I think I’ve done this article before, but let’s face it, from year to year what you want to do how you navigate Gen Con are going to change. Part of going to Gen Con is about playing the games. I already have an article on different gaming strategies at Gen Con, so let’s do tips and tricks this time. This is also different than eat food and get some sleep. Though, I plan to cover some food tips for Gen Con. Let’s get started.

1. Bring Snacks

Now, I just said that I wasn’t going to cover food, but that’s more in the case of meals. Basically, eat at least two meals. But beyond that, bring snacks. Sometimes for me snacks are my meal, but I plan out my calories while I’m there. There’s nothing that makes it less fun than someone who is too cheap to buy food yet also unwilling to bring or pickup their own snacks.

Snack suggestions, trail mix, granola bars, I like Epic bars (think a jerky bar), bananas if you can, water, dried fruit, or whatever works for you. Basically high calories but calories that aren’t just sugar. Sure you get a spike of energy from sugar, but in the long run it won’t keep you going. And actually stop and eat them.

2. CGE Room

A sneaky Gen Con tip. The CGE and some of the other game rooms, I think Funko and Rio Grande also have rooms for you game preferences. But basically, these rooms are sometimes open not during dealer hour times. I believe that CGE is always open before and they generally close later. So if you want to get in more gaming, hit up these rooms. Got time after the dealer hall closes before your next event, it’s a great spot to browse or even play a game. I use CGE’s room a lot in particular to just find a game to play.

3. Eat off Peak Hours

I love food trucks, but if I’m going to go, I do two things. I scope out one with a short line. The other thing is that I try and go not during the peak hours. During peak hours the popular trucks might be 20-30 people deep. It’ll take a long time to get through those lines. Is it worth it, sometimes, but last year, some people waited in a line about 45 minutes, food, not that great. Food does taste better, though, when you didn’t wait for ever to get it.

4. Vitamin C/Bananas

I mentioned bananas as a snack before. But for me, it’ll probably be part of my breakfast before I head out to Gen Con. Make sure you aren’t just eating food that is food, but plan some things to fight con crud. I come armed with airborne vitamin C and this year bananas. Bananas come from Bairnt with Meet Me At the Table recommending them. But fight off con crud, it’s nice not to feel like garbage when you get back from a con, or when you’re there.

5. Hand Sanitizer

I think people are probably thinking this normally. I know that I last year I did a pretty good job with this and I plan to again. At Gen Con you handle tons of game pieces. Believe it or not, nothing is sanitized between play groups. This is not something I am religious about where I do it between every game or anything like that. But throughout the day, whenever I’m going to drink water, eat food, sanitize my hands, keep the number of germs I’m exposing myself to lower.

6. Attack the Dealer Hall With A Plan

This is one that I’m not always the best about. Generally, though, I come in with a plan. I go up and down aisles in a fashion that makes it harder to miss things. Now, not all the rows go the whole way through, it makes it tricky. But come up with a plan of how you want to see everything. Pick a side to start on and start working your way through everything. Or know which booths you want to go to and how to find them. It’ll take a long time to get through everything, so plan the time as well for it, but that’ll be next tip.

7. Plan Your Dealer Hall Time

Like I was alluding to above, plan out your time in the hall. Not just where you are going to go, but when. At this point in time it might be too late to plan. But know how much time or when you have time to go through there. If you’re just there to look versus demo your time will be lesser. Mainly, I mean keep a chunk of time free to walk through the hall, I think that’s worth it, and know what window of time that is. I keep most of my day free, but for you, it might be Friday before the weekend crowd gets there it’s your day to go through everything.

8. Know Where the Shuttles Are

This is something I wasn’t great about the first year. And in fairness, I don’t always use the shuttles even now. But knowing where they are is important. Last year I made the mistake of walking to my car carrying Burncycle, which is heavy. I thought it was cooler because it hadn’t been bad in the morning, it was hot. If you’re like me and you don’t do the Gen Con housing and you get the parking pass, know where the shuttles are, what hours the shuttles run, I think they always run, but know those details.

And a bonus one, which ties into #2 tip as well, show up early, do you get better parking spots, not really, but the lot is emptier so it’s easier to park and there will be more room on the shuttle.

9. Wear Comfy Shoes

You will be on your feet a lot. Even if you have a lot of events, you’ll be walking a lot while at Gen Con, there’s not way around it because the convention center is large. So wear shoes that you can walk in and are comfy in for hours at a time. I’m sure people do take their shoes off but please don’t, it’s weird. Even sitting at a table demoing a game, don’t kick your shoes off, it’s real weird.

Final Thoughts on Gen Con Tips and Tricks

This is not an exhaustive list by any means. I could have talked about housing and about the price of a hotel connected to the con versus not. But you’re mileage with tips like that and with all tips is going to vary.

Overall, I think the most important ones I covered in other articles about eating meals, sleeping and making sure that you and everyone else is having a good and healthy time. Because when it comes down to it, if everyone has a great time, that means the hobby will grow and it’ll be even better time in the future and more games that are awesome to play.

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