Show organizers ReedPop and Penny Arcade have revealed the first panel and event schedule for PAX Unplugged 2024, the East Coast’s most-attended tabletop gaming event, ahead of its return to the Pennsylvania Convention Center from Friday, Dec. 6, through Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024.
Kickstart PAX’s 20th-anniversary celebration on Friday, Dec. 6 with a keynote speech from Elizabeth Hargrave, Game Designer of the award-winning title Wingspan. The keynote is part of a stacked lineup with panels featuring fan-favorite internet personalities and game developers.
This year’s schedule features three full days of panels, with Critical Role’s Matthew Mercer and Ashley Johnson offering a first look at the upcoming TTRPG Daggerheart. Hear from the team publishing a lost tabletop game from a legendary sci-fi author in “Kurt Vonnegut’s GHQ: The Lost Board Game” on Friday at 4:30 pm in the Kelpie Theatre. Former NFL player Johnny Stanton and former professional fighter Tank Tolman will talk about how to join disparate enthusiast worlds in “Athletes in Tabletop: Walking the Jock/Nerd Binary” on Saturday at 10:30 am in the Kelpie Theatre, with more announcements anticipated before the show kicks off.
The fun continues on Friday and Saturday nights, with the latest live edition of Acquisitions Inc., the long-running Penny Arcade Dungeons & Dragons show full of surprises and ornate costumes from the players on stage. Saturday night will also feature the first concert in PAX Unplugged history, headlined by Jonathan “JoCo” Coulton (“Still Alive” from Portal, The Spongebob Musical, “Code Monkey”, and more), alongside long-running comedy music duo Paul and Storm performing live.
Illustrious tabletop game developers and publishers also take over the show floor including Games Workshop (Warhammer), Dice Throne (Marvel), Ravensburger (Disney Lorcana), CATAN Studio (CATAN), and R.Talsorian Games (Cyberpunk franchise). Check out a curated selection of up-and-coming titles as part of the PAX Rising Showcase.
Round out the weekend and experience Classic Cardboard, a collection of renowned board games attendees can play together. Witness high-stakes gaming tournaments including the Omegathon, a weekend-long tournament featuring multiple games. Newcomers to the tabletop gaming world can visit the Learn & Play area, led by a group of the industry’s biggest names.
“PAX Unplugged is the perfect end to a year of great shows, and there’s so much to do and see this year,” said Jerry Holkins, co-founder of PAX, Penny Arcade, and the Child’s Play Charity. “I’m glad we have the rest of the press release, because it would be hard to fit it all here in the quote.”
Attendees can purchase three-day badges for $91 (almost sold out), and pick up single-day badges for $43 each. Families can pick up Sunday Kids Day badges for children aged 7-12, for $14 each.
