Every year, more than 70,000 people travel for Gen Con from all over the country.
They come to play games, check out the year’s newest releases, and spend time with people who speak the same language of laughter, strategy, and shared passion. When we’re not in the convention center, you’ll find us in hotel lobbies, restaurants, or scattered around tables late into the night — playing, talking, and reconnecting.
But Gen Con is so much more than the meeples on the table or the dice we roll. It’s the people. It’s the friends we’ve made along the way — and the joy of seeing them again each year.
I’ve been going to Gen Con on and off for over 20 years now, and it still feels like magic every time. The faces change a little, the halls get busier, but the feeling stays the same: that sense of belonging, of coming home to a place where everyone just gets it. Over the years, I’ve built friendships that have become part of who I am — people I adore, people I look forward to seeing every August. And I know my story isn’t unique. That’s the best part.
This year, I talked with many others who feel the same: Gen Con is their found family, their yearly reset button, their reminder that community still matters. Sure, the crowds can be overwhelming, but the heart of Gen Con hasn’t changed. It’s still about connection.
For me, that means playing Pokémon events or late-night board games with my best friends. It’s grabbing lunch with someone I haven’t seen since last year. It’s finally learning how to play that game I’ve only known from Board Game Arena, surrounded by laughter and shared chaos.
The friendships I’ve made here, and the community that keeps growing around them, are what bring me back every year. Gen Con is welcoming, safe, and full of heart — it reminds me why I fell in love with gaming in the first place.
Here’s to 2025, and onward to 2026 — to the friends we’ve made, and the new ones waiting just beyond the next table.
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