Gen Con vs BGG Con vs PAX Unplugged

[Fardaza]

I'm thinking about going to one of the game cons later this year. I went to BGG Con last November, so I know what it's like. The open gaming was amazing, but the vendor area was much smaller than I expected.

Can you please compare BGG Con with Gen Con and PAX Unplugged? Gen Con would be the shortest drive from my home followed by PAX Unplugged. I am definitely concerned about going to Philadelphia in December though!

[Blackhawk]

I can't speak to BGG and PAX (although I wish I could!), but I've been to GenCon multiple times, and the vendor area wasn't anything anyone would describe as 'small.' I usually set aside one day for nothing else, and I bring a map. With that said, COVID was pretty brutal for all cons, including GenCon. I understand it was smaller than usual when it came back, and I'm not sure that any pre-COVID comparisons would be all that valid.

[Isgrimnur]

Dallas in November, you might need a windbreaker or a light jacket. Maybe.

[Fardaza]

Dallas in November, you might need a windbreaker or a light jacket. Maybe.

Yep. I was thinking Dallas in November beats Philly in December hands down. Indy in December is a lot more tolerable, especially since it's only about a 6 hour drive from here.

I guess my concern is the vendor area was such a letdown at BGG Con that I want to try one of the others. It only took about an hour or two to peruse it all. Some place that people spend a day or two in sounds appealing. I'm kinda sorta still in the game collecting mode. A large "game store" would be a lot of fun to walk around in. I was captivated by all the bling you could get even in a smaller Con. I can barely imagine what a much larger one could offer.

I also don't understand the need for tickets (some purchased and some free) to attend events. Seems strange.

[AWS260]

I have only been to PAX Unplugged. The open gaming is fantastic; the vendor area is sizeable, but not enormous. It's my understanding that GenCon has by far the biggest vendor section of the major cons (and that Essen Spiel in Germany is even larger still).

The Philadelphia weather isn't much of an issue if you can find a place to stay relatively close to the convention center. Last year, I registered too late to book one of the official hotels, but I found an airbnb nearby for a reasonable price.

It's also worth noting that PAX is the only one of these cons that still requires masks, although I have no idea if that will change this year. I'm a fan of the policy.

[Isgrimnur]

Yeah, the BGG vendor area is nothing to write home about.

Origins is the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) convention.

[coopasonic]

Yeah, the BGG vendor area is nothing to write home about.

...and it was way smaller last fall than it was pre-2020

[Zarathud]

Adepticon in IL has about 6-7 aisles of merch booths. AMAZING miniature paint competition. Spent an afternoon shopping this year. Want to get in on a painting class next year.

Origins (GAMA) in Columbus OH has 12-15 aisles of merch booths. Decent range of games and miniatures, and IMO easiest to get events. Missing this due to school timing, but want to get back.

GenCon is 25+ aisles of merch booths. Some companies get their own room. It has everything but you’re never going to see more than slices of it. Great to walk around but harder to get events. Going this year, expecting to have a blast but be exhausted.

[Punisher]

My wife and I have been to every PAX unplugged since it started. We like it a lot
We have been to GenCon once but thought it was great as well. This was pre-Covid. IIRC Gen Con was bigger for vendors and had more variety. It also seemed to have more big name companies.
This past PAX the vendor area seemed smaller to me and not as many big names. Lot's of smaller vendors/stores but not too mamy big companies.
PAX seemed like the rest of it was bigger this year though.
If Gen Con wasn't so far away we would go their each year as well. If they moved it to Javits for example we'd be set.
I think either is a good choice though. Gen Con was on our bucket list of have to go at least once.

[LordMortis]

Origins (GAMA) in Columbus OH has 12-15 aisles of merch booths. Decent range of games and miniatures, and IMO easiest to get events. Missing this due to school timing, but want to get back.

GenCon is 25+ aisles of merch booths. Some companies get their own room. It has everything but you’re never going to see more than slices of it. Great to walk around but harder to get events. Going this year, expecting to have a blast but be exhausted.

GenCon is much more of spectacle and should be attended once by all gamers. I actually prefer Origins, through. Being less of spectacle, it's more about just playing games, rather than trying to experience the convention and largely (for me) being a spectator, rather than participant (ironically having worked at GenCon a couple of times for different vendors). GenCon is so big, you have to figure out a plan to eat but then hope that plan works out, where as at Origins, you just go hit one of the convention center eateries, like you would a college student union.

I have no experience with the other larger gaming conventions.

[AWS260]

GenCon is much more of spectacle and should be attended once by all gamers. I actually prefer Origins, through.

For the best of both worlds, travel back in time to 1988...



First gaming convention I ever went to!

[Zarathud]

I hope to get out to both next year. This year, there’s only time for GenCon.

[Holman]

I've been to Gen Con three times and PAX Unplugged every year (but I live in Philadelphia, so that's easy for me). I've also been to Origins once.

Gen Con is Disney World, PAX Unplugged is Six Flags. (Origins too.) There's a significant difference in scale.

Nevertheless, the key to having a great time at a con is finding out what's scheduled and then planning ahead for what you want to see and do. I've done both Gen Con and PAX "cold," without any planning, and Gen Con was much more impressive because there's so much to see and stumble upon. But you're only going to have 24 hours in a day either way, so if you plan your activities, you can enjoy a weekend at any con anywhere.

[hentzau]

GenCon was always a day trip for me when it was in Milwaukee, and when it moved to Indy it became an overnight (but still only one day). I've only done the whole of GenCon once, and I had a terrible backache the whole weekend so it kind of wrecked the experience.

I probably will not do GenCon again in the foreseeable future, because it is always scheduled when I'm at camp with scouts.

I've done Origins once, and really don't remember a ton about that weekend. Like the only game that I remember playing was potion explosion. But I did get to see a friend I hadn't seen in about 5 years for a bit, so that was fun.

Most of my time these days is spent going to smaller local cons doing minis games.

[coopasonic]

Gen Con is Disney World, PAX Unplugged is Six Flags. (Origins too.) There's a significant difference in scale.

I think if we extend this analogy, BGG.CON is a neighborhood block party.

[GreenGoo]

If I wanted to, say, take in gaming for myself and anime for my daughter, is there a large, well known convention that we should attend?

As a teenager in the 80's I always wanted to visit gencon, but never got a chance. I feel like a major gaming (not video games) convention is something that should be on my bucket list, but my daughter is less interested in games, although somewhat fixated on anime and manga. I could justify a trip almost anywhere in NA if my daughter came with me.

[Holman]

If I wanted to, say, take in gaming for myself and anime for my daughter, is there a large, well known convention that we should attend?

As a teenager in the 80's I always wanted to visit gencon, but never got a chance. I feel like a major gaming (not video games) convention is something that should be on my bucket list, but my daughter is less interested in games, although somewhat fixated on anime and manga. I could justify a trip almost anywhere in NA if my daughter came with me.

You'd want to check their catalog, but I feel pretty sure that there will be anime-related programming at Gen Con (watch parties, discussion panels, etc). There are certainly always anime cosplayers walking around.

[GreenGoo]

Sounds good. Maybe not this year but possibly next. I'll look into it.

[hentzau]

If I wanted to, say, take in gaming for myself and anime for my daughter, is there a large, well known convention that we should attend?

As a teenager in the 80's I always wanted to visit gencon, but never got a chance. I feel like a major gaming (not video games) convention is something that should be on my bucket list, but my daughter is less interested in games, although somewhat fixated on anime and manga. I could justify a trip almost anywhere in NA if my daughter came with me.

You'd want to check their catalog, but I feel pretty sure that there will be anime-related programming at Gen Con (watch parties, discussion panels, etc). There are certainly always anime cosplayers walking around.

I bet one of the PAX cons would be a good choice for this too.