On this episode, Quarex and Ben interview Yoshi, the director of gaming of one of the oldest sci-fi conventions in the US... Balticon, the 60th anniversary that was held from May 22-25, 2026!

• Balticon website
• 2026 Guests of Honor, including Jim Butcher and Andy Weir
• Gaming Track for Balticon
• Concert and Filk for Balticon
• Baltimore Science Fiction Society website, including the Balticon history

And check out Yoshi's Fabula Ultima livestream on Twitch!

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On this episode, we are talking about a number of conventions in 2026 you can attend from May Day to Labor Day!

May Conventions

Ecclesicon

Beefy Wizard Con

Richmond Open

Wagoncon

Furry Weekend Atlanta

Geekway to the Painbow

Lexicon

West Wars Convention

Gameface Con

Fargo CoreCon

Balticon

KublaCon

1d4con

Thy Geekdom Con

Concoction

ChupacabraCon Gaming Convention

BGG.Spring

Mayday!

Protospiel Online

San Marino Game Convention

JugarxJugar

Octogones

Chaosium Con UK

UK Games Expo

June Conventions

DieCon

North Texas RPG Con

Quest Con

Magstock

Adventure Con

CNY RPG Con

Origins Game Fair

MAGE Con

Too Many Games

MisCon

Between Two Cons

Göttingen Game Designer Convention

Manchester Board Game Festival

Game Con Canada

TTOX

Yeti Con

Paris est ludique

July Conventions

CONvergence

Dice Tower East

Roswell Galacticon

CharCon Game Convention

InConJunction

Dream Con

KantCon

EGG Con

Matt Con

Historicon

Gen Con Indy

Otakon

Southern-Fried Gaming Expo

World Boardgaming Championships

Berlin Con

Animaritime

KingCon!

Tabletasticon  

Conference of Wargamers

Spielfest Vienna

Diversão Offline

August Conventions

Phoenix Con

Flamecon

Nashcon

Epic Nerd Camp

Hijinx Con

Great Escape on the Lake

Bit Gen Gamer Fest

Farm to Tabletop Play Retreat

Draconicon

Brussels Games Festival

Labor Day

PAX West

DragonCon

Matsuricon

SaltCON End of Summer

Nova Open

Council Con

Splotter Con

TCEP (Tad & Craig's Excellent Party),

Alliance Open House

Who's Yer Con

Reaper Con

Pacificon Game Expo

GrandCon

MAGE (Minneapolis Anime & Gaming Event)

Tabletop Scotland

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Can you believe it's already been 200 episodes? We can't, but we also recognize that a big occasion deserves a big celebration. Neither Quarex nor Ben could think of any guests more exciting to bring on for this occasion than Richard Denning and Tony Hyams, the organizers of the largest hobby games convention in England: UK Games Expo.

We were blessed to have them join us to talk about the early days of the Expo, as well as having a chance to discuss the incredible growth they've experienced over the last 20 years. They also talk about why the 20th anniversary of their convention is not only just special but an expansion of what they've built over the last two decades.

• Check out the UKGE website! (link)
• Get your ticket for the best 72 hours in gaming! (link)
• Check out the events for the 20th anniversary convention! (link)
• Win Tony's Thousand Pound Giveaway! (link)
• Check out this year's merch for UKGE! (link)

And if you can't make it this year, why don't you start planning to attend next year?!?

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On this episode, we bring you interviews from our convention travels over the first four months of 2026, including:

• Tiger Wizard of Exalted Funeral (link) at a birthday party at Gary Con. Check out the Tavers: The Meow Wolf RPG ... the exquisite corpse that just funded through Kickstarter!
• The team from Stillfleet Studio (link) on the exhibit hall floor at PAGE! We are very excited to hear that Stillfleet, Blister Critters, and Danse Macabre should all be back in print soon!
• Luke at Limithron, the congenial geniuses behind one of the top three Borgs... Pirate Borg! You really need to check out the core rules, the dynamite starter set, or the first campaign expansion Down Among the Dead.
• Jefferson from One Page Rules, who was at Adepticon showing off their first physical release for Grimdark Future: the Broken Truth Box!
• Seth from Archon Studios, who released what was probably the hit of Adepticon: the Starcraft Tabletop Miniatures Game!
• And last, but certainly not least: Sarah Joshua, who designed the cozy bewitching B&B game that is Enchanted Ivy -- which happens to be this publisher's first solo game! In this long interview, Sarah and Ben get somewhat inside baseball on game design and manufacturing, which is something our dreamers who are aspiring game designers would benefit from listening to!

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The event submission process has opened up for Gamehole Con 2026. To help our dreamers get their submissions in before space fills up, we're talking with Gamehole Con's Director of Gaming and Facility, Josh Hoyt!

• Gamehole Con Website (link)
• GM Policies (link)
• Submit an Event! (link)
• Bulk submissions, you coward! (link)
• Some of Josh's adventure module for Gamehole Publishing! (link)
• Campfire Tales, the newest release from Chaosium with Josh's name on the cover! (link)

And don't forget — it's not too late if you didn't book your hotel already, as the Gamehole team is always working to get new housing added to the block!

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On this episode, your hosts review their time at some of the best conventions of the year — each inconveniently held in the month of March! Listen in to hear about:

• Gary Con (link)
• Awesome Con (link)
• Adepticon (link), along with challenger to the Undisputed Midwestern Inter-convention-ental belt... Ben T. Barackus!

And even though we have an exhibit hall interviewisode coming up later this month, Quarex manages to squeeze in some discussion about his favorite kind of pod... the BattleTech Cockpit Simulator Pod!

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On this episode, we talk with Wes from DM Tales about the charity convention he hosts in Palmyra, NJ: Ecclesicon!

• Ecclesicon is held May 1-2, 2026 — check out the games at Tabletop.Events!
• Book Smiles—the charity partner for Ecclesicon!
• Check out the DM Tales YouTube channel!
• And support Wes's Ko-Fi page that will get you access to the TTRPG Book Club!

You won't want to miss it!

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On this episode, Quarex and Ben are talking with esteemed author Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan about his past works, the Irish RPG scene — and of course, his upcoming project for the DIE RPG, the DIE Metadungeon (link).

Listen in to hear why this should be an auto-back for anyone who loves RPGs and the history of RPGs, because Gar is putting chocolate into that peanut butter!

• Visit Gareth's website (link)
• Check out one of Ben's favorite novels of the last decade, The Sword Defiant (link)
• Check out DIE: The Roleplaying Game products (link)
• Publisher: Roward, Rook and Decard (link)

But don't forget to check out Hijinx Con, coming to New Hampshire from August 14-16!

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Adepticon 2026 is returning to the Baird Center in Milwaukee, WI! From March 25-29, you can attend the preeminent miniatures convention in the United States.

This year is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever. Listen in for our take about some of the things you can do, especially if you've pulled a Quarex and haven't signed up for anything yet.

Links in the Show Notes!

• Baird Center Policies (link)
• Adepticon Parking (link)
• Pop Up Lockers (link)
• Fria Ligan (link)
• Jolly Lark (link)
• Panda Cult Games (link)
• Buer Games (link) and the 1490 Doom Narrative Event (link)
• Eldritch Foundry (link)
• Para Bellum Games (link)
• Hero Clix! (link)
• Heat: Pedal to the Metal Tourney (link)
• Gaslands Refueled Tourney (link)

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The pride of Madison, WI itself—Gamehole Con has grown from being just a regional convention and is now the largest RPG-focused convention in the US!

Starting on Monday, March 16 at noon CT, you can start getting ready for Gamehole Con 2026 by booking your hotel through the block! The important event dates come fast and furious over the next several months (link), culminating in the best four days in fall Midwestern Gaming from October 16-19, 2026.

• Set your calendar to get tickets to the Faster Purple Worm Kill Kill live event! (link)
• Check out the Gamehole Con GM policies and benefit! (link)
• Join the official Gamehole Con Facebook group! (link)

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