Reviews

How to Host a Themed Tabletop RPG One-Shot at a Convention

A themed tabletop RPG one-shot gives convention attendees a complete story in a single sitting, with enough atmosphere to feel special and enough structure to…

The artists behind HLGCon’s illustrated program guide

The 2018 High Level Games Convention at Atlantic City’s Showboat Hotel was designed around participation. Tabletop role-players, LARP communities, designers,…

Creating a convention schedule that leaves room to play and breathe

A great gaming convention schedule should feel like an invitation, not an endurance test. Tabletop campaigns, live-action role-play, workshops, panels and…

Atlantic City Flavours Walking Distance from the Showboat Hotel

Every Australian who lands in Atlantic City for a tabletop convention eventually starts mapping out the food and drink options near the Showboat Hotel. Where…

Workshop recap: map-making for fantasy RPG settings

Inside the Showboat Hotel on the Atlantic City boardwalk, a backroom table got buried under grid paper, fine-liners, and slices of dollar pizza. The workshop…

Comparing LARP Styles at HLGCon: Theater Performance and Boffer Combat

The 2018 High Level Games Convention turned the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City into a destination for live-action role-players seeking two very different…

How HLGCon lifted independent game stores and small press publishers

In the spring of 2018, the Showboat Hotel along the Atlantic City boardwalk opened its doors to something a little different. High Level Games Convention…

Designing escape room puzzles that carry a story worth solving

Escape rooms have spread through Australian cities over the last decade, from pop-up experiences in Melbourne's laneways to permanent venues in Brisbane and…

Forty-eight hours at HLGCon from a tabletop diarist's notebook

The flight from Sydney had a transfer in Los Angeles and my carry-on smelled like dice bags and instant coffee by the time we hit the gate. I had packed a…

Calming first convention nerves with wisdom from seasoned attendees

Walking into a packed convention centre for the first time can feel like stepping onto a stage you never auditioned for. Your heart hammers, your brain keeps…