Join gaming historian Matt Shoemaker and the hosts of All Year I Dream About Gaming Conventions Quarex and Ben as they entertain you with speculation on the future of gaming conventions.
Description:
Tabletop gaming conventions are consistently growing in both size and popularity. In the wake of the pandemic, existing conventions have seen record numbers of attendees, while more and more conventions are being founded to meet gaming demand and bridge geographic divides.
How will conventions manage this continued growth over the next five years? Which conventions will become or remain the most popular? What should the behemoths like Gen Con, Dragon Con, and PAX Unplugged do to remain on their pedestal? How might tabletop gaming at conventions change after the next few years? What trends will emerge?
Join Matt Shoemaker, gaming historian and author of the book Gathering of Gamers, and Quarex and Ben, the hosts of the podcast All Year I Dream About Gaming Conventions, as they entertain you with speculation on the future of gaming conventions.
Are you an indie TTRPG designer, writer, artist, editor, or publisher? Do you support small press publishing? This panel might be for you!
Description:
Come join us to learn more about the Indie Game Developer Network (IGDN) and what the non-profit trade organization can offer you. If you are a TTRGP designer, writer, artist, editor, or publisher, or anyone who supports small press publishing, we would love to have you join us!
When Players Do the Unexpected: Improving GM Flexibility
Summary:
Players regularly get creative, imaginative, and take characters in unforeseen directions. Why GM flexibility is important. Techniques to help with unforeseen directions and flexibility while GMing.
Why Board Games (Mostly) Don't Make Great Video Games
Summary:
Join the Extra Credits crew and special guests as they break down what makes a board game shine in digital form, what gets lost in translation, and what should probably stay cardboard.
Description:
From Gloomhaven to Catan VR to Tabletop Simulator, board games have been flooding into the digital space, with some brilliant successes and some truly spectacular flops. Join the Extra Credits crew and special guests as they break down what makes a board game shine in digital form, what gets lost in translation, and what should probably stay cardboard.
Geoffrey Zatkin (he/him) [Game Designer, Studio Director of Extra Credits/Extra History]
Matthew Krol (he/him) [Showrunner & Narrator of Extra Credits/Extra History]
Kat Rider (she/her), [Board Game Reviewer, Social Media Director of Extra Credits/Extra History]
Additional Guests TBD
We play board games for social connection, mental stimulation, relaxation, and the thrill of victory. But what is really going on in our brains that makes gaming such a pleasurable experience?
Description:
Gaming feels fun for a reason — and there’s real science behind that joy. Our brains react in fascinating ways when we play, especially through dopamine-driven pathways that shape why certain games hook us, and others don’t. By exploring how various game mechanics, events, and situations impact the brain, game developers can craft richer, more rewarding experiences, while players can develop a deeper appreciation for the games they love. This interactive seminar, presented by a Professor of Psychiatry, breaks it all down with clear examples and friendly analogies, making the neuroscience of gaming engaging, accessible, and genuinely fun to explore.
Join leaders behind iconic trading card games for a deep dive into the TCG renaissance, exploring billion-dollar brand strategy, "drop" culture, scarcity and building inclusive global communities.
Description:
Join the leaders behind the industry’s most iconic trading card games for an insightful look at the strategy driving the modern TCG renaissance. This panel moves beyond surface-level trends to explore the complexities of managing billion-dollar brands, navigating "drop" culture and scarcity, and building inclusive global communities. From the meteoric rise of Disney Lorcana to the enduring legacy of Pokémon and the creative disruption of Secret Lair, these executives will dig in to the evolving landscape of TCG.
Moderator: Deirdre Cross (Game Industry Executive, Board Member Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment)
Panelists: Zoe McNamara, UVS Games (Riot Games: Riftbound TCG)
Merritt Rodriguez, Product Line Manager, TCGs for Asmodee studio Fantasy Flight Games (Star Wars: Unlimited TCG)
World Building for Game Masters, Game Designers, & Authors
Summary:
Join veteran GM, Dr. Rich Staats, as he describes world design for Game Masters, Game Designers, and Authors. This classic seminar started as a for-credit course at MIT.
Are you creating a new world but looking for inspiration to make it feel more fleshed out/lived in? This is the panel for you! We explain the process to make an enriched world that is immersive/full.
Description:
The panelists will go through various worldbuilding techniques designed to be applicable for almost every setting in a helpful and open way.
An interactive session on place, belief, and power that shows how to turn each pillar into scenes, stakes, and choices for novels, comics, and TTRPGs through live Q and A.
Description:
This session works with the concepts of Place, Belief, and Power as levers for story and play, showing how they shape settings and character choices. Through guided prompts and live Q&A, we turn details into momentum: scenes in a novel, frames in comics, and decisions with agency at the gaming table. Bring a notebook for takeaways to leave with methods to help your worlds come alive!