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"Mankind will reach maturity on the day it learns to value diversity—of life and ideas. To be different is not necessarily to be ugly; to have a different idea is not necessarily to be wrong. The worst thing that could happen is for all of us to look and think and act alike." Gene Roddenberry

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Saturday, November 9
 

12:00am CST

Blood on the Clocktower
Saturday November 9, 2024 12:00am - 3:00am CST
ON THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT...
During a hellish thunderstorm, a scream echoes through the sleepy town of Ravenswood Bluff. The townsfolk rush to investigate and find the beloved local storyteller has been murdered, their body hanging limp from the clocktower. As blood drips onto the cobblestones below, a realization slowly dawns… a demon has been unleashed, killing by night and taking on human form by day.

Can good find the demon in time? Or will evil overrun this once peaceful town?


Blood on the Clocktower is a game of murder and mystery, lies and logic, deduction and deception for five-to-twenty courageous players and one devious storyteller.

A social game played in person, seated in a circle, each player receives either a ‘good’ or ‘evil’ token with their unique character on it. Good players share information to solve the mystery whilst evil players lie about who they are and what they know. The good team wins if they can piece together their knowledge, trust each other, and execute the demon. The evil team wins if the demon can sow distrust, evade detection, and wipe out the village.

Game sessions are Dynamic, and Players may come and go as they please, as the length of each game is highly variable.

If arriving late, speak to the storyteller about getting into the game or waiting for the next one.

If you must leave early, please let your storyteller know ahead of time so they give you a special character.
Speakers
Saturday November 9, 2024 12:00am - 3:00am CST
Cermak
  Gaming, Party Games
  • Age Teen 13+
  • Experience New Players Welcome

9:00am CST

Forges of Ravenshire
Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00am - 11:00am CST
Grab a hammer and some steel, it’s time to forge! The Blacksmiths Guild of Ravenshire is in need of a new Forgemaster. You and your fellow smiths are competing to see who can make the most money and become the new Forgemaster.

Forges of Ravenshire is played over 4 seasons or rounds. Each season starts with the gathering phase where players will acquire contracts, recruit guild members, and gather resources. Players roll their dice workers and place one of them on an available location to gather resources. Then retrieve a different dice worker to gather even more resources. However, the various workers are from different guilds and when retrieved will activate the guilds you have invested in. All players will take turns placing one of their workers and retrieving another worker 3 times.

After the gathering phase is the production phase. Take those 3 dice workers you have taken and now place them on different areas of your forge to gather more resources, make charcoal or steel, and forge contracts to make money.
At the end of every season, check to see if any special titles have been earned. Titles bring prestige and hard-earned money.

Finally, roll your 3 dice workers again and prepare the county of Ravenshire for the next season.

Speakers
J

JJ

Gen Con Library
Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00am - 11:00am CST
Spring Room
  Gaming, Board Games
  • Age Teen 13+
  • Experience New Players Welcome

9:00am CST

Return to the Dark Tower
Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00am - 12:00pm CST
For an age, the tower lay in ruins. Unbeknownst to the people of the realm, a great evil stirred in its bowels. It started with strange sightings: a flock of crows flying in circles until they dropped from the sky, the lake frozen solid in the height of summer. In time, they could not deny that which they most feared.

The evil had not been vanquished. The darkness would soon fall again. The tower will rise.
A “sequel” to the 1981 grail game, Return to Dark Tower is a game for 1-4 players who take the role of heroes. Together, they gather resources, cleanse buildings, defeat monsters, and undertake quests to build up their strength and discern what foe ultimately awaits them.

When the heroes face the tower, the game shifts into its dramatic second act, where the players have one chance to defeat the enemy once and for all.
Speakers

Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00am - 12:00pm CST
Spring Room
  Gaming, Board Games
  • Age Teen 13+
  • Experience New Players Welcome

9:00am CST

Sparks 48. Pirates Bounty
Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00am - 1:00pm CST
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a Rebellion fights for freedom. The soldiers risk their lives in an effort to stop the Empire. A small group of such Rebels has now fallen into the hands of pirates, and the Rebels must now save their own.

Written By: Erin Moore

Game Base 7's WEG ongoing Star Wars campaign

Start a character or bring an existing Sparks character. 
Speakers
Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00am - 1:00pm CST
Cermak

10:00am CST

L.A.R.P.
Saturday November 9, 2024 10:00am - 12:00pm CST
Come one! Come all! Enjoy a live action role play in a Dungeons and Dragons style. Combat, puzzles, and shenanigans galore lie in wait for you and your friends! Sign up at the LARP table outside the dealers room for your Wylde adventure!

The LARP will run on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to Noon, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – Noon and 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. To ensure you can participate, please plan on signing up at least one hour before your would like to join.

Saturday November 9, 2024 10:00am - 12:00pm CST
Essex Ballroom

10:00am CST

Cribbage Tournament
Saturday November 9, 2024 10:00am - 1:00pm CST
Challenge your cribbage skills against all comers, including the current and former Bosuns of the HMS Demon. The ringer from Ireland will be here this year. All level of players are welcome, this will be a single elimination tournament.
Moderators
Saturday November 9, 2024 10:00am - 1:00pm CST
Kent

11:00am CST

The Secret History of D&D
Saturday November 9, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm CST
Historian Ben Riggs will unfold to you the complete history of D&D in 50 minutes. From the birth of D&D in 1974, through its rise, peak, decline, and awesome re-birth in the 21st century.

Moderators
Saturday November 9, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm CST
Riverview Ballroom

12:00pm CST

Crits and Giggles: The Adventures Behind Tabletop Gaming Careers
Saturday November 9, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm CST
Join our distinguished Guests of Honor as they share the stories behind their favorite tabletop games, the paths they’ve traveled, and the defining moments in their careers. In this panel, they’ll discuss the passion, creativity, and dedication that propelled them to success in the world of tabletop gaming. From design and development to storytelling and strategy, they’ll offer a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges they faced and the games that inspired them. Whether you're an aspiring game designer, storyteller, or just a fan of tabletop games, this is your chance to hear firsthand what it takes to succeed in this ever-evolving world.
Moderators
avatar for Rick Heinz

Rick Heinz

Owner; Special Guest, Storytellers Forge
Writer of Urban Fantasy, apocalyptic scenarios, and RPGs. Talk to me about the publishing novels, roleplaying games, or the life of a freelancer!
Speakers
KL

Kristin Looney

Special Guest, Looney Labs
Saturday November 9, 2024 12:00pm - 1:00pm CST
Riverview Ballroom

1:00pm CST

L.A.R.P.
Saturday November 9, 2024 1:00pm - 5:00pm CST
Come one! Come all! Enjoy a live action role play in a Dungeons and Dragons style. Combat, puzzles, and shenanigans galore lie in wait for you and your friends! Sign up at the LARP table outside the dealers room for your Wylde adventure!

The LARP will run on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to Noon, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – Noon and 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. To ensure you can participate, please plan on signing up at least one hour before your would like to join.


Saturday November 9, 2024 1:00pm - 5:00pm CST
Essex Ballroom

2:00pm CST

Flamecraft
Saturday November 9, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Artisan dragons, the smaller and magically talented versions of their larger (and destructive) cousins, are sought by shopkeepers so that they may delight customers with their flamecraft. You are a Flamekeeper, skilled in the art of conversing with dragons, placing them in their ideal home and using enchantments to entice them to produce wondrous things. Your reputation will grow as you aid the dragons and shopkeepers, and the Flamekeeper with the most reputation will be known as the Master of Flamecraft.

In Flamecraft, 1-5 players take on the role of Flamekeepers, gathering items, placing dragons and casting enchantments to enhance the shops of the town. Dragons are specialized (bread, meat, iron, crystal, plant and potion) and the Flamekeepers know which shops are the best home for each. Visit a shop to gain items and a favor from one of the dragons there. Gathered items can be used to enchant a shop, gaining reputation and the favors of all the dragons in the shop. If you are fortunate enough to attract fancy dragons then you will have opportunities to secure even more reputation.

Speakers
Saturday November 9, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Spring Room
  Gaming, Board Games
  • Age Teen 13+
  • Experience New Players Welcome

2:00pm CST

TKO Boxing Charity Tournament
Saturday November 9, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Instead of arguing if Superman could lift Thor's Hammer, fight about it! Sign up for the TKO boxing game tournament, outsmart your opponent, and go home a champion! The game will be taught at the start of the tournament, with rounds expected to be fifteen minutes or less.

Minimum Donation: $5.00
Prizes: All participants will receive a pin. First, second, and third place will receive additional prize.



Speakers
Saturday November 9, 2024 2:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Spring Room
  Gaming, Board Games
  • Age Teen 13+
  • Experience New Players Welcome

2:00pm CST

Sparks - Overflow Session
Saturday November 9, 2024 2:00pm - 6:00pm CST
This is an open session in case another Sparks table is needed. The scenario will be decided at the time of the slot.
Speakers
Saturday November 9, 2024 2:00pm - 6:00pm CST
Cermak

2:00pm CST

Sparks 61. Wrench in the Works.
Saturday November 9, 2024 2:00pm - 6:00pm CST
Imperial Forces are fielding an alarming number of TIE fighters. Can a small band of heroic “warriors” sabotage the new TIE production plant? Or will this spell certain doom for the Rebel fleet?

Written By: Scott Rowe

Game Base 7's WEG ongoing Star Wars campaign

Start a character or bring an existing Sparks character. 
Speakers
Saturday November 9, 2024 2:00pm - 6:00pm CST
Cermak

3:00pm CST

Dead by Daylight
Saturday November 9, 2024 3:00pm - 5:00pm CST
In Dead by Daylight: The Board Game, a team of four resourceful Survivors face off against a single supernatural Killer in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse.

As one of four Survivors, explore the trial grounds, discover props, and utilize your unique perks as you work to uncover and repair generators. Repair four generators and open the exit games to escape and win! As a Killer, hunt down the survivors, wound them, and place them on sacrificial hooks to summon a sinister force. With enough sacrifices, you are able to appease The Entity and win!

Each turn, players will plan their moves by secretly selecting paths on the board to move along. Each time a player moves, they will reveal new features of the board, called props, which they can interact with to further their objectives or to hinder their opponents.

Survivors are able to utilize many different props to aid in their survival and navigation of the trial. Killers can make use of fewer props—instead, they interact with the Survivors using their attack or their unique power. Each Killer has a different power that will completely change the way the game plays. Both Killers and Survivors have perks which grant them special abilities. Experienced players can customize their characters with various perk configurations, offering even more replayability.

Speakers
Saturday November 9, 2024 3:00pm - 5:00pm CST
Spring Room
  Gaming, Board Games
  • Age Teen 13+
  • Experience New Players Welcome

5:00pm CST

Monsters and Other Childish Things
Saturday November 9, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm CST
Coming back to school after summer is always rough, particularly when you have an eldritch abomination that's decided to be your friend. But the real problem is school. Since coming back, everything has been...stranger than it was before. Something horrifying is twisting the school to its dark whims, and it's up to you and your monstrous friend to figure out what it is before it's too late!

Required Materials: None. Character sheets and dice will be provided. If you would prefer to bring dice, ten 10-sided dice are required to play.
Speakers
Saturday November 9, 2024 5:00pm - 7:00pm CST
Spring Room
  Gaming, RPG
  • Age Teen 13+
  • Experience New Players Welcome

6:00pm CST

The Search for Planet X
Saturday November 9, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm CST
At the edge of our solar system, a dark planet may lurk. In 2015, astronomers estimated a large distant planet could explain the unique orbits of dwarf planets and other objects. Since then, astronomers have been scanning the sky, hoping to find this planet.

In The Search for Planet X, players take on the role of astronomers who use observations and logical deductions to search for this hypothetical planet. Each game, the companion app randomly selects an arrangement of objects and a location for Planet X following predefined logic rules.

Each round, as the earth travels around the sun, players use the app to perform scans and attend conferences. As they gain information about the location of the objects, they mark that information on their deduction sheets. As players learn the locations of the various objects, they can start publishing theories, which is how players score points.

As more and more objects are found, players narrow down the possible locations for Planet X. Once a player believes they know its location and the objects on either side of it, they use the app to conduct a search. The game ends when a player successfully locates Planet X, and all players have a final chance to score some additional points.

The Search for Planet X captures the thrill of discovery, the puzzle-y nature of astronomical investigation, and the competition inherent in the scientific process. Can you be the first to find Planet X?

Speakers
Saturday November 9, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm CST
Spring Room
  Gaming, Board Games
  • Age Teen 13+
  • Experience New Players Welcome

7:00pm CST

Mysterium
Saturday November 9, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm CST
In the 1920s, Mr. MacDowell, a gifted astrologer, immediately detected a supernatural being upon entering his new house in Scotland. He gathered eminent mediums of his time for an extraordinary séance, and they have seven hours to make contact with the ghost and investigate any clues that it can provide to unlock an old mystery.

Unable to talk, the amnesiac ghost communicates with the mediums through visions, which are represented in the game by illustrated cards. The mediums must decipher the images to help the ghost remember how he was murdered: Who did the crime? Where did it take place? Which weapon caused the death? The more the mediums cooperate and guess well, the easier it is to catch the right culprit.

In Mysterium, a reworking of the game system present in Tajemnicze Domostwo, one player takes the role of ghost while everyone else represents a medium. To solve the crime, the ghost must first recall (with the aid of the mediums) all of the suspects present on the night of the murder. A number of suspect, location and murder weapon cards are placed on the table, and the ghost randomly assigns one of each of these in secret to a medium.

Each hour (i.e., game turn), the ghost hands one or more vision cards face up to each medium, refilling their hand to seven each time they share vision cards. These vision cards present dreamlike images to the mediums, with each medium first needing to deduce which suspect corresponds to the vision cards received. Once the ghost has handed cards to the final medium, they start a two-minute sandtimer. Once a medium has placed their token on a suspect, they may also place clairvoyancy tokens on the guesses made by other mediums to show whether they agree or disagree with those guesses.

After time runs out, the ghost reveals to each medium whether the guesses were correct or not. Mediums who guessed correctly move on to guess the location of the crime (and then the murder weapon), while those who didn't keep their vision cards and receive new ones next hour corresponding to the same suspect. Once a medium has correctly guessed the suspect, location and weapon, they move their token to the epilogue board and receive one clairvoyancy point for each hour remaining on the clock. They can still use their remaining clairvoyancy tokens to score additional points.
If one or more mediums fail to identify their proper suspect, location and weapon before the end of the seventh hour, then the ghost has failed and dissipates, leaving the mystery unsolved. If, however, they have all succeeded, then the ghost has recovered enough of its memory to identify the culprit.

Mediums then group their suspect, location and weapon cards on the table and place a number by each group. The ghost then selects one group, places the matching culprit number face down on the epilogue board, picks three vision cards — one for the suspect, one for the location, and one for the weapon — then shuffles these cards. Players who have achieved few clairvoyancy points flip over one vision card at random, then secretly vote on which suspect they think is guilty; players with more points then flip over a second vision card and vote; then those with the most points see the final card and vote.

If a majority of the mediums have identified the proper suspect, with ties being broken by the vote of the most clairvoyant medium, then the killer has been identified and the ghost can now rest peacefully. If not, well, perhaps you can try again...

Speakers
P

Pickles

Owner, Gen Con Library
Saturday November 9, 2024 7:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Spring Room

7:00pm CST

L.A.R.P.
Saturday November 9, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm CST
Come one! Come all! Enjoy a live action role play in a Dungeons and Dragons style. Combat, puzzles, and shenanigans galore lie in wait for you and your friends! Sign up at the LARP table outside the dealers room for your Wylde adventure!

The LARP will run on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to Noon, 1:00 p.m.– 5:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – Noon and 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. To ensure you can participate, please plan on signing up at least one hour before your would like to join.


Saturday November 9, 2024 7:00pm - 10:00pm CST
Essex Ballroom

7:00pm CST

Sparks - Overflow Session
Saturday November 9, 2024 7:00pm - 11:00pm CST
This is an open session in case another Sparks table is needed. The scenario will be decided at the time of the slot.
Speakers
Saturday November 9, 2024 7:00pm - 11:00pm CST
Spring Room

7:00pm CST

Sparks 93. Where are We Now?
Saturday November 9, 2024 7:00pm - 11:00pm CST
While flying escort to a supply run for the Rebel Alliance, an Imperial force arrives to capture our heroes and the cargo. Now they must flee. Where will they end up, and how will they get back?

Written By: Aaron Maternowski

Game Base 7's WEG ongoing Star Wars campaign

Start a character or bring an existing Sparks character. 

Available for Replay 
Speakers
Saturday November 9, 2024 7:00pm - 11:00pm CST
Spring Room

8:00pm CST

The Battle for the Soul of D&D
Saturday November 9, 2024 8:00pm - 9:00pm CST
The last ten years has seen Dungeons and Dragons rise to never-before-seen heights of popularity and cultural dominance. Yet since 2022, Hasbro has betrayed the people who made D&D an international success, and has blundered repeatedly, damaging the game and its brand. Historian, Ben Riggs, tells you the true behind-the-scenes tale of the battle for the soul of D&D.
Moderators
Saturday November 9, 2024 8:00pm - 9:00pm CST
Ogden

8:00pm CST

Fire Tower
Saturday November 9, 2024 8:00pm - 10:00pm CST
While manning your fire tower you notice smoke in the distance and pull out your radio to report a blaze growing somewhere in the forest. You must protect your tower with all the resources at your disposal: dispatch fire engines to combat the blaze, order air drops of water, and plan the building of firebreaks. Competing fire departments will complicate your work, using the unrelenting winds to their advantage in an attempt to safeguard their own towers and threaten yours. The chaotic Firestorm also stalks the deck and will dramatically swell the flames each time it is drawn. Will you effectively use your forces to outwit your opponents and survive the inferno? Can you be the last tower standing?
Fire Tower is a competitive game where players must fight fire with fire. Most fire fighting games have a cooperative aspect with players working together to beat back the flames, but in Fire Tower your only objectives are to protect your own tower and spread the blaze towards your opponents. The game plays 2-4 players, ages 12+, and takes 15+ minutes. Action cards allow players to alter the direction of the wind, and add varying patterns of fire, water, and defensive barriers to the board. The skill comes in effectively directing the resources in your hand and using sound spatial planning to deploy them.
The game incorporates an intuitive play structure that takes minutes to learn and requires negligible set-up. Each card includes a grid that visually explains the ways it can be used, saving new players from having to constantly refer to the rulebook. Although the core mechanics are easy to grasp, an ever shifting environment forces players to switch up their tactics and experiment with varied strategies, making Fire Tower a difficult game to master and each play through a fresh experience.Awards & Honors



Speakers
S

Swish

Gen Con Library
Saturday November 9, 2024 8:00pm - 10:00pm CST
Spring Room
  Gaming, Board Games
  • Age Everyone
  • Experience New Players Welcome

9:00pm CST

Everything TTRPG: The Unchained Truth
Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00pm - 10:00pm CST
Access the mystery behind your tabletop games, from storytelling to industry pitfalls. In this panel, we basically talk about the gaming industry and everything from A.I. to company theft to downfall of studios.
Speakers
avatar for Rick Heinz

Rick Heinz

Owner; Special Guest, Storytellers Forge
Writer of Urban Fantasy, apocalyptic scenarios, and RPGs. Talk to me about the publishing novels, roleplaying games, or the life of a freelancer!
Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00pm - 10:00pm CST
Hunt

9:00pm CST

Blood on the Clocktower
Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00pm - Sunday November 10, 2024 12:00am CST
ON THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT...
During a hellish thunderstorm, a scream echoes through the sleepy town of Ravenswood Bluff. The townsfolk rush to investigate and find the beloved local storyteller has been murdered, their body hanging limp from the clocktower. As blood drips onto the cobblestones below, a realization slowly dawns… a demon has been unleashed, killing by night and taking on human form by day.

Can good find the demon in time? Or will evil overrun this once peaceful town?


Blood on the Clocktower is a game of murder and mystery, lies and logic, deduction and deception for five-to-twenty courageous players and one devious storyteller.

A social game played in person, seated in a circle, each player receives either a ‘good’ or ‘evil’ token with their unique character on it. Good players share information to solve the mystery whilst evil players lie about who they are and what they know. The good team wins if they can piece together their knowledge, trust each other, and execute the demon. The evil team wins if the demon can sow distrust, evade detection, and wipe out the village.

Game sessions are Dynamic, and Players may come and go as they please, as the length of each game is highly variable.

If arriving late, speak to the storyteller about getting into the game or waiting for the next one.

If you must leave early, please let your storyteller know ahead of time so they give you a special character.
Speakers
Saturday November 9, 2024 9:00pm - Sunday November 10, 2024 12:00am CST
Cermak
  Gaming, Party Games
  • Age Teen 13+
  • Experience New Players Welcome
 
Sunday, November 10
 

12:00am CST

Blood on the Clocktower
Sunday November 10, 2024 12:00am - 3:00am CST
ON THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT...
During a hellish thunderstorm, a scream echoes through the sleepy town of Ravenswood Bluff. The townsfolk rush to investigate and find the beloved local storyteller has been murdered, their body hanging limp from the clocktower. As blood drips onto the cobblestones below, a realization slowly dawns… a demon has been unleashed, killing by night and taking on human form by day.

Can good find the demon in time? Or will evil overrun this once peaceful town?


Blood on the Clocktower is a game of murder and mystery, lies and logic, deduction and deception for five-to-twenty courageous players and one devious storyteller.

A social game played in person, seated in a circle, each player receives either a ‘good’ or ‘evil’ token with their unique character on it. Good players share information to solve the mystery whilst evil players lie about who they are and what they know. The good team wins if they can piece together their knowledge, trust each other, and execute the demon. The evil team wins if the demon can sow distrust, evade detection, and wipe out the village.

Game sessions are Dynamic, and Players may come and go as they please, as the length of each game is highly variable.

If arriving late, speak to the storyteller about getting into the game or waiting for the next one.

If you must leave early, please let your storyteller know ahead of time so they give you a special character.
Speakers
Sunday November 10, 2024 12:00am - 3:00am CST
Cermak
  Gaming, Party Games
  • Age Teen 13+
  • Experience New Players Welcome