The second annual Tulsa Gaming Convention is bringing thousands of square feet of tabletop games, vendors and live action events to the Arvest Convention Center this weekend.
Organizers describe the event as entirely local.
“Tulsa’s weird—let’s promote our weird stuff. We do weird things around here all the time. Tabletop is one of those cool things that we have,” said Uriah Davis with the Tulsa Gaming Convention.
Davis said the convention is made by Tulsans and built by Tulsans, calling it a homegrown effort designed to celebrate community through gaming.
“Just trying to celebrate tabletop. As we know, technology is kind of taking over our world a little bit, and we like to retro-gress a little bit, remember the days where we all came together and sat at the table and looked at each other and kind of liked each other,” Davis said.
More than 30,000 square feet of vendor and gaming space is set up inside the convention center, including more than 9,000 square feet dedicated to tabletop and roleplaying games. Dozens of vendors, local artists and community groups are participating.
The convention features a gaming library with more than 180 games spanning all genres, along with about 180 hours of open gaming time for attendees. Organizers say gaming options range from casual board games to tournaments, live action role play and even video games.
“So that’s tabletop, that’s board games, that’s anything that requires a table and people,” Davis said.
Attendees looking for something different can also take part in LARP activities hosted by the group “Veil Guard” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
“We will have a LARP team here called ‘Veil Guard,’ they will be doing a LARP Saturday from 9 to 2,” Davis said.
Armored combat is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday as an additional paid event.
Organizers say the weekend also offers a chance to win gaming gear, including a raffle for an $18,000 gaming table.
“We are giving away this little sweet baby back here, this is an $1,8000 gaming table that we will be raffling,” Davis said.
Davis said the convention offers a chance for people to step away from daily stress and connect with others.
“It’s important because there is a need for a little bit of community, and sometimes community come in the weirdest avenues and things that we commonly—sometimes you need to escape. We know life right now, it’s a little bit rough, pricing, things like that. Take a weekend and forget about that and just try to be an orc goblin trying to save a village that seems like a great idea sometimes,” Davis said.
“If you’re interested, curious or even just want to do a day and see what our vendors have, please come out and check us out. We’re here, it’s all Tulsans, we’re all good times,” he said.
The Tulsa Gaming Convention runs Friday from 2 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Arvest Convention Center, 100 Civic Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Admission is about $20 for a single-day pass or $30 for a full weekend pass.