All Year I Dream About Gaming Conventions

On this episode, Quarex and Ben are previewing Origins at the speed of GAMA! The following is a list of things that we talk about... The security and metal detector FAQ that was released between recording this episode and releasing this episode! The exhibitor hall map, both text searchable and not!Order some emergency dice from Black Oak Workshop!Our live podcast recording on Thursday night! See the man behind the mask challenging the fool who left the championship belt in Iowa!Check out the latest games, like: Golden Goal from All Play at Booth 2300!Wispwood from Czech Games Edition at Booth 1903!Carnuta from Repos Productions at Booth 2218!Five Card Spud from Marmot Card Games... at booth undetermined. DNUP from Asmodee at Booth 2300!Cyberpunk Legends from Night Crew Games at Booth 2301!And check out past, current, and future friends of the pod who are exhibiting like: Pink Hawk Games at booth 1404 The XP Network at booth 1904Ink Splot Games at booth 1905Uloomi Games at booth 2507Archania Workshop at booth 1212Retro Plus Games at booth 1312 Prime Chaos Glass Studios at booth 1711Saving Throw Pillows at booth 2023Long Pack Games at booth 1528Crime No Crime at both 1321Browncastle Games at booth 2811Goodman Games at booth 1807Pizza with a Fork Games at booth 2206Tuesday Night Games at booth 1604And check out events and special events like: The Other Guys (D&D)Builders of Baldur's Gate (Wiz Kids)Train Game Potluck (Train Gamers Association) Fellowship of the White Star (Rosebud)Piracy and Law of the Sea (seminar)Punish Your Players with Landscape Science (seminar)Meet Mike Pondsmith (Cyberpunk!)Taskmaster LA (special event)The Magic of Erica Carlson (special events)To say nothing of Pin Bazaar, Barley's pint glasses, and all the food North Market has to offer. YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IT!

Coming up on Friday, June 12, it's the deadline to elect to have your Gen Con badge shipped to you! No need to brave the will call line, because your badges and event tickets will show up at your home. With that in mind, your hosts interrupt our Origins coverage (and use our econ degrees!) to forecast when and when Gen Con will sell out in 2026. Don't get caught by surprise when the badges sell out — get on it now!

On this episode, we're talking with three creatives who will be at Origins Game Fair 50 Plus 1!Bug Boll of 9th Level Games, who is running so many games in the Hyatt while also manning booth 1808! Chrys from Hectic Electron Games, who is selling her queer sword and sorcery game Defy the Gods while also showing off the total chaos edition of Raccoon Sky Pirates, currently crowdfunding! Find her at booth 1813.Brian from Windmill Games Co, who are running sessions of Dread, Daggerheart, and Ben's favorite Origins game: Advanced Dimensional Green Ninja-Educational Preparatory Super-Elementary Fortress 555!

On this episode, your hosts talk with game designer Ian Zang, who is a board member of the Unpublished Games Network!Check out the Unpub Network!Get involved at Unpub Festival or any of the the conventions Unpub has a presence!Become involved in either side of the Unpub Tabletop Mentorship Program!Check out the Unpub space in the GCCC at Origins Game Fair this month!Don't forget to check out Ian's games, including: Please Fix the Teleporter!Genotype, a Mensa Recommends Award Winner!Kingdoms of the Deep!And launching at Gen Con this year is A Familiar Find, a charming brand-new card game in the Critical world of Exandria!

One of the more unique programs at Origins Game Fair is the Tournament of Pieces! This section of the exhibit hall is filled with all kinds of puzzling — speed puzzling, fun puzzling, live laugh love puzzling... and there's even three An Ohio State Cups you can compete in!To help our dreamers assemble their plans for the Tournament of Pieces, we spoke with Linda Maxwell of Cobble Hill, the fine Canadian puzzling company who is helping bring the puzzles to the Origins Game Fair.Cobble Hill websiteTournament of PiecesTournament of Pieces signup on Tabletop.Events!100 Piece Puzzle ChessThe events page for the USA Jigsaw Puzzle AssociationAnd there's so much more that will be revealed at the event itself that you couldn't possibly want to miss it!

In the first part of our patented convention review, Quarex and Ben discuss all the conventions we attended in March, April, and May 2026 that we haven't already reviewed, including:GAMA ExpoUnpub FestivalFinal Three ConBeefy Wizard ConGameface ConBalticonAnd remember... Please check out the crowdfunding campaign for Abattoir Hymnal, authored by best friend d4ever of the pod, Tiger Wizard... as well as the Beefy Shotgun Wizards campaign coming to Kickstarter soon!Also, thank you to Raccoon Fink for the snippet of "The Long March from Morstone" from Beyond an Age of Wonder!

In the first part of our patented convention review, Quarex and Ben discuss all the conventions we attended in January and February of this year that we haven't already reviewed, including: Midwest Gaming Classic Super MAG Fest The Adam ConToy Fair NY... and tomorrow we'll release March, April, and May's conventions as well! There's just so much stuff that it doesn't fit into The Format.And please check out the crowdfunding campaign for Abattoir Hymnal, authored by best friend d4ever of the pod, Tiger Wizard!

On this episode, Quarex and Ben bring back Alex Kammer for another interview: this time, about gaming auctions, consignment shops, and flea markets. Alex isn't just talking about growing his own impressive collection, but also ways for new and budding collectors to begin growing their own collections.What you need to know for the upcoming Rushmores: Get your items in for the Origins Consignment Shop by June 13!Get your items for the Gen Con Live Auction by July 19 and Consignment Shop by July 26! Check out Gamehole Con ahead of its biggest and best year, including: Season 2 of Wardens of the Eastern MarchesFree receptions from Wednesday through Saturday evening at the Spark hotel! Gamehole Con Special Events, including the Collector's Auction for Charity!And we also get some scoops on the special events at Gamehole Con 2026! You won't want to miss it.

On this very special, very quick episode, your hosts Quarex and Ben remind you when and why you want to get your badges for Gamehole Con 2026... the badger mitzvah! Don't miss out on dancing the hora in Madison this October because you slept on buying your badge!