Fifth annual Adirondacon Gaming Convention this weekend

GLENS FALLS — The Adirondacon Tabletop Gaming Convention returns to Glens Falls this weekend for a fifth year. The event will be held at Charles R. Wood Theater from Oct. 1 to Oct. 2.

“The community has really embraced us,” said co-organizer Veronica Hamilton, noting it is “nice to hold an event and see all the familiar faces come back year after year, and to see new faces come trickling in as well.”

The Convention deals primarily with tabletop games, including role-playing games, board games, and more. Hamilton said they will be introducing Warhammer 40K to this year’s convention.

“Besides Warhammer, we have traditional role-playing games like ‘Dungeons and Dragons’, ‘Call of Cthulhu’, and ‘Pathfinder’,” Hamilton said. “There’s all sorts of stuff. There’s deck-builders, there’s dexterity games.”

Hamilton said that several people are bringing in their own Kickstarter-funded games, naming ‘Flamecraft’ as an example. She also mentioned games such as ‘Dune: Imperium’, ‘Lost Ruins of Arnak’, ‘Wonderland’s War’, and ‘Dungeon Drop’ as others that will be available.

Convention co-organizer John LeMaire will be running a game based on an RPG supplement book he authored, Hamilton said. 

Sunday will also host a dedicated block for children’s games from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

“We’re having just kind of a block (where) kids can come over and try different games, and we’ll have GMs available to teach them,” said Hamilton. “Another one of our local game designers has an RPG for kids and families called ‘Adventure Maximus’, so he’s going to run that on Sunday as well.”

Hamilton stressed that experience is not necessary, saying that “the first thing that the GM will do is teach the game.”

“If you sign up for a game, the GM will teach the game and walk you through how to play the game,” Hamilton said. “A lot of people are coming to try games they’ve never played before.”

The convention will also host a ‘Lending Library’, where help will be on hand for “people who want to take on a game at their own pace.” Attendees can also participate in ‘play-to-win’ games.

“How those work is, we will have a table and a signout sheet. Anyone who plays the game will (have) the chance to win the game they played,” said Hamilton. “We reached out to several different gaming companies, and we were lucky enough to have them send us support for the Con. We have, I believe, 13 play-to-win games this year.”

She emphasized that many of the games are “nice and quick.”

“A lot of them can be played in an hour or less, so you’re not spending your whole Con playing one game, and it gives everybody an opportunity to try the games as well,” Hamilton said.

Adirondacon will feature door prize tickets, as well as commemorative dice, for attendees as they enter, while supplies last, Hamilton noted.

People looking to sell or trade old games can also approach the convention’s bargain table. Hamilton said the table began in the event’s first year.

“It’s just a table that we put aside every year for people to help get rid of their gently-used games,” said Hamilton. “They put the price, their phone number on, and people can just come up and purchase the used games. Sometimes, they can strike a deal.”

The convention also features a ‘vendor alley’, with five vendors selling a variety of items. Hamilton named Two Ravens Games, Cooper’s Cave Games, Night Legion Comics, Gamer Gifts by FSP, and The Creative Chameleon as vendors that will be in attendance, selling a variety of items such as games, accessories, comic books, jewelry, and more.

There will also be cats on hand, as the convention will support North Shore Animal League America – Adirondack Region Cat Adoption Center. Hamilton said “it seemed like a good fit,” noting that she and several other organizers have cats of their own.

“North Shore will be with us at the event until 4 p.m. on Saturday. They have a wishlist, and basically anyone who brings an item in off their wishlist, or a donation to the charity, we have a special drawing of a copy of a game called ‘The Isle of Cats’,” Hamilton said, mentioning the game was donated by First Stall Productions. 

Now in its fifth year, Hamilton said she hopes Adirondacon sees “a record number of people” at this weekend’s event. 

“We’re renting out the entire theater,” said Hamilton. “We’re hoping to raise a good chunk of money for North Shore, and we’re hoping everybody has a good time.”