This Friday through Sunday
Louisville Marriott East
Badge pickup opens Friday at 4:30 PM. Events begin at 5 PM.
Badges and the full schedule are on AfterGame.
The weekend
Game Con Junction is a tabletop convention run by Nerd Louisville and Dukes of Highland, two local groups that spend the rest of the year running game nights around town.
Badge money goes back into that: free and low-cost gaming events in Louisville, all year.
Hours
- 5:00 PM – 4:00 AMNov. 6
- 8:00 AM – 4:00 AMNov. 7
- 8:00 AM – 6:00 PMNov. 8
Louisville Marriott East. Friday and Saturday run until 4 AM.
On the floor
Tabletop RPGsOne game master, a few players, a story you make up together.
In a roleplaying game one person, the game master, describes the world and everyone else speaks as a character in it. Dice settle what's uncertain. There's no board and nothing to memorize. Dungeons & Dragons is the best known.
- Where
- Mostly upstairs, including the Golden Keep Game Suite. Friday night games also run in the Thoroughbred and Steamboat rooms.
- Join
- Pick a table on the AfterGame schedule and sign up. New players are welcome.
High School Dungeoneering TournamentStudent teams, one dungeon, six tables.
Teams of high school students play through the same Dungeons & Dragons dungeon at six tables, each with its own dungeon master. Nerd Louisville runs it to bring the game to local schools, and the teams are already set.
- Where
- The Golden Keep Game Suite, upstairs with the other RPGs.
- When
- Friday from 6 to 9 PM.
Board game libraryHundreds of games, ready to play.
Pull a game off the shelf, find a seat, and play. Library staff can help you choose something that fits your group and teach it if you ask.
- Where
- Commonwealth Ballroom, next to Play to Win.
- When
- Opens Friday at 5 PM.
Play to WinTry a game, maybe take it home.
Play games from the Play to Win selection and enter the prize draw for a free copy. It's all digital: if you win, you get a notification in AfterGame and collect your game.
- Where
- Commonwealth Ballroom, next to the board game library. It's self-serve, so just pick a game and play.
- When
- Prize draw Sunday at 3 PM.
MegagamesOne huge game with a lot of players.
Everyone gets a role, such as a nation, a faction, or a company, and negotiates, bluffs, and schemes with the others across a shared map or scenario. A single game runs for hours, and a story comes out of it that nobody planned.
- Where
- Upstairs, in the Bluegrass Ballroom.
- Join
- Sign up through the AfterGame schedule.
CCG and TCG tournamentsOrganized play for collectible card games.
Bring your deck, get paired up, and play through a bracket against other players. The schedule lists each tournament with its game, format, and start time.
- Where
- The CCG room, upstairs near Artist Alley.
Hot Games demosNew and trending games, taught by someone who knows them.
Sit down and learn a recent release in a few minutes, with no rulebook to read first. It's the easiest way to find out whether a game is for you before you buy it.
- Where
- Commonwealth Ballroom.
Minis Paint & TakePaint a miniature and keep it.
Pick up a brush, paint a miniature at the table, and take it home with you. No experience needed.
- Where
- Commonwealth Ballroom.
Blood on the ClocktowerA bluffing game about finding the liars.
A storyteller runs a small town where a few players secretly work against everyone else. You talk, accuse, and defend yourself until the town decides who to put on trial. It's a social deduction game, with no board to learn.
- Where
- The Cardinal Room, upstairs.
Speed puzzlingJigsaw puzzles, against the clock.
Teams race to finish the same puzzle. You don't need to be fast to have a good time. Our sponsor Cobble Hill supplies the puzzles.
- Join
- Check the AfterGame schedule for heat times.
Vendors and Artist AlleyDice, minis, books, prints, plushies.
Local and traveling vendors sell games, dice, and accessories. In Artist Alley the artists are at their tables and happy to talk about the work, and you can buy straight from them.
- Where
- Vendors fill the Commonwealth Ballroom and the hallway behind and around it. Artist Alley is upstairs.
Youth programmingGames for younger players new to the hobby.
Sessions and tables aimed at kids who are just getting started. Kids ages 6 to 12 have their own weekend badge for $20.
- Join
- Browse the schedule for youth events.
Maps and room listings are on AfterGame.
Before you come
- Check in
- Badge pickup opens Friday at 4:30 PM, and events begin at 5 PM. Everyone checks in at registration, even if you bought in the app. Wear your badge all weekend.
- Raffle tickets
- Buy them at the merch table. The raffle display is upstairs, between Artist Alley and the CCG room. Drawing is Sunday at 4 PM.
- Finding things
- The Commonwealth Ballroom has vendors, the board game library, Play to Win, Hot Games, and open gaming. More vendors line the hallway around it. Friday-night games are in the Thoroughbred and Steamboat rooms by registration. Artist Alley, the CCG room, the raffle display, and the Golden Keep Game Suite for RPGs are upstairs. The hotel bar has informal tables, no reservations.
Maps
Vendors, the board game library, Play to Win, Hot Games, open gaming, tabletop events, the Tri-State Tourney, and Minis Paint & Take. More vendors line the hallway around it.
Badges
Badges are sold through AfterGame.
BUY A BADGEPurchases go through AfterGame. By buying you agree to the terms and conditions.
Weekend
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Friday
Events begin at 5 PM.
Saturday
8 AM to 4 AM.
Sunday
Through 6 PM, raffle drawing at 4.
Kids Weekend
Ages 6–12, all three days.
VIP Badge
- 3-day admission
- Up to 2 kids weekend passes
- Coffee, donuts, and a chill-out space
- GCJ T-shirt
- Early access to event tickets
- Swag bag: dice, stickers, games, and more
The schedule is live
Every game, tournament, and demo is on AfterGame. Look it up before Friday and you can plan your weekend around it. Event submissions are closed.
OPEN THE SCHEDULECharity raffle
23 bundles of donated board games and tabletop RPGs, plus a giant 3D-printed Castle Ravenloft. Tickets are $2 each, and every $10 you spend earns a bonus ticket: buy 5, get 6. Spend $30 and you have 18. Buy them at the merch table.
Drawing is Sunday, Nov. 8 at 4 PM. Everything raised goes to UP for Women and Children, a day center in Louisville for women and kids experiencing homelessness. Give us your phone number at check-in so we can reach you if you win.
Per ticket
Bundles
Drawing
Staying over
The con is in the Louisville Marriott East, so a room there puts you a short walk from the tables, which matters when Friday and Saturday run until 4 AM.
The $129 group rate ended October 16. The hotel may still have rooms at regular rates, so check with them.
CHECK ROOMSSponsors
The con doesn't happen without them.
Platinum Sponsors
Golden Keep Game Co.
Golden Keep Game Co. is Louisville's premier tabletop gaming destination, dedicated to providing an accessible, safe, and fun environment for players of all ages and experience levels. As a community-focused business, GKGC strives to build connections through shared gaming experiences, mutual respect, and friendly competition. The store's knowledgeable and passionate staff create a welcoming atmosphere that helps foster a vibrant local gaming community. GKGC offers an extensive selection of tabletop gaming products, including popular trading card games such as Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon, roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder, miniature wargames including Warhammer 40,000, and a wide variety of board games.
Do502
Do502 is Louisville's go-to guide for music, nightlife, and events, connecting locals to everything happening around the city: concerts, festivals, food, and more. As part of the DoStuff Network, spanning more than 20 cities nationwide, Do502 reaches a passionate, plugged-in local audience through their website, newsletter, and social channels. As Game Con Junction's platinum sponsor, Do502 is putting the word out to their 30,000-person email list, helping bring even more of Louisville's gaming community through our doors, and they're running a giveaway in the lead-up to the con, so keep an eye on their channels for your chance to win. We're thrilled to have Do502 in our corner, championing local events like GCJ and helping Louisville discover its next favorite thing to do.
Gold Sponsors
Game Weaver Games
GameWeaver Games is dedicated to serving individuals who are creating tabletop board games. They meet creators in the middle of their ideation and publication, helping playtest, refine, and guide their vision into the best reality possible. Their focus is on bringing joy into the process and being highly collaborative: a coalition of game developers and artists whose honed playtesting skills, dynamic content creation, and accessibility sense help creators craft amazing products that weave players together!
Rio Grande Games
Rio Grande Games was built on a simple belief: strategy games that reward good choices over lucky dice deserve a place in every home. They've spent decades bringing the best of German-style game design to English-speaking players, with a focus on games families can enjoy together, because the lessons learned at the table have a way of sticking around long after the game is put away.
Cobble Hill Puzzles
Cobble Hill Puzzles has spent years crafting premium jigsaw experiences for puzzlers of every age and ambition. Their signature formula of rich linen print texture, thick blue board, and quirky shaped pieces makes every puzzle something you can feel the quality of before you've placed a single piece. With hundreds of titles and piece counts ranging from 100 to 2,000, they're also a leading force in competitive puzzling. If you've spotted speed puzzling on the GCJ 2026 schedule, Cobble Hill is a big part of why, and we're thrilled to have them at Game Con Junction.
Perk Program Fitness Guild
Perk Program Fitness Guild (PPFG) is fitness by gamers, for gamers! Launching January 1st, 2027, PPFG brings you full exercise programs, alongside grab-and-go workouts too, for every single experience and fitness level. Follow along on BackerKit today and get ready to train to game for LIFE!
Joey Hamilton, eXp Realty
Louisville-area real estate agent helping clients buy, sell, and invest.
Silver Sponsors
Archania's Workshop
Precision-built custom gaming tables, cabinets, and tabletop RPG accessories.
Lurking Fears
Professional tabletop games at cons, connecting publishers, GMs, and players since 2021.
Nightfall
Local artists bringing music, theatre, and more to Louisville venues.
Thieves Run
A tabletop and RPG hangout on Story Avenue in Louisville.
Louisville Tourism
The official travel source for Louisville, where bourbon is just the beginning.
Devir
International board game publisher behind The White Castle: Duel, Orloj, and Berlin 1960.
AllPlay
Premium board game tables, bags, playmats, and shelves, plus their own published games.
Vendors and artists
Primo Vendors
Golden Keep Game Co.
Louisville's premier tabletop gaming destination: TCGs, RPGs, miniatures, board games, and more.
Archania's Workshop
Precision-built custom gaming tables, cabinets, and tabletop RPG accessories.
Creature Curation
Creature Curation makes all the weird stuff we would have wanted as kids.
Derby Comics & Games
A multi-faceted game store housing TCG games, board games, comics, and so much more.
Dirty Woods
Wood and resin dice boxes and rolling towers.
Gnarled Barnacle
Eclectic electric art crafted from upcycled and sustainable materials.
KatBat Media
A wife & husband duo mixing art and gaming. Adventure Packs, Pen Packs, KatBat Attack board game, Tarot Packs, bookmarks, and stickers.
Lurker's Loot
A convention booth service helping publishers get their books and games onto tables and into players' hands.
Mischief Loot
Handmade dice bags, candles, and soaps.
ninety6proof
Custom hand-painted miniatures, terrain, and tabletop accessories: one-of-a-kind commissions.
Stellar Cardboard
Bloat Games
Minx Manx Monks
Vendors
9th Level Games
Fun and easy Tabletop RPGs with fast simple rules, great for new players and veterans alike.
Fairy Special Creations
Hand-painted, lasercut goods for tabletop gaming, for 'fairy' special people.
Wet Ink Games
Fresh, indie games before the ink dries.
DarkSpace
A rules-lite sci-fi RPG based on the Shadowdark engine. Journey into the shadows of space for fortune and glory!
The Art of Jessy
Wobbly Stitches
Eagle Gryphon Games
Level Up Sabers
Questions
Tickets, accessibility, schedule changes, anything else. Email or use the form and a person will answer.
info@gameconjunction.com