For those of you new to gaming, GenCon is the biggest board game and RPG convention in the country. I have been lucky enough to be able to attend GenCon for several years now. I usually buy a four day pass and attend the convention for the first three days. This year was GenCon’s 50th anniversary.
Exhibit Hall
For my first few years at GenCon, I focused on the exhibit hall. Some people believe that the main focus of GenCon is the massive exhibit hall. This hall is a sight to behold. There are hundreds of exhibitor booths that sell board games, books, art, and other accessories.
Many board games are first introduced at this convention. If you really want one of these games, you have to be there when the exhibit hall doors open and rush to that exhibitor’s booth. There are long lines and you can end up waiting hours to get your coveted prize.
I did this one year and frankly it is not worth the hassle to me. I now prefer to make a wish list of games I want to get by traveling the hall and participating in demos. If a game is really spectacular, I might buy it from GenCon and hopefully get a free promo card or two. But if you are patient, most games are released to a large distribution within weeks of GenCon.
In addition to games, you can find wonderful jewelry, dice, clothing, and many other items in the exhibit hall. This year I found some neat wooden coasters with RPG crests on them that can be customized. I am waiting for mine to arrive and then I will post a picture here.
In the center of the exhibit hall, there is a large art section with small booths selling posters and other artwork. Crowds are small and you can take your time here. This is a great opportunity to get to know artists and authors as they will often be happy to talk with you at length. Unlike previous years, they finally allow attendees to make direct purchases of art at these booths.
The exhibit hall is so large you could easily spend all of your time travelling the aisles. But for the true GenCon experience, you should try to attend some events.
Events
There are literally thousands of events held at GenCon. I have attended events such as shows, panel discussions, playtesting sessions, contests, crafts, and rpg adventure sessions. I have never attended an event I regretted. To attend an event, you usually need to purchase a ticket which is generally inexpensive.
This year I attended the Dice Tower Show and played in a charity RPG adventure session. Even though I had to wait in line for the show, it was a chance to make some new friends who were also waiting. Next year, I plan on expanding my event participation as it is so wonderful to connect with others who enjoy playing games.
Food
After travelling the hall it is great to take a break and meet up with friends for lunch. If I have one complaint about GenCon, it would be that they do not provide enough seating. There are some of us who really need to sit down periodically for health reasons and there should be more seating inside the halls near the food vendors.
Outside the hall, you find food trucks with a diverse range of cuisine. August in Indianapolis can be hot and the lines get long at prime times, but the lines seem to move quickly and the food is good. Again, more seating would be helpful for diners.
Costumes
Many Gencon participants like to dress up in costumes. This is a fun addition to the experience but is in no way required. I would estimate that only 10% of participants dress up.
On Saturday, they hold a big costume parade. It is always a blast to see how creative people can be. People dress up as all types of characters such as superheroes, jedis, and fantasy characters.
Sights to See
You can see many different sights displayed in the halls of the convention center. Every year, they have “Cardhalla” which involves large towers built of playing cards. They also have a large balloon sculpture near the exhibit hall with a different theme each year. Miniature painting and children’s activities are also offered.
Housing and Parking
Housing is the biggest problem with GenCon. Demand for housing is so large that they hold a lottery to determine room assignments.
It is very difficult to get a room near the convention. Many people have to resort to getting a room in a nearby community and drive downtown each day.
I am lucky enough to have a brother who lives in the area. He generously lets me stay with him each year and its a great chance to visit each other. But even though I have a great place to stay during GenCon, parking is still a mess.
I tried to be clever this year and got reservations online for a parking garage that was only a block from GenCon. When I showed up a half hour later, it turned out they had overbooked the garage and I was trapped in a huge traffic jam inside the garage with no parking spots really available. It took almost an hour to get out and find a garage that did have spaces at that point.
I also tried using Uber. If you are close to the area or can split the cost, I think this is a great option. I only waited a few minutes for my rides to pick me up from the convention center.
Convention Size
GenCon keeps getting bigger and bigger each year. I think it is great that our hobby is growing and more people are getting involved. 4-day passes were sold out weeks before the show.
If a convention this size intimidates you, I urge you to look into smaller local game conventions. Most areas across the US have small conventions and it is a great way to get your feet wet without encountering the overwhelming crowds.
My experience has been that people are universally friendly in this hobby.
Hey, we are all just a bunch of geeks who love moving cardboard around and rolling dice!
I hope you give a board game convention a try this year. I’m sure you won’t regret it!
Bitzy the Bard
“Life is an adventure story and you are the star. Choose to play a hero!”
