Gen Con 2024
Indianapolis, IN
megagame coalition
2024 Gen Con Event Schedule
The Megagame Coalition is proud to present 18 events for Gen Con 2024!
Check out our schedule and the full event descriptions, below!
Looking to have some fun and get a free Con badge? Click here to learn more about volunteering!
Wed. 7/31
Thurs. 8/1
Fri. 8/2
Sat. 8/3
Sun. 8/4
Full Game Descriptions
You’ll love Pizza Party if:
- You like quick social games
- You like purging your rivals from the party for ideological heresy
- Have strong opinions about Chicago deep-dish
- You’re new to Gen Con and want to make some fast friends!
Pizza Party
Player Count: 60
Wednesday, time TBD (2 hours – drop-in/drop-out games)
You’ve been invited to the pizza party! Sorry, I mean The Pizza Party. And as a member of the pizza party – you get to a say in what pizza we’re going to order! So shout it loud! PINEAPPLES BELONG ON PIZZA!
Pizza Party is a one-page “con game” about perfecting the perfect party to order the perfect pizza! Like other con games, Pizza Party shines at gaming conventions, where fast gaming friendships are formed and shattered in the pursuit of happiness and victory! Expect quick rounds with high social opportunities.
This is a free megagame event intended to serve as an opportunity to meet and mingle with other megagamers ahead of the big mega-events of the rest of the con!
It Came From... The Skies!!!
Player Count: 48
Thursday 9am – 3pm (6 hours)
How does the world respond when Alien spacecraft fill the skies? As chaos erupts and panic spreads, will you put aside your petty squabbles and forge new alliances to navigate this new threat?
It all begins on an ordinary day when mysterious alien spacecraft suddenly fill the skies, casting eerie shadows over the nations of Earth. As chaos erupts and panic spreads among the global population, you and your fellow leaders must navigate a treacherous path to secure the survival of humanity. The fate of the world rests on your shoulders, and the decisions you make will shape the future of Earth.
Will you choose diplomacy and seek peaceful coexistence with these enigmatic beings from beyond the stars? Or will you lead your nation into a desperate and courageous defense against the alien invaders? The clock is ticking, and every decision you make will have far-reaching consequences. Forge alliances, mobilize your military, engage in high-stakes negotiations, and make choices that will determine the destiny of our planet.
You’ll love It Came From… The Skies!!! if:
- You’re a fan of the geopolitics or high-stakes sci-fi movies like Dr. Strangelove, Independence Day, or WarGames.
- You like your paranoia extraordinary, and your conspiracies zany.
- You ever have been suspected of being extraterrestrial in origin.
- You love the famous megagame “Watch the Skies“.
You’ll love Jungle if:
- You prefer your practice your Machiavellian power politics while role playing as an anthropomorphized, capitalist aardvark.
- You love the multidimensional aspects of games like Cuba Libre, A Distant Plain, and Root, and want to see that spirit channeled into a megagame.
- You enjoy economic, engine-building games.
Jungle
Player Count: 36
Thursday 9am – 1pm (4 hours)
Wield your might and claim your right to the Jungle’s riches in this anthropomorphic, fabled, asymmetrical megagame of rainforest diplomacy.
Foreign powers circle the periphery of the rainforest and its riches, preparing to ensure their might proves their right. Within the jungle prowl rebels, opportunists, and malcontents, fueling cults, conspiracy, and capitalist exploitation.
Join up to 36 players of up to five factions to conquer, negotiate, and conspire your way to the top of the animal kingdom in this asymmetric megagame of rainforest diplomacy. Like a certain other asymmetric, animal-centric game (Root by Leder Games), players should expect themes of Machiavellian machtpolitik, asymmetrical conflicts, extremism, and colonization, explored through a charming, colorful aesthetic.
Pantheon
Pinto Town
Player Count: 30
Thursday 1pm – 5pm (4 hours)
Saturday 9am – 1pm (4 hours)
Saturday 2pm – 6pm (4 hours)
Play Pantheon! Become the God of an unformed fantasy Realm! Make the most stable and prosperous land, become the most powerful Pantheon, and take part in an epic and fantastic story!
The Creator formed the Realm using the Elemental Mediums. They then created the Immortals who would support and maintain this fragile creation. Finally, the Creator faded into the infinite cosmos. Will They ever return?
In Pantheon, players take on the roles of Immortals who become the Gods of an unformed fantasy Realm. Each group is a complete Pantheon and the players role play what type they wish to create. Are they based on existing mythology or other fictional beings? What are they the God of? You decide, either beforehand or during play. Through Elemental Mediums, Patheons create the land and people of the new Realm, develop their personal Domains or any number of miracles. The goals of the game are to make the most stable and prosperous land in the Realm, to become the most powerful Pantheon, and to take part in an epic and fantastic story.
You’ll love Pantheon if:
- You enjoy playing god.
- You enjoy having an integral role in the story and setting.
- You want a fast and fun introduction to Megagames.
- You want a game that allows for as much role-playing, diplomacy, and tactics as you’re comfortable with.
You’ll love Hear Say 4 if:
- You love social deduction games, especially Blood on the Clocktower
- You like deduction puzzles like Clue
- You love Murder Mystery Theater
- You’re terrible at roleplaying but wish you weren’t
- You like to ham up experiences
- You like to find ways to break mechanics to your team’s advantage
Hear Say 4
Player Count: 80
Thursday 2pm – 5pm (3 hours)
Step into a world of glamour, intrigue, and suspense at “The Final Curtain,” an immersive murder mystery experience set in the heart of the Roaring Twenties. As the curtain rises on the dazzling new play, The Midnight Serenade, a staged murder becomes far more real than the actors involved ever intended, live on stage no less! It’s up to the audience and cast, (you) to unravel the mystery of whodunnit and why.
Join us for a thrilling evening of deception, romance, and betrayal as you explore a world of speakeasies and dark secrets, and race against time to unmask the killer before the final curtain falls. Dress to impress in your finest 1920s attire and prepare for an unforgettable night of mystery, drama, and deduction!
This Mega Mystery combines elements of LARP, tabletop games, and murder most fowl! Leverage your secret knowledge to fulfill your secret ambitions – just be sure to solve the murder! Or did you do it?!
Gods of the Ancient World
Player Count: 62
Thursday 5pm – 11pm (6 hours)
The Gods from high atop Mount Olympus meddle in the mortal affairs of the ancient Greek Empire and rising Roman Empire in their contest to control the Mediterranean.
What if the Kingdom of Macedonia (Ancient Greek Empire) did not fall apart and what if the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire 100 years earlier. These changes could have been arranged by the machinations of the Gods. Let’s imagine what that world might have been like, under constant threat of war, the dawn of democracy and the Gods reining supreme high from their thrones on Mt. Olympus, playing the mortals against each other in a narcissistic cosmic game. Megagames are huge games that contain multitudes – role playing, combat mechanics, bluffing, negotiation – but unlike most games they’re mostly driven by you, the player. The umpires, called the “Control Team,” will be on hand to answer questions and come up with rulings your creativity inspires. While you have agendas and goals laid out for you, megagames allow players to invent their own win conditions and pursue those as well.
You’ll love Gods of the Ancient World if:
- You have a thirst for chaos and a drive to conquer the Mediterranean.
- You enjoy the mysteries of ancients and wish to enlist the help of powerful gods and goddesses to smite your enemies or promote the prosperity of your faction.
- You enjoy cooperative or competitive games, there are elements of both.
- You enjoy RPGs, board games, mock government, military maps, or LARPs, there is something for everyone in this game.
- You like to think outside the box and solve problems in fresh and creative ways, mega games are a great way to explore your gaming creativity.
- You like to have fun!
You’ll love Den of Wolves Ventures if:
- You like Battlestar Galactica or classic military sci-fi in general, and the Battlestar Galactica board game in particular.
- You’re looking to play a true megagame masterpiece and see how it works to help design your own games.
- You want to toss your friends out of an airlock while they shout at you about due process.
Den of Wolves
Nathan Chaney of Texas Megagames
Player Count: 43
Thursday 6pm – 12am (6 hours)
Sunday 10am – 4pm (6 hours)
A small fleet of interstellar vessels tries to balance survival, politics and military challenges as they attempt to stay one step ahead of their pursuers.
It is the 27th Century. After a catastrophic attack on humanity, one battleship and a few civilian vessels must fight to survive, govern themselves and maintain order, as they flee from their pursuers. Den of Wolves is a game about difficult political, military and survival choices in a long-term crisis scenario. Players will take on the roles of starship captains, officers, and engineers, as well as politicians and military personnel. The game has a focus on managing resources, as well as various units and assets – however, talking and negotiating with other players will be crucial in order to achieve success. The game also seeks to represent political and military systems, and their decisions, and so players should expect some political simulation.
You’ll love Grimvale Ventures if:
- You dream about discovering magical artifacts (and selling them for immense sums of gold!)
- You want to join a company (team) with different roles that focus on skills like negotiating, investing, scouting, PR/marketing, etc.
- You think hitting this quarter’s revenue targets is worth losing a few (dozen) adventurers.
- You wish CEO stood for Chief Executive Overlord and required you to wield the ancient sword, Lucrum Aeternum.
- The TV show Succession should have been about a rich family of dwarves, Billions should have focused on a corrupt hedge fund of elves, and Lord of the Rings lacked a strong capitalist market economy.
Grimvale Ventures
Trenton Greyoak
Player Count: 64
Friday 9am – 3pm (6 hours)
Merchant companies compete in a rich, but deadly new frontier. Turn peril into profit as you hire (expendable?) adventurers to retrieve magical items to fill the corporate coffers and your pockets!
The Grimvale frontier is open for business! Or ripe for the taking? Your merchant company is one of many forging a foothold in this incalculably rich (and tremendously dangerous) new land.
Luckily, you can sit back and give quests to hapless adventurers to secure valuable resources and bring you magical artifacts. Perhaps a few will perish (horrifically) along the way, but no matter. There’s coin to be made! Just remember to toss a few to the bards so they’ll write a good story about your ventures. The more money your company makes, the better you’ll do! Loyalty, right?
Though, you could invest a little in your competitor, hmm. After all, that promotion your Overlord promised is way overdue and new (expensive) luxuries are arriving daily. Or maybe your personal ambitions are of the “fame” and “legacy” variety? BARD! Jot this down!
Touched by Darkness
Player Count: 42
Friday 9am – 3pm (6 hours)
Sunday 10am – 4pm (6 hours)
Darkness is coming! Gather resources, light beacons, and survive with up to 4 friends. But beware! Darkness may have claimed a teammate, and they cannot be trusted!
The Eclipse has risen. Darkness has swallowed the Empire and is coming for your outpost next! You and your teammates must gather resources, light the arcane beacons, and attempt to survive. But beware! The Shadows that attack your outpost are not the only threat. Darkness may have invaded the mind of a teammate, and you can no longer trust them.
Can you hold this last bastion of humanity together and banish the Eclipse? This is a Den of Wolves inspired Megagame with gameplay tweaks and a new setting.
You’ll love Touched by Darkness if:
- You want a tense gaming experience fighting back the forces of darkness in a fantasy setting.
- You want to play a team-based game with a large player count and a traitor element.
- You enjoyed the Den of Wolves megagame.
- You are new to megagaming and are looking for an accessible introduction.
You’ll love Crucible of Nations if:
- You love fantasy stories and lore.
- You like geopolitical games, like Sid Meier’s Civilization or Twilight Imperium.
- You love being part of a broader story with concrete characters and mechanics.
- You enjoy being on a team with clear roles, where roleplaying is encouraged but not necessary.
Crucible of Nations
Joshua Harper
Player Count: 35
Friday 10am – 4pm (6 hours)
Crucible of Nations is a geopolitical megagame, where you lead a fictional nation through diplomacy, trade, war, and more. Forge alliances, wage conflicts, and shape the destiny of your people.
Crucible of Nations is a fast-paced geopolitical megagame, where teams of players guide their fictional nation through a period of great upheaval. You will face challenges such as diplomacy, trade, war, espionage, and internal stability, while striving to achieve your national objectives and holding your unique civilization together. You will also interact with other nations through a dynamic game system, where you can negotiate, bluff, threaten, or cooperate.
Will you forge lasting alliances, or betray your friends at the right moment? Will you lead your nation to glory, or witness its downfall? Whether you’re a seasoned megagamer or a newcomer to the genre, Crucible of Nations has something for everyone.
Goblin City
Scott McMann
Player Count: 50
Friday 5pm – 11pm (6 hours)
Goblin City is a game about goblins and other traditionally “evil” monsters trying to build and run a city. The focus of the game is on sandbox world building, allowing players to make decisions and build legacies that continue on from game to game. Each game run will represent a new generation of the city, inheriting the goals, dreams, and rivalries of their ancestors.
You’ll love Goblin City if:
You think goblins are cute. You dream of creating the perfect meal for your hungry gods.
You wish to push the limits of science and magic.
You want to help your community grow and prosper.
You like to explore the world around you.
You enjoy freeform RPGs where you are in charge of your fate.
You’ll love It Belongs in a Museum if:
- You love the classic high-stakes, (sometimes zany), adventure genre such as Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, or The Mummy.
- You wonder what would happen if you kept too many mystical items in the same space (like the chaos of Warehouse 13).
- You’ve ever wanted to put yourself in a fictionalized powder keg of the 1920s, with the world on the brink of war.
It Belongs in a Museum!
Player Count: 45
Saturday 9am – 3pm (6 hours)
Grab your fedoras, bullwhips and snake repellent before setting off on your adventure to places uncharted. Who knows what dangers, trials or treasures await intrepid adventurers in this intrepid Megagame. Explore ancient civilizations lost to the ages, collect artefacts more powerful than you could possibly imagine or just derail your competitors to become the most renowned archaeologist alive!
Just remember that whatever you do find in the wilds of Indianapolis… IT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM!
Players will take on the roles of: Archaeologists, Researchers, Antiquarians and heads of museums as they struggle to collect artefacts from around the world, delving into deeper mysteries in the process. Expect: Dice rolling, mini game madness, character driven goals, diplomacy (involving all kinds of lies), quick decision making and resources management.
Rising Tides
Shaun Ziems
Player Count: 60
Friday 6pm -11pm (5.5 hours)
A Kaiju body was discovered in Antarctica. You play world leaders trying to keep the public from panicking. Was the creature dead or hibernating? Is it a threat? Who else knows about this?
Players will be in teams of 6 and each represent the leaders of competing countries in this homebrew Megagame. You will each choose a different role: President, Vice President, Chief of Science, General, Ambassador, and Press Secretary. As a country you will work together to accomplish goals and overcome crises.
The group will split up each round and go to tables where they will compete and cooperate on a global scale to deal with the Kaiju threat. There will be a world map with miniatures for each nation’s military. A research table for technological improvements and discoveries. An secret United Nations council where Ambassadors can work together to solve global disasters. And a Press room with a news broadcast to try to convince the people that the government has things under control. Roles should be varied enough so there is a fun role for everyone.
You’ll love Rising Tides if:
- You think giant monsters running rampant across the planet is kinda awesome.
- You enjoy competing in teams as countries in dynamic world.
- You like working with others in unique, varied roles.
- You are looking for a game with lots of people that your personal choices have a significant influence on how the game ends.
VOLUNTEER WITH MGC @ GEN CON
Volunteering with the Megagame Coalition is a great way to experience Gen Con while enjoying some sweet perks!
Check out the volunteer benefits below.
Once you’re ready to orchestrate some narrative chaos, sign up to volunteer here. All tiers include our gratitude.
Recruit
0 - 6 Hours
We can’t financially support volunteers at this tier, but it’s a great way to get further into the scene.
Recruit Tier Rewards
- Meeting rockstar individuals passionate about megagames
- Experiencing a megagame from the other side
- Access to the MGC Chill Space throughout the Con
- 4th tier priority access to subsidized MGC housing block & AirBnB
- The warm fuzzy feeling from helping facilitate amazing experiences for your fellow gamers!
- Invites to evening hangouts!
Apprentice
7 - 12 Hours
Apprentice is a great tier for those with other Gen Con commitments. Welcome to the community!
Apprentice Tier Rewards
- All previous reward tiers plus…
- Free Gen Con badge ($143 value)
- 3rd tier priority access to subsidized MGC housing block & AirBnB
- The endorphin high of creating 7+ hours of awesome for fellow megagamers!
Journeyman
13 - 18 Hours
For those passionate about bringing megagames to the people!
Journeyman Tier Rewards
- All previous reward tiers plus…
- Housing reimbursement (post-convention) of $150
- 2nd tier priority access to subsidized MGC housing block & AirBnB
- A veritable glow from facilitating too much fun.
Master
19+ Hours
Especially great for those who have seen Gen Con before and are looking for a more rewarding experience than that of a pure consumer.
Master Tier Rewards
- All previous reward tiers plus…
- 2x the Journeyman housing reimbursement ($300)
- 1st tier priority access to subsidized MGC housing block & AirBnB
- A Transcendent Aura
Based on the number of volunteers who sign up and the number of volunteer opportunities available, volunteers may be limited to the number of volunteer opportunities they are allowed access to.
Words from previous volunteers
I LOVED being part of the team at Gen Con, everyone was so welcoming and friendly and awesome, and getting to see the games being played and talk to the designers/control players before, during and after the games was a fantastic insight.
It was an awesome time!