WashingCon 2 Vendor Spotlight: Catlilli Games

As a part of WashingCon's efforts to make our conventions kid- and family-friendly, we invited a range of vendors that offer games that help bring the youngest members of our community into the hobby. One of these vendors was Catlilli Games, which sells educational board games such as Crazy Cats, Cycles, and Tacto that help children grow interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. In Crazy Cats, for instance, children compete to draw the craziest cat based on dice rolls that determine the genes – and their corresponding appearance  – for their cats. In short, the game's mechanics supports a child's exploration of complex scientific concepts such as genetics and phenotypes.

Listen to the interview with Jon Nardolilli, co-founder and game designer at Catlilli Games below to hear more about the company's origin, design philosophy, and efforts to help reverse the absence of effective STEM education in the United States. WashingCon would like to thank Jon and the rest of the Catlilli team for serving as vendors at our convention.

WashingCon Interviews Darrell Louder and Brad Smoley from the UnPub Protozone at WashingCon 2

One the highlights of WashingCon 2 was the opportunity to host the UnPub Protozone where we gave local game designers a chance to demo and playtest their unpublished games in the Unpub Protozone. Unpub is an organization that aims to help game designers get their games published. Over the last six years, publishers have signed over 100 games shown as Unpub events, including games created by our very own Ben Rosset and Matt Grosso such as between Two Cities, Brew Crafters, and Dead Last.

During WashingCon 2, we had a chance to briefly chat with Darrell Louder, the Director of Unpub and the designer of Compounded and Bottom of the Ninth from Dice Hate Me Games, and Brad Smoley. Listen to the interview below to hear more about the Protozone as well as Unpub’s broader work in giving designers an opportunity to share and demo their games at conventions like WashingCon.

Raise the Three Red Meeples High and Proud! WashingCon 2017 Digital Flyers Are Here!

As the WashingCon planning staff will tell you, our convention could not happen without the enthusiasm and help of its community and volunteers. While we encourage our attendees to volunteer at the convention, we recognize that not everyone can attend WashingCon. If you fall in this category, we have a new way you can help us out: distribute our new digital flyers! We have created four flyers that everyone can distribute at their favorite gaming tabletops and online platforms. Tweet us your best photos posing with our flyers @washingcondc and we'll make sure to feature them on this blog in the future.

Green Ronin Publishing and Ravensburger to Sponsor WashingCon 2017

We are excited to announce that Green Ronin Publishing and Ravensburger Global have signed on as sponsors for WashingCon 2017. Green Ronin, which will be returning as our sponsor, Dragon Age, is known for role-playing games such as Dragon Age, A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying, and Mutants & Masterminds. The company has won over 40 awards for excellence, including winning GenCon & EnWorld Award for Best Publisher for three years in a row.

Ravensburgeris a leading supplier of puzzles, games, and craft products in Europe. In addition to sponsoring WashingCon, the company will also put together our swag bags and include a special item for the convention’s attendees. We would like to thank both companies for making WashingCon 2017 the best possible experience for our members!

WashingCon Interviews Bruce Glassco at WashingCon 2

Recently, a member of WashingCon’s staff was having dinner with friends when they discussed their interest in board games. One of the individuals at dinner mentioned playing a horror game with the word “Hill” in the title that was fun – and extremely unnerving.

As many of our readers know, the game in question is Bruce Glassco’s award-winning Betrayal at House on the Hill, which pits players against a traitor in a haunted house. While Bruce's game has emerged as a definitive classic in the hobby, his interest in tabletop gaming has led him to continue working on new designs such as Mystery! Motive for Murder. Listen below to hear about Bruce's development of Betrayal at House on the Hill, his work as an English professor at Piedmont Virginia Community College, and what inspires him to keep working on game design.

WashingCon 2017 Ticket Sales Are Now Live!

The moment you've been waiting for has arrived: ticket sales for WashingCon 2017 are now live! You can purchase your tickets at www.washingcon.com/badges. As a reminder, individuals who want to volunteer at WashingCon 2017 must purchase tickets for the convention in order to be eligible for a refund, so pick up yours before signing up to help out WashingCon's staff this year.

WashingCon 2017 Ticket Sales Go Live Tomorrow!

We wanted to remind everyone that tickets for WashingCon 2017 will go on sale tomorrow, March 1st, on the WashingCon website at 8:00 pm Eastern Time. As a quick reminder, we will be offering:

• Full weekend adult tickets for $40 per person.
• Sunday single-day adult tickets for $25 per person.
• Full weekend kids' tickets (12 and under) for $30.
• Sunday single-day kids' tickets for $15.

We also want to remind everyone that you can reserve hotel rooms at the Georgetown University Hotel at our discounted rate of $119 per night. You can make your reservations here.

If you have any issues with purchasing tickets, please contact us at contact@washingcon.com. Keep following us on this blog, Facebook, and Twitter as we release additional details about this year's convention.

Jonathan Gilmour at WashingCon 2017 and Discounted Hotel Rooms Available Now

WashingCon is excited to announce that Jonathan Gilmour, the designer of Dead of Winter and the upcoming Wasteland Truckers, will join us at WashingCon 2017. Jonathan will meet guests, demo his games, and participate on panels.

We also wanted to let everyone know that attendees can now reserve hotel rooms at the Georgetown University Hotel at our discounted rate of $119 per night. You can make your reservations here. If you have any questions about the hotel rooms, please contact us at contact@washingcon.com. Keep following us on this blog, Facebook, and Twitter as we release additional details about this year's convention.

Breaking News: Details About WashingCon 2017 Passes

WashingCon is happy to announce details for WashingCon 2017 passes, including information about our Sunday single-day pass. Currently, we will be offering: 

1. Full weekend adult tickets for $40 per person.
2. Sunday single-day adult tickets for $25 per person.
3. Full weekend kids' tickets (12 and under) for $30.
4. Sunday single-day kids' tickets for $15.

As we noted last week, tickets will go on sale on March 1st. Tickets are limited so people should get tickets soon! We will have a discounted hotel block and those rooms will be available starting soon. Keep following us on this blog, Facebook, and Twitter as we release additional details about this year's convention.

Breaking News: WashingCon 2017 Tickets Go On Sale March 1st

WashingCon is excited to announce that tickets for our 2017 convention will go on sale on Wednesday, March 1st. We will have more details about the convention passes and prices next week, so keep following us on this blog, Facebook, and Twitter as we release additional details about this year's convention.

Heard at WashingCon 2: The Future of Game Design Panel

Over the course of WashingCon 2, convention attendees had a chance to sit in on panels discussing various components of game design. Our first audio recording of these sessions covers a panel titled The Future of Game Design, which featured Rob Daviau (Pandemic: Legacy, Risk: Legacy, Seafall), Bruce Glassco (Betrayal at House on the Hill, Mystery! Motive for Murder), Jason Matthews (Twilight Struggle, 1989: Dawn of Freedom, Sola Fide: The Reformation), and WashingCon co-founder Ben Rosset (Brew Crafters, Between Two Cities).

The panel, which was hosted by the team at Dragon's Demise, focused on the evolution of theme and concepts, the development of gaming mechanics, changes in funding environments, and the growths of the hobby. Take a listen below to hear each of the designer's thoughts on these issues. WashingCon would like to thank the panelists for participating in this great conversation about the future of the hobby! 

WashingCon Interviews Rob Daviau at WashingCon 2

Legacy. While Webster’s Dictionary defines legacy as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past,” the work of game designer Rob Daviau has imbued this word with significantly more meaning in the world of tabletop gaming. As the designer and co-designer of hit games such as Pandemic: Legacy, Risk: Legacy, and, more recently, Seafall, Rob has created games that allow players to explore extensive and exciting narratives that directly impact the appearance of games as they move through successive episodes. The fusion between mechanics and narratives has made Pandemic: Legacy the highest rated game on Board Game Geek.

In light of these accomplishments, Rob’s work extends beyond the world of Legacy games. A veteran designer who has designed games for 18 years – 14 with Hasbro – Rob has brought 60 to 80 games to market over his career. In addition to designing games, Rob has also launched Restoration Games, a company that will aim to update and revitalize older tabletop games. Listen to our interview with Rob at WashingCon 2 to hear more about his upcoming work, views on game design, and why his memories of playing Dungeons and Dragons as a kid rank among his favorite memories in gaming.

The WashingCon Blog Returns for 2017

After a hiatus, the WashingCon blog has returned and will be publishing information about WashingCon 3 as well as highlights from last year's convention to get everyone excited about this year's events. Please make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for additional updates as the convention draws near.

Breaking News: WashingCon 3 is Coming September 2017!

After taking time off from a great convention, we are excited to announce that we signed the contract with Georgetown University for WashingCon 3! We will host the convention at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center September 9 to 10, 2017. While more details will be forthcoming, we want to announce that:

1. We will have all six side conference rooms for both days, meaning we can schedule more events for you next year.
2. We will have better food options for WashingCon 3. After receiving feedback from attendees and staff, the conference center will provide sandwiches, drinks, and grab-and-go items in a convenient location close to the main gaming hall.
3. We heard you loud and clear and will improve our shuttle service. We will have smaller shuttles running more frequently that will drop people off closer to the main entrance.

Tickets will go on sale in a few months. In addition to announcing ticket sales, we will also announce sponsorships and events over the next few months as well. As always, follow us on this blog, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest news and announcements.

A Big Thank You to WashingCon Attendees (and a Few Fun Figures About This Year’s Convention)

WashingCon would like to say thank you to every single attendee, volunteer, and sponsor for making this year’s convention an unqualified success. While we will be releasing photos soon, here are a few fun facts and figures from this year’s convention:

• We had 953 attendees, including volunteers, sponsors, and special guests.
• We had 70 hard-working and enthusiastic volunteers.
• We had 44 officially scheduled events and sold out 35 of them.
• We gave away 134 play-to-win games, which had a total of 1,836 entries.

If you have any awesome photos that you would like to share with to us from the convention, please send it to contact@washingcon.com. We will need your permission to post these images on our website and social media.

As always, please continue to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and this blog for announcements about WashingCon 3 as well as exclusive interviews with sponsors and game designers who attend this year’s convention. Thank you again; we could not have done this without your support and enthusiasm.

Final Announcements and Reminders for WashingCon!

We are less than than 3 days until WashingCon - here are some important reminders:

Tickets and Events

There is still time to purchase a discounted ticket to WashingCon. Ticket prices will remain at $40 for a full weekend pass until Friday night at 9pm. After that, tickets will be available at the door (starting Saturday at 9:15am) for $45.

Online event sign-up will also end at 9pm Friday night. After that, event sign-up will be in-person starting at 10am Saturday morning.

If you pre-ordered your ticket, you can pickup your badge at Labyrinth Games & Puzzles until 5pm on Friday. After that, you can pickup your badge at will call at the convention center beginning at 9:15am Saturday morning.

The convention officially opens at 10am both days.

Getting There

The event is being held at the Georgetown Hotel and Conference Center, which is part of the Leavey Center. It is on the Georgetown Campus. The address is 3800 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC, 20057. 

There is a free shuttle that will run between Foggy Bottom metro and the convention center. The first shuttle leaves Foggy Bottom at 9:15am each day. The last shuttle will leave the conference center for the metro at approximately 10:45pm on Saturday night and approximately 8:45pm on Sunday night. Please note, the shuttles are not wheelchair accessible (the conference center itself is accessible).

Parking in the Leavey Parking Garage, which is right next to the conference center, will cost $25 for the day. Parking is also available in the O’Donovan Parking Garage at a cost of $15 for the day. This garage can be accessed by entering the Georgetown campus at the Canal Road entrance near the Key Bridge (the entrance is next to the large rock reading “Hoya Saxa”). From there, follow the signs to the O’Donovan Parking Garage. From the garage, it is a 5-10 minute walk north across the Georgetown University campus to the Conference Center.

The Circulator bus and D6 bus are also great options and takes you right to the Georgetown Campus.

Follow WashingCon on Twitter and Facebook during the weekend for updates on events and other information during the weekend. 

See you at WashingCon, and happy gaming! 

A Safe Space for all Gamers: WashingCon's Personal Conduct Policy

Hello everyone, we hope you are enjoying your Labor Day! WashingCon is less than a week away and we're very excited to see everyone there! We wanted to take this opportunity to share our personal conduct policy with you. Most of this stuff is straight forward, and it really just boils down to the golden rule. 

We also want to make sure that WashingCon is a safe and welcoming space for all gamers. We worked hard with the university to get them to dedicate a gender neutral bathroom. Ultimately we were unsuccessful, but we want to make it clear that there will be a zero tolerance policy for harassment of any kind toward anyone for using the bathroom of their choice. 

Thanks for helping to make WashingCon a fun, engaging, and safe space for everyone to enjoy this hobby that we all love. We can't wait to see you at WashingCon!

Family and Kids events at WashingCon

WashingCon will have a dedicated Family Area inside the main gaming hall with kid-friendly games and activities

The Family area will feature games and demos from BlueOrange, Gamewright, and Peaceable Kingdom. 

BlueOrange will be having a FastTrack tournament Saturday from 11am-1pm.

Peaceable Kingdom will be holding the fantasy themed costume contest for kids on Saturday from 2-4pm. Kids 10 and under can dress in their favorite fantasy themed costume and win great prizes!

Kids might also be particularly interested in participating in some of our dexterity games events, such as our Jenga Tournament on Sunday from 2-5pm.

We're looking forward to seeing you (and the little ones) at WashingCon! And don't forget that to get to WashingCon, you can take the shuttle on both Saturday and Sunday! 

RPGs and LCGs at WashingCon

Are you an RPG or LCG fan? If so, WashingCon is the place for you!

We've got over 20 different scheduled RPG events, but they are filling up fast, so be hurry to sign up! 

The entire West Lobby of our convention space will be dedicated to RPGs, with 10 dedicated tables for RPG games! 

Three different RPG publishers, including Bully Pulpit Games, Evil Hat Productions, and Green Ronin Publishing are sponsors of WashingCon, and representatives from Evil Hat and Green Ronin will be on hand to demo their RPGs! 

We will also be featuring an LCG Lounge on both Saturday and Sunday from 10am-5pm that will be specifically dedicated to your favorite Fantasy Flight LCG games like Netrunner, A Game of Thrones, 40K Conquest and more! On Saturday, the LCG lounge will be in Room 6, and on Sunday, it will be in Room 4.

Every game you play in the LCG lounge will earn you a raffle ticket with your chance to earn awesome prizes! 

Good luck, game on, and let's see those natural D20's! 

A (Free) Ticket to Ride: About WashingCon’s Free Shuttle Bus Service

As a part of making WashingCon the best possible experience for our attendees, we will have a free shuttle service that will pick people up at the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station and drop them off at the Hotel and Conference Center. Here are a few important details about the shuttle 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.

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 in the parking lot next to building 15 (where the picture of the shuttle bus is). You'll need to walk about 1 minute to the building that is circled and marked by the star.