All Year I Dream About Gaming Conventions

On this episode, we are talking about a number of conventions in 2026 you can attend from May Day to Labor Day! May Conventions Ecclesicon Beefy Wizard Con Richmond Open Wagoncon Furry Weekend Atlanta Geekway to the Painbow Lexicon West Wars Convention Gameface Con Fargo CoreCon Balticon KublaCon 1d4con Thy Geekdom Con Concoction ChupacabraCon Gaming Convention BGG.Spring Mayday! Protospiel Online...

Can you believe it's already been 200 episodes? We can't, but we also recognize that a big occasion deserves a big celebration. Neither Quarex nor Ben could think of any guests more exciting to bring on for this occasion than Richard Denning and Tony Hyams, the organizers of the largest hobby games convention in England: UK Games Expo. We were blessed to have them join us to talk about the early d...

On this episode, we bring you interviews from our convention travels over the first four months of 2026, including: Tiger Wizard of Exalted Funeral ( link ) at a birthday party at Gary Con. Check out the Tavers: The Meow Wolf RPG ... the exquisite corpse that just funded through Kickstarter! The team from Stillfleet Studio ( link ) on the exhibit hall floor at PAGE! We are very excited to hear tha...

The event submission process has opened up for Gamehole Con 2026. To help our dreamers get their submissions in before space fills up, we're talking with Gamehole Con's Director of Gaming and Facility, Josh Hoyt! Gamehole Con Website ( link ) GM Policies ( link ) Submit an Event! ( link ) Bulk submissions, you coward! ( link ) Some of Josh's adventure module for Gamehole Publishing! ( link ) Campf...

On this episode, your hosts review their time at some of the best conventions of the year — each inconveniently held in the month of March! Listen in to hear about: Gary Con ( link ) Awesome Con ( link ) Adepticon ( link ), along with challenger to the Undisputed Midwestern Inter-convention-ental belt... Ben T. Barackus! And even though we have an exhibit hall interviewisode coming up later this m...

On this episode, we talk with Wes from DM Tales about the charity convention he hosts in Palmyra, NJ: Ecclesicon! Ecclesicon is held May 1-2, 2026 — check out the games at Tabletop. Events ! Book Smiles —the charity partner for Ecclesicon! Check out the DM Tales YouTube channel ! And support Wes's Ko-Fi page that will get you access to the TTRPG Book Club! You won't want to miss it! Hosted on Acas...

On this episode, Quarex and Ben are talking with esteemed author Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan about his past works, the Irish RPG scene — and of course, his upcoming project for the DIE RPG, the DIE Metadungeon ( link ). Listen in to hear why this should be an auto-back for anyone who loves RPGs and the history of RPGs, because Gar is putting chocolate into that peanut butter! Visit Gareth's website ( li...

Adepticon 2026 is returning to the Baird Center in Milwaukee, WI! From March 25-29, you can attend the preeminent miniatures convention in the United States. This year is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever. Listen in for our take about some of the things you can do, especially if you've pulled a Quarex and haven't signed up for anything yet. Links in the Show Notes! Baird Center Policies...

The pride of Madison, WI itself—Gamehole Con has grown from being just a regional convention and is now the largest RPG-focused convention in the US! Starting on Monday, March 16 at noon CT, you can start getting ready for Gamehole Con 2026 by booking your hotel through the block! The important event dates come fast and furious over the next several months ( link ), culminating in the best four da...

It's not quite 8 days to Gary Con XVIII in Lake Geneva, WI—here's what you want to know. The Opening Ceremonies (Flaming Polyhedrals Optional) The Gary Con Shuttle Friends of Bill at Gary Con CAR WARS ! Shadowdark in Space ! Trouble at Mossbeard Mill ! RPEX : the wise man's True Dungeon! Tickets for Dawn Patrol A Gygax Society ?!? Puzzled Pint (drinking optional) The judging and plain ol' walking...

On this episode, we're talking with three creators who are bringing new games to crowdfunding while they attend Gary Con and Adepticon. Yoav Niv is bringing books 2 and 3 his 5E adventure series The Lichseed Trilogy to BackerKit during Gary Con. Join the launch party so you can know when it goes live! Not only will Eric and Cody from Buer Games have the physical product from 1490 Doom at Adepticon...

On this episode, your hosts Quarex and Ben help you get over your Lottery Day blues and figure out how to get the room of your dreams by the time Gen Con rolls around. Tools: The Gen Con Hotel site: https://www.genconhotels.com/ — this will come online in the next few days. The GitHub script: https://github.com/mrozekma/gencon-hotel-check Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...

As the Gen Con housing lottery for 2026 has come and gone, you undoubtedly have feelings. We're here for you now—solutions come on Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, we're getting you prepped for Gary Con XVIII from March 19-22, 2026! You'll want to be sure to: Buy that badge! Book that hotel! Park that car! Take that Trolley! Buy those event tickets! Eat that food! Have a Spotted Cow! ... to say nothing about figuring out how to fly or drive to Lake Geneva! But if you can't make it to Gary Con , why don't you consider coming to Unpub Festival...

On this episode, we talk with Gregoire Boisbelaud, the Events Director for Origins Game Fair! Listen in as Get your badge for Origins 2026 ( link ) — only the Premier badges have sold out! Submitting events for Origins 2026 ( link ) — they're still accepting late submissions! Teasers for the Featured Programs at Origins 2026 ( link ) — we heard some unofficial spoilers, and they're going to knock...

Gen Con Badges go on sale on Sunday, February 8, and the Gen Con Housing Lottery kicks off at 12 pm ET on Sunday February 22. Only one podcast helps you understand and maximize your chances at winning! (That's us. It's this one.) Listen in or lose out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen in to hear all about the conventions we attended in the last third of the year, like EuroQuest, Vintage Computer Festival Midwest, Tabletop Central, Quad Con Dubuque, and even Hanucon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarex and Ben don't often attend the same convention at the same time, so when you can find them at the same convention in the middle of January, you gotta know it's something special. On this episode, we review our time at the 2026 Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo in Oaks, PA. It's a fast growing convention that's just a delightful time sitting in a spot in the calendar where conventions are needed...

Shortly after this episode releases, the fine folks at Steve Jackson Games are releasing the long awaited 2nd Edition of Munchkin! As better explained on BackerKit , this new edition promises faster setup and gameplay, gold pieces to help sell items for levels, and reference cards so you don't need to pass around a Cheeto-stained rulebook any time there's a rules question. Best of all — all the ar...

Starting this Thursday, January 15, you can attend PAGE 3 in the Philly suburbs! To get you ready, we're talking with a special guest and a creator who will be at this year's show. First up, we have Mike Shea a/k/a The Lazy Dungeon a/k/a Sly Flourish, who is one of the special guest at PAGE 3 this year. Visit his website! Shop at his bookstore! Listen to his podcast after this one! Join his social...

On this episode, Quarex and Ben tell you everything you wanted to know about running events at Gen Con but were too afraid to ask. Key links include: Gen Con Events Page: https://www.gencon.com/events   Gen Con EO/GM Portal: https://www.gencon.com/host/eo-gm    New GM Page:  https://www.gencon.com/gen-con-indy/newgm   Gen Con Event Host Policy: https://files.gencon.com/gen...

On this episode, Quarex and Ben are getting you ready for the third annual Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo, known to all as PAGE 3 ! Both your hosts will be in attendance, elevating this show to such rarified air as Gen Con and Origins. These are the things getting them excited: Down the Dark Stairway Shadowdark Mega-Event PAGE Charity Auction Draw Steel with one of its creators Secrets of Glass Sha...

On this episode, Ben T. Barackus talks with the following vendors at BGG Con using his real life press badge: Steve Jackson Games , makers of Purrfect Potions, Car Wars, and just about any flavor of Munchkin that a brand is willing to license BGG Store , the online storefront for Board Game Geek and fine purveyors of the BGG GeekUp Bit Sets James S. Cole, publisher of Zombie: Survivor Infection .....

On this special Boxing Day release, our dreamers get five more interviews with creators in the indie RPG design space who came to PAX Unplugged! Brian Liberge, designer of fine RPGs like Last Kiss , an RPG where you play teens facing the end of the world Tiger Wizard, the head mage of Exalted Funeral , publisher of punk rock and doom metal RPGs like Mausritter , Land of Eem , and the only Monty Py...

On this episode, our dreamers can unwrap an early Xmas gift — five interviews, hung with care from the All Year I Dream About Gaming Conventions' chimney. In each gift box, you can listen to the following creators in the board game and miniatures space: Christopher from the always amazing Capstone Games , who just released the weird Wild West wrestling game Rowdy Partners Mike from Rock Manor Game...