It was a long path to victory for Sam Aho. He lost his opening round, falling quickly as the fugitive. But the longtime playtester would turn it all around to take the top prize as the Fugitive tournament champion.
Sam is one of our longtime playtesters and one of the first people to learn about Fugitive. He helped shape the game, providing feedback
“Tim was coming back from Pax South. He came over to my house the day after he got back and he says ‘I came up with this idea for a game,’” said Sam.
“I loved the deduction portion of it, and the simplicity. I have playtested various games over the years, but this was the first I was heavily involved in.”
Sam saw the game through the playtesting to the Kickstarter launch, becoming a fierce competitor and almost unbeatable. His trick?
“I always try to play the player. I try to never become predictable. That’s how you lose,” said Sam. “I tend to be slightly more chaotic.”
Coming into the GenCon tournament, Sam was a strong favorite. His familiarity with the game and his honed skills meant he had a strong chance of going all the way. Then came the first round.
He dropped his first round to an opponent who caught him in the first two cards. “I got slaughtered in my first round.”
Sam moved on to a player with a systematic approach, taking his time to examine all of his options. What should have been a 10-minute game lasted a full 30.
He moved through the rest of the tournament, facing off against his first opponent in the final. But he would come out victorious in the end. And what did he do with the $300 top prize? What any right-minded person would do when they are flush with cash at GenCon. More games.
You can find Sam Aho online at Sam Says Reviews.