Calling All Volunteers

Making WashingCon happen is a lot of work. Throughout the year a handful of us set our time aside to make sure everything is ready to go in September. But when the actual day of the convention is upon us we need a heck of a lot of more help for it all to go smoothly! That's why we rely on our volunteers to help staff the convention and assist with registration, events, the games library, rules tutoring, and everything else that goes into making WashingCon fun.

If you like WashingCon and want to be a part of it, we'd love have you as a volunteer! In exchange for two volunteer shifts we will comp your badge so you can spend the rest of your time enjoying the weekend for free. In addition we will provide you with a sweet WashingCon 2018 volunteer's T shirt designed by the director. This fine chestwear immediately identifies you as a true board game enthusiast of substance and the only way to get one is to volunteer right here. We look forward to seeing you in september!

Game Night at Port City Brewery!

WashingCon 2018 is still weeks away and we're sure that a lot of you are amped to get there and play some dang board games already! Well we can't bring the date any closer but, in the meantime, we can bring you the next best thing: boardgames and beer! This Thursday, July 26th, from 5pm until 10pm, members of the WashingCon staff will be at Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria, VA hosting a game night for everyone in the community.

We'll have a selection of games on hand but feel free to bring some of your own as well. Bring friends, play with some new folks and enjoy Alexandria's finest local beer. Tickets are free but, if you're intending to come, please sign up here so we have an idea of how many tables we'll need. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Final Day Of Reduced Price Badges!

One final heads up to everyone from the WashingCon staff: Today (6/9) is the last day for reduced price 2018 badges! At midnight tonight our very last early ticket sales drive will end and prices will return to their standard level for the remainder of the summer. Although badges will be available up to the convention, as well as at the doors, we encourage you to get yours today, right here, to take advantage of the best possible price.

We looking forward to seeing all of you in September!

Standard Prices Begin This Saturday

Here at WashingCon we rely on early ticket sales to get the convention off the ground each year. When you buy your passes ahead of time it allows us to pay for the deposit on the convention center as well as the annual startup costs. Without these sales it wouldn’t have been possible. For this reason we greatly appreciate those of you who have bought your tickets early and would like to say: Thank you, thank you, thank you.

As a small, additional show of gratitude to everyone out there getting passes ahead of time we have kept prices discounted past the original opening week sale. But all good things must come to an end and standard prices will go into effect this Friday at midnight. So for everyone hoping to get in on the last of the discounts this is the final week. Beginning Saturday, tickets will be set at the regular price until doors open so if you have not yet reserved your passes do it here ASAP! 

Last Day To Get Discounted Passes!

Just a reminder that today is the last day to get your WashingCon badges at the reduced rate of just $40 for all weekend passes and $25 for Sunday only passes. After midnight, tonight the discount will end so, if you have a group you are hoping to attend with, now is the time to remind everyone to reserve their tickets for the best possible deal.

We’re already blown away by the response from the gamer community this year. Passes are going faster than ever and we want to say a big thank you to everyone who has already put us on your calendar for September! We hope that our early ticket discount lets everyone know how much we appreciate the enthusiasm you've shown for WashingCon. And for all of you who have yet to buy your passes, today is your chance. Remember to get your tickets here before midnight!

Get Your 2018 Passes Early!

With WashingCon 2018 passes primed to go on sale, we’d like to remind everyone who is as excited as we are for this year to get their passes early! As a way to show our appreciation to all of our awesome attendees who make WashingCon what it is, full weekend passes will be available for one week at the historic price of $40. Also, to make sure that families feel welcome, children’s full weekend passes will remain at $25 as long as passes are available.

Although the discount on adult badges will end after March 8th we wanted to do something for everyone who has attended in the past, groups on a budget, and the real board game lovers who have already put WashingCon on their schedule. As with last year we expect passes to sell out so we hope that our first week discount will encourage all of the DMV's most passionate gamers to get them before they’re gone!

Reserve yours right here, March 1st starting at 8pm.

Let's Talk About Free Games

For the past two WashingCons we have been able to offer a free game to every attendee as they walked in the door. This is a concept we borrowed from BGG.CON and it has been a highlight of our experience each year. Those of you who attended WashingCon 2017 will remember that the selection of games in the giveaway pile was unbelievable. One of our sponsors really came through for us and it was their generosity that allowed us to bring you that cardboard smorgasbord. Our director (Matt Grosso) got to feel like Gaming Claus for about 6 hours on Saturday this past year and it was probably the highlight of his weekend.

With that being said, we'd like to talk about expectations. It is our dearest hope that we will be able to continue the giveaway tradition again this year but, until we can make arrangements for those game donations, we can't promise anything. This is not to say that we won't have amazing games available again this year! But what we are able to offer is dependent on the largesse of our sponsors and we hope you will all keep your expectations at a reasonable level. 

In the end we hope you agree that, while free games are great, WashingCon is about meeting new people and sharing our passion over an amazing weekend of games.

Remember, tickets go on sale this Thursday March 1st at 8:00pm at washingcon.com.

WashingCon 2018 Tickets go on sale March 1st!

We are excited to announce that Washington DC’s own tabletop gaming convention will return to the Georgetown University convention center in 2018 on September 8th and 9th! Passes go on sale Thursday, March 1st at 8pm and, as a big thank you to all of our previous attendees, for one week adult passes will be available at last years prices:

• Adults Full Weekend $40 (until March 8th)
• Kids (12 & Under) Full Weekend $25 
• Adults Sunday Only $25 (until March 8th)
• Kids (12 & Under) Sunday Only $15

 We have limited space at the event and expect to sell out again this year, so reserve your passes ASAP! And don't forget to keep up with us on this blog, Facebook, and Twitter for updates over the following days about hotel room pricing, events and other Washingcon 2018 details. We look forward to seeing all of you there!

Thank You for Another Amazing WashingCon!

Now that WashingCon 2017 is over, we wanted to take the time to thank several organizations and individuals for helping us put together the best WashingCon yet.

First, we would like to thank North Star Games, Labyrinth Game Shop, HABA USA, Looney Labs, Evil Hat Productions, Peaceable Kingdom Inc., Bully Pulpit Games, Learn LARP, Panda Game Manufacturing, ThinkFun, Twogether Studios, Gamewright Games, Green Ronin Publishing, Ravensburger, and Dragons Demize for being wonderful sponsors.

We also want to thank our vendors and partners including UnPub, Catlilli Games, Stone Circle Games, Twistocity, Smirk&Dagger, Dice Dungeons, Extra Life, Hope City, and all the other companies and individuals who shared their games with our attendees who loved the opportunity to try new and exciting products.

We also want to thank all of our guest designers and panelists including Susan McKinley Ross, Jason Matthews, Andrew Looney, Volko Ruhnke, Keith Baker, Jenn Ellis, Hal Mangold, Ross Cowman, Dave Chalker, Fred Hicks, Jonathan Gilmour, Jerry Taylor, Miranda Evarts, and Jason Morningstar for giving our attendees a new view into game design.

Finally we would like to thank all the volunteers and attendees for making this the best WashingCon yet. Without your support, we could have not given the tabletop community another opportunity to come together to share and enjoy their favorite games. We had a great time and look forward to sharing photos and interviews from WashingCon 2017 soon.

Final Announcements for WashingCon 2017

WashingCon 2017 is this weekend and we're excited to see new and return attendees play their favorite tabletop games with old and new friends, meet guest designers, and attend our panels. Before the games and festivities begin, however, we would like to make some important announcements:

• Tickets can be purchased online and will remain the same price until Friday at noon. After that, tickets will be available at the door (starting Saturday at 9:15am) and will be more expensive.
• Online event sign-up will also end Friday at noon. After that, event sign-up will be in-person starting at 10:00 am Saturday morning.
• If you pre-ordered your ticket, you can pickup your badge at Labyrinth Games & Puzzles until noon on Friday. After that, you can pickup your badge at will call at the convention center beginning at 9:15 am Saturday morning.
• The shuttle will remain in operation until about 10:45 pm on Saturday and Sunday this year.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please email contact@washingcon.com. We look forward to seeing all of you this weekend.

More Events and Panels at WashingCon 2017 and Information About Kids Events

WashingCon is excited to announce a new set of panels to our roster of panels and events:

• RPG Design: Essential Elements and Innovation: Jason Morningstar, Ross Cowman, Hal Mangold, Dave Chalker, Keith Baker, and Fred Hicks will discuss the essential elements of good tabletop RPG design and where it's headed in the future.
• War Games: Design and Evolution: Jason Matthews, Christian Leonhard, and Volko Ruhnke will discuss designing these games and where the genre is headed in the future.
• The Future of Game Design: Industry professionals and WashingCon VIPs discuss the future of board game design: new mechanics, themes, and the evolution of the industry.
• Ghost Court with Jason Morningstar: Ghost Court: is a ridiculous party game for six or more players about ghosts and the people who sue them. Jason Morningstar, the game’s designer, will join players for this event.

If you want to register for these events, please visit our events page and don’t forget to buy your tickets if you haven’t picked them up yet.

WashingCon will also have a dedicated Family Area inside the main gaming hall with kid-friendly games and activities. In addition to games and demos from companies such as Peaceable Kingdom, Peaceable Kingdom will also host a costume contest for children ages 12 and under on Sunday from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. All participants can dress in their favorite fantasy-themed costume contest and receive special prizes.

Night Owls Rejoice, WashingCon Will Be Open Late

WashingCon has good news for attendees who like their gaming to go all night. We've talked with the hotel and they have agreed to let us keep one large piece of the gaming hall open until 3:00 am on Saturday night.

So, let your games run long and have fun late but don't forget to set your alarms for Sunday so you don't sleep through day two of WashingCon!

Registration is Now Open for New RPG Events and Information About Donations for U.S. Troops

We’re excited to announce another round of RPG signups for WashingCon 2017. We will be running Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition: The Haunted Keep and Numenera: Escape from the Jade Colossus in our RPG game rooms. You can learn more about the panels and RPGs and register for them on our events page. As always, you will need tickets to register for these free events.

We are also happy to announce that WashingCon will take donations of board games that a member of the WashingCon community will send to for U.S. troops and their families stationed overseas. WashingCon will have collection boxes around the convention, so bring your board games and show your support for our troops. If you have any questions about the donations, please email volunteering@washingcon.com.

Jason Morningstar to Attend WashingCon 2017 and Pre-Con Weekend Badge Pickups Available Soon

We’re excited to announce that award-winning game designer Jason Morningstar will join our roster of guest designers that includes Jason Matthews, Keith Baker, Susan McKinley Ross, and Sam Bailey. Jason has designed Fiasco, Night Witches, Durance, and Grey Ranks. He has received the Diana Jones Award in gaming for Grey Ranks and Fiasco and is the only individual to have received the award twice as of 2013.

Second, we will allow attendees to pick up their weekend adult and kids badge at Labyrinth Games & Puzzles beginning on Thursday, August 31 and have these badges available for purchase as well. You must have an ID with the name of the person who purchased the tickets to pick up your badges. Please note that Sunday-only badges must be purchased through the website and picked up in-person at the convention on Sunday, September 10. As always, you can purchase your tickets online on our website.

Important Announcement: WashingCon 2017 Needs More Volunteers!

As WashingCon 2017 is drawing near, we need an additional 20 to 30 volunteers for this year’s convention. Here are important details for volunteering at WashingCon 2017:

• In return for working two four-hour shifts, volunteers will have their tickets refunded after the convention; they must purchase a regular ticket before the event.
• Volunteers need to visit WashingCon's volunteer sign up page to register for their shifts 
• Volunteers may also have the chance to get a WashingCon 2017 volunteer t-shirt but we cannot guarantee their size and availability for individuals who registered after August 11th.

If you have any questions, please email volunteering@washingcon.com. Once again, WashingCon would like to thank all of our volunteers for their hard work and commitment to making the convention possible.

A Few Details About WashingCon 2017's Shuttle Service

As with last year's convention, WashingCon 2017 will have a shuttle that will pick up individuals from the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station and take them to the convention. Here details for the service:

• The first shuttle will leave the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station at 9:15 am on Saturday and 9:15 am on Sunday
• The last shuttle will leave the Conference Center for the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station at approximately 10:45 pm on Saturday and at approximately 8:45 pm on Sunday
• The shuttles will have a sign for "WashingCon" that riders can see
• The shuttles will be on a continuous loop between the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station and the Conference Center on both days
• There will be a WashingCon volunteer on hand to assist people at the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station and at the Conference Center in the mornings
• You do not need a pre-purchased ticket to WashingCon to ride the shuttle

After receiving feedback from last year’s attendees, we have made the following changes:

• We will have three shuttles going during peak periods instead of two
• Shuttles will drop people off and pick people up immediately in front of the entrance to the convention center, so that nobody has to walk across the parking lot like last year
• Shuttles will run continuously from 9:15 am to 10:45 pm on both Saturday and Sunday
• The shuttles will be 15-person passenger vans, not 55-person coach buses
• The shuttle pickup location will be the same as last year, but our volunteer there will have signs

You can see the pickup location at the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station and the drop-off location at the Conference Center in the images below. If you have any questions about our shuttle service, please email contact@washingcon.com.

The shuttle will pick up next to the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station

The shuttle will drop off attendees next to the convention site at the Georgetown Hotel and Convention Center

Registrations Are Now Open for More RPGs and Information on WashingCon's Play to Win Library

We are happy to announce that our library will once again feature a "play-to-win" section. As with other games, WashingCon attendees can check out and play these games. At 4:00 pm on Sunday, we will randomly select one person who has played the game during the convention and award it to them to keep. If you are not present to claim the games you won at 4:00 pm on Sunday, we will send you an email after the convention and you can pick up the games you won at Labyrinth Games & Puzzles within one week.

We are also excited to announce that registration has opened for new RPGs including Cypher Superheroes, Delta Green, Eclipse Phase, Gods of the Fall, Night’s Black Agents, and Red Markets. Here are a few important details about registering and participating in RPG events at WashingCon 2017:

• Sign ups for RPGs will be free for individuals with WashingCon passes and will need to use Eventbrite to sign up for these sessions
• Attendees must be at the RPG Room ahead of time to pick up your seat ticket; in the event of a 10:00 am start, please head straight to your table
• If you are not in your seat within the first five minutes of event start, your seat will be given away on a first-come-first-serve basis
• If the registration line is long, we will check the line for players who have signed up and give you a call

You can find the roster of RPGs and the links to the Eventbrite registration pages on the WashingCon events page. If you want to attend these events and haven’t bought your tickets, purchase them here. 

Breaking News: WashingCon Will Offer Free Games for the First 1,000 Arrivals!

WashingCon is happy to announce that the first 1,000 attendees who arrive at WashingCon 2017 will receive their choice of a free game from a selection of in-demand titles. Since we are expecting about 1,000 attendees, this promotion means that we will have something for everybody. So let your friends know that a ticket to WashingCon now also includes a free game for the first 1,000 arrivals.

We still need volunteers for WashingCon 2017, so please email Synnove Hoover at volunteering@washingcon.com for more information.

Registration is Now Open for RPG Events at WashingCon 2017!

WashingCon is excited to announce that RPG registrations are now open for WashingCon 2017. The games will include Dragon Age, Dungeons and Dragons Adventure League, Fall of Magic, Greyhawk Reborn, Hero System 6th Edition, Sentinel Comics RPG, and TimeWatch. Ross Cowman, the designer of Fall of Magic, will be running his games throughout the convention. We will also be running Dungeons and Dragons Adventure League as one-hour sessions that are the perfect introduction for beginning RPG players.

Here are a few important details about registering and participating in RPG events at WashingCon 2017:

• Sign ups for RPGs will be free for individuals with WashingCon passes and will need to use Eventbrite to sign up for these sessions
• Attendees must be at the RPG Room ahead of time to pick up your seat ticket; in the event of a 10:00 am start, please head straight to your table
• If you are not in your seat within the first five minutes of event start, your seat will be given away on a first-come-first-serve basis
• If the registration line is long, we will check the line for players who have signed up and give you a call

You can find the roster of RPGs and the links to the Eventbrite registration pages on the WashingCon events page. If you want to attend these events and haven’t bought your tickets, purchase them here. 

Reminder: Pre-Order Your WashingCon 2017 T-Shirts Before August 11th to Guarantee Your Size

We want to send out a quick reminder about upcoming deadlines for getting WashingCon 2017 t-shirts for attendees and volunteers:

• Attendees have until August 11th to be able to pre-order a t-shirt in their chosen size. Individuals who purchase a t-shirt after this date will not be guaranteed to get a shirt in their size.
• Attendees have until August 11th to select a volunteer t-shirt in their chosen size when they register as volunteers. Attendees who register to volunteer after the 11th will not be guaranteed to get a shirt in their size.

Please note that individuals will pick up their pre-order and/or volunteer shirts at WashingCon 2017. Registrations for volunteers will also continue past August 11th. If you want additional details about volunteering with WashingCon, please read this post. We still need volunteers for a range of shifts, so please consider volunteering to make this year’s con the best one possible.