A Guide and Overview of the “Best Four Days in Gaming”: An Introduction to GEN CON

"Only XXX Days to Gencon!"

It is a phrase that one has probably heard if you are at all interested in tabletop games. Gencon is an the definitive tabletop gaming convention for the community. The types of genres represented (but not limited to) include;

• Board Games

• Tabletop Roleplaying Games

• War Games

• Miniatures Games

• Trading Card Games

• LARPing

• Escape Rooms

• Anime

• Film

• Puppets

• Art

• And more...

There is a lot to do and see, and having the knowledge to tackle the initial process will greatly help all attendees in making the most of their four day weekend. Receiving an overview will decrease the stress of planning and give an “all-in-one” resource to reference.

I could write a couple of pages on tips and tricks for the weekend but giving a brief guide (with more detailed guides coming later) would be the most beneficial. Without further ado, here is what one should do and expect when planning a trip to GENCON!

The Three Steps Before you Go! (Planning your trip before the weekend)

Step 1: Booking your tickets

The tickets for Gencon go on sale many months in advance and average ~$120 USD for all four days of the convention. Buy early because they can sell out closer to the dates. When you buy your tickets make sure you select the option to have the passes shipped to your home. Do your future self a favor and spend the extra money to ship your badge to your residence. We did not choose this option the first time we went and waited 4hrs+ in line to get our passes, don’t wait in line.

Step 2: Find lodging

The housing process for the weekend can be a lot to deal with but to sum it up as best as possible. When you buy your 4 day pass before a certain date, you will be entered into a lottery for the “housing portal”. This is where you will book your hotel rooms for the event. The most prized hotels are downtown and they are connected via skywalk (a bridge to the convention center) and are the closest in proximity to all sorts of games and events occurring during the weekend. The lottery will give you a timeslot for you to book during the assigned day and the downtown rooms sell FAST. I have seen other people book via other means other than the housing portal but those rooms run at a higher rate than the housing portal. During your time slot, choose the best hotel option for you and/or your group. If you don’t get the hotel you were searching for, check back at later times because other people might have unbooked the room you want.

Step 3: Find Events and Prepare

A couple months after the housing portal goes live, the event registry will become active. All events at gencon require a fee to participate. Don’t let that discourage you, events are the bread and butter of the weekend. They add a fee to encourage players to show up to each event they signed up for so that a minimum number of players (if needed) will be present. The fee can range from $2-$400, and they are priced at a reasonable rate . Find events that look like fun for you and or your group. Don’t be afraid to sign up alone, I have never met a bad person while attending. Spend some time researching all of the different events and try out a few!

Stepping forward in time, you will be getting close to the coveted four days in August. Be prepared for the weekend, it is not a casual weekend, You will be walking, playing, talking, eating, conversing, buying, and exploring. Wear comfortable shoes, bring a backpack and fill it with snacks and other gaming necessities. You should also expect late nights. If staying downtown, the lobbies of every hotel is filled with gamers and there are parties if you so choose to participate in those activities. Most importantly of all, spend the time prepping for an awesome four days and know that however you do your weekend, it will be a wonderful and tiring time.

Oh the Things You Will Do! (An overview of things to see while at GENCON)

Not much of a surprise, it is impossible to see and do everything during the four days of the convention, the main areas during the weekend are discussed. The biggest and most popular area is the vendor hall. Be ready to spend money. In a major portion of the Indianapolis Convention Center (ICC) is a room filled with hundreds of vendors selling neat trinkets to thousand dollar luxury items. Also scattered throughout, there are tables set up with board games, if you see an open table feel free to sit down and demo one! You might find your next favorite game. Take a stroll around and set a budget. It is extremely easy to forget just how much money one has spent. If vendor shopping is your thing, it will take about 1.5 days to see each booth if you go on a leisurely stroll. Make note of the vendors you find interesting and go back at a later time. Saturday is the most busy day and there will be people everywhere (be ready). If you are around on Sunday, most booths will offer end of con specials and be more willing to cut deals. If you find an item that is appealing to you and has the possibility of disappearing, get it, you will be glad you did.

Pictures of things that can be seen in the vendor hall

Connected to the vendor hall is the open gaming area. There are thousands of tables set up over here and most are reserved by companies either demoing, displaying, hosting tournaments or playing games. There is an area that is reserved for drop-in games indicated via cones on the table. You never quite know what you will find or what games will be available but check out the area to see a more intimate side of gaming. Further down on the opposite side of the convention hall is a pathway that takes you to Lucas Oil Stadium. Here is where you will find the gaming library. Thousands of games are donated to be used on the field where the Colts play (local NFL team). You can buy tickets to enter the area or wait in a standby line. Either way, this works the same as open gaming only with a bit less structure which it makes up by having the availability to play what you want to play.

Liftoff! 2.0 Demo-ed during a open gaming session

Most of the above activities all take place in the Convention Center but there is still so much to see. If you are feeling a tad peckish, head over to the “block party” where food trucks rotate all day to provide you with some delicious edible options. There are other events that take place in the ICC; it will show you on your event ticket where specifically it occurs. There are also ~five hotels connected to ICC and each hosts events as well. As mentioned previously, there is a lot of walking, expect a fifteen minute walk between each event if not in the same hotel.

See you next year! (Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways)

This has only been my second year attending the physical convention and each year gets better and better. Most everyone there is out to have a fun weekend doing things they love and the positivity shows.

There are some awesome charity events that are so much fun to observe and participate in. One is called Cardhalla; anyone can take their old playing cards and make a fortress; at the end of the weekend attendees will throw coins knocking down the towers created all while donating to a charitable organization. Another favorite is a sculpture of sorts. On Thursday, a balloon sculptor takes his time at the con to create a handmade balloon dragon. Again at the end of the weekend he asks for donations and all of the kids in the crowd get to “slay” a dragon. The unbridled joy during this is enough to brighten everyones day!

I believe that everyone should make it out to this weekend once if any of the topics featured at GENCON are personal interests. With so much to do and see, each year brings a new experience and stories to tell for years to come.

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