DunDraCon 39: A Game Convention for all your Nerd Needs

Nerds are a diverse group. Some of us are loners, enjoying our fandom at home with our collectibles and our consoles. Some of us like our nerdery in groups, geeking out with other fans online or at conventions. Conventions of all kinds are becoming a big part of the nerd experience. This President’s Day Weekend my ongoing attempt to catalog nerds where they congregate took me to DunDraCon, a gaming convention in San Francisco, CA. for 39 years. DunDraCon has been engaging and occupying gamers of all varieties — save for the electronic variety. This gaming convention is a place where you can play board games, collectible card games, tabletop role playing games, and even miniature wargames. This was my first gaming convention, so there was a lot I didn’t know. Here are some facts and some feels about the convention. Some Facts

DunDraCon takes full advantage of the long weekend, offering games from Friday afternoon to late on Sunday so you can still get home on Monday and do your laundry in time for work on Tuesday morning. The convention occupies an entire hotel, with each of the function rooms dedicated to a particular kind of gaming. Each game is given a time estimate, so you can schedule your fun hour-by-hour. This year, the con offered 58 board games that could be played. Some had scheduled times which allowed you to sign up to get in on the game, and some were available for open play; wherein you’d simply walk up to the table and take a seat at the advertised start time…