Advertise on podcast: All Year I Dream About Gaming Conventions

As we recover from our long weekend of gaming in Madison, we are talking with Ron Meischker and Phil Wert from the Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo known as PAGE! They are coming up on their fourth year—a veritable Conan-za of gaming that promises to be bigger and better than those before it. Of course, we wanted to provide dreamers with an early preview so they can attend the show January 14-17! Check out PAGE 4 on Tabletop Events!Pick up a badge for 1, 2, 3 or even 4 days of gaming!Peruse their schedule of ticketed events!Pore over their list of special guests!Analyze their exhibitor list for the next great purchase!Purchase their merch, including Conan-za shirts and pins for sale! And make sure you save room on Thursday at 3 pm where we will be monitoring the panel entitled So you want to run a gaming convention... You won't want to miss it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Quarex and Ben give our patented previewsode treatment to the thirteenth edition of Gamehole Con in Madison, WI! Here are the links in the show notes, in order of appearance: Adventures in the D&D StudioEscape from Dork TowerInterview with Vampire RPGAnvil Run: Shadowdark BreachersRPEX Events from Studio 6d6Dialect: A Game About How a Language is Born and DiesSecrets of the Creation of 5EBeyond I Assist: Designing Real Group Mechanics in RPGsThe Secret Origin of DCC RPGBuilding a Better Table: Telling Bone-Chilling Stories of HorrorSupporting Executive Functioning using TTRPGsIntellectual Property Seminar: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4 And don't forget the the Charity Collector's Auction! And if you're not going to Gamehole Con, why don't you check out Arcane Con on October 16-17 in Northampton, MA? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Quarex and Ben talk with three folks whose wares you will want to sample at Gamehole Con 2026! First, Katie from Luma Imports tells us about all the board gaming fun they are bringing to the Badger Mitzvah! Check out the numerous ticketed events, including learn to plays and even tournaments. (If you're more a Quarex, you can try out Cat Rescue... while if you're more like Ben, you will want to try out Frosted Blooms. If you're a Kurt of the Pod, you would want to check out Compile.) Next, Janelle from Wardens of the Eastern Marches tells us all about this great living D&D campaign that is debuting its second season at Gamehole this year. Many events are sold out, but you can still sneak into numerous events on the Gamehole website. Finally, Mickey from Polyhedral Knights, who will be in the demo hallway with their 9 games (including Southern Gothic). You can also join Mickey to play in their ticketed events or even learn how to make RPGs on a prison wine budget. Heck, you might be able to make play a pickup game all four days! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you weren't one of the almost fifty people who came to the Crowne Plaza on Thursday at 3 pm, you can listen in as Quarex, Ben, and moderator Matt from Hit 'Em With a Shoe Games speculate about what gaming conventions will look like in 2031. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, the dreamers really step up and spread their wings to help interview cool folks attending Gen Con and Necronomicon 2026, like: Jonah with Goodman Games at Gen Con 2026, who was hawking Mutant Crawl Classics, X-Crawl Classics, and the One True DCC... Dungeon Crawl Classics!Adam from Archon Games, who had been running non-stop demos of their games Eschaton and Nexus Infernum at the best four days in gaming! Sarah from Gamewright, who were showing off upcoming releases like Sushi Go Party: Chef's Special and Forbidden Legacy!Andrew from the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, who brought everything and the kitchen sink to this celebration of weird fiction! Dale from Duck and Crow Press, fine publishers of the Dick Wizards zine (where you play as magical gumshoes) as well as distributors for many more! Fiona from the Weird Providence bookstore, who has contributed to a number of RPGs in addition to working the Lovecraftiest bookstore in greater Providence! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Thursday night of Origins, a gaggle of dreamers packed into the GAMA Media Events room to hear about how our Origins had been so far! If you missed it, the second best thing to the live experience is the recorded with version with 600% less ice cream! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Quarex and Ben are releasing the audio from our three annual Live Podcast Recording and Killer Fourth Meal.. with absolutely no meal or fourths (although some of the jokes may have been killers). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Quarex and Ben talk about the conventions that we attended (and those we wish we could have attended). Listen in to hear about our time at: Anime Magic in Chicago Michigan Retro Gaming Expo NOVA Open Tad and Craig's Excellent Party ... and listen in to hear our very special coverage of Necronomicon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, we're getting you ready for the thirteenth version of Gamehole Con 2026, held in gorgeous Madison, WI! Referenced on this episode is: Dane County Regional AirportThe Badger Bus from MKEHousing and campgrounds around the Alliant Energy CenterGet your tickets to Faster, Purple Worm: Kill, Kill!Take part in the Mad Orc Fun RunPlay in one of the learn to play and tournaments that Luma Events is bringing to Madison! Snag a ticket to Zombie Reign, the Shadowdark-meets-zombie movie! Demo Boss RPG out in demo row! The Mike Carr of Gen Con, Mike Carr, is running a giant game of Ford vs. Ferrari Le Mans!Try out the latest thing in roleplaying: Dungeon Crawler Carl RPGTry out the latest blend in roleplaying: the D&D x WOW preview eventPick up the last ticket to Ben's playtest event on Thursday evening And best of all: Royce and the Gamehole Con have rolled out a great new app! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Quarex and Ben are talking about the importance of budgeting for a summer of gaming conventions in 2027. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, you can attend five of the seven G7 conventions, to say nothing of the many larger US conventions during that period... including a new entrance that is holding its first convention in late June 2027! And if you want to see where the tea is spilt, join our Discord server! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are there too many conventions! Hardly, even if our convention roundups are routinely our longest episodes! Conventions in September (after Labor Day) are plentiful and include:  Strong Tower Con Council Con Tabletop Central CuseCon Justacon Dice Tower Retreat GAMEMasonHawkland Gaming Festival Southern Front SkålCon  Barrage BR&WL-CON Cap Con 2026 SIBcon Atlanta Game FestMegaMooseCon Pro or Con Shirecon The Ettin Geekway Micro Camp Wagoncon  Conventions in October include:  Virtual Greyhawk Con Pittsburgh Gaming ExpoCon on the Cob FriendCon Arnecon Congress of Gamers Fall Session Gamehole Con Carnage Asheville Scarefest Board Game Academics Conference MañanaConGeek Girl YouMaCon Spiel Essen   Conventions in November include:   Metatopia Mystic Con MetagameNortheast Wisconsin GameapaloozaSan Diego Historical Games Summit (SDHistcon) Game Con Junction  CarConPA Meeple-a-thon KublaCon Fall Acadecon  EuroQuest Mepacon  BGG.CON  Philcon  Chaosium Con New Zealand Bakaretsu Con HanuCon Effing Con Dragonmeet  December conventions include:     PAX Unplugged Krampusnacht Gaming Shorehammer Yamacon Play Test Play Fest Everwinter CNY RPG Game Day Nerdronomicon Gorgoncon NoriKon Did we miss a convention? Tell us all about it on our Discord! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Quarex and Ben award our Games of the Convention for the 2025-26 Gen Con Ludinal Year! Whether the games are freshly released, a little older, awaiting crowdfunding or just about to be released... these are our favorite games we discovered over the last 12 months. Featuring nominations from our friends and contributors: Ben T. Barackus, Yonit, David Havelka, and artificer of the pod Shawn! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Quarex and Ben review the drama at Gen Con 2026... from the big stuffed owlbears at the D&D Carnival to the tornado touchdown that didn't involve the Colts to everything in the exhibit hall. Listen in because you won't want to miss it. Reminder: if this is you're first time listening in, our podcast offers almost exclusively positive coverage for most conventions—we generally want to accentuate the positive. After doing 90 episodes in the last 12 months and twenty episodes about Gen Con 2026 in the last six weeks, we think we've earned the right to focus on the drama for thirty minutes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Quarex and Ben talk about everything that wasn't gaming or drama at the best four to eight days in gaming. Video evidence that Ben attended the Block Party (go to 6:50)!Video evidence that Ben and Quarex were in the same aisle in the exhibit hall at the same time but Quarex ignored Ben (go to 15:30)! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, we're focusing on the most important part of the Best Four to Arguably Eight Days in Gaming... the games! Listen in to hear about: The new board games! The new RPGs! The announcements from WOTC! The announcements from NOTC! The awards shows! You won't want to miss it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.