San Diego’s Comic-Con Museum will invite tabletop gaming enthusiasts from around the world to meet online for a two day “d4: Tabletop Creative Conference,” running Saturday and Sunday.
This virtual conference will be held on the Comic-Con Museum YouTube channel.
“Tabletop gaming brings people together and while we still can’t gather in-person for this conference, we are excited to provide those in the tabletop game industry and those interested in the industry the opportunity to convene virtually to get involved in the process behind creating games and learn more about the skills needed to get games published,” said Eddie Ibrahim, the museum’s senior director of programming.
“Hosting this conference expands on our offerings and aligns with our mission of promoting and supporting areas of popular art that might otherwise not receive the attention they deserve,” he added.
The conference will bring creators from across the tabletop gaming community together for recorded panel topics as well as special guest speakers covering a range of topics including:
- Design: The creation of play patterns, artwork and graphics that elevate the gaming experience
- Development: Encompassing testing and improvement of games towards publication
- Discuss: Marketing and media in the tabletop game space, from podcasts to promotion and everything in between
- Discovery: An emphasis on helping players and publishers identify emerging trends and hot new games that define the future of the hobby
In addition to the topical discussions with well-known figures in the gaming industry, d4 will also include an opportunity for established and aspiring game creators to pitch their concepts, designs and ideas to a panel of experts who will provide feedback on the game itself as well as the quality of the pitch. Feedback will focus on helping designers develop and better discuss their ideas.
The Game Pitch Review will be broadcast live for those who register to participate.
In 2020, the Comic-Con Museum was awarded a grant from California Humanities — a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities — to host a conference in recognition of the cultural and educational value of tabletop gaming while also providing insight into the development of games. This grant will help defray some of the costs associated with the conference.