St. George Board Game Convention

As the dog days of summer draw to a close, many of us are looking for something to do, especially if we have children who are becoming restless. It is hot the first part of August and may not seem like a good time to be in Southern Utah. But, the St. George Gaming Convention (STGCON) has created a fun get away for visitors and locals alike.

This year was the first time I was able to get to STGCON. The convention hosted its fourth annual event this year and I’m glad I got to be part of it. STGCON is a wonderful mix of board games that has a family friendly atmosphere.

Four Years Old

I sat with Alex, one of the founders, and talked with him about the history of STGCON. Five years ago there weren’t any gaming conventions in the area. The closest one to St. George was held in Salt Lake City. So, he and his wife thought they might do something about that by using their personal game library and start a convention.

They considered the first year successful with about 150 board gamers getting together. The next year they had around 200 people at the convention. This year they had 250. Not fast growth according to some. But, fast growth isn’t what Alex and his wife Shaea are looking for. They are happy with what it has done and the path it is on.

Part of the Gaming Room

The focus for STGCON has been to provide a quality family experience. This was visible at the convention, with the number of families and the age range of people. Families were enjoying games together and bringing in additional players. Alex told me that because of the size and the way it has grown, he knows just about everyone’s name attending.

What I Saw This Year

STGCON has a game library of over 1,300 different titles. These are not just old standards, Alex has actively grown the library; there were many newer games that could be experienced along with classics. I saw people playing games from the library which gave a family a chance to play something together, then as the children played one game, the parents might play something else.

Kids were running games for other kids. It was fun to see one young man running a tournament of 5-Minute Dungeon for 12 and under players. It looked like he was going to have to run more than one game to accommodate all those who gathered around his table.

1 of 3 Tables Getting Ready for a Tournament

His wasn’t the only tournament. There were enough events (tournaments, play to wins, and drawings) that there were probably enough prizes for just about everyone in attendance to take something extra home when everything was done.

Along with the mix in ages, there were people from around the region. According to pre-registration about 15% of the people were from St. George. I reacquainted myself with people I’ve met at other conventions along with making new friends.

Connecting with others is what STGCON is based on. I was invited to sit in on games by people who didn’t know me because there was an open seat. Kids joined together in games at one table as their parents joined in another game nearby. It was fun to see one pre-teen introduce her new friend to her mother and ask if they could go play a game at another table further off in the room.

The Future

A Heated Race of Pitch Car

STGCON is about the atmosphere and friendship. It is a place a family can go. Alex and Shaea want to keep it that way. They are not looking to force the convention into becoming larger, but are allowing it to grow at its own pace. They want a convention people want to come back to, which is what they have.

They are going to keep expanding their game library and continue working on making sure they have prizes to give away.

They want to keep the convention like St. George, accessible, friendly, and fun.

Alex did tell me that he would like to use the game library more often and one of the ideas they are looking at is making it available for the number of family gatherings that take place in St. George throughout the year. I suggest to anyone who may be having a gathering in or around St. George to contact them (STGCON website Facebook).

Summary

I enjoyed the day I was able to attend STGCON.

Check it out.

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