The United States is home to the densest, most varied gaming-convention scene on the planet. From 70,000-attendee mega-shows to intimate weekend retreats in mountain lodges, there is a game con for practically every taste, budget and drive time. Because the country is so vast, Game Convention Central divides it into ten regional guides — each one a snapshot of the local hobby culture, the kinds of events you'll find, and the flavour that makes that corner of the map special.
Use the regions below to explore the scene near you, or to plan a road trip to one of the hobby's legendary destination events. Remember that specific dates and venues shift from year to year, so treat these as evergreen guides and confirm the details on each event's official site before you travel.
The Ten US Regions
- Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) — The West Coast's video-game expos, California's deep board-game culture, and anime-gaming crossovers from Seattle to San Diego.
- New England (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) — Boston's big spring expo, a proud indie-RPG streak, and a strong historical-wargaming tradition.
- Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) — The industry heartland: the marquee Indianapolis summer con, Columbus's veteran gaming fair, and the Wisconsin birthplace of the RPG.
- Mid-Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) — New York and Philadelphia's multigenre giants plus New Jersey's beloved gaming weekenders.
- Capital Region (DC, DE, MD, VA, WV) — The spiritual home of American historical miniatures wargaming and a lively DC pop-culture circuit.
- Mountain States (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) — Denver, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas anchor a fast-growing high-country scene.
- South Atlantic (FL, GA, NC, PR, SC) — Atlanta's colossal Labor-Day multigenre celebration and Florida's booming anime-gaming events.
- South Central East (AL, KY, MS, TN) — Nashville, Memphis and Huntsville lead a warm, welcoming and rapidly expanding Southeast.
- South Central West (AR, LA, OK, TX) — Texas's big-city cons and New Orleans's anime-gaming flair.
- Upper Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, ND, NE, SD) — The Twin Cities and Kansas City headline a friendly, community-driven heartland scene.
What US Conventions Look Like
American game cons come in every size and shape, but a few formats recur across the country. Open-gaming conventions revolve around vast halls of tables and a lending library of hundreds or thousands of games, where you can sit down with anyone and learn something new. Tournament-focused events cater to the competitive card-game and miniatures crowd. Multigenre pop-culture shows fold tabletop and video gaming into a broader celebration of comics, film and cosplay. And industry or trade-leaning cons are where designers and publishers debut new releases and run demos.
Most US conventions sell both single-day and full-weekend badges, and many run around the clock — late-night gaming is a hallowed tradition. Larger events add designer seminars, art shows, charity auctions, cosplay contests and family programming, so there's usually something for every member of a gaming household.
Choosing the Right Event
If you're new to the scene, think about what you most want out of a weekend. Craving variety and discovery? A big open-gaming con with a huge library is hard to beat. Chasing competition? Look for events with sanctioned tournaments in your game of choice. Want to meet designers and try unreleased games? A trade-leaning show is your target. Our regional guides call out the character of each area's events so you can match a convention to your play style before you commit to a badge. For a wider view of the hobby, the encyclopedic list of gaming conventions is a useful cross-reference, and BoardGameGeek maintains active community forums for nearly every major US event.
Planning Your Trip
Once you've picked an event, book accommodation early — host hotels for popular cons sell out months in advance — and skim the programming schedule so you don't miss marquee tournaments, seminars or the annual charity auction. Budget for the exhibit hall, too: conventions are where publishers offer show-only deals and where you'll find out-of-print treasures in the second-hand bazaar. Above all, come open to saying yes when a stranger invites you to a pick-up game. That spontaneity is the beating heart of American convention culture, and it's exactly what our directory is here to help you find. If we're missing a US con you love, please send it our way.