Gen Con 2025
Indianapolis, IN
megagame coalition
2025 Gen Con Event Schedule
The Megagame Coalition is proud to present 19 events for Gen Con 2025!
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!
Thursday
July 31st
9am - 4pm
9am - 3pm
9am - 1pm
3pm - 6pm
5pm - 11pm
8pm - 11pm
Friday
August 1st
9am - 3pm
9am - 3pm
10am - 2:30pm
10am - 3pm
11am - 4pm
5pm - 11pm
5pm - 11pm
Saturday
August 2nd
9am - 3pm
9am - 3pm
5pm - 11pm
5pm - 11pm
Sunday
August 3rd
10am - 3pm
10am - 2pm
Full Game Descriptions
You’ll love First Contact 2035 if:
- You want to experience the biggest North American Megagame ever!
- 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.
First Contact
Player Count: 175
Thursday 9am – 4pm (7 hours)
First Contact: 2035 is set in 2035 in a world that is similar to ours. Technology has improved and the problems the planet faces have changed, but the world runs as it has done for hundreds of years now, with recognisable governments leading their countries, mostly for the benefit of their citizens.
Into this world, aliens will arrive. What do they want and how will the world’s governments respond? As with everything at the game, that is up to the players, but the facilitation team will help to guide you along the way.
Across the game there are over 50 teams and these range from 27 countries such as the United States to Indonesia, corporations, scientists, the press and the United Nations. There are a large number of roles and you can learn more about them all here.
First Contact 2035 was designed by Very Large Huge Games and is inspired by Jim Wallman’s ‘Watch The Skies’ megagame, which were made famous by the Shut Up & Sit Down let’s play videos.
Den of Wolves
Nathan Chaney of Texas Megagames
Player Count: 43
Thursday 9am – 3pm (6 hours)
Thursday 5pm – 11pm (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 Den of Wolves 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.
You’ll love The New Deal Megagame if:
- You enjoy historical politics over current politics
- You think backrooms get a bad rap
- You think this whole Great Depression isn’t all that great!
The New Deal Historical Simulation
Michael Kreamer
Player Count: 32
Thursday 9am – 1pm (4 hours)
In this megagame, you will attempt to change history by rewriting the New Deal and addressing the Great Depression! In this historical megagame, you will play as part of a team and try to influence New Deal legislation in order to address the Great Depression.
In addition to many teams, some people will play as the Roosevelt government itself. Collude and compromise to pass legislation that addresses your team’s interests or plot your own campaign to take over the government. Decide the fate of the United States and see if (and how!) the country emerges from the Great Depression.
Gathering Darkness
LJ Saxton
Player Count: 36
Thursday 3pm – 6pm (3 hours)
Saturday 8m – 11pm (3 hours)
Gathering Darkness is an introductory megagame for people of all backgrounds. Centuries ago, the Dark One Eclipsed the world in darkness, with only the provisional outpost of Cleaveslind remaining alight.
Designed to bring gamers and roleplayers of all experience levels into megagaming, Gathering Darkness casts players as survivors living in the Cleaveslind settlement, fighting to keep the darkness at bay. Attacks have been ramping up, with rumors of the Dark One’s return swirling. Players will work together to ensure their faction flourishes. This short megagame lasts for 3 hours and was designed as a prequel to Touched by Darkness, allowing players to dip their toes in before playing a standard megagame
You’ll love Gathering Darkness if:
- You want a fast and fun introduction to Megagames.
- You’re looking for a lighter commitment than a seven-hour megagame
- You have played previously the Touched By Darkness megagame, to which this is a prequel.
- You want a game that allows for as much role-playing, diplomacy, and tactics as you’re comfortable with.
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 9am – 3pm (6 hours)
Saturday 5pm – 11pm (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.
Event Horizon
Player Count: 50
Friday 9am – 3pm (6 hours)
In 2047, the starship Event Horizon reappears after vanishing near a black hole seven years ago. Earth’s factions dispatch a rescue fleet to salvage the ship, uncover its secrets, and secure humanity’s future.
Players take on the roles of crew members—scientists, soldiers, engineers, and diplomats—aboard diverse vessels, each with unique objectives. As you explore the derelict Event Horizon, unravel its mysteries and confront the dangers lurking within.
With a blend of board game mechanics, intense roleplay, and negotiation, the game challenges players to work together—or against each other—in two rooms, simulating fleet operations and the ship itself. Restricted communication, personal goals, and creeping horror create a tense, immersive experience. No prior megagame experience is needed—just bring your wits and courage to the edge of space.
You’ll love Event Horizon if:
- You liked the movie by the same name
- If you think David Cronenburg is cool as hell.
- You like to balance your horror with a spice of comedy
- You like play a fun economic game where workers are the pawns! (You play as workers)
You’ll love The Soviets if:
- You enjoyed Armando Iannucci’s Death of Stalin.
- You are passionate or curious about the Soviet Union, a great power that greatly imploded.
- You like purging your rivals from the party for ideological heresy
- Enjoy Model UN or other political sims
The Soviets Political Sim
Player Count: 60
Friday 10am – 2:30pm (4.5 hours)
Stalin is dead! Now what? Join up to 60 comrades in piloting the Soviet state, and communist party in the wake of the death of Stalin – navigating yourself and your policies through the Soviet System.
After three decades as de facto dictator of the Soviet Union, Stalin’s death signifies a potential watershed between the past era of repression, famine, and World Wars, and a new era of theorized technological wonders, nuclear capabilities, and perhaps even, a thaw in the hardline ideological attitudes. Meanwhile, within the Kremlin, dictator’s death has triggered a bit of a scramble. Party leaders now jockey for poll position, with many benefits await those who secure themselves at the top of the Soviet pyramid.
The Soviets is an abstract political simulation of the upper echelons of the Soviet government during an era of reform, burgeoning optimism, and societal change. Players will not represent real historical figures but instead Communist Party leaders with procedurally generated opinions. Beware, bribery, horse-trading, conspiracy, and maybe even a purge or two, may ensue.
Bound By Desire
Ben Kanelos of BK Game Design
Player Count: 42
Friday 10am – 3pm (5 hours)
Sunday 10am – 3pm (5 hours)
Become a character in a romance novel! Woo your desires, challenge your rivals, and craft your story in this rules-light roleplaying-heavy megagame.
You’ll love Bound By Desire if:
- You enjoy LARP dynamics in megagames
- You ever pine over the feeling of pining
- You enjoy Pride & Prejudice, Bridgerton, or Red, White & Royal Blue
- Like a light-hearted lark about the light shining from your heart!
You’ll love ALLIANCE if:
- You like abstracted political sims that portray Machiavellian political systems without being bogged down in historical conflicts
- You like highminded negotiations as well as backhand dealings
ALLIANCE
Shaun McMillan
Player Count: 70
Friday 11am – 4pm (5 hours)
Deephaven
Player Count: 50
Saturday 5pm – 11pm (6 hours)
A narrative megagame about overly-ambitious dwarves building a new city fortress. Delve dangerously deep to discover unique resources, forge legendary weapons, develop thriving trade and culture!
You’ll love Deephaven if:
- You favor more freeform, narrative megagames.
- Celebrating hubris in role-playing games brings you great joy.
- Building a dwarven fortress sounds amazing.
- You like DARING DWARVES DELVING DISASTROUSLY DEEP
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.
Touched by Darkness
Player Count: 42
Saturday 9am – 3pm (6 hours)
Saturday 5pm – 11pm (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 Spaceship 13 if:
- You’re a fan of Space Station 13
- You enjoy zany storytelling with mechanical crunch!
- You’ve ever been part of a teleportation accident that body-swapped you with the ship’s cat, but it turned out okay because the ship’s AI activated the TERMINATE ALL HUMANS protocol, and GUESS WHO IS NOT HUMAN ANYMORE???
Spaceship 13
Player Count: 40
Thursday 10am – 2pm (4 hours)
Spaceship 13 is a whimsical sci-fi megagame where you play as freshly cloned employees of the Redwire Corporation™ aboard an unpredictable, AI-monitored starship. Guided by MOTHER, the ship’s advanced (and slightly unsettling) AI, you’ll navigate quirky roles like barman, botanist, janitor, or even captain.
Your job is to keep the ship running, tackle challenges, and survive long enough to get paid—though re-cloning is always an option if you meet an untimely end. Along the way, you’ll face traitors, mutants, malfunctioning systems, and bizarre alien threats. Creativity is key, with open-ended recipes and experiments letting you shape the chaos.
Expect humor, danger, and corporate absurdity as you explore life on a chaotic ship where every day is an adventure. Whether you’re solving mysteries or making questionable choices, Spaceship 13 offers endless fun and a galaxy of surprises!
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!