Gen Con's event catalog is one of the most overwhelming things in tabletop gaming — 60,000+ events across four days, ranging from 30-minute demos to full 8-hour campaigns, with a registration system that opens months before the convention and fills popular events in minutes. Learning to use the system well is as important as knowing which events to register for.
Event Types
RPG events — scheduled roleplaying game sessions, typically 4-8 hours. Range from D&D one-shots to standalone adventures in indie systems to campaigns with returning characters. The most sought-after are the flagship events from major publishers (Wizards of the Coast, Paizo) and the beloved recurring GMs who've been running at Gen Con for years.
Board game events — scheduled sessions of specific board games, often including games being demoed before release.
Seminars and panels — discussions with designers, artists, writers, and industry figures. These are harder to get into than you might think; the good ones fill fast.
Tournaments — competitive events for miniature games, card games, and board games with brackets and prizes.
True Dungeon — a unique Gen Con experience: an immersive physical dungeon where teams of players solve puzzles and fight monsters. The most distinctive event Gen Con runs and worth doing at least once.
Generic Tickets
Generic tickets are multi-use event currency you purchase in advance. They can be applied to any event with remaining space at the convention itself, without pre-registration. They're invaluable for flexibility — if your pre-registered 2pm event fills the afternoon, you spend a generic ticket to join an open table. Buy more generics than you think you need, especially for your first Gen Con.
Event Registration Strategy
Registration opens at a specific date and time (2026: May 17). Prepare: read the catalog in advance, build a prioritized list, have your credit card ready, and be logged into the Gen Con registration system before the clock hits. The first 10 minutes matter for high-demand events. Don't try to register for everything simultaneously — register for your top priorities first, then fill in the rest.
Have backups for every event. If your first-choice Friday 2pm RPG fills, your second choice should already be in your cart. Having three options for every time slot prevents the frustration of watching your schedule fill with nothing because you spent registration time deciding what to register for.
Day-Of Event Finding
Events with space open day-of are visible in the Gen Con app and website. Check first thing each morning for events added by GMs who are running unofficial or last-minute sessions. Generic tickets let you join open events without planning in advance. The open gaming library at Gen Con doesn't require tickets and is a reliable fallback when everything you wanted is full.