All Year I Dream About Gaming Conventions

Ahead of a summer of massive Rushmore conventions, Ben and Quarex sit down to discuss whether and how to best bring kids to gaming conventions. Replete with real world advice from the preeminent podcasters on the topic, we're not joking when we say you won't want to miss this.

While your hosts Quarex and Ben are gearing up for the 50th Anniversary of Origins next month, there are still plenty of things our dreamers want to know about Gen Con. We're talking shoes, shots, bags, and lockers. We're talking about our wish lists and dreams for the exhibit hall. We're talking thieves of yore and the shuttering of the forums. Most importantly -- we're talking the likelihood of another sell out—because the easiest way to miss out on the best four days in gaming is to wait too long to buy that badge. Important links: Exhibit Hall PolicyLocker Room TalkExhibitor List for 2025"I'm the map, I'm the map"Update for the Gen Con 2023 HeistShuttering of the Gen Con Forums

On this episode, Quarex and Ben talk with Joe Smiddie-Brush, the blood drive chair of the Heinlein Society, who has partnered with Gen Con to arrange for the blood drive, which is entering its 19th year at the convention! Wow!!!Important links:The Heinlein SocietyGen Con Blood DriveThe Blood Drive's partner, Dscryb, who coordinates much of the swag for donorsDonate blood with last year's Gen Con blood drive partner, Versiti!The Notebooks of Lazarus Long, by the titular Heinlein himselfAnd if you're looking to arrange for a blood drive at your favorite local convention (PHIL), you can reach out to Joe at blooddrivechair@heinleinsociety.org.... and if you're going to Origins like Quarex, Ben, and all the other cool kids -- don't forget you can donate blood there too! GAMA even gave us an extra day of gaming, so why not give a little of your blood? (You won't miss it.. that much.)https://www.originsgamefair.com/blood-drive

On this episode, Ben and Quarex share their tips and tricks on how to do Gen Con without spending too much money. Topics include travel options to Indy, lodging in and around the situation, food/drink/alcohol, free badges, low cost/now cost events and seminars, and things to do around the city. Even if you're not the most frugal attendee, you might be able to glean some insights from the combined experience of the hosts.

On this episode, Ben and Quarex review the conventions we attended thus far in 2025... other than Gary Con, Adepticon, and Awesome Con. Congress of GamersWinter WarGamiConDreamationGameface ConMoComConUnpub FestKobold ConC2E2Chaosium ConFinal 3 ConDid you attend any conventions during this time that we didn't cover? You can send us a Dreamer Dispatch at the following link!

On this episode, Quarex and Ben talk with Matt from the Lurking Fears GM Group! Matt regales us with his tales of starting and maintaining one of the best GM in all Conventionry.Lurking Fear website (link)Publishers they work with (link)Sign up to be a GM! (link)You can also catch a game with them at Origins Game Fair (link to Tabletop Events) and even Gen Con!

On a day where the fourth might have been with us, the Gen Con event catalog definitely joined in all its Midichlorian glory. When you can find all the events on the official page (link) or the Gen Con 2025 Event DB page (link), your hosts Quarex and Ben picked out some events you'll want to check out:The Necromancer's Curse for Fabula Ultima (link)Deathwise5E, the Thousand Dollar experience (link)Coffee Klatch with Michael A. Stackpole (link)Punch Nazis on Mars (link)Bees, Beer, and the Hip: a Canadian LARP for Call of Cthulhu (link)T2D2 Toys POG Tournament (link)Your hosts also walk you through the wishlisting process, and event registration process on Sunday, May 18th at 12 noon Eastern. And don't forget, we have our live podcast recording at 9 pm on Saturday in Lucas Oil Stadium: https://www.gencon.com/events/278485You won't want to miss it.

On this episode, your hosts Quarex and Ben discuss the latest phenomenon in gaming conventions -- con cruises! We discuss the why, the whether, and the cruises you can book, including: JoCo Cruise Dice Tower CruiseD3/B3 at SeaCongress of Gamers Cruise Session... and more! And don't forget that after over a decade of promising, Real ID is taking effect in May! You won't want to miss it, especially if you are flying anywhere between now and Gen Con.

On this episode, we talk about the conventions you want to know about between May 1 and September 2, including: Buckeye Game Fest, Midwest Games Fest, Farmageddon, Congress of Gamers Spring Session, Shirecon, Dungeon Con, PAX East, Geekway to the West, OrakCon, Game Market (Chiba City, Japan), Thy Geekdom Con, Fargo CoreCon Halfoween, Balticon, StrategiCon Gamex, Rooks Con, LinCon, ChupacabraCon Gaming Convention, KublaCon, Dream Con, CanGames, UK Games Expo, Magstock, SaltCON Summer, CNY RPG Con, Pyrkon, Game Con, Southern Fried Gaming Expo, Origins Game Fair, SoonerCon, MisCon, MAGE Con, ROSECon, KantCon, Djiversão Offline, BorderCon, 18XXBelgium, Game Con Canada, Dexlite, CONvergence, Shadow Market Shanghai Board Game Exhibition, Dice Tower East, Roswell Galacticon, Crit Hit!, PlayCon, AdventureCon Ironweld, ConnectiCon, Historicon, Gem State Gaming Convention, EGG Con, San Diego Comic Con, Board Game Days, Ropecon, Northwest Tabletop Expo, World Boardgaming Championships, GEN CON GEN CON GEN CON GEN CON GEN CON GEN CON, StarCon, MagWest, Epic Nerd Camp, Once Upon a Con, Phoenix Con, DragonFlight,FallCon, Make a Scene, Reaper Con, SaltCON End of Summer, GrandCon, The Nova Open, WGGCon, Gamers of Summer, Immerse Con, Matsuricon, PAX West, DragonCon. But also: Tabletop Scotland, which technically starts the week after Labor Day but you should attend!Quad Cons galore!And our new Gritty Game Day feature! You won't want to miss it!!!