In addition to our own ConCentric Games convention there are several others around the country throughout the year. In the interest of promoting the hobby, we present you with a list.
Have we missed any? Let us know through the social media channels linked in the footer.
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec
January
Cancon
Cancon is held in Canberra at Exhibition Park over the Australia Day long weekend. It includes miniatures games, boardgames, collectable card games (Magic the Gathering, L5R etc), fantasy role playing tournaments and over 50 games retail stalls. One of the biggest events on the Australian gaming calendar. The image above is from the miniatures hall at Cancon.
Focus: All tabletop gaming, but an emphasis on miniatures/wargames and CCG tournaments.
Website: www.cgs.asn.au
Arcanacon
Arcanacon is held at Collingwood College in Melbourne. Their goal is to promote new roleplaying games to existing gamers and to introduce newcomers to the hobby. You might also find some Ameritrash boardgames being played.
Focus: Roleplaying
Website: arcanacon.org
GenghisCon
GenghisCon is a speculative fiction and gaming convention usually held during January in Perth, Western Australia
Focus: Although it's primarily a SciFi con, there's a dedicated gaming stream.
Website: genghiscon.org
February
Nothing that we know of, yet.
March-April
Swancon
You might find this in March some years, since it's held over the Easter weekend. Swancon is the Western Australian Speculative Fiction Convention held in Perth.
Focus: Although it's primarily a SciFi con, there's a dedicated gaming stream.
Website: swancon.com.au
Conquest
Conquest is Melbourne's Easter Games Convention, held annually at Melbourne High School over the Easter Weekend. Featuring roleplaying, miniatures, board games, cosplay and more.
Focus: Roleplaying and miniatures with a dash of Ameritrash boardgaming.
Website: conquest.asn.au
EYECON
EYECON is a role-playing and gaming convention run by the Sydney Roleplaying Games Association. It runs each year on the Easter Long Weekend in Sydney.
Focus: Roleplaying.
Website: www.eye-con.info
OzBunnyCon
Family friendly, open board gaming over the Easter Long Weekend in Melbourne.
Focus: Social Gaming.
Website: ozbunnycon.com
May
BrisCon
April/May. Tabletop wargaming convention - trade stands, games & displays.
Focus: Miniatures/wargames.
Website: www.briscon2016.com <-- since the URL has a year in it, you might want to google it for future events :)
Little Wars Melbourne
Tabletop wargaming convention - trade stands, games & displays
Focus: Miniatures/wargames.
Website: littlewarsaustralia.com.au
June
BorderCon
BorderCon is held on the June Queen's Birthday long weekend at the Hume Inn in Albury. It has a focus on relaxed, social boardgaming with no organised tournaments to get in the way. A fantastic weekend of fun.
Focus: Social boardgaming
Website: www.borderconalburywodonga.com
Phenomenon
Phenomenon ("Pheno") is a gaming convention held at Daramalan College in Canberra over the June long weekend. It's been running for around 20 years! For a while they ran some miniatures games, but it's primarily roleplaying.
Focus: Roleplaying games
Website: www.pheno.org.au
July
Panda
Panda Tabletop Games Convention aims to produce casual & friendly gaming events that are both inclusive & relaxed for anybody of any age.
Focus: Tabletop games
Website: www.pandacon.com.au
LFG Australia
LFG (Looking For Gamers) is a two day event for tabletop aficionados of all ages and stripes. Held at the Bankstown Sports Club, LFG brings casual board gamers, role players, hardcore wargamers and everyone in between together for a weekend of fun, competition, shopping and discovery.
Focus: Tabletop games
Website: lfg-aus.com.au
Little Wars Adelaide
Tabletop wargaming convention - trade stands, games & displays
Focus: Miniatures/wargames.
Website: littlewarsaustralia.com.au
Wintercon
Wintercon is held in Canberra at Exhibition Park (previously held on the June long weekend, but it was getting a bit crowded). It's a slightly smaller version of the January Cancon event.
Focus: All tabletop gaming, but an emphasis on miniatures/wargames and CCG tournaments.
Website: www.cgs.asn.au/wintercon/
AVCon
AVCon is Adelaide's premiere anime and video games convention, held annually at the Adelaide Convention Centre in July. The event includes video game tournaments, free play gaming, cosplay competitions, screenings, panels, special guests, workshops, presentations by game developers, art competitions, a quiz night, and much, much more.
Focus: Anime & video games
Website: www.avcon.org.au
August
Hobart Winter GamesFest
Come and join us for a day of board gaming fun! You can bring your own games, or play ours. We'll even teach you how to play. Discover the new designer games which are sweeping Australia (and have been in Europe for years).
Focus: Social board and card games
Website: www.hogs.org.au
September
CONFORMAT
CONFORMAT is an informal role-playing and tabletop game convention hosted in Adelaide. There are no guest speakers or market stalls -- just a bunch of gamers rolling some dice and having fun.
Focus: Roleplaying
Website: www.conformat.info
ConCentric Games
ConCentric Games is a weekend of tabletop gaming in a social, family-friendly environment. Previously held in South Australia's beautiful Barossa Valley wine region, it's now at the Burnside Community Centre only 10 minutes from the centre of Adelaide.
Focus: Social tabletop games (boardgames, card games, roleplaying, wargames)
Website: con-centric.com.au
October
PAX Aus
The PAX series of shows - West, East, South, Australia and Unplugged - produced by ReedPOP in conjunction with Penny Arcade, comprise some of the world's largest gaming festivals, with each event entertaining tens of thousands of guests. PAX events connect leading video game and tabletop developers directly to passionate audiences, providing a space where gaming culture is celebrated through panels, demos, concerts, tournaments and free-play sessions.
Dates: Oct 27-29 2017
Focus: Video games, with a growing awareness of tabletop board games and RPGs.
Website: aus.paxsite.com
Unicon
Unicon is held at Melbourne High School in South Yarra. They run tabletop and freeform roleplaying, wargaming and special events.
Focus: Roleplaying
Website: www.unicon.asn.au
SYDCON
SYDCON is a role-playing convention run by the Sydney Roleplaying Games Association. It runs each year in October in Sydney.
Focus: Roleplaying
Website: www.sydcon.info
MOAB
MOAB, short for Mother Of All Battles, is a three day gaming event held each year over the October long weekend at the Sylvania Heights Community and Youth Club (NSW).
Focus: Miniatures/Historical
Website: www.southernbattlegamers.org/moabsite
November
Little Wars Canberra
Tabletop wargaming convention - trade stands, games & displays
Focus: Miniatures/wargames.
Website: littlewarsaustralia.com.au
December
ConVic/MeepleCon
ConVic was traditionally held on the same weekend now occupied by ConCentric, but has been moved to November in order to showcase the latest boardgame designs from Essen Spiel! Starting in 2013, the event has been combined with the inaugural MeepleCon (presented by the Northern Suburbs Eurogamers).
Focus: Family friendly boardgames
Website: con.meeples.org.au
WABA Decembacon
Put on by the West Australian Boardgaming Association (WABA), most recently held at the Mt Claremont Community Centre
Focus: Boardgames, tournaments
Website: waboardgamers.org.au
MacquarieCon
MacquarieCon is a roleplaying convention run by the Macquarie University Roleplaying Society (MURPS). It runs each year in the second weekend of December at Macquarie University.
Focus: Roleplaying
Website: www.macquariecon.net
