One of my favorite things to do is be with 70,000+ other nerds and just geek out over our common interests.
Gen Con is a TTRPG & board game convention hosted in Indianapolis each summer, and it basically nerd central. There is so much to do, so many different interests represented, and something I look forward to each year. And this year was the best one yet!
To be fair, the bar was pretty low to begin with 😅
Two years ago, my husband’s foot was broken and we had to push him all across Indianapolis over some tough carpet for four days.
THEN the following year, we had issues with the people we attended with…
So this year, where almost everything went to plan, still has me feeling so giddy and cheerful days after the fact. Even now, sitting here typing while barely able to breathe from this dang cold I got, I can’t help but to grin when thinking about my experiences this year.
Each year I go, the more confidence I gain from having done it before, and the more enjoyable it becomes. My group is already talking about hotels for next year!
Here are some of the things available at Gen Con and what I look forward to each year!
The Vendor Hall
This is where you spend your money. I was in here for probably 5+ hours just talking to different vendors and purchasing different items. Most of what is available is a variety of game vendors for you to demo, try, or purchase games. There are TONS of art and other things available as well. Along with the tons of games I got, I also purchased a clock, dice rolling tray, some earrings, and some shirts!
Board Game Demos
Pretty much every vendor has games sitting out for you and your party to test out, and will have someone go over the game mechanics with you to get a gist of what the game is about. This isn’t limited to just the vendor hall, either. There are plenty of games just sitting out for people to play, as well as different rooms being rented out for specific ones
Playtesting!
My FAVORITE part of Gen Con will always be the playtest hall. This is where companies or individuals will bring their game that is currently in production to be playtested, and to get feedback on how it operates. Not only do you get to see the game ahead of time, but have a hand in shaping it. It’s so cool to talk with the developers!
Events and Workshops!
They host a TON of activities that attendees can sign up for. As a crafter, I of course gravitated towards the crafting ones. I made and stitched a junk journal, make chainmail armor for a teddy bear, and attended two different stationary crafting sessions! I had tried signing up for other ones like butterfly pinning but unfortunately didn’t make the cut for the class limit. There are other things like dances, films, and escape rooms available as well! The escape room we did was incredibly fun.
Playing your new games 🙂
Very little beats the feeling of breaking open a game you JUST bought to play for the first time with friends. We had a larger group, and were able to play games for 7-10 players! We stayed up until 2am most days playing something or finishing up something else before finally making back to the hotel each night.
There are so many other things available that I didn’t even touch on. Many people spend the entire weekend playing Magic: The Gathering tournaments, lots of people cosplay, there are people who make and trade trinkets & buttons with each other, and so many more activities. Never played D&D but wanna start? This is the perfect place to go.
This Gen Con was again my best one thus far, and I can’t wait to expand my view and try even more things next year. I have a better idea on how to make my schedule, changes to make in terms of what I bring, and what I want the con to look like next year.
It is genuinely the best time. I hope you get the chance to attend, too.
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