticket?
We’ve moved from booking tickets through Meetup to booking them through this website.
If you’ve booked your ticket through this site, then check the tickets page. It should say “You have 1 (or however many you have) Ticket for this Event. View your ticket”. If you don’t see this, make sure you’re visiting the site from the same device you booked on. You can also contact hello@strangegamesfestival.co.uk to check.
If you booked through the old Meetup, then you need to check if you are marked as ‘Going’ at this event. If you are RSVPed ‘yes’, then you have a ticket!
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Will I be able to park my car?
Yes – our festival elves will direct you so that we’re parked efficiently. You will not be able to drive to your camping pitch (there are barrows for those with HUGE tents). Please share your car wherever possible, the environment will thank you.
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Can I bring my Camper Van or Caravan?
You can bring a Camper Van, however we have a very limited number of pitches (you can’t drive onto the camping fields). There are two with electric hookup, however these will be first come, first served. If you’d like to bring your van, you’ll need to buy a Camper Van ticket (£5 for the weekend). Without a ticket, no camper van.
Due to these limitations, we don’t have space for caravans, very sorry.
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Covid Safety and Entry Policy
Our focus is to deliver a safe event, and Covid is included in our event management plan and risk assessment. We’ll follow government and local guidance and expect you to do the same.
PLEASE take a lateral flow test before you come to the Festival. It’s quick and easy, and you can order online from the NHS.
We’re adopting the Covid entry policy for ‘mass events’ that’s been used at some big Festivals recently. At check-in you’ll need to self-certify by signing a form that one of the following is true:
- you’ve been fully vaccinated – both doses received (with the second at least 14 days prior to the festival), or
- you’ve had a NHS Lateral Flow Test with a negative result taken within 48 hours of arrival at the festival (this can be a home test kit that has been logged with the NHS website), or
- you‘ve had a positive PCR test within 180 days of the festival (including 10 days self-isolation following the result), and thus have natural immunity
We may need to update our policy as circumstances, regulations and guidance change.
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Got more questions…?
Email hello@strangegamesfestival.co.uk, come find us on Discord, or find a staff member at the event (yellow lanyard).
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I want to run a game or event
Awesome! Get in touch with us at hello@strangegamesfestival.co.uk. Or come see us at the Festival! Or y’know, wander round, find some players and a space and do it!
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How do I find out what’s happening during the festival (and before!)? What’s Discord?
We use Discord as a multi-channel text chat (like a dedicated Whatsapp) during the festival (and before). It will also host our Festival Radio! You can access it through a web page or (better) by installing the app on your phone/PC. To join our discord, pop over to https://discord.gg/RKSjwdg
You’ll find channels for general chatter and other festival organisation, as well as ones for specific games. It’s a great way to keep up to date both before and during the festival.
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What else is on?
Various big games such as Blood on the Clocktower, Speakeasy and Two Rooms and a Boom, nerf wars, party games, a quiz, Diplomacy, even the odd outdoor game dotted around. If you have a game you’d like to run, contact us on discord or email hello@strangegamesfestival.co.uk and we’ll help you make it happen!
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What roleplaying activities are there?
We’ll have GMs running regular games of D&D and other systems, one-shots, short campaigns and much more. We have an RPG sign up meet Friday evening, a ‘meet and greet’ for GMs and players. If you want to roleplay (playing or GMing, please come along!), and get in touch if you want players for your adventure. If you’ve got your own group/GM, great! Any game, any system, new player or veteran.
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What’s Werewolf?
Werewolf (or Wherewolf) is an amazing social deduction game of 10-20 players that lasts an hour or more. Try to figure out who is on your team, who’s a werewolf, and who’s a villager. We play in a circle (it’s a talking game, not a live action or roleplaying game) with lots of different roles, and there’s nothing quite like playing Werewolf around a campfire in the dark! We highly recommend you try a game or ten – there will be learning games specifically for new players.
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Are board games provided? How should I look after board games?
Please bring some if you can (though there will be plenty even if you don’t), and ideally be prepared to share. The Festival is an opportunity to meet new gamers and play new games, so do have a mingle, and please do welcome new players into your games!
Please look after any games you play, and re-pack them as you found them. We can’t take any responsibility for your games – store them in your tent overnight, and make sure your name and contacts are inside.
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Are campfires allowed?
Almost every camping glade has a (large) campfire. There are also communal campfires, some of which are reserved for Werewolf games. You can scavenge for fallen wood, and we will have logs and kindling available to purchase from the campsite shop. This is a woodland campsite during August, so fire safety is very important, and a responsibility we all share.
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Will there be food and drink to purchase?
We have food vans serving meals, snacks, vegan food and pancakes on site for the whole festival. And we have a bar again! (Responsible drinking is fine. Irresponsible drinking isn’t and will lead to you being asked to leave).
The site shop will be open Fri eve until around 8pm, Sat/Sun 10am – 6pm, and Monday from 10am. it sells cold drinks, sweets, chocolate, biscuits, marshmallows (and wooden sticks!), popcorn, milk and logs, and they take card.
There are supermarkets and takeaways nearby (some may deliver to the site). There are drinking water taps on site. You can use bbqs and camping stoves if they are raised off the ground and you take sensible precautions.
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What’s the toilets/showers situation?
We have a big toilet/shower block that will be kept stocked during the event. There is gender-neutral toilet with disabled access and several gender-neutral showers.
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Can I bring a gazebo?
Absolutely, but please be mindful of allowing space for others to camp. If we’re short on space, we may need to get you to move it. Bonus points if you make it available to others for gaming!
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Can I smoke? Is there a smoking area?
There will be a designated smoking point, absolutely no smoking (of any form) elsewhere (this is a woodland in August!). Vaping is ok as long as it ok with those around you.
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Can I bring dogs and/or other pets?
Can I bring children?
We’re family-friendly, and we do have a kids hour planned run by one of our younger staff. However, we are an adult gaming event, with alcohol and a lot of gamers just kicking back, relaxing, and occasionally rage-quitting with swearing. You will need to supervise children at all times, and their behaviour and experience is your responsibility. You do need a full ticket for each child over 10, as we’re limited on the total number of gamers we can have on site. Un-attended children will be taught Cards Against Humanity, fed coffee and returned to you. Good luck.
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Accessibility and Baby Change
While the site is generally flat with paths, it is a fairly extensive woodland campsite. If you have any concerns regarding accessibility or anything else, please get in touch for more information. There is an accessible disabled toilet as part of the toilet/shower block, and there is a baby change unit which unfortunately due to space/wall limitations has to be in the female toilets (the site apologises for not having a more gender neutral location yet!).
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Safe Space Policy
While we’re on the subject of inclusivity, the Festival is a safe, inclusive, diverse, tolerant, friendly space. If Donald would say it or do it, don’t. In summary, don’t be a dick, or you’ll be asked to leave. If you’re not happy with something that happens at the Festival, please find someone with a yellow lanyard, and they’ll be able to help, or find someone who can.
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What about Solo?
Oh yes Han! We’re a friendly, inclusive event, and everyone is encouraged to join games, share games, and invite players. We’ll even have some sessions for meeting other players, forming groups and playing specific games.
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Can I come in a group?
Yes you can, and camp in a group, space permitting. We hope you’ll play with others too though, it’s so much more fun!
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How do I get to the Festival?
Drive to:
Bushy Wood Activity Centre
Main Road
Hailsham
East Sussex
BN27 3LZ
There’s plenty of car parking. Or train to Polegate, then station taxi (10 mins – look for other campers and group up?), or bus to the campsite.
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What is the Strange Games Festival?
A fun weekend of camping, glamping, playing board games, werewolf and role playing games (and more!). We started over six years ago as a group of werewolf players camping for a weekend, and over the years we’ve broadened out and became a gaming Festival for all gamers. This is our biggest camp yet, and our second year at Bushy Wood Activity Centre.
We host several hundred gamers, spread out over a beautiful woodland campsite in Sussex.
You can play under big marquees, out in the woods, in indoor halls. We have food vans, a bar, lots of fun activities, and we’re a family friendly space.
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