PAX Unplugged is the convention I go out of my way for. It's not just me either, but something that I hear from both exhibitors to regulars in the board game and ttrpg circuit: Unplugged is a convention that feels centered around play and fun. It’s not too big, it’s not too small, and makes sure there is plenty of space for people to just sit down and try out something new.
Yes, you have the amazing expo hall, which was the biggest it's ever been. Yes, you had some phenomenal booths this year, and yes, you have some amazing panels with news drops like Daggerheart’s new expansion, but I really do feel like this is a convention that encourages community and fellowship. All of the open gaming tables, the different places you can sign up for ttrpg experiences, or even just how many booths hand out badge stickers and ribbons that promote allyship and talking with others, this convention really can be a place that feels like home.
A picture of the chaos of the Indie Night Market - game designers selling directly to convention goers.
This year, I spent a lot of time thinking about how lucky I am to find fellowship among other gamers. It’s probably why my list of favorite experiences is so focused around people rather than any one game. Make no mistake, there was a ton of great new shiny toys to play with, but conventions are about the pomp and circumstance which help give you moments you can't find anywhere else. So, with that being said…
#1 - The Pre-PAX Tavern Crawl: Good Food, Drink, And Raising Money for Charity
After the first ever PAX Unplugged, it became a tradition for my friends and I to meet up the night before and have a good drink. In our PAX Unplugged guide, we talk about how a good happy hour deal at a German brewpub, the Brauhaus Schmitz. In 2024 however, we discovered that the (in)famous Pokecrawl folks from PAX East were hosting their charity event at the same location on the same night. We had a good time, and said we’d try and help make it a bigger event next year.
Fast forward to this PAX Unplugged 2025, and it felt like we had a mini-convention before the convention even started. Lots of people donated various raffle prizes, we had over a hundred people swing by to play board games, meet other convention goers, or just have a good meal. The Sprites and Dice crew taught some fun casual board games like Rock, Paper, Wizard and We’re Doomed!, and simply had a phenomenal time. I met some new people, got to hear what games they had come to Philly to try out, and just share in the growing excitement around the convention.
The best part however? The generosity. I had a chance to meet with Joseph, the founder of Guardians Mental Health, a group dedicated to helping provide mental health resources for those in the gaming space. Hearing about their mission, seeing a lot of what they provide just made it sweeter that the Sprites and Dice crew was able to help raise $1,000 in one night for their charity.
Good food, good people, and a good cause: what more can you ask for? It wasn’t even the convention yet, and we already had a memorable evening. Thanks as always to the Pokecrawl folks who run the PAX East facebook group for doing these sort of events, and we can’t wait to help out next year.
#2 - SCIRE: A Cyberpunk Megagame You Should Look Out For Next Year
I’m going to keep this one short because I’m working on a review of the event. However, I will say this: SCIRE is one of the most ambitious megagames I have ever played.
Just a team of Rogue Scientists, preparing to solve all the world's problems...
For those who don’t know, a megagame is a bizarre hybrid of tabletop RPGs, board game mechanics, and a touch of LARP. A defining feature is their scale, where game organizers manage 30 or more people to try and tell a cohesive story where players drive the narrative forward, making every game unique. After writing about two previous megagames, I knew that SCIRE - put on by Mythworks of The Wildsea fame - was going to have a bit more of a ttrpg bent to it.
Me and five friends walked into a cyberpunk dystopia that got weird. Loosely using the rules of their phenomenal CYB+PNK ttrpg, over 60 players tried to figure out what was going on and how to further their own goals. Broken up into tables of six, each with their own dedicated GM, an interconnected story unfolded. It had players changing tables in the middle of the game, swapping priorities and allegiances, and sometimes just try and figure out why someone called the Cyber-Lich wanted to gain their favor.
It's an ambitious project, and one that is still being tweaked and updated. I had a chance to talk with Ray Chou, one of those responsible for the creation of SCIRE, who said this event was it's second iteration. They had learned a lot from the first attempt, and had learned even more this time around. There were still some rough edges to the experience, but the positive moments of creativity and helping to create this bizarre alternative cyberpunk world outweighed any downsides by miles. If they come back with a new version next year, I'll be in line.
I’ve said it before and will say it again: if you like ttrpgs, you owe it to yourself to try a megagame.
#3 - The Indie Night Market: Finding Games You Can’t Find Anywhere Else
I heard about this mysterious market of independent board games only after the show floor closed in 2024, and wanted to make sure I stopped by in 2025. All I knew was that a bunch of game designers wanted to show off games they had created directly to the masses, skipping publishers and using the convention as a chance to share some avant garde ideas.
On Saturday night, I walked to where the queue line typically goes at the start of the convention and found an absolute feast of creativity.
Individual lines for designers sometimes filled up as crowds gathered around people laughing or excitedly pulling out wallets. You had traditional board games like Flip Stack Burger Shack from well known designers like Joseph Z Chen, looking for a publisher. You had prototypes being sold affordably like Bernease Herman’s Urban Capitalism next to Ted Schaller’s bizarre puzzle about ducks attempting to dance. Many sold out, but all seemed excited just to share their ideas with those who would listen.
I stuck around for about an hour, and loved it. It was just refreshing hearing so many game designers talking so passionately about the process and the struggle of getting games made. My prize for the evening was Greg Loring-Albright’s game Resilience, a real time dice placement game about neighbors working together to keep a community strong. I can’t wait to play it, and sort of love that I got my copy in a small little poster tube.
Creativity is everywhere at PAX Unplugged: the First Look ballroom is another great place to sit and relax, playing games that are hard to find or aren't even out yet!
You don’t go to the Indie Night Market because you want the new hottest release. You go because you love the fact that people make games, and want to soak in some of the passion yourself.
#4 - Open Play: Finding New Games Off The Expo Hall Floor
I haven’t really talked much about the expo hall itself, and that’s a bit by design. Trust me, I had some great experiences at the Smirk and Dagger booth, adored having a chance to talk with up and coming wargame designers for Malediction, and finding wonderful new board games like Winter Rabbit by Absurdist Productions. With all that said though, the expo hall speaks for itself; it’s often the crown jewel, the flame that all moths are drawn towards.
This year, I spent more time off the show floor than I usually do, looking around at other parts of the convention. The free game libraries for both ttrpgs and board games are massive, letting you and friends try out either old rare games or test new ones before you buy them. The first look room up on the top floor is a great way to try something new and also have a little more quiet than the expo hall. While I didn’t get a chance to go in myself, the Lord of The Rings side room turned their vendor tables into an experience that multiple friends raved about.
My personal free play highlight is now the open play games that are just outside the expo hall. There, game designers and booth workers have fully set up board games and ttrpgs, waiting for passersby to play with. I was able to try out Malifaux’s fourth edition on a beautiful set of terrain. There were Daggerheart tables so people could sign up for quick 45 minute demos, and so much more to list here. The moral of the story at the end is to let yourself wander, try something new, and maybe in the process find something special.
My favorite moment? Trying out the second edition of Leviathans by Catalyst Game Labs. It’s an airship wargame that they didn’t yet have on the selves, and some of the booth workers who were managing some Battletech tournament thought it’d be a fun small distraction. Queue me and a friend laughing hysterically nearly two hours later as the ‘short demo’ turned into a slugfest that lasted until midnight, with the demo people flabbergasted at how brutal we had fought each other.
#5 - Camaraderie: Good Food with Good Friends
Finally, the food. One of my favorite things about Unplugged is that it’s held right in the center of Philadelphia, surrounded by delicious food. You don’t have to take a car or taxi, you can just walk across the street into Reading Terminal Market, or stroll a block into chinatown to have delicious soup dumplings. There was a brand new ramen shop called Kyuramen that I ate at more than I should have, a fantastic fusion bar that serves cheese steak egg rolls called Bar-Ly, and the speakeasy I visit once a year for a good drink.
Food shares a lot with board games. It brings people together, gives you a chance to let the world slow down around you, and share in an experience with others. I had the pleasure of catching up with lifelong friends who I haven’t had the chance to truly talk to as we took a break from the show floor. Other times, I got to try out new dishes with friends who I only had known online, finally having a chance to talk with them in person.
I know, I know, this isn’t even remotely about games, even if we talked a lot about them over bowls of noodles. However, I really do feel like having so many great places to go eat right in walking distance elevates Unplugged a little higher. Both food and games are about community after all, and having the chance to share in two of life’s great pleasures with others just makes both all the sweeter.
Another Year, Another Favorite Convention Done
I had this mostly written in the week after the convention, but unfortunately, life finds ways to get in the way. After masking for the entire convention, I came home to my poor family in the throes of COVID from another source, meaning I spent a week or two playing nurse before I too succumbed to the virus. I had a family member underdo surgery, meaning last minute flights and re-arranged schedules.
Some of our staff got a chance to try out a new Godzilla ttrpg, the same weekend it was announced! Lots of great games both first releasing at PAX Unplugged and also being tried out. Going to this convention isn't just about trying to play 'the new hotness', but to be a part of the whole cycle of gaming and be part of the community.
I say all this because as New Year’s Eve arrives and we all eagerly await the end of 2025, I’m still looking fondly back at PAX Unplugged. As a dad, it’s the one time I get away each year with some friends and have some time for myself. Sure, I’m still working to prepare to write more articles, but there’s something special about just so many people being in one place looking for joy and celebration. Unplugged really is one of the highlights of each and every year I am able to go, and I already can’t wait for the next one.
