For first time game masters. Learn some of the ins and outs of running a good game. Go over dos and don’ts and how to pace. Questions answered, thoughts provoked.
Join Kobold Press with Northlands designers Brian Suskind and Mike Welham for a conversation about how they took real world Norse mythology and history and turning it into narrative and mechanics.
Join as our panel discusses tabletop gaming opportunities in communities with diverse needs. We'll share our experiences and you'll leave with how to put accessibility at the forefront of your events!
Description:
We know that a well-crafted adventure can be life changing. Both the need for inclusion at the table and the desire to provide it as a GM are key, but how do you approach this? How do you actually go about making games more inclusive for people with disabilities? Let us share our experiences facilitating across a variety of needs and age levels and leave knowing how to put accessibility at the forefront of your tabletop gaming events to foster inclusive communities, so you too can improve the lives of gamers in your area!
Free League invites press and the public to a reveal of exciting news for the coming year and the chance to ask our game designers anything!
Description:
Free League invites press and the public to a reveal of exciting news for the coming year and the chance to ask our game designers anything. The showcase will officially launch Free League's latest RPG Invincible – Superhero Roleplaying, with lead designers Tomas Härenstam (ALIEN RPG, Blade Runner RPG) and Adam Bradford (D&D Beyond) attending. Also present will be Kiku Pukk Härenstam (Vaesen – City of My Nightmares), Free League's event manager Anna Westerling, and perhaps some surprise bonus guests too!
Zombies. “Chosen One” fantasy narratives. Space Marines in powered armor. All of these and more have been done to death. How do you put a fresh spin on them?
Description:
Featuring: Erin Roberts, James P. Nettles, Jim C. Hines, Lark Morgan Lu
From Idea to Feed: Getting Your Fantasy Podcast Out of Your Head & Into the World
Summary:
Have a fantasy story but no idea how to bring it to life as a podcast? We get it. This panel walks through concept, format, recording, editing, and release to help get you started or unstuck.
Description:
Most fantasy podcasts never get made. Not because the idea wasn't good enough—but because the gap between inspiration and execution is wider than it looks, and most creators hit it alone.
This panel is for anyone who has a story worth telling and isn't sure how to start—or restart. Produced by creators who've worked both sides of the fantasy audio space—scripted fiction and actual play—we cover the decisions that matter most: how to find creative partners who make your story stronger, why sound design isn't just atmosphere but storytelling, how to build a workflow that doesn't burn you out by episode three, and why asking yourself 'why is this an audio show?' might be the most important question you answer before you ever hit record.
Beginner-friendly and practically focused, with real talk about failure, iteration, and finding your audience—wherever you are in the process.
From Idea to Shelf — The Publishing Path for Accessible Games
Summary:
Helaina will help demystify the publishing process, sharing publishing-specific decisions that shape the publication of a game, and illustrate how to design for broad appeal without sacrificing depth.
Description:
Game design comes down to finding the right balance between making a game accessible for your intended audience, creating a thoughtful structure that audience, and ensuring it can hold up over time. Drawing on over a decade of publishing experience, this session blends storytelling, practical frameworks, and interactive moments to guide participants through the full lifecycle of a game—from initial concept to playtesting, production, and community building. Each segment emphasizes actionable takeaways, while highlighting inclusive design principles that ensure games resonate across ages and abilities.
Deliver a clear, confident pitch to publishers. Learn to highlight strengths, handle questions and feedback, and build relationships with effective networking and professional follow-up.
Description:
You’ve built your pitch materials and now it’s time to use them. This session continues the conversation from Building the Perfect Pitch: Sell Sheets, Videos, & Prototypes by focusing on what happens when you’re actually pitching to a publisher. Learn how to highlight your game’s strengths while respecting time constraints, with real examples of successful pitches and common publisher questions. Danielle shares practical strategies for handling feedback, keeping conversations productive, and adapting in the moment. The session also covers networking and follow-up—how to build industry relationships, maximize convention interactions, and follow up professionally. Whether your pitch leads to next steps or a “not now,” you’ll learn how to turn a single meeting into a potential long-term opportunity.
From Table to Screen - Producing an Actual Play Show
Summary:
Learn about the process of creating an Actual Play show or turning your favorite game system into a show for mass media.
Description:
Creating an Actual Play or Live Play show is going to be more work than you think. This seminar will cover the journey of how a bunch of Broadcasting and Cinematic Arts college students with access to a professional broadcasting studio went from concept to produced show. Learn how we navigated licenses, recruited cast and crew, solved technical issues, created a repeatable format, dealt with IP issues, and more. After the main presentation we will take questions!
From Zero to Consistent: A Seminar on TTRPG Social Media Strategy
Summary:
Stop guessing and start growing. Learn to treat your online content like a business using professional workflows, niche strategies, and backend analytics to build a brand that actually lasts.
Description:
Join Jay Foster of "Oops! All Himbos!, Mrs Bettie Rage, and Ashley May King and their combined 20+ years of experience in marketing, branding and social media content.
Think you need a massive platform to start? Think again. This panel is for the "average person" looking to take their brand & content to the next level. We break down the workflow of a professional creator: how to choose your platform, why niching down can be your superpower, and how to use backend analytics to work smarter, not harder. Whether you’re a streamer, video essayist, or social media maven, learn how to treat your content like a business from day one.
Key Takeaways:
Learning "Content Consistency".
A beginner’s guide to understanding your engagement data.
How to pitch yourself to brands using your own stats.