Hello again, Arkenforge Community! We’re thrilled to be back with another fun community article. This time we’re here to tell you about as many of the fun Australian tabletop gaming related events around for you to enjoy!
We haven’t been to all of these, but we’ve researched them thoroughly to let you know a little bit about each one.
We’ll be updating this when we find out about new events, and at the end of each year so the list will be nice and fresh for each new year from here out.
We’d love to hear about which events you’re excited for!
January
Can Con
Cancon is a great event with lots of tabletop games for you to check out – they have games running for you to try out on the day, stallholders with new games for purchase and even the second-hand Bring and Buy!
General Entry is free. https://cgs.asn.au/cancon/
GenghisCon
This is a gaming and scifi convention in Perth! We haven’t been to this one ourselves, but we can see they have games, workshops, talks by guests and a Crafters’ Challenge! https://genghiscon.org/index
February
There are currently no events scheduled for February.
March
Conquest Melbourne
We’re regulars at this event and we’re big fans! They have multiple GMs running TTRPGs, Wargames and boardgames, as well as stalls from local creators (like ourselves!) and more! https://www.conquest.asn.au/
Taspop South
We haven’t been to this one, but as far as we can tell Taspop is a more general Pop Culture convention, with Cosplay Contests, video game tournaments, a vendors hall and panels etc. But it does have space for tabletop gaming!
Collector Con Penrith
Collector con is a series of Australian Tabletop Gaming Events and looks like a wonderful Sydney event (one of several through the year including Campbelltown and Newcastle locations!), with 300+ trading tables, special D&D tickets that guarantee you a place to play in the D&D Space! They also have fan groups, pro wrestling shows and more for you to enjoy. https://collectorcon.com.au/collector-con-penrith/
OzBunnyCon Melbourne
This one is a local family-friendly board game event over the Easter long weekend! You can take your own games along, or borrow some from their library, or even join in games with other folks who have brought games along. http://ozbunnycon.com/
The Game Expo Melbourne
This one is a multi-platform gaming event, with both video and tabletop gaming available. It also has cosplay contests, a big expo hall, artists alley and chances to meet some of your favourite creators! https://www.goodgames.com.au/event/the-game-expo-2024/
April
Supanova Melbourne & Gold Coast
Supanova is a general pop culture convention, with a tabletop gaming area, and lots of panels and stalls for tabletop gaming enthusiasts to enjoy, including live shows of Actual Plays like Fates Grip, and artisan TTRPG accessory makers in the artist alley, like Druids Oak, Ravensridge Emporium, Malidurae Dice, Clickity Clackety Cube, Gameway Gaming tables and more!
https://www.supanova.com.au/
EyeCon Sydney
Sydney Roleplaying Games Association runs this event over the Easter long weekend. They aim to be really beginner friendly, and have games from a variety of formats and genres in the tabletop sphere. http://www.eye-con.info/
Swancon Perth
Swancon is a Science Fiction and Fantasy convention that focuses on those genres in their various forms, and that includes tabletop gaming! We haven’t attended this one ourselves, but it seems like they have gaming sessions, vendor tables and guest speakers – https://swancon.com.au/
Generation Games Sydney
This is another multi-platform gaming event, with lots for both video gamers and tabletop gamers! Gaming tournaments, indie devs showing their games, retro consoles, panels/shows and TTRPG sessions and more! – https://generationgames.com.au/
MAY
Oz Comic-Con Perth
Oz Comic-Con is similar to Supanova, in that it’s primarily a pop-culture convention which includes gaming tables, booths from local gaming companies and local creators like dicemakers and artists in the Artists’ Alley. They also have panels and live shows from TTRPG creators. https://ozcomiccon.com/
Briscon
Brisbane’s annual tabletop gaming convention! They host gaming tournaments, demos by indie devs, TTRPG sessions you can sign up for, traders and retailers as well as a Bring and Buy! http://www.briscon.com.au/
Central Coast Comiccon
We haven’t been to this one in person either, but it seems to be another general Pop Culture event, with LARP demonstrations, cosplay contests, live performances and stallholders for Tabletop Gaming enthusiasts to enjoy! https://www.cccomicon.com.au/
Collector Con Penrith
Collector con has multiple events through the year, with 300+ trading tables, special D&D tickets that guarantee you a place to play in the D&D Space! They also have fan groups, pro wrestling shows and more for you to enjoy. https://collectorcon.com.au/collector-con-penrith/
Tabletop Con Gold Coast
This is a fun convention specifically for tabletop gamers! Dedicated to all kinds of tabletop games, from In-development or recently released indie games, to all your favourite names – there’s likely something here for you! https://www.ttcon.com.au/
June
Supanova Sydney and Perth
Oz Comic-Con Adelaide and Melbourne
Bordercon NSW
This is another tabletop-focused event, with plenty of space to play games with friends old and new, a public game library and a “virtual flea market”! https://www.bordercon.com.au/
AVCon Adelaide
AVCon is Adelaide’s major Pop Culture event, billing itself as an Anime & Video Games festival primarily – AVCon boasts a dedicated Tabletop and Video Games section, lots of panels, guests, competitions and more! https://www.avcon.org.au/
GammaCon Wagga
July
Metro Comiccon (Melbourne)
Metro Comiccon had it’s first event in 2023 to massive success. It is similar to Supanova and Oz Comiccon in being a mostly general pop culture event, but with stallholders and artists alley creators with a tabletop gaming focus as well as gaming spaces in the City Central area https://metrocomiccon.com.au/
SMASH! Sydney
This one is primarily an Anime event, but boasts a growing gaming area – check it out if you’re in the area! https://smash.org.au/
Collector Con Newcastle
https://collectorcon.com.au/collector-con-newcastle/
Shepparcon
Shepparton’s annual board gaming convention, boasting food and coffee, door prizes as well as boardgame libraries for you to play! https://shepparcon.com/
FraserPop Maryborough
This one is interesting being that it’s run by students from Maryborough High School! We havent been to this one ourselves, but the pages state that there’s attractions for tabletop gamers. https://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/events/event/700/fraserpop-festival
Gamefest Brisbane
A weekend of TTRPGs and Wargaming for all to enjoy! https://gamefestbris.weebly.com/
Play Con Sydney
Playcon 2024 is the first event held by the BoardGame BBQ team, with a focus on diversity and inclusion for both the community and the types of games on offer. https://play-con.com/
August
Oz Comic Con Canberra
GammaCon Wollongong
Capricon
Rockhampton’s Pop Culture convention, with guests, cosplay, panels and gaming activities! https://www.capriconrockhampton.com.au/Gaming
September
Oz Comic-Con Brisbane & Sydney
Collector Con Penrith
https://collectorcon.com.au/collector-con-penrith/
Concentric Games Thebarton
ConCentric is Adelaide’s family-friendly social tabletop gaming event! Plenty of games on offer to play and a Bring & Buy table – https://con-centric.com.au/
Ballarat PopCon
Ballarat’s local Pop Culture Convention, with dicemakers, indie game devs and artists, as well as workshops and LARP demonstrations and more! https://www.ballarat.vic.gov.au/community/families-youth-childrens-services/young-people/popcon
Gammacon Canberra
BendiCon
Bendigo’s Pop Culture convention is similar to Supanova and Oz Comiccon, being a more general event, with panels, workshops, artists alley and Cosplay competitions, as well as a gaming space and lots of cool vendors! https://bendigorctfair.wordpress.com/
Pixel Expo Perth
Pixel Expo is WA’s biggest Gaming and Animation event – it has a big range of activities, including tabletop tournaments, cosplay, vendors and more! https://www.pixelexpo.org.au/
October
Collector Con Campbelltown
https://collectorcon.com.au/collector-con-campbelltown/
PAX AUS
The single biggest of all Australian Tabletop gaming events! We’ll be at this one, so make sure to keep an eye on our socials and news section for any exciting stuff we’ll be taking with us! https://arkenforge.com/news-2/.
Folks travel from all the way around the world to attend. 3 days and nights PACKED full of tabletop gaming goodness, from the vendors, to the Free Play area, organised D&D, live Actual Play shows on stage and guests from around the world! https://aus.paxsite.com/
Phenomenon Canberra
A weekend of various gaming fun, including LARPS, Tabletop Games vendors and other activities! https://www.pheno.org.au/
November
Supanova Adelaide and Brisbane
Collector Con Penrith
https://collectorcon.com.au/collector-con-penrith/
LFG Canberra
LFG is a 3-day event focused on all kinds of boardgames, including new releases! Find out more here: https://cbr.lfg-aus.com.au/
December
Oz Comic-Con Xmas Edition Melbourne
Thanks for checking out our article! If you know of any other Australian tabletop gaming events – let us know on discord and our socials!
https://discord.gg/Arkenforge