All Year I Dream About Gaming Conventions

The 50th anniversary of Origins Game Fair starts June 18, 2025... which is so much sooner than you think! Your hosts Quarex and Ben walk you through everything you need to know now to make the convention the great time it can be, including: BadgesHotelsEvent ScheduleSpectacles like the Film FestivalEvents on StageSpecial Guests And don't forget our just early enough recommendations for events you should sign up for: Motley KidsMatinee AdventuresKingdoms of KeshanarBuild a Shadowdark Adventure Live with Kelsey DionneADGNEPSEF555our live podcast recording!!!1! DON'T FORGET! You can contribute to the oral history of Origins by emailing Matt Shoemaker at contact@origins50.org. (It's so much nicer than hitting him with a shoe.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Quarex regales your other host Ben with all the things he missed by not attending Gary Con XXVI. But first: have you ever wondered what the Gygax Convention Industrial Complex is? Your hosts grapple to define a term of their own making without being hoisted by their own petard. Referenced conventions include: linklinklink ... in addition to obvious Gygax conventions like Gary Con and EGG Con (link). And remember: if you want to contribute anything to the "History of Gen Con at University of Wisconsin - Parkside", reach out the director at gencon@uwp.edu! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Quarex and Ben release the interviews you want to hear from Gary Con and Gameface Con. linkzine on Shadowdark monster conversionslinklinklink Also, Ben challenges Quarex to a game of Shadowdark to determine the official RPG of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On March 20-23, the Gygax Convention Industrial Complex is returning to its roots for the 17th Gary Con! Much like Waldo, Quarex is able to be found at the convention, and of course your hosts are talking everything Gary Con in a digestible 20 minute dose. If you're going, don't forget to check out: linklinklinklinklinklinklinklink ... and more!!!1!!!1!!!!! And of course we shout out Unpub Festival 2025, where you can try the games of tomorrow today! https://www.unpub.org/upcoming-events/unpub-25 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Gamehole Con housing portal opens up on March 15. If you want to attend, this is the first step to the Gamehole Con of your dreams! More information on the Gamehole Con website (link), and we review the broader administrative schedule you need to know. You won't want to miss it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, your hosts Quarex and Ben sit down with James Winfield, the organizer of 1d4 Con, which you can attend from March 28-30 in Charles Town, WV slash Harper's Ferry, MD. In this episode, we discuss: linklinklink to Tabletop Events You can interact with the 1d4 Con team on their Discord server (link), through Bluesky (link), or on Facebook (link). The convention is closer than you think, both geographically and temporally. What's certain is that you won't want to miss it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, Wizards of the Coast released their plans for Gen Con 2025—this time, actually one time: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1914-d-d-at-gen-con-2025-update While Baldman Games claims (link) that the move doesn't mean they are running games on the field of Lucas Oil Stadium, Quarex and Ben can't envision how this can't mean anything but a WOTC Oil Stadium for 2025. Accordingly, your hosts boldly speculate for how this spoils the Gen Con event ecosystem this year. You won't want to miss it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The episode title says it all. For many dreamers, hopes of a downtown room came crashing down on Sunday afternoon. Standing amidst the wreckage of these shattered dreams, your hosts Quarex and Ben speculate about better days ahead — as well as possible ways that Gen Con might improve the lottery situation. In the meantime, listen in for tips on how to: linklinklink And for mental health treatment, connect with SAMHSA's National Helpline by calling 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well hopefully you got a good hotel, but if you did not then we just want you to remember DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE! There are always more hotels added! More opportunities to get a space to stay! More ways to attend THE BEST CONVENTION IN THE WORLD Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarex and Ben were so lucky to have had the opportunity to interview the the illustrious Kelsey Dionne, who wrote a little RPG you might have heard of called Shadowdark. On this, the final episode in our three part interview, your hosts learn from Kelsey all the conventions she's going to be attending this year, including: .... and many more! And if you listen in, you'll even get the scoop on a possible Shadowdark Con?!? You won't want to miss it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarex and Ben were so lucky to have had the opportunity to interview the the illustrious Kelsey Dionne, who wrote a little RPG you might have heard of called Shadowdark. On this, the middle episode of our three part interview, your hosts dig into the Shadowdark RPG — along with the 3rd party support that Kelsey encourages. https://www.thearcanelibrary.com/https://www.thearcanelibrary.com/products/shadowdark-rpglinklinklinklinkhttps://www.thearcanelibrary.com/collections/shadowdark-rpg/products/five-mini-adventureslink And you'll have to listen in to hear about the 3rd party Shadowdark projects that Kelsey is most stoked about! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarex and Ben were so lucky to have had the opportunity to interview the the illustrious Kelsey Dionne, who wrote a little RPG you might have heard of called Shadowdark. On this, the first episode in our three part interview, your hosts get to know Kelsey, who was kind enough to pull the curtain back on the game experiences and the GMs that shaped her game. https://rpggeek.com/rpgdesigner/105627/kelsey-dionnehttps://www.thearcanelibrary.com/https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/83854/dreadhttps://www.runehammer.online/index-card-rpghttps://goodman-games.com/dungeon-crawl-classics-rpg/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Sunday, February 9, Gen Con opened up their system to purchase badges for Gen Con 2025. With that, the collective Gen Con-osphere is preparing for our annual day of mourning on Sunday, February 23. Your hosts Quarex and Ben go through the whole process, including ways to maximize your likelihood of winning the lottery—and especially not failing to act on a good time. Gen Con Indy FAQ for Housing and Travel: https://www.gencon.com/gen-con-indy/housing_travel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our 100th and longest episode, your host Quarex and Ben secured a special interview the man who needs no introduction—Peter Adkison. Listen in to learn: ... and everything else that doesn't fit in the summary! You won't want to miss this or any of our upcoming #GenCon|Tent! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this first of our episodes of #GaryCon|Tent, Quarex and Ben preview everything Gary Con ahead of its XVII show, like: https://garycon.com/hotels/https://garycon.com/hotels/https://garycon.com/event-registration/https://garycon.com/featured-guests/ Quarex and Ben also wishlist events, including: https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xvii/schedule/1845https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xvii/schedule/1407https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xvii/schedule/395 https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xvii/schedule/1755https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xvii/schedule/1740https://tabletop.events/conventions/gary-con-xvii/schedule/217 Lastly, we get a scoop about limited edition exclusive Gary Con pogs and slammers, courtesy The Arcane Library! Get updates for the campaign launch at the following link. (We're covering this Kickstarter because we love scoops! And kitty litter, if you sponsor us.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, your hosts Quarex and Ben talk about the badge process for Gen Con 2025, including: As our "best before days of gaming" promise to you, we discuss the impact of your chosen badge on the Housing Lottery process, which is an integral part of staying in Indy during the convention. We also discuss the pros and cons of will call and badge shipping. Remember, there's only one bad choice -- and it's not attending!!! Links in the show notes: https://www.gencon.com/gen-con-indy/your_badgehttps://gencon.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360055283091-How-do-I-add-a-child-wristband-for-my-child-10-and-under Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First, we want to recognize the passing of Jim Wade, one of the RPGA Paragons. His impact on RPG play experiences at conventions can't be understated, and we open this episode celebrate this unsung hero. To help get ready for Super MAG Fest (23-26 January 2025), Quarex and Ben spend some time discussion music at gaming conventions. linklinklinklinklink Here are some of the artists we discussed in the episode: linklinklinklinklink Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As of Sunday, January 5, everyone can begin submitting events for Gen Con 2025. The rules and process behind this is encapsulated by the Event Host Policy (link). Your hosts Ben and Quarex walk you through almost everything you need to know from that policy so you can submit your own events for Gen Con — because the only thing cooler than the Gen Con Live Auction is running your own events. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Your Other Host Ben has collected five interviews from the board game space: linkKickstarterPirates of the High Teas, linklinkGalaxy FighterslinklinkPush Push Penguin linkPack the EssentialslinkTerrible Influence linklinkButterfly Gardens Pagan: Fate of Roanoke link You won't want to miss it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Your Other Host Ben has collected four interviews from the RPG space: linkherelinklinklinklinklink You won't want to miss it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.