Here are some of our favourites, all across the world! ¿Have we missed any? Check out our socials and message us, maybe they’ll appear on our next post!
America
Game Con Canada: June 14–16, 2024 (Edmonton, AB – Canada)
Game Con Canada features a wide array of gaming activities, including access to hundreds of games from both video game studios and board game developers worldwide. You’ll find stands with stablished board game publishers, as well as indie studios, so you’ll definitely discover some interesting finds.
During the event you can expect celebrity appearances, toy exhibitions, free game demos, and much more, making it a really great experience for gaming aficionados. Oh! And like in most conentions, be ready to find tons of cosplayers with amazing costumes.
Dice Tower East: July 3–7, 2024 (Orlando, FL – USA)
Dice Tower is a family-friendly event welcomes people of all ages who are passionate about playing board and card games. This year’s edition is scheduled to take place at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando.
Organized by The Dice Tower, who are very well known in the tabletop community, the board game convention offers attendees the chance to play a wide range of board games for three whole days and enjoy a massive game library, with over 2,000 games. There are both areas to try out new releases and indie prototypes, as well as a shopping section for tabletop game related products and merch.
Gen Con: August 1–4, 2024 (Indianapolis, IN – USA)
Gen Con is the largest and longest-running tabletop gaming convention in North America, held annually in Indianapolis, Indiana. The convention began in 1968 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and has since become a major event in the gaming community, taking place each summer in Indianapolis.
BBG Con: November 13–17, 2024 (Dallas, TX – USA)
BBG Con is an annual board game convention organized by BoardGameGeek. he event is known for its vast game library, which provides attendees access to a wide range of board games, including some rare and unexplored titles.
The event has a schedule filled with various events, including the Tabletop Network developer’s conference. This aspect of the convention focuses on game development, providing valuable insights and networking opportunities for those interested in game design and publishing.
Pax Unplugged: December 6–8, 2024 (Philadelphia,PA – USA)
Since the start of Pax Unplugged in 2010, millions of attendees have enjoyed the expo floor halls filled with booths from major game publishers and independent developers, panels from video game industry insiders, game culture-inspired concerts, LAN parties, tabletop gaming, competitions, and much more. The conventions is known for its inclusivity and diverse representation, with features like PAX Together promoting underrepresented groups in gaming.
Be prepared to find yourself with tons of playable games, a tabletop freeplay area with open seating and a huge game library, and special guest appearances. The expo hall, the main feature, is filled with hundreds of exhibitors ranging from well-known publishers to indie developers.
Kriativos on Board: March 22–25, 2024 (Costa Favolosa – Brazil)
Kreativos on Board is a unique event in Brazil, being the first board game convention held on a cruise ship. Organized by the channel Nerd Kriativa, this event offers a distinct experience combining the excitement of board gaming with the luxury of a cruise journey.
Participants have access to hundreds of board games available 24 hours a day in an exclusive area dedicated to the event. The idea behind Kriativos On Board is not just to provide entertainment but also to promote and expand the board gaming hobby in Brazil.
Asia
Singapore Comic Con: March 22–25, 2024
Singapore Comic Con is Southeast Asia’s ultimate celebration of the best of Western and Asian pop culture. From comics, toys, cosplay, gaming to food, there is something for everyone to experience! Last year Wizards of the Coast offered attendees a hands on Magic: The Gathering and Warhammer experience, and a live Dragons & Dungeons session, where performers playing the game carried out the crowd’s decisions.
Even if it’s not exclusively board game centered, it’s an amazing experience for game and pop culture enthusiasts.
Tokio Game Show: March 22–25, 2024
Tokyo Game Market is a game convention exclusively for games that do not requiere electricity, so essentially, tabletop games! You’ll find hundreds of booths and vendors with games that are sometimes hard to find in stores. The event is held at Tokyo Big Sight twice a year, in spring and autumn, and also once a year in Osaka. The convention has gained popularity over the years, with attendance increasing significantly, and last year edition saw more than 29.000 attendees.
The games displayed at the convention include both commercial games and self-created games, with some booths also displaying game-related goods such as miniature figurines and accessories.
Europe
UK Games Expo: May 31st – 02 June 2024 (Birnmingham, United Kingdom)
The UK Games Expo is the largest tabletop games convention in the United Kingdom, showcasing all forms of tabletop games including board games, role-playing games, card games, and war games. In 2023, the convention hosted over 52,000 attendees, making it the third largest tabletop event in the world. You’ll find the UK’s largest RPG schedule, more than 570 exhibitors, live entertainment, tournaments, spaces to play games and cosplay.
The UKGE Awards, are the highlight of the event, where attendees vote for their favorite games in various categories. The awards are split into two categories: The People’s Choice, voted on by expo attendees, and the Judge’s Choice, voted on by invited judges.
Spiel Essen: October 03–06, 2024 (Essen, Germany)
Spiel Essen is an annual four-day board game trade fair held in Essen, Germany. It got started in 1983 and has grown to become the biggest convention for board games in the world. In 2023 Spiel Essen saw 193,000 visitors, indicating its massive popularity in the gaming community.
The fair features a wide range of board games, including European-style board games, with many new games being released at the event each year. SPIEL is a unique opportunity for board game enthusiasts to find games that are hard to locate in retail, as it hosts a large number of international and small exhibitors.
In Spiel you’ll be able to find and buy games earlier than they are made available in shops, ando sometimes with promotional materials and merch. It’s also a place where passionate gamers can interact with game designers, illustrators, and well known game reviewers.
Festival International des Jeux: February 23–25, 2024 (Cannes, France)
The international game festival is well known to be an important event in the gaming industry, drawing in publishers, distributors, authors, illustrators, and, of course, gamers from around the world. The event serves as a platform for discovering new games and previews, and it’s a place where trends are set and many business deals between publishers and creators are made.
One of the main attractions are the “As d’Or – Jeu de l’Année”. This awards are given by a jury comprising journalists and gaming professionals, recognizing the best games published over the past year. The awards are divided into categories like Game of the Year, Children’s Game, and Expert Game, celebrating originality and aesthetic appeal in game mechanics.
Festival Ludique International Pathernay: July 10–21, 2024 (Pathernay, France)
FLIP is a unique convention in that it occurrs all across the town of Pathernay. Be ready to play games in the streets, bars and cafés. The location is pretty fantastic too, in that you are pretty close to Puy de Fou (a medieval times themed park).
The festival is traditionally divided into various themed ‘villages’ that offer different gaming experiences. These villages include areas dedicated to board games, environmental games, sports games, and more, so there’s always something to do.
The convention is organized by the communauté de communes of Parthenay, with the support of numerous partners and sponsors and has been an annual event since1986.
DAU Barcelona: November 2024(Barcelona, Spain)
[Dates to be updated!] DAU Barcelona is an annual festival that that combines joy, fun, and social interaction through board games. It has become an annual tradition in Barcelona, offering a space for enthusiasts and professionals to come together and develop the gaming phenomenon.
The festival is divided into several sections for different publics: Dauet, for young children 3 to 10 years old; Dau Expert, aimed at hardcore players that are more advanced when it comes to their gameplay; Historical Dau, focused on history based games for history enthusiasts; Dau Tradicional and finally Daus de Rol, focused on role-playing games.
Oceania
PAX Aus: 11–13 October (Melbourne, Australia)
PAX Aus is part of the PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) events, like PAX Unplugged, which are pretty popular gaming conventions held worldwide. PAX events celebrate gaming and all the culture around it.
The convention offers a diverse and engaging experience for gaming enthusiasts. The event is packed with amazing panels, a massive expo hall with top and indie publishers, and game demos. Attendees can also expect live music and the chance to take part in tournaments.
PAX Aus is not only focused on video games, the convention features various sections including tabletop gaming, where participants can play a host of board games and RPGs.
Cancon: January 2025 (Canberra, Australia)
Cancon is known for its diverse range of gaming events and activities, making it a must-visit for gaming enthusiasts. Whether you’re a participant in the tournaments or a spectator, the convention offers a vibrant and engaging experience in the world of tabletop gaming. The convention offers a wide range of activities including miniature wargames tournaments, card games, board games, and role-playing events.
While Cancon has already come and gone (January 26th to 28th), it is still one we think you should save on your list for next year.
Check the game conventions yourself!
Check out this map by The Game Manufacturers Asociation to see where all board game related conventions are happening. We recomend you click on full screen mode, where you’ll be able to select the events happening on 2024.
