On this episode, your hosts Quarex and Ben help you get over your Lottery Day blues and figure out how to get the room of your dreams by the time Gen Con rolls around.

Tools:

• The Gen Con Hotel site: https://www.genconhotels.com/ — this will come online in the next few days.
• The GitHub script: https://github.com/mrozekma/gencon-hotel-check

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On this episode, we're getting you prepped for Gary Con XVIII from March 19-22, 2026! You'll want to be sure to:

• Buy that badge!
• Book that hotel!
• Park that car!
• Take that Trolley!
• Buy those event tickets!
• Eat that food!
• Have a Spotted Cow!

... to say nothing about figuring out how to fly or drive to Lake Geneva!

But if you can't make it to Gary Con, why don't you consider coming to Unpub Festival in Maryland from March 12-15? Play unpublished games, win published prizes, and best of all -- it's free to attend!

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On this episode, we talk with Gregoire Boisbelaud, the Events Director for Origins Game Fair! Listen in as

• Get your badge for Origins 2026 (link) — only the Premier badges have sold out!
• Submitting events for Origins 2026 (link) — they're still accepting late submissions!
• Teasers for the Featured Programs at Origins 2026 (link) — we heard some unofficial spoilers, and they're going to knock your socks off!

But don't forget: you can still submit nominations for the 2026 ENNIEs at this link!

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Gen Con Badges go on sale on Sunday, February 8, and the Gen Con Housing Lottery kicks off at 12 pm ET on Sunday February 22.

Only one podcast helps you understand and maximize your chances at winning! (That's us. It's this one.)

Listen in or lose out.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarex and Ben don't often attend the same convention at the same time, so when you can find them at the same convention in the middle of January, you gotta know it's something special.

On this episode, we review our time at the 2026 Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo in Oaks, PA. It's a fast growing convention that's just a delightful time sitting in a spot in the calendar where conventions are needed.

Check out some of the great things we saw and played, like:

• ARKYVR, a zine for the Mothership RPG
• MAZES City of Skull, an RPG in the style of Elric
• Sneaky Burrito, which is neither a food nor a small donkey

And don't forget: you can already buy badges for PAGE 4 in 2027, and you can prepare to attend the new baby brother convention Concoction from May 29-31, 2026 in Vineland, NJ!

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Shortly after this episode releases, the fine folks at Steve Jackson Games are releasing the long awaited 2nd Edition of Munchkin! As better explained on BackerKit, this new edition promises faster setup and gameplay, gold pieces to help sell items for levels, and reference cards so you don't need to pass around a Cheeto-stained rulebook any time there's a rules question.

Best of all — all the art is still being done by guest of the pod, John Kovalic!

To get the scoop, we're joined by the game dev behind the curtain to whom dreamers should pay no mind — the almighty and powerful Oz himself, Will Schoonover. Listen in and and get ready to back a game that could use a fresh coat of paint, even if promises to remain largely backward compatible.

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Starting this Thursday, January 15, you can attend PAGE 3 in the Philly suburbs! To get you ready, we're talking with a special guest and a creator who will be at this year's show.

First up, we have Mike Shea a/k/a The Lazy Dungeon a/k/a Sly Flourish, who is one of the special guest at PAGE 3 this year.

• Visit his website!
• Shop at his bookstore!
• Listen to his podcast after this one!
• Join his social media of the future... a mailing list!

Next, we have Wythe from Stillfleet Studio, vendor of fine games that use their Grit System, like:

• The titular Stillfleet
• Blister Critters
• Danse Macabre

Listen to their podcast Why We Roll, where Wythe and Chris have in-depth conversations with professional game designers with a focus on contemporary indie TTRPGs. At PAGE 3, Stillfleet is running games with tickets available that you can find at the following link.

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On this episode, Quarex and Ben tell you everything you wanted to know about running events at Gen Con but were too afraid to ask.

Key links include:

• Gen Con Events Page: https://www.gencon.com/events 
• Gen Con EO/GM Portal: https://www.gencon.com/host/eo-gm  
• New GM Page: https://www.gencon.com/gen-con-indy/newgm 
• Gen Con Event Host Policy: https://files.gencon.com/genconeventhostpolicy.pdf

And if you want to interact with your hosts, why not join our Discord server?

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