Board Gaming



Come experience timeless classics and the newest games on the market, European strategy and American warfare. From the cooperative, to the competitive, to the downright deceitful.

Got games? Bring them along and share them.
Have a favorite game? Volunteer to teach it.
Got a story you want to tell? Run a role-playing session.
Have a game you want to learn? Request a Learn To Play!

Contact our GameMaster, Trevor Schadt, at gaming@chessiecon.org with any requests, or to volunteer. YOU can make ChessieCon's Game Room even more exciting!



Videogaming Schedule:

 
Friday
 
Timonium
 
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM     Videogaming: Flashback Friday
The Chessiecon Video Game Room opens its doors with a blast to the past, giving games and consoles from the 1990s or older a time to shine. If we don't have it on cartridge, we might have it on emulator or virtual console, just ask!
4:15 PM - 5:15 PM     Videogaming: Dance Dance Revolution
Step on the arrows on the dance pad in time to catchy technopop music. Fun and a good source of exercise! Towels and water will be available. (Playstation 2, rhythm/dance, E for Everyone, 1-2 Players)
6:45 PM - 7:45 PM     Videogaming: Crypt of the Necrodancer Session 1: OST Night
Give beatdowns to the beat in this Roguelike rhythm game! Use the keyboard or dance pad to explore randomly-generated corridors, collect treasure, and fight your way through a medley of music-driven monsters, but remember to keep the rhythm going! This year, we've made the experience even more electric with the new AMPLIFIED DLC! Same rhythmic dungeon-crawling action, with new items, new enemies, a whole new zone to explore, and new characters, including a new storyline starring the vampire Nocturna, seeking to restore her lost humanity! Since there's new content to be played, we're dedicating this slot to playing the game au natural, with its awesome original soundtrack as our guide. But don't forget to submit requests for our Saturday night custom music session! (PC, Rhythm/Roguelike, T for Teen, 1-2 Players)
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM     Videogaming: Mario Kart 8 Driving Lessons
Interested in trying to win the tournament's coveted K'Nex set but feeling a little shaky behind the wheel? You've come to the right place! Whether you're brand new to the game or just have to brush off some cobwebs, this time slot is to allow you to practice and get a handle on the game with no pressure. Pros at the game are encouraged to take the backseat and offer advice to those learning. (Wii-U, Racing, E for Everyone, 1-4 Players)
10:30 PM - 11:30 PM     Videogaming: Worms Revolution
It's a little-known fact that worms are highly territorial and will fight each other to the death in military combat. It's also a little-known fact that they are terrible at military combat. Take turns lobbing grenades, shooting bazookas, and dropping concrete donkey statues on each other - and yourself - in a free-for-all fight with up to four players. Last worm standing wins. (PC, strategy, E10+, 1-4 Players)
 
Saturday
 
Timonium
 
10:00 AM - 12:15 PM     Videogaming: Kids' Swim
Family friendly hours; all games are rated E for Everyone/E10+ and inappropriate language is forbidden. See Saria for a complimentary temporary tattoo! (one per guest, must be applied by a member of staff and children under 13 must have permission and be witnessed by a parent or guardian)
10:00 AM - 12:15 PM     Videogaming TV Special - Sonic the Hedgehog: The Animated Series (1993)
Video games and other media don't often cross paths in a successful way, but this show, also known as Sonic SatAM, is considered one of the best adaptations of a video game to tv ever created. Doctor Robotnik has taken over the planet Mobius, and it's up to Sonic and a band of freedom fighters lead by Princess Sally to fight back against the robotic regime. Episodes: "Ultra Sonic", "Blast to the Past" Part 1 & Part 2, "No Brainer", "The Void", "The Doomsday Project".
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM     Videogaming: Turbo Dismount
Do you consider mom's warnings not to play in traffic a challenge? Here's a game to give you the thrill of breaking all the laws with none of the hospital bills! Pick a vehicle, pick a track, rev up and watch the carnage! (PC, simulation, Not Rated, 1 Player)
5:30 PM - 7:45 PM     Videogaming: Mario Kart 8 Tournament
Speed around a selection of 48 tracks as your favorite Mario character in this fast, fun, and occasionally dangerous grand prix in Mario Kart 8! You don't have to be a pro to come try your luck behind the wheel, and our grand prize is an official Nintendo Mario Kart K'nex set! Start your engines and watch out for those blue shells, it's gonna be a wild race! (Wii-U, Racing, E for Everyone, 2-4 Players at a time)
9:15 PM - 11:30 PM     Videogaming: Crypt of the Necrodancer Session 2: Custom Music Night
We're back in the crypt, and this time our musical fate is in your hands! We will be taking requests for custom music to play as you traverse the crypt and give beatdowns to the beat. Bring your own MP3s to give a whirl on the beat detector, or try some from our almost thousand song collection, including 19 customized playlists! The full list is available at tinyurl.com/necrochessie, and we will take requests from the start of the convention all the way to midnight Saturday. (NOTICE: Lyrics of custom music may contain mature, obscene, or offensive content. Please be respectful of other people's music tastes. Custom playlists currently do not include songs for Zone 5 or the new boss fight Fortisimole.) (PC, Rhythm/Roguelike, Not Rated, 1-2 Players)
 
Sunday
 
Timonium
 
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM     Videogaming: Kids' Swim
Family friendly hours; all games are rated E for Everyone/E10+ and inappropriate language is forbidden. See Saria for a complimentary temporary tattoo! (one per guest, must be applied by a member of staff and children under 13 must have permission and be witnessed by a parent or guardian)
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM     Videogaming: 1-Cup: Talk over Tea
Enjoy a hot drink and some cookies as we sit together and talk about video games in a light-hearted round-table discussion. This year's topic: Gamers of the Internet. Since the founding of YouTube and other easily accessible video hosting and streaming websites, there has been a viral trend of watching other people playing video games, be it Let's Players like Markiplier or Chuggaaconroy, charity events like Extra Life, the community effort of Twitch Plays Pokemon, or machinimas such as the classic Red vs. Blue or Ross Bollinger's Freeman's Mind. Do you have any personal favorite Let's Players or gaming events you like to watch? What is it that you like about them? How is the experience different from playing a game for oneself, and what makes that experience enjoyable?
1:45 PM - 4:00 PM     Videogaming: PC Games Only, Featuring Jackbox Party Games
The convention is drawing to a close and it's time to start putting our toys away. From now until closing time, the only things left out to play with are our computers. But you're welcome to stay and join us in a few hilarious rounds of Jackbox Party Pack games, a set of wacky party games from the creators of You Don't Know Jack/. Use your laptop, tablet, phone, or one of our provided computers to play You Don't Know Jack/, Quiplash, Fibbage, Drawful, Earwax and more! Easy to sign in and play, always good for a final laugh, and maybe you'll even learn something about the world…or your friends. (PC/mobile, Party/Trivia, T for Teen, 1-8+ Players)

Volunteers are needed in videogaming for room monitoring, setup, and miscellaneous upkeep. We need people to:

  • Ensure that the equipment is handled properly, kept clean, and accounted for.
  • Assist in setting up different consoles and games throughout the day.
  • Maintain a friendly and safe environment, which may include asking troublemakers to leave.
  • Make videogaming staff aware of technical difficulties and assist in solving them if possible.
  • Occasionally assist with passing out snacks, party favors, or prizes.
  • Help to keep contests and tournaments running smoothly.
  • Help with cleanup and inventory at the end of each day.
  • Help with Thursday evening/Friday morning pre-con setup and Sunday evening post-con tear-down.

These jobs do not have to occupy the entire weekend. With more people shifts can be more easily divvied up and we can all see more of the con (and maybe play a few games ourselves ;) ). Questions will be happily answered by Saria.


In Chessiecon's video game room, our mission statement is to give you a fun, safe environment for everyone who loves video games to come play, with a focus on good sportsmanship and friendly bonding over games. We have several consoles old and new, and we add to our collection every year! We showcase various games from Steam on our projector and invite anyone to come check something out! Use one of our computers or bring your own to play Minecraft or other PC games; bring your 3DS, Switch, or other handheld games; or just come to watch or join in our other gaming-related events and contests! Whatever your fancy, we do our best to provide for video game fans of all ages, and our game shelf is always open for guests to peruse.


What's new this year in videogaming?

  • Have a need for speed? A drive to drift? A dread fear of spiky blue tortoise shells? This year, the Chessiecon video game room is hosting a tournament in Mario Kart 8 for the Wii-U! No experience is needed, though we'll be glad to help anyone get a leg up or shake off the cobwebs before the race starts Saturday afternoon. Participants all receive a ConCardia card, and you could win a plush Mario creature, a Luigi Amiibo, or a Mario Kart K'Nex set to build your own tracks and race at home!
  • One of our favorite traditions has been the Saturday night session of the dungeon-crawling rhythm game, Crypt of the Necrodancer. This year, we're excited to announce that the Crypt has gotten a lot bigger; so big that we're going to have to go in twice! On Friday night, we'll be playing classic Necrodancer the way we've been running it the past two years. Then on Saturday night, we'll be running the new AMPLIFIED DLC, featuring new enemies, new loot, a new zone, new music, and new characters, including the heroine of a new prequel storyline, Nocturna! As always, we'll have our selection of custom music to play after some time rocking it old school, but be aware that our current playlists are not made to include AMPLIFIED's new features, and since the DLC is new this year, we encourage spending more time on it before going to custom music. Feel free to bring your own MP3s as well! (Disclaimers: Custom music may contain mature or offensive themes. Please be respectful of others' music tastes. To see our full list of custom music, go here!)
  • The video game room always needs computers! If you have an old laptop or tower with a decent amount of power or some games already installed on it, please contact us if you would like to donate or loan it to us!
  • Have you ever said to yourself, "I'd love to help the video game room, but I don't know what they need!"? Fear not! We now have an Amazon wishlist! Any game or console that the Crazy Headcrab Lady has brainstormed will be there, along with other assorted equipment the video game room needs, and the list is updated frequently! So if you have games that you'd like to loan or donate, the wishlist here will give you an idea of what we're looking for. You can also check out Saria's Backloggery, which lists all the games we currently own. If you have any questions about what else we might like or need, please feel free to contact us at videogames@chessiecon.org.