Kickstarter crowdfunding continues to be an effective way to finance tabletop games. Industry experts Kimi Hughes (founder, Golden Lasso Games), Peter Vaughan (co-founder, Cardboard Alchemy), and Andrew Marks (director of product, Kickstarter) discuss the best practices and trends, as well as share stories from the latest tabletop game Kickstarters and crowdfunding campaigns. Moderated by Ruel Gaviola.
Friday March 28, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
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With over 5,000 tabletop games coming out each year, the need for new games is strong. Are you designing a tabletop game or want to know how to get started? Industry experts Juliana Moreno (game designer, Wild Optimists), Kami Mandell (game designer, The Op), and Matt Forbeck (game designer, Marvel RPG) share their best practices, ways to get started, and stories from their game designs. Moderated by Christopher Castagnetto.
Matt Forbeck is an award-winning and New York Times–bestselling author and game designer of over 35 novels and countless other books and games. His projects have won a Peabody Award, a Scribe Award, and numerous ENnies and Origins awards. He is also the president of the Diana Jones... Read More →
Friday March 28, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
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The Dungeon Run is a live interactive Dungeons & Dragons actual play with an incredible cast. This raucous tournament is filled with absurd arcane challenges and unpredictable magical mishaps, hosted by the enigmatic Mr Fated. In this enchanted arena, destiny is remixed through mystical divinations and live audience choices, leaving you to wonder if defeat means dire doom or merely another absurd twist of fate. Will our heroes fulfill their Fate, or will their memory fade into oblivion—you decide!
Friday March 28, 2025 3:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
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For over ten years, players of tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons have been filming and streaming their games to audiences worldwide. These Actual Plays have exploded in popularity but are still in their creative infancy. Panelists will discuss the past, present, and possible future evolution of this unique form of storytelling. Featuring Amy Vorpahl (Sagas of Sundry), Jake Michaels (Good Time Society), and Noxweiler Berf (Hunters Entertainment). Moderated by Edward Doty (creative director, compadre, former producer of Critical Role).
Friday March 28, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
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Creating your own board game is not only fun, it’s educational! Learn about systems and the iterative process, teamwork, time and resource management, research, critical analysis, and even science, history, math, and language development. This workshop will take you through the rapid prototyping process for a board game facilitated by Aaron Vanek, who has been teaching analog game design to middle school students for more than seven years.
Saturday March 29, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
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Gaming industry professionals Jon Wolheim (VP, People and Culture), Chris Castagnetto (advisory board member), and other members of the Games for Love team and gaming professionals hold an open conversation around recruiting, partnerships, and marketing. Learn how charities are helping to make a difference in gaming.
Saturday March 29, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
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Moderator Jes Wade (tabletop charity content producer) leads five talented (and busy) tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) content creators through a discussion on content fatigue and imposter syndrome. Aleks David Royt (co-creator of StoryQuest and prop master for Encounter Party), Brooke Eyler (cosplayer and professional dungeon master), Mayanna Berrin (writer and TTRPG performer), Cai Kagawa (costumer and TTRPG performer), and Johnny Stanton (creator of SINK RPG) explore combat in TTRPGs through the lens of defeating self-doubt and taking care of themselves with long rests.
Saturday March 29, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT
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The StoryQuest crew embarks on a comedic, improvised D&D one-shot that brings the audience along for the ride. Combining their storytelling, improv, and comedy skills, the folks from Story Quest (David Tilstra, Aleks David Royt, Oscar Montoya, Mayanna Berrin, Reed Sights, Jordy Martin, and Serenity Garcia) aim to tell a satisfying, collaborative, and family-friendly story on the WonderCon stage. A focus on the introduction to TTRPG games will be a guiding principle, on top of teaching audience members about storytelling strategies and how they can be a joint effort. Audience participation is both invited and encouraged, and prizes will be given out to the most enthusiastic audience members!
Saturday March 29, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm PDT
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Games are more than just entertainment—they are engines of learning, connection, and transformation. From fostering literacy and mathematical reasoning to enhancing emotional self-regulation, games provide dynamic spaces for individual growth. This panel will examine how player communities—whether in tabletop RPGs, esports, or online cooperative worlds—build camaraderie, reduce social isolation, and support identity development. Whether you're a player, educator, or game designer, this panel will showcase how the magic of play extends far beyond the screen or the tabletop.
Saturday March 29, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
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The cast of Venture Forth—Russel Bartek, Rodney Campbell, Rebecca Hausman, and Shane O'Loughlin—led by dungeon master Seth Fowler demonstrate roleplaying prowess, keen storytelling skills, creative gameplay implementation, cohesive ensemble performance style, and the impact of their immersive ruleset in a canon one-shot session. Drama, laughs, and detailed descriptions of violence are guaranteed!
Saturday March 29, 2025 4:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
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The cast of Mythical Entertainment’s hilarious and heartfelt D&D actual play series appear ahead of their season 2 finale for a special live one-shot adventure where things will surely go awry, followed by Q&A where things will surely go smoothly! Mythical’s Emily Fleming, Trevor Evarts, Mikayla Barnes, Lucas Strader, and Jenna Purdy join for the fighting and fun. Moderated by DM T. J. Chambers.
Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00pm - 8:00pm PDT
North 151
Looking to self-publish your tabletop game? Thinking about whether you should run your own Kickstarter or pitch to an existing publisher? Learn from tabletop professionals and experts John D Clair (game designer, Mystic Vale), Elise Rezendes (senior RPG producer, Darrington Press), Bryan Borgman (GAMA, membership services), and Jane Hoffacker (CEO, Incredible Dream Studios), who have taken their games from ideas to the shelf. Moderated by Christopher Castagnetto.
Sunday March 30, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
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This panel features live pitches to a panel of experts: Nate Murray (game publisher), Dekan Wheeler (senior product manager, Ultra Pro Entertainment), Ian Clayman (senior game designer, Exploding Kittens), and Manny Vega (game designer, Flamecraft). Pitches will be open to everything from fledgling ideas to polished design. Each designer will have roughly 5–10 minutes to present and receive feedback. The goal of the event is to help designers hone their skills in presenting their game ideas and to receive feedback about the game concepts themselves. Moderated by Christopher Castagnetto.
Sunday March 30, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
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Roll along with players Bex Taylor-Klaus (Voltron: Legendary Defender), Lyn Rafil, Ian McQuown (The Bright Sessions), and Mayanna Berrin (StoryQuest, NY By Night) plus GM Mischa Stanton as they skate their way through a radical fantastical adventure.
Sunday March 30, 2025 12:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
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Five heroes have been plucked from familiar fantasy and sci-fi worlds by the mysterious game master. To secure passage home, they must race through a series of challenges and battle to the death. Featuring Shaun Leonard, Ashleigh Morghan, John Wayne Constance, Mo Williams, Dr. Michael Tanizaki Kurland, and Nathan Beukema.
Sunday March 30, 2025 2:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
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