Recap: Con of the North 2026

Holly Burd
Mar 13
7 min read

What to expect as a new attendee, the new location, and what I played this year.

Holly B | 3/13/26

Con of the North - What to expect as a new attendee

The first thing to know about Con of the North is that it is all volunteer run. That starts at the top for the folks organizing and running the convention, called Magnetrons, all the way down to the person running the game you are playing in. If you want to run a game, when you register for the convention, make sure to get a GM badge. This allows you to submit the games you want to run during the weekend.

Usually, tickets to the convention go on sale in July and stop being available online in mid-January. Once the convention opens, you can buy tickets at the door, so you are not out of luck if you don't pre-register.

If you pre-register, you will be able to sign up for games online through the site TableTop.Events. My pro-tip when looking for games is to scroll to the bottom and make sure you are not seeing games that are full. You can also change the columns you see and filter to just certain types of events. This can really help when trying to figure out what you would like to play.

If you are looking at the available games to play in and are thinking, "why are there no options?" or "why is nobody running this game I love?", this is an opportunity for you to sign up as a GM instead of an attendee. Every person who is GMing a roleplaying game, showing you the rules of a new board game, or helping you log onto that old Commodore computer was probably once in your shoes! The more people who are able to volunteer as a GM, the more games we all have to play and the bigger community we build. If interested there are also other convention volunteer options outside of being a GM as well.

The new digs

2026 is the first year at the new hotel, the DoubleTree by Hilton. This hotel has a lot more parking and public transit options for folks attending the convention, and that is a big upgrade. This hotel has both buffet options for meals as well as concessions for items that are more grab-and-go. Because of food allergies we were not able to partake in the food options, but friends who attended with us enjoyed the variety at the concessions stands. The Convention staff also is hoping to improve the food situations in the coming years.

The other big change for this year is the spaces that the games are played in and the vendor hall. The ballrooms have surprisingly good acoustics and hold a lot of tables. I never saw a time when all the tables were full in the ballrooms, so there is room to grow for next year. The conference rooms were smaller and many of the rooms did seem to be full for some of the slots. It is nice to have most of the events near each other, which is a change from the last hotel where event rooms were very spaced out. One feature this year that was a great addition was the quiet room hosted by MNeurodivergent.

What I played

Most years my schedule is packed with board games and contains a sprinkling of roleplaying games. This year was the opposite, and I played many more RPGs. This year's line-up was: Jewels for the Emperor Penguin, Leviathan Wilds, Faraway, Candela Obscura, Die, D&D, Dread, and Call of Cthulhu.

Jewels for the Emperor Penguin by Left Justified Games
- This game was surprisingly complex. The gameplay is similar to Splendor, where you are collecting gems that you then turn in for Jewel Creations, aka victory points. Gameplay is ends when a player has completed five creations and everyone has had the same number of turns. The movement of the penguins and the strategy of activating the board tiles were what make this game fun and one I am considering for our game shelf. I ended the game by being he first player to make five Jewel Creations, but did not win.
Leviathan Wilds by Moon Crab Games
- This is a cooperative deck management game for one to four players. At setup you build your character, so there can be many combinations in the game to help keep it fresh. You then work as a team to collect the items on the board before you all either become corrupted, lose your health, or run out of your deck. The game comes with multiple scenarios, and set-up and tear-down are quick. We ran out of time to finish the round, but we were one turn from winning, so I call it an overall success.
Faraway by Pandasaurus Games
- A drafting and card placing game that is small enough to throw in a purse or bag, quick to learn, and surprisingly complex to master. In this game you simultaneously play a card in your personal play area. Depending on the value of the card played, you then take turns drafting a card from the middle of the board, known as the River. Your personal play area is built left to right over eight cards, but the twist is that scoring happens from right to left. As you draw and play cards, you need to keep in mind the value of the card, as it impacts your drafting order, and the symbols, colors, and time of day on the cards themselves, as these all work together (if you are lucky) to get you points at the end. This is another one that I did not win, but it was fun to play and far more complex than expected, in a good way.
Candela Obscura by Darrington Press
- This is a roleplaying game that I was able to play with a friend over two sessions. The setting for the system is very 1920s meets fantasy world. The system uses d6s, which means that all the rolls are using six sided dice, and the number of dice you get to roll is based on how good you are at a skill. The more dice you roll, the better the chance you have to get a success on what you are doing.
  The character creation was quick and easy to grasp and the rules were light. This game seems more centered on role-playing, not roll-playing. While noir or horror games are not necessarily my jam, it was such a fun time that I am tempted to pick up the core rulebook myself.
Die by Rowan, Rook and Decard
- I have been wanting to play this RPG for a few years now. It is based on a comic series by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans that is wonderful. (if you are into comics and RPGs, go an read this. It is only 20 issues long - Die Volume 1).
- I gotta say, this one was maybe beyond my abilities as a roleplayer. You play a persona, aka a normal human, who is then playing a character in an RPG. I had fun, I got turned into a Fallen, and I got to be a Dictator and defeat (melt) the bad guy with my words so we could all escape back home. If you love the comic, totally give this one a shot. If you want something that is not your normal RPG and will stretch your comfort zone, try this game.
D&D by Wizards of the Coast and Twinheim
- The only D&D game I played this year was the Saturday night Adventurer's League special. I really like specials, especially when you can sit at a table with your friends. The whole room is working on the same goal and either directly or indirectly impacting other tables. The energy when you have a story that is engaging and urgent is like nothing else, and I highly recommend that people try a multi-table special at some point. The D&D ones at this con are run by the Twinheim group and are extra fun as they pair the games with raising money for Gillette Children's. You can buy reroll tickets to use in games and when someone uses a ticket, you are supposed to yell "For the Children!" They also have a raffle each night with donated items and the proceeds for the raffle also go towards Gillette Children's.
Dread by The Impossible Dream
- This RPG is played using a Jenga tower. Instead of rolling dice, when you attempt to complete an action or interaction, you pull a block from the tower. If you knock the tower over on your turn, your character dies or something bad occurs. This was a very unique way to play an RPG and is very well suited to specific types of stories. It's worth trying out at least once.
Call of Cthulhu by Chaosium
- The Call of Cthulhu RPG is based on the works H.P. Lovecraft and contains all the eldritch horror that you could want, or really just horror. The dice in this one are d10s or 10 sided dice, and you are often trying to roll a low number. There really isn't any adding during the game itself, which is nice if that is something you struggle with. The game we played at this convention was VERY different than any of the Call of Cthulhu games played on the Epic Realms stream so far, but it was a great story.

Are you wondering if you should attend?

Yes! You can go for a day or a whole weekend. Like most conventions, ticket prices are cheaper if you purchase them in advance. At this convention specifically, you don't have to pay for each game you play in, which is nice, especially if you like to try a bunch of board games. There is no costume contest or expectations for dressing up; just come as you are, play some games, and meet some new friends. https://www.conofthenorth.org/