This weekend we will be preparing to head out to our third Gamehole Con. Many people have asked why I choose to attend Gamehole Con versus other larger conventions like Essen Spiel and Pax Unplugged at the end of the month. While I enjoy attending these larger conventions throughout the year, I do believe that there is a lot of benefit to attending somewhat smaller conventions like Gamehole Con.
Gamehole Con is my favorite convention of the year for RPG related activities, especially Dungeons and Dragons. This is because it is a smaller convention that largely relates around Adventurer’s League and has a lot of the Wizards of the Coast staff in attendance. This means that there are often special events relating to D&D, for instance last year Xanathar’s Guide to Everything was released early to help raise money for Extra Life.
Being able to play and interact with the designers is a great experience. It also tends to attract the same people year after year, giving the convention an intimate feel. While I enjoy discovering new games and new people at larger conventions, the ability to see the same faces year after year at Gamehole Con is a great experience.
It is also a wonderful time to develop relationships with many of local game designers who attend as well. The convention allows me more time to really converse with these designers and try games I would not otherwise try. For instance, in the past two years I have had to opportunity to meet and play games from Adams Apple Games and Prolific Games. Both companies have developed some of my favorite filler games in the last few years.
I am very much looking forward to this weekend and having the opportunity to try out Season 8 of Adventurers League for the first time. You can expect to read more about it as the weekend progresses. What smaller conventions do you suggest I check out?
The Meeple Street 