I attended GenCon 2026, here’s how it went

What did I walk into?

I’ve been going to conventions of all sorts for 19 years, and I feel like my love for them was rekindled with GenCon 2026. Especially if you ignore the fact that Indianapolis feels like a city the Backrooms made. GenCon is proof that community is alive and well, if only you know where to look.

GenCon 2026 was home to over 74,000 nerds, spread out between the Indianapolis convention center, the nearby Lucas Oil Stadium (Go Birds,btw), a handful of hotels and even a nearby theater. The hall leading into the exhibition floor was packed tight during the opening hours, but nothing like an Anime Expo or coastal cons, and once the doors opened, the traffic dissipated pretty quickly as the labyrinth of Indianapolis became flooded with table-top geeks and tgc players.

The convention center itself, mirrors the same endless Backrooms loop as the rest of the city. Half of the con is situated in a circle, half of it is dead ends,and thanks to construction, one long tunnel covered with black curtains leads into the “Block party” which is a parking lot home to food trucks of all sorts, and the pathway to Lucas Oil. I spent my first 2 and a half days getting completely lost.

The beautiful thing about how GenCon was set up is that big-names everyone knew had set areas, while Warhammer, MTG and even things like Dungeon Crawler Carl (hosted by Renegade Games) had their huge sprawling sections, nothing was overbearing. Unlike cons such as NYCC with a huge (slightly out of place) Gear-5 Luffy looming down on the exhibitor hall, every game,artist and vendor, big or small, felt like they had their room to breathe. Of the over 800 vendors and booths it felt like everyone had a chance to shine, I only wish I got to see them all! GenCon blends genres when it comes to what it is, and it does so seamlessly. There even was an area just for console gaming. This genre-blending and melting pot of fandoms with table top gaming at the heart of it all couldn't be more clear, especially when looking at the attendees themselves.

As a convention attendee of nearly two decades, I look for certain things that determine how “at home” I feel. As a Black person who frequents fandoms previously associated with what’s known as “white people shit” it’s no surprise Day 0 had me NERVOUS. But one quick shout into the void and 3 friends informed me of the mixers hosted in the BIPOC lounge. I attended Thursday night, and it was by far the best event of its kind, in a completely packed room I felt nothing but excitement for the games we loved, and even though I was hundreds of miles from home, I even saw a couple of friends! The mixer had food, drinks, and did FREE raffle giveaways, complete with games all created by BIPOC folks, and even badges to next year’s GenCon. Since the con, I’ve learn how vocal the staff has been about issues that matter in this community, BLM, LGBTQ+ Rights,bodily autonomy, mental wellness and comfort just to name a few.

GenCon is truly a con for everyone, and the more time I spent there the more I learned that. Day one, Thursday, typically a slower day for all conventions, and still, the Indianapolis convention center felt so alive, and so vibrant. I was working at the con,so of course my opinion came to me in the brief windows I got to tour the floor, but even just working for Renegade studios, my interaction with fans was magical. This is a convention where cosplay wasn’t necessary to feel like you fit in, some folks had ren faire garb, some had ironic Tees, and some were just dressed to the 20’s in their best D&D inspired fits. I don’t think I’ve ever been complimented so much in my life and I was just wearing regular clothes and casual makeup I enjoy.

This convention blew me away in every sense. The con was action packed from start to finish, but it felt like there was something encouraging everyone to participate, not just shop. I spent my first two and a half days racking up over 50,000 steps just to get a prize from the Magic: The Gathering booth, and on the third day (after I got my promo card!) I learned the alternative was to just design a cute little Hobbit door themed craft, which is an amazing alternative for those who would’ve otherwise struggled with walking so much. Gencon was inclusive in all the right ways, and never once felt pandery or like it was a “here, damn!” moment. GenCon is so much more than the endless shopping, and dodging content creators that is today's fandom convention culture.

Unlike many larger commercial cons where "come and cosplay" seems to be the main draw, at GenCon it is celebrated but not neccessary, and that was a breathe of fresh air because my bags did not have the space to sustain that hobby,along with my Magic decks that I ultimately didn't even play with. I also had a LOT of people ask if I was cosplaying,which always feels like high praise on my outfits.

Speaking of cosplay....

I made sure to hype up every cosplayer I could, most of which ended up being little cosplayers who's faces beamed when I referred to them as the character. I think starting off young ones at a con like this is magical. I got to experience many other folks hyping up cosplays as well, and of course working with Renegade, the hype surrounding DCC cosplays was unmatched. After nearly two decades in this hobby, it's easy to feel disconnected from what the community has become, but one weekend has completely revitalized my excitement for cosplay, and the people in the community.

GenCon's programming is super-sized. I didn't find out truly how much there was to do until my third day, and yet unlike other cons, I don't have any fomo, because I loved what I managed to see and do, regardless of what I missed.

The programming (which I will link here) was spread out between several different buildings, and tackled every element of table top games. Varying from small panels hosted by regular folks, to the behemoth that is the D&D Tower, which had large-scale shows, and even a mini-carnival a friend and I only learned about via word of mouth. Every minute of the con there was something to do, and while I feel the exhbitor floor closed a bit early, you could demo and play games until up to 3am!

I'll admit, I didn't get as much gaming done as I wanted to, but I got to help run games with Renegade Game Studios, and that was not only an honor, but so exciting to witness. Fans of all ages and levels of experiece came to play the game, or just check out the stellar exhibit Soundbooth put on. Some folks were cosplaying, some were just there as fans of the books, and I even met a badass woman in her 60's who told me how her son was trying to convert her into a Dungeon Crawler Carl fan, and how my excitement and summary of what I knew of the franchise got her even more pumped!

I managed to sneak in one of my favorite games, String Theory by Tessallation games, and I got to play with folks I was working with for the weekend. String theory is a game about conspiracy podcasts,and connecing the links between what they don't want you to know, so you can get more listeners (sheeple) and I cannot stress enough just how fun this charming little board game is. I tried to swing by a few others, but there just wasn't enough time in the day, and lining up with the people I attended the con with proved a bit difficult!

You meet at a Carnival...

When I wasn't working, I spent most of my con time meandering alone, except for during the tornado warning where I was with an equally as paranoid upper east coast friend. But the charm of this convention was when I randomly bumped into folks from all over the states, as well as New York, and got to stop and chat or hang out for a bit. A friend and I spontaneously decided to pain Warhammer minis, and it was an absolute blast for my first time painting. The best part was that it was FREE! A terrible sign for the future of my wallet, but what is sure to be a fabulous time for my future Age of Sigmar collection. After the minis, we heard whispers of the D&D carnival, so naturally we left the convention center to check that out!

I was so excited by the enviornment of the mini-renfaire vibes that the D&D carnival boasted that I immediately told my partner and best friend about it, and we went back the same day. Luckily I must've hit shift change because only one familar face remembered me, and while popping up twice wasn't against the rules, knowing I got to leave with so many free goodies twice had me feeling like a bandit. The last day of the con I bumped into that familar D&D face and managed to add her on discord! Such a small series of moments, ultimately became the highlight of my entire Gencon, and I cannot be grateful enough.

If you only do one thing at GenCon, MAKE FRIENDS! I had a few folks remark my ability to treat this con like a school yard with the way I approach folks in attempts to connect, but the fact is I just felt safe enough to be myself. I approached folks with outfits I liked, or who were looking at games I loved, and just started chatting with them! Gencon is a place where you should spark conversations you wouldn’t typically, and have no reason to be scared to approach strangers and see what their favorite part of the convention is, because you might just find your new favorite part too!

Overall A lot of my post Gen-Con brekadown comes through the lense of being jaded by larger conventions, and maybe if I'd attended this convention for as long as it's been running, I'd be more jaded too. But this con truly made me feel nostalgic for an enviornment I haven't felt at conventions in ages. It celebrated attendee's differences, uplifted smaller voices and welcomed fans to celebrate the more popular ones in unique ways. There's so much love put into every ounce of this con and you can tell in how happy the other attendees were towards one another.

My grievances about the con really came from unique or temporary situations, and I think because I was a first-timer there were things I had to learn the hard way, so if you do plan on attending my advice is this:

1. PLAN AHEAD, it may seem obvious but a lot of panels -- even the small ones -- fill up before the weekend even starts. The reservation system is confusing until you get the hang of it, so make sure you know at least one or two things you'd like to catch so you don't miss it. Downloading an app for a con is tedious and a little annoying, but it saves so much stress later on.

2. FOCUS your budget on food, the block party is fun but pricey. It's the one time I found myself complaining about prices, and while it feels great to support small businesses, realistically if you're staying the entire weekend it may be more feasible to go to a nearby local restaurant, and bring some snacks so you don't blow your fun budget just on sodas and fries.

3. DON'T BE AFRAID of getting out of your comfort zone. Some of these hobbies are done in soltitude but a lot of table top games are social experiences. A packed mixer may be overwhelming, and going to the free-play spaces may leave you feeling a little isolated or lost but if you just ask people are happy to help and even hop in your games!

I’m not sure if the daily crowding was a regular things in years prior, and the reservation system was full of glitches for me personally. The con could benefit from better staff communications, more organized meetups, especially in the areas where cosplay seemed to be, or even swaps and trading spaces (but maybe I missed that!) BIPOC mixers being hosted on the busier days would also feel more inclusive, but the experience itself was unforgettable and seeing a packed room on a THURSDAY is unheard of. Even with the most minor hiccups, for the average price of a weekend ticket, you strike gold by attending GenCon.

IN THE END....

If you like the idea of putting yourself out there for hobbies you enjoy, and making genuine connections, you can find it at GenCon. If you want to support artists and indie devs over large vendors, that's at GenCon. If you want huge AAA programming and celebrity guests, maybe wait for Comic Con or Anime Expo.

Overall, I rank Gencon 2026 an 8.5/10. Its a large convention with larger heart. After almost six decades of running, Gencon is still evolving to be exactly what it needs to be: A gathering of nerds, sharing what we love, with the people who make them, and making some friends along the way.