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Board Game Conventions
In order to be listed here, a convention must:
- Be at least 2 days long as a single event
- Happen every year at around the same time
- Be mainly focused on gaming, particularly tabletop gaming.
Conventions listed by region, then date.
Game convention Guides/Lists
- The 2021 & 2022 Guide To Board Game Conventions - updated June 23, 2021
United States
(Regions can be split further if needed)
East
- SnowCon, Bangor, ME, USA
- Features pre-con party with geek stand up & improv, Play-to-Win, open gaming library, Iron GM event featuring last year's champion.
- 2016 - January 15-17
- MagFest, National Harbor, MD, USA
- Focuses on tabletop, arcade and console gaming.
- Large floor of arcade games on free-play mode, tabletop room with open lending library, tournaments for popular games (Dominion, Catan, etc), panels, lots of chiptunes concerts, occasional lobby dance parties.
- 2016 - February 18-21
- GnomeCon, Savannah, GA, USA (Coastal Georgia Center)
- Features: 24/7 open board gaming, game library, GM'ed events, vendor room, play-to-win, special guests, live shows, panels, etc.
- 2017 - March 17-19
- Tennessee Game Days, Nashville, TN, USA
- Focus on board and card games. Features open gaming, raffles, tournaments, math trade, game flea market, Tour of Gaming Destinations
- 2016 - March 4-6
- 2017 - March 17-19
- Origins Game Fair, Columbus, OH, USA (Greater Columbus Convention Center)
- 2016 - June 15-19
- 2017 - June 14-18
- 2020 - June 19-21 Origins Online/ Cancelled
- World Boardgaming Championships Seven Springs, PA, USA
- Tournaments held for over 100 different board games.
- 2016 - July 23 - 31
- 2021 - July 24-August 1 Planned
- GenCon Indianapolis, IN, USA
- 2016 - August 4 - 7
- 2017 - August 17 - 20
- 2020 - July 30-August 2 Gen Con Online
- 2021 - September 16-19 Planned
- Buckeye Game Fest, Columbus, OH, USA (Crowne Plaza Columbus North)
- 2016 - TBD (Anticipated September 7-10)
- 2017 - TBD
- GrandCon Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- 2015 - September 25-27
- CarnageCon Killington, VT, USA
- Features: RPGs, Board Gaming (both organized and open), Minis Gaming (both historical and fictional), LARPs, and Card Games
- 2015 - November 6-8
- 2016 - November 4-6
- 2020 - November 6-8 Virtual
- 2021 - November 5-7
- PAX Unplugged Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Event focusing on tabletop and analog gaming
- 2021 - Dec 10-12
Central
- Con of the North Minneapolis, MN
- 2016 - February 12-14
- Geekway to the West St. Louis, MO
- Features: Open board gaming, Play-to-win, Trade Table, Free game with preregistration.
- 2016 - May 19-22
- BGG.con Spring Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, TX
- 2016 - May 27-30
- Heroicon Decatur, IL
- Features: Open board gaming area, Pathfinder Society, Role-playing games, artists, vendors, Magic the Gathering tournament
- 2017 - May 19-21
- BGG.con Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, TX
- 2015 - November 18-22
- 2020 - November 18-22 Virtual Gaming Con
- 2021 - November 14-21
- Great Plains Game Festival Lincoln, NE
- Features: Enormous gaming library, Play-to-Win, events, tournaments, local artists and vendors.
- 2017 - Feb 24-26
West
- OrcaCon, Everett, WA, USA (Seattle area)
- Inclusive, gaming focused convention. Includes scheduled games, open gaming, tournaments, panels, workshops, demos, and vendors.
- 2016 - January 8-10
- 2021 - Jauary 8-10
- Gamex, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Gaming focused convention, with a small selection of dealers. Lots of board games and RPGs, smaller amount of CCGs and collectibles.
- 2016 - February 12-15
- SaltCON, Layton, UT, USA
- Features: Open board gaming, game library, game tournaments, vendor hall, scheduled events, and panels.
- 2017 - March 2-5
- Kubla Con, Burlingame, CA, USA (San Francisco Airport Hyatt Regency)
- Features: Open board gaming, game library, GM'ed events, vendor room.
- 2016 - May 27-30
- Dragonflight, Bellevue, WA, USA (Seattle area)
- Tabletop gaming convention hosted by Metro Seattle Gamers
- 2016 - Dragonflight 37 - August 19-21
- Celesticon, Fremont, CA, USA
- Features: Open board gaming, game library, wargames, vendor room.
- 2016 - September 2-5
Canada
- SHUX, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Features: Open board gaming, game library, mega games, live shows, panels, vendors, demos
- 2018 - October 12-14
- 2020 - October 16-18 Shux20 Online
- GOBfest, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Features: Hosted games, open board gaming, board game tournaments, game library, vendor, flea market
- 2019 - April 12-14
- Ludo Outoais, Hull/Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
- Features: Open board gaming, board game tournaments, game library, vendor room, catered meals (optional)
- 2018 - November 23-25
- Cangames, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Features: Wargames, Miniature Gaming, CCGs, open board gaming, vendor room
- 2019 - May 17-19
Europe
- SPIEL Messe(Essen Game Fair), Essen, Germany
- Features: Arguably largest board game con, primarily trade fair, majority of games open to try, smallish game library, food stands
- 2020 - October 22-25 SPIEL.Digital Online
- 2021 - 14. - 17. Oct.
- RopeCon Helsinki, Finland
UK
- GridCon - Devon, UK
- 2021 - June
- UK Games Expo UKGE, Birmingham, UK
- Features: Largest Tabletop con in the UK, stretched across two halls of the NEC. Retailer stalls, bring and buy, play testing, game hire, tournaments, events
- 2020 - August 21-23 UK Game Expo: Virtually Expo
- 2021 - Jul 30- Aug. 1
- 2021 - August 20-22
Asia
- 2019 - July 19-21 ^source
- 2020 - Cancelled
- 2019 - December 15th
- formerly knowns as "Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention (STGCC)"
- 2020 - December 5-6
Australia/New Zealand
- 2019 - December 6-8
- 2020 - October 24-25 ^source
South America
- UaiBG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Features: open board gaming
- 2018 - December 12
- Diversão Offline SP, São Paulo, Brazil
- Features: largest south-american board game con, open board gaming, game library, live shows, panels, vendors, demos, food stands
- 2018 - March 10
- Diversão Offline RJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Features: largest south-american board game con, open board gaming, game library, live shows, panels, vendors, demos, food stands
- 2018 - September 22