Fantastyka 2023 was held in Zagłębie Mediateka under the name “More than a man”. This means that all events were to cover thematic issues of going beyond human capabilities, for example with the help of science and the technology or magic that followed it.
On Tuesday, behind the door of the educational room, young adepts of the art of drawing were trained. From 17:00, children aged 12+ could learn the basic principles of creating in the style of manga. Although it is a difficult art, these workshops could encourage young artists to continue working and polishing their skills.
On Wednesday we were offered some cinematography. The youngest from 10:00 am could watch the animation “The Big Six”, which tells the story of a young, but extremely talented Hiro, who wants to save the city of San Fransokyo with his robot Baymax.
Polish poster of “The Big Six”
Adults, on the other hand, had to wait until 6:00 pm to watch the movie “Anita: Battle Angel” about the title character who lost her memory.
Polish poster of “Alita: Battle Angel”
Thursday at the beginning was intended for children who had the opportunity to get acquainted with RPG sessions. Under the watchful eye of the host, the youngest learned how to stimulate their imagination in an interesting way.
Later, there was a meeting with Bartosz Szytybor, a Polish comic, film and TV series writer. The author talked about the backstage of his work and answered questions from the audience.
Virtual reality came on Friday from 11:30. Meta Quest 2 goggles could be put on by anyone who wanted to try out the possibilities of the virtual world. The most guests grabbed two lightsabers and cut blocks in the extremely addictive game “Beat Saber”. I also grabbed them, but I also had to test the horrors “Affected: The Manor” and “Face Your Fears 2”, shoot in “SUPERHOT VR”, and even ride a roller coaster or fall from the 40th floor of a skyscraper. However, “The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners” made the biggest impression on me. Incredibly atmospheric game from the universe of comic corpses.
On the same day, at 6:30 pm, a meeting with Robert J. Szmidt, a writer of space opera, apocalyptic and cyberpunk books, began. Originally, the meeting was supposed to start at 18:00, but traffic jams were huge and the host couldn’t make it on time, and the organizers responsibly kept the audience informed about the problems. Despite this, the meeting took place in a good atmosphere and the audience even forgot that they had to wait. The author presented many stories related to publishing books on markets in other countries, he also told about the way of combining historical facts with the plot of books, and answered questions from the audience with a smile.
The sixth day of the week was a paradise for people who liked to spend time in front of the table in a group of faithful companions. First, a demonstration RPG session was held in the auditorium, where the participants learned what exactly these sessions are and how to create a character in the “Dangeons & Dragons” system, and also followed the adventure of two dwarves and one human-dragon hybrid, under the watchful eye of a charismatic game master. The 3-hour journey began in the port, where the heroes first went to the inn (dwarves need to drink after a long journey), then they visited the captain of the guard, who assigned them the task of tracking down bandits attacking the caravans, and at the very end we witnessed an epic fight between the heroes from a group of opponents, where Drakon clearly had no luck with the dice.
The last attraction of the whole event was the Planszowisko organized by the Trzy Plansze Association, everyone could choose a suitable title from a large pool and sit down at a table. The room was full, there was good fun around, and in case of problems with understanding the rules, the savior from the Three Boards came and helped to solve the inaccuracies. I was able to test “Spirit Island” in great company and I must admit that I highly recommend it.
I recommend not only the board game itself, but also the whole event. For parents who want to encourage their children to learn new ways of spending free time, for people already interested in specific levels of culture, as well as for anyone who wants to enter new, beautiful worlds. Must be present next year!
