Gen Con returns to downtown Indy with sold-out crowd

By HERNAN GUTIERREZ
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

Board game enthusiasts will take over downtown Indianapolis this weekend as the four-day tabletop gaming convention returns to the Indiana Convention Center before another sold-out crowd.

This year’s edition marks Gen Con’s 59th year and its 23rd year in Indianapolis. Organizers say it is the largest tabletop gaming convention for consumers in North America.

Exhibitors are showcasing their newest games, with 70,000 people expected daily. Several representatives joined WISH-TV’s Daybreak live ahead of the Exhibit Hall opening Thursday morning.

Daphnee Allen, Kosmos senior marketing manager, says the company is showcasing three new releases this year. That includes the latest installment in a popular series, “The Crew: Journey to the Ends of the Earth.”

“You’re traveling across the world looking for Charlemagne’s treasure,” Allen said. “You have to beat the time, you have to complete some tasks, and you work as a team. So it’s a cooperative trick-taking game.”

The “Cyberpunk Trading Card Game” launches in November. According to the developer, WeirdCo, it is the most-funded game in the history of the crowdfunding website Kickstarter.

Cree Gunning, marketing head for WeirdCo, says the project raised $28 million.

“Folks are very, very excited,” Gunning said. “We are a super-fast [trading card game]. Limited turns – seven turns – and instead of just hitting your opponent in the face, you’re actually fighting over dice. So a lot of people who like playing these tabletop games, you get to roll dice in, see the different values, high roll, low roll. It’s all about that.”

The Exhibit Hall also features vendors such as FanRoll, which sells accessories, collectibles, dice and minifigures. CEO Neal Hoffman says he is excited to show people their latest line of collectible dice, “Fizbin’s Fortune.”

“Every die is correlated to one of the dragons in the Dungeons & Dragons universe,” Hoffman said. “Just for Gen Con, we have this exclusive, which is Bahamut. It is one of the key dragons; it is the Babe Ruth of baseball cards. Only 900 were made, and you can only get it at Gen Con.”

Gen Con Block Party

Despite the sell-out, there are still ways for the public to experience the action.

The Gen Con Block Party returns to South Street, featuring food and drink vendors. Some are selling specially themed treats for the convention.

Gen Con is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/entertainment-news/gen-con-returns-indianapolis-2026.