Featuring: Nels Anderson, Jesse Turner, Jay Cormier & Paul Dean.
When: Friday Oct. 6, 11:30AM
Theatre Capacity: 630

As enthusiasts, critics and designers, we all seek a deeper understanding and appreciation of what elevates truly great games above the rest. Jay Cormier, designer of Belfort and Junk Art, will discuss how the type and value of decisions in a game affect the overall quality of the game, while Nels and Jesse of the Terminal7 podcast will examine how a game can evoke and reinforce its theme via its mechanics. In a nutshell, we’ll get into just what exactly it is that makes awesome games awesome.

Featuring: Paul Dean, Matt Lees & Quintin Smith.
When: Friday Oct. 6, 1:00PM
Theatre Capacity: 630

Ever wonder how the SU&SD crew puts together those lovely Friday Videos? We’ll screen one that has NEVER BEFORE BEEN SEEN (TBC!) and then we’ll launch into a panel Q&A about the secrets of Shut Up & Sit Down. Bring your buckets, as we’ll be spilling all the secrets behind our cool Internet Videos!

Featuring: Jonathan Ying, Fred Wan, Nels Anderson & Quintin Smith.
When: Friday Oct. 6, 2:30PM
Theatre Capacity: 630

Games with a competitive component like Magic: The Gathering, Android: Netrunner, and L5R, have a very special problem when it comes to both design and play: the incentive to win. This drive for success and the tournament structure often incentivizes players towards safer, consistent and often uninteresting strategies or builds. Or worse, it encourages players to indulge in abusive techniques or rules esoterica to score victories.

So how do communities have fun? How do designers encourage players to enjoy the game or indulge in the narrative themes without having a negative impact on the play experience? How do you make sure your community is welcoming and inclusive when a game’s meta slowly becomes more and more insular with jargon and inside-jokes?

Join us as we explore this strange but very interesting and very special corner of the industry.

Featuring: Matt Lees, Dane Beltrami, Chris Hosch & Paul Dean.
When: Friday Oct. 6, 4:00PM
Theatre Capacity: 630

How did they do it?! Go behind the scenes with both the SU&SD film crew and TI4 developers as they dig deeper into the story of boardgaming’s most epic game, and the (very dashing) film crew that captured it.

Featuring: Rich Sommer, Paul Dean & Special Guests.
When: Friday Oct. 6, 5:30PM
Theatre Capacity: 630

Rich Sommer loves board games. But we’re not talking about the stuff of your grandparents’ rec room – things have changed a lot since people started to gather around the bridge table. Whether you’re a serious player or a newbie, give a warm welcome to your personal board game evangelist and, hands down, one of the very best podcasters out there.

Featuring: Quinns, Matt, Paul & Cynthia!
When: Friday Oct. 6, 7:00PM
Theatre Capacity: 630

You thought that grand opening was our ONE live podcast event at our own bloody convention?! You were wrong, friend. The very best kind of wrong. Come join us as we talk about… games, probably? Expect surprises.

Featuring: Jesse Shepherd, Clayton Hughes, Evan Lewis, Trond Nilsen & Witt Yao.
When: Friday Oct. 6, 8:30PM
Theatre Capacity: 160

Think Game Mastering for 6 players is hard? Try 60! The team at Seattle MegaGames specializes in large, live-action gaming events that are equal parts roleplaying game, board game, and group storytelling. Join this expert crew as they share their experiences designing and running megagames, including tricks to design for emergent storytelling, heighten player agency and immersion, and how letting things go wrong can make the overall experience go very right.

Featuring: Quinns, Matt, Paul & Cynthia!
When: Friday Oct. 6, 10:00PM
Theatre Capacity: 160

While our podcasts are often very structured and we have limited time for Q&A, this is your opportunity to indulge in something far, far more freeform. In a more intimate, evening session, we open ourselves up to more general questions. Have something burning you’ve always wanted to ask? Curious about something that never quite made sense? Now, at last, you have your chance!

Featuring: Grant Rodiek, Sen-Foong Lim, Isaac Vega, Joshua Buergel, Nicole Hoye & Marguerite Cottrell.
When: Saturday Oct. 7, 9:00AM
Theatre Capacity: 120

Your Saturday morning just got way better, folks! You and a gaggle of friends, new and old, will be given a silly theme, a box of nonsense, and one hour to design a game. Don’t worry! Experts will be on-hand to guide you through this process that is sure to be loud, hilarious, and creative. A perfect group adventure down the creativity rabbit hole. Be ready for nonsense. Which is our favourite kind of sense.

Featuring: Kaja Sadowski, Courtney Rice, Danielle Rice, Jordan Both, Justin Ring, Aron West  & Paul Dean (possibly atop an inflatable dragon).
When: Saturday Oct. 7, Noon.
Theatre Capacity: 160

A specially-chosen cadre of elite champions from Valkyrie WMAA will act out and resolve all the battles fought in a chaotic game of Catacombs, featuring game co-designer Aron West. The players will choose their champion and their weapon, and this will definitely, definitely be the silliest game of Catacombs you’ve ever seen.

Featuring: Kurtis Wiebe, Quintin Smith, Matt Lees, Cynthia Hornbeck & Pip Warr.
When: Saturday Oct. 7, 3:00PM
Theatre Capacity: 160

Comic creator Kurtis Wiebe will DM a game quite unlike any you’ve ever seen before, as he takes the SU&SD crew through a very special D&D 5th edition adventure featuring none other than his very own creations, the Rat Queens.

Featuring: Jae Euteneier, Jarrett Vickzo & Cynthia Hornbeck.
When: Saturday Oct. 7, 6:30PM
Theatre Capacity: 160

Jae & Jarrett of the cast of ZeroD20 will be playing, performing, and recording a special (and very silly) spin-off RPG in front of a Live Audience, featuring our very own RPG writer Cynthia!

ZeroD20 is a podcast website dedicated to promoting underrepresented voices in tabletop gaming. With their tagline ‘Inclusive. Gaming.’ they work to bring more voices to the table, and into the campaigns, making stories and worlds that are more diverse.

Featuring: Alan Gerding & Special Guests.
When: Saturday Oct. 7, 9:00PM
Theatre Capacity: 160

The charming Alan Gerding will front this popular podcast all about the stories we make while playing the games we love on, around, and under our gaming tables. Except a whole slew of special guests. It’ll be like “speed dating,” he says, though don’t expect actual speed dating.

Featuring: Jalyn Euteneier.
When: Saturday Oct. 7, 10:30PM
Theatre Capacity: 160

Join Jalyn from ZeroD20 as she takes the audience on a comical evening adventure through the history and creation of Tabletop Games, all the way from dusty old wargames to today’s, shiny, modern titles, all with a twist and maybe even a cup of hot cocoa on standby! (Pyjamas and pillows encouraged, though the hotel may be annoyed if we build too many blanketforts.)

Featuring: A projector screen.
When: Saturday Oct. 7, Midnight.
Theatre Capacity: 160

Looking for something cool to see on the big screen this evening? Well then don’t let us stop you from watching this midnight screening of the Epic TI4 documentary created by the SU&SD team!

Featuring: Alan Gerding & Matt Lees.
When: Sunday Oct. 8, 9:00AM
Theatre Capacity: 160

Alan Gerding, clinical psychologist, game designer and co-owner of Tuesday Knight Games will be cracking his academic knuckles and preparing to discuss the true purpose behind playing games. Why do we play tabletop games? Why board games and not video games? What does winning actually mean? WHAT IS EXISTENCE ITSELF? (Okay, don’t ask him that one.)

Featuring: Joshua Yearsley, Jonathan Ying & Cynthia Hornbeck.
When: Sunday Oct. 8, 10:30AM
Theatre Capacity: 160

Ugh, rulebooks are kinda terrible, aren’t they? But why? And how can we make them better? Is this the panel where, at last, WE SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF BAD RULEBOOKS? It just might be!

After a short talk on the history and state of rulebooks, we’ll kick off a discussion with a panel of professionals who have collectively critiqued and worked with everyone from tiny crowdfunded publishers to big hitters like Fantasy Flight and Asmodee. What lessons have we learned? How’s that two-rulebook thing working out? Are rulebook apps the future, and will they go SkyNet and try to kill us all? [OK I’m in if SkyNet’s on the panel -Ed]

Featuring: Mark Biggar, Todd Goodman, Aaron Cassidy, Quinten Dreger, Cynthia Hornbeck & Paul Dean.
When: Sunday Oct. 8, Noon.
Theatre Capacity: 160

Can board games make our kids smarter? Of course they can! Four educators discuss how they think tabletop gaming can be incorporated into the classroom and how they can be used as learning tools. We’ll cover tips on running games in the class, which games have worked and which haven’t, and why tabletop games can be such a useful tool for all students, as well as ways to use them with co-workers to support learning and team building.

Featuring: Pizzeria Ludica, Stormcrow Tavern, EXP Bar, and Tea & Victory.
When: Sunday Oct. 8, 1:30PM
Theatre Capacity: 160

Do you have an idea for a cool new board games café? Do you want to see more of them out there and wonder what it’ll take to make that happen? Ever wondered just what that takes? Join owners from Pizzeria Ludica, Stormcrow, and Tea & Victory for their experiences, lessons, challenges and joys of operating a game pizzeria/bar/café.

Featuring: Tim Fowers, Matt Lees & Pip Warr!
When: Sunday Oct. 8, 3:00PM
Theatre Capacity: 160

Tim Fowers, creator of Now Boarding, Burgle Bros. and Paperback is going to lead a tabletop design jam with the audience, showing how to build emotion and setting through gameplay. Ooooooooo!

Featuring: Isaac Vega, Fred Wan, Jonathan Ying & Cynthia Hornbeck.
When: Sunday Oct. 8, 5:00PM
Theatre Capacity: 160

Panelists tell how they became interested in tabletop gaming, their journeys into to the industry, and what tabletop gaming means to them. They will also be delve into diversity in tabletop games, discussing ways the community can become more inclusive, and what they hope for as this hobby moves into the future.

Featuring: Jonathan Ying & Fred Wan.
When: Sunday Oct. 8, 6:30PM
Theatre Capacity: 160

Tabletop games are a wonderful ground for expressive storytelling, but they comes with unique difficulties. With so many moving parts and precious little space for words how does a designer tell a deep and interesting story without interrupting gameplay? Jonathan Ying (Star Wars: Imperial Assault) and Fred Wan (Legend of Five Rings) will explore how techniques such as flavor text, mechanical theming, and other narrative techniques can come together to create expressive stories that are holistic with the art and design of a game.

When: Friday Oct. 6, 1:00PM-2:00PM, running every 15 minutes!
Capacity: 50

Everyone shows up to the magical ball, but the evil powers summon a magical tornado within. Now everyone is mixed up and needs to find and reclaim their lost item of power. Will Cinderella find her shoe in time? Will Jack find his magic beans? Careful, because the cleverly disguised Big Bad Wolf and Rumpelstiltskin are doing their best to try to stop you. This is another large social game from Alan Gerding, creator of the magnificent Two Rooms and a Boom.

When: Friday Oct. 6, 2:00PM-3:00PM, running every 15 minutes!
Capacity: 50

Everyone is a scientist, and they all need to work together in order to build enough escape suits to leave the undersea lab. The problem is that some of the scientist might be infected…and spreading it. This goes well beyond con germs. Another large social game from Alan Gerding, creator of the fantastic Two Rooms and a Boom.

When: Friday Oct. 6, 3:00PM-4:00PM, running every 15 minutes!
Capacity: 50

Stop your President from being blown up! But who is the President? More importantly… Who is the Bomber?!

In this social game of hidden roles and deduction, players are divided into 2 different rooms. Find your teammates, establish trust, and exchange hostages before time runs out and the bomb explodes! It’s the party game that’s always a blast.

Did we mention we’ll be running new, never-before-seen prototype expansions? No? Well that’s because it’s HIDDEN INFORMATION!!

When: Friday Oct. 6, 4:00PM-6:30PM, running every 15 minutes!
Capacity: 50

Everyone shows up to the magical ball, but the evil powers summon a magical tornado within. Now everyone is mixed up and needs to find and reclaim their lost item of power. Will Cinderella find her shoe in time? Will Jack find his magic beans? Careful, because the cleverly disguised Big Bad Wolf and Rumpelstiltskin are doing their best to try to stop you. Another large social game from Alan Gerding, creator of the glorious Two Rooms and a Boom.

When: Friday Oct. 6, 6:30PM-8:30PM, running every 30 minutes!
Capacity: 40

Join co-creators Fred Benenson and Alex Hague for this SHUX launch exclusive!

Pitch Deck is a game about convincing your friends to invest in the most ridiculous startups imaginable. You all play clueless entrepreneurs and venture capitalists in a world where centaurs wear Crocs, Girl Scouts sell Adderall door-to-door, and people rent their doomsday bunkers on Airbnb.

The rules are simple: combine a Pitch card from your hand with a Company card on the table to create a new business. But that awful idea you just came up with? Now you have to give a quick elevator pitch to convince everyone why they should invest in it.

The cards are wildly diverse, so you can improvise pitches that are as weird, joyful, nasty, absurd, sweet, and inappropriate as you want them to be. All you need is a creative reason why your objectively bad idea is the next billion dollar business, since the person who pitched the most valuable startup—and the person who invested the most in that business—win the game.

When: Friday Oct. 6, 8:30PM-9:30PM, running every 15 minutes!
Capacity: 50

Stop your President from being blown up! But who is the President? More importantly… Who is the Bomber?!

In this social game of hidden roles and deduction, players are divided into 2 different rooms. Find your teammates, establish trust, and exchange hostages before time runs out and the bomb explodes! It’s the party game that’s always a blast.

Did we mention we’ll be running new, never-before-seen prototype expansions? No? Well that’s because it’s HIDDEN INFORMATION!!

When: Friday Oct. 6, 9:30PM-11:30PM, running every 30 minutes!
Capacity: 60

Join the co-creators Alex Hague and Justin Vickers for this SHUX launch exclusive!

SU&SD’s first ever game collaboration is launching this month! Come give it a try and see how many SU&SD inside jokes you can act out using only words, or charades, or other nonsense we dreamt up!

When: Saturday Oct. 7, 10:00AM-5:00PM, running every 15 minutes!
Capacity: 50

Stop your President from being blown up! But who is the President? More importantly… Who is the Bomber?!

In this social game of hidden roles and deduction, players are divided into 2 different rooms. Find your teammates, establish trust, and exchange hostages before time runs out and the bomb explodes! It’s the party game that’s always a blast.

Did we mention we’ll be running new, never-before-seen prototype expansions? No? Well that’s because it’s HIDDEN INFORMATION!!

When: Saturday Oct. 7, 5:00PM-6:30PM

Math Trades are a fantastic way to do some trading without the hassle of finding trade partners and haggling. Loads of info on BGG at that link if you’re up for some swapsies.

When: Sunday Oct. 8, 9:00AM-10:30AM, running only once!
Capacity: 20

When: Sunday Oct. 8, 10:30AM-12:30PM, running every 30 minutes!
Capacity: 40

Join the co-creators Alex Hague and Justin Vickers for this never-before-seen SHUX exclusive prototype!

Trivia Bluff is a trivia game for people that hate trivia games. Instead of having to know things, you and your friends are betting on how other people answered some very unscientific surveys. Stuff like:
• What is more desirable: Donald Trump’s tax returns or the world’s most beautiful horse?
• Who is more powerful: André the Giant or Ruth Bader Ginsberg?

• Which is a more metal way to die: being sucked into a jet engine or the iron maiden?

Each round, everyone plays a card from their hand that matches the category, e.g. Cute Animals. Then you take turns bidding on which cards you think will have the Highest and the Lowest score that round. But be careful: there are lots of sneaky ways to mislead your friends and to knock the best cards out of the round.

After everyone has bid, you turn on a tiny blacklight and behold! The once-invisible numbers on the cards appear and the mysteries of the universe are revealed to you (for scoring purposes only).

When: Sunday Oct. 8, 1:00PM-2:30PM

Quinns, Matt, Paul, Pip, Cynthia and SHUX poster illustrator & designer Kwanchai Moriya sign your s***. Well, hopefully not your actual s***, but I mean, we’ve done weirder.

When: Sunday Oct. 8, 3:00PM-5:00PM, running every hour!
Capacity: TBD

Come on down! You’re the next contestant on the Wits & Wagers Game Show! We will be playing a big team game of Wits & Wagers, featuring trivia questions about Shut Up & Sit Down, Canada, Board Games, and MORE! The show will be hosted by Aaron & Quinten of the Boards Alive Podcast and Dominic Crapuchettes, the creator of Wits & Wagers himself, doing their absolute worst game show host impressions. Come and join a team to win great prizes provided by North Star Games. You may even get to use the new Vegas expansion (if Quinten & Aaron can figure out how to incorporate it in before the convention).

Saturday October 7th: 9AM – 5PM (w/ lunch break)

Watch the Skies! is a 70-person megagame where teams of players attempt to survive first contact with a mysterious alien race who have their own, inscrutable motives! Teams of five use diplomacy, deception, military might, and plenty of bravado to influence events on the world stage and advance their own agendas.

To see the game in action, check out Shut Up & Sit Down’s very own video! Don’t worry about being spoiled – our version is different, and each game progresses in unpredictable ways due to the players’ crazy plans.

Sunday October 8th: 10AM – 5PM (w/ lunch break)

The team at Seattle MegaGames is using their years of experience designing and running megagames to put together a brand new experience for the Shut Up & Sit Down convention! Expect drama, strategy, an emergent narrative, and a bunch of silly costumes. They may encourage you to wear hats. Our advice? Wear hats.