A tabletop gaming convention focused on indie and small press games. Big Bad Con is built on the community standards of respect, support, and kindness.
We welcome you to join us on September 28 for Big Bad Con 2023, featuring four days of TTRPGs, LARPs, board and card games, panels, workshops, and more.
Big Bad Con is a tabletop gaming convention focused on supporting gamers from marginalized backgrounds and nurturing a space to grow the gaming community by hosting a convention that is as physically, socially, and financially accessible as possible. We are a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) non-profit organization composed of volunteers, staff, GMs, and players.
We're running this crowdfunding campaign to cover the costs of hosting the event, including renting the hotel convention space, providing rooms for the staff, and all the big and small things needed to put on a con (like badges, signs, and cool Big Bad Con KN95 masks). This year, in addition to our operation costs, we have a record number of scholarship applications (over 100 applicants so far) and we'd like to help as many people as possible to attend!
Your support of the campaign, especially contributions to the scholarship fund, goes a huge way towards ensuring we can have the best Big Bad Con possible. And once we exceed our initial funding goal, our stretch goals include bringing amazing game designers and community leaders to attend and run events!
Our community standards are to treat each other with respect, support, and kindness. Here are some of the many ways you can connect and play games with wonderful folks at the con:
Tabletop RPGs and LARPs: This year we already have event listings for The Expanse, City of Winter, Cortex Prime, Coyote & Crow, Decaying Orbit, Golden Sky Stories, The Quiet Year, Trail of Cthulhu, World Wide Wrestling, and so many more! Check them out here! We focus on small press and indie games you might not find at other cons. Are you interested in running something yourself? Submissions are open!
Panels and Workshops: Our panel track has grown so much this year that we need a second panel room! Join us for discussions about Breaking Binaries, GM'ing For Actual Plays, TTRPG Content Marketing 101, and more. We also have hands-on workshops like Improv for Gamers and Makeup for Actual Play!
Games on Demand: We offer players a roster of games to jump into at the con and GMs the opportunity to run their favorite RPGs, from the classics to brand new systems! Some great games you'll find in Games on Demand this year are Blood Heist, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, Psi*Run, Mothership, and more.
Thursday Night Social Events: Thursday Night is an evening of getting to know each other and playing silly games. You might partake in the 573rd Intergalactic Wicket Gala or the Fashion Show in the Pavilion, or Big Bad Squares (our take on Hollywood squares) in the Ballroom!
Big Bad Con 2023 is happening September 28 to October 1 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Hotel. We have a discounted room rate so attendees can book rooms for $145/night.
By pledging you'll help us put on Big Bad Con...in addition to receiving these wonderful awards.
$20 Support the Scholarship - Funds collected from this pledge will go towards providing free badges and subsidizing travel expenses for attendees who would otherwise not be able to attend. This is a tax-deductible donation. Additionally your name, organization, or cause will appear on the Big Bad Con Hall of Heroes as one of our supporters. You can pledge any amount to our scholarship in the form of add-ons.
Included Items
Scholarship Contribution
Hall of Heroes Entry
Tax-deductible charity receipt
$75 Big Bad Badge - Get a 4-day badge to attend Big Bad Con and a special BackerKit-exclusive pin! Additionally your name, organization, or cause will appear on the Big Bad Con Hall of Heroes as one of our supporters. You'll also be commemorated on the website and in our program. Badges can also be added to pledges as add-ons.
Included Items
Big Bad Con 4-Day Badge
Hall of Heroes Entry
BackerKit Backer Pin
$100 Big Bad Badge and Coffee - Get a 4-day badge to attend Big Bad Con, a sampling of Hyacinth coffee roasted by Denny Peseau in Seattle, and a special BackerKit-exclusive pin! Your name, organization, or cause will appear on the Big Bad Con Hall of Heroes as one of our supporters. You'll also be commemorated on the website and in our program.
Included Items
Big Bad Con 4-Day Badge
Hall of Heroes Entry
BackerKit Backer Pin
Hyacinth Coffee
$100 Big Bad Badge and Tea - Get a 4-day badge to attend Big Bad Con, your choice of herbal or black tea from Friday Afternoon Tea in Seattle, and a special BackerKit-exclusive pin! Your name, organization, or cause will appear on the Big Bad Con Hall of Heroes as one of our supporters. You'll also be commemorated on the website and in our program.
Big Bad Brew (Black tea, apple, ginger root, chicory root, silver edible glitter) - A dark, rich cuppa with a toothy edge and a glimmer of mischief. Tempting apple underbelly meets earthy full body in this Big Bad Brew!
Little Red Refresher (Rooibos, elderberry, rose petal, natural cream flavoring) - Flower & berry line the path of this tart, herbal tisane, offset with a satiny cream lining. Ideal for sipping iced as you trip along your adventures!
Included Items
Big Bad Con 4-Day Badge
Hall of Heroes Entry
BackerKit Backer Pin
Herbal or Black tea from Friday Afternoon Tea
$100 Sponsor a Room - We'll name one of the private gaming rooms after you or a cause you support. Everyone who plays a game in that room will have you to thank! This pledge does not include a badge, but one can be added as an add-on! This is a tax-deductible donation. Sponsored rooms can also be added to pledges as add-ons.
Included Items
Hall of Heroes Entry
Private Room Dedication
Tax-deductible charity receipt
$110 Big Bad GM: Sen-Foong Lim - Play a game of Tiān Dēng online before the con with creator Sen-Foong Lim. Additionally get a digital bundle of zine games created just for Big Bad Con! This pledge does not include a badge to attend Big Bad Con, but one can be added as an add-on.
Included Items
Online game with Sen-Foong Lim
Digital Zine Bundle of Big Bad Games
$110 Big Bad GM: Sebastian Yūe - Play a game of SHIFT online before the con with Sebastian Yūe. Additionally get a digital bundle of zine games created just for Big Bad Con! This pledge does not include a badge to attend Big Bad Con, but one can be added as an add-on.
Included Items
Online game with Sebastian Yūe
Digital Zine Bundle of Big Bad Games
$150 Seattle's Finest - Get a 4-day badge to attend Big Bad Con, a sampling of Hyacinth coffee roasted by Denny Peseau in Seattle, and a sampling of both herbal and caffeinated tea from Friday Afternoon Tea in Seattle and a special BackerKit-exclusive pin!
Big Bad Brew (Black tea, apple, ginger root, chicory root, silver edible glitter) - A dark, rich cuppa with a toothy edge and a glimmer of mischief. Tempting apple underbelly meets earthy full body in this Big Bad Brew!
Little Red Refresher (Rooibos, elderberry, rose petal, natural cream flavoring) - Flower & berry line the path of this tart, herbal tisane, offset with a satiny cream lining. Ideal for sipping iced as you trip along your adventures!
Your name, organization, or cause will appear on the Big Bad Con Hall of Heroes as one of our supporters. You'll also be commemorated on the website and in our program.
Included Items
Big Bad Con 4-Day Badge
Hall of Heroes Entry
BackerKit Backer Pin
Hyacinth Coffee
Black tea from Friday Afternoon Tea
Herbal tea from Friday Afternoon Tea
$200 Baba Yaga's Tote - Get a 4-day badge to attend Big Bad Con, a Big Bad tote filled with Baba Yaga's creations, including a physical copy of the zines in the Big Bad Digital Game bundle, and a special BackerKit-exclusive pin! Amazing games from April Kit Walsh, Caro Asercion, Stras Achimovic, Rae Nedjadi, Aaron Catano-Saez, Lyla Fujiwara, and Adam McConnaughey. Layout by Adam McConnaughey and Aven McConnaughey (Tabletop Hotdish).
Your name, organization, or cause will appear on the Big Bad Con Hall of Heroes as one of our supporters. You'll also be commemorated on the website and in our program.
Included Items
Big Bad Con 4-Day Badge
Hall of Heroes Entry
BackerKit Backer Pin
Baba Yaga's Tote Bag
Physical copies of games from the Big Bad Game bundle
$500 Little Red's Cottage with Rae Nedjadi - This is everything! Get a 4-day badge to attend Big Bad Con, a sampling of Hyacinth coffee roasted by Denny Peseau in Seattle, black and herbal tea from Friday Afternoon Tea, Baba Yaga's Tote of wondrous items, a special BackerKit-exclusive pin, and Rae Nedjadi will run a game of Twilight Throne & The House s of Ruin with you online before the con!
Your name, organization, or cause will appear on the Big Bad Con Hall of Heroes as one of our supporters. You'll also be commemorated on the website and in our program.
Included Items
Big Bad Con 4-Day Badge
Hall of Heroes Entry
BackerKit Backer Pin
Hyacinth Coffee
Black tea from Friday Afternoon Tea
Herbal tea from Friday Afternoon Tea
Baba Yaga's Tote Bag with physical copies of the zines from the Big Bad Game bundle
Game with Rae Nedjadi
$500 Little Red's Cottage with Grant Howitt - This is everything! Get a 4-day badge to attend Big Bad Con, a sampling of Hyacinth coffee roasted by Denny Peseau in Seattle, black and herbal tea from Friday Afternoon Tea, Baba Yaga's Tote of wondrous items, a special BackerKit-exclusive pin, and Grant Howitt will run a game of Sexy Battle Wizards with you online before the con!
Your name, organization, or cause will appear on the Big Bad Con Hall of Heroes as one of our supporters. You'll also be commemorated on the website and in our program.
Included Items
Big Bad Con 4-Day Badge
Hall of Heroes Entry
BackerKit Backer Pin
Hyacinth Coffee
Black tea from Friday Afternoon Tea
Herbal tea from Friday Afternoon Tea
Baba Yaga's Tote Bag with physical copies of the zines from the Big Bad Game bundle
Game with Grant Howitt
$520 Convention Sponsorship - Become one of our our official convention sponsors. Your name, logo of a company or cause will be featured at the registration desk, in the program, and on our site as as official sponsors of the con. Your contribution will be split between supporting the general funds and our scholarship program. Every attendee at the con will know they have you to thank for making Big Bad Con happen! This is a tax-deductible donation. Convention sponsorships can be added to pledges as add-ons.
This pledge does not include a badge, but one can be added as an add on.
After you select a pledge level, you can also add on these amazing rewards:
$20 Scholarship Contribution - Funds collected from this pledge will go towards providing free badges and subsidizing travel expenses for attendees who would otherwise not be able to attend. This is a tax-deductible donation.
$25 Digital Zinethology Bundle - Add a digital bundle of zine games created just for Big Bad Con. Amazing games from April Kit Walsh, Caro Asercion, Stras Achimovic, Rae Nedjadi, Aaron Catano-Saez, Lyla Fujiwara, and Adam McConnaughey. Layout by Adam McConnaughey and Aven McConnaughey (Tabletop Hotdish).
$75 Big Bad Badge - Add a 4-day badge to attend Big Bad Con!
$100 Sponsor a Room - We'll name one of the private gaming rooms after you or a cause you support. Everyone who plays a game in that room will have you to thank! This is a tax-deductible donation.
$100 Mega Scholarship - This is just like a scholarship contribution, but bigger! Funds collected from this pledge will go towards providing free badges and subsidizing travel expenses for attendees who would otherwise not be able to attend. This is a tax-deductible donation.
$520 Convention Sponsorship - Become one of our our official convention sponsors. Your name, logo of a company or cause will be featured at the registration desk, in the program, and on our site as as official sponsors of the con. Your contribution will be split between supporting the general funds and our scholarship program. Every attendee at the con will know they have you to thank for making Big Bad Con happen! This is a tax-deductible donation.
Our highest priority in returning for 2023 is addressing how we can do it as safely as possible. Last year, by taking these precautions we had zero reported transmissions of COVID during the con. That is something we're very happy about, and plan to repeat this year!
We know that no matter what precautions we take, we cannot eliminate risk of COVID or other airborne pathogens completely. For the safety of all our attendees, we have the following policies in place for Big Bad Con 2023:
Masks that provide KN95 or better protection are required in all convention spaces. We’ll be giving out free Big Bad Con KN95 masks to all attendees!
All attendees must show proof of COVID vaccination before entering the con. Make sure to pack that vaccination card, update your app, or take a pic before you head out.
We request that all attendees take COVID tests and confirm they are negative before the con. We’ll have free rapid tests available upon request.
As part of our community standards of respect, support, and kindness we ask before giving hugs or making other physical contact.
Keeping ourselves and each other safe is part of our community standards of respect, support, and kindness. We know that risk tolerances are different for everyone, so what might seem like overkill to one person might still not be enough for others. We’re looking out for our most vulnerable attendees. Together, we believe we can host a wonderful event.
The Big Bad Con 2023 POC Programming is continuing our work to support people of color at Big Bad Con through financial aid, a community dinner, and an industry meet and greet event. This year we’re also working with local gamers in India, South East Asia, and Latin America to bring more international POCs to the con!
The track includes the following:
POC Scholarship. In addition to the scholarship funds we raise through this campaign, we're working with individual and industry donors to raise $50,000+ to aid people of color in attending the con by paying for travel, boarding, admission, and related expenses.
POC Dinner. The POC Programming team is planning the POC Dinner at the start of the convention. All POC scholarship recipients, staff, and volunteers will be granted free admission to the dinner, and we'll subsidize the ticket prices for other attendees as well.
POC Meet & Greet. We're hosting a meet and greet for POC writers, artists, editors, and creators with their fellow peers and industry contacts. Non-POC industry attendees will also be invited with the specific goal to offer mentorship, publishing, or employment opportunities to the attendees of color.
Besides pledging for rewards, there are several ways you can help out:
Promote Big Bad Con. Talking about the con, especially if you've attended before and can share your personal experiences, not only makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside, but it's also the best way for folks in your community to learn about it.
Run an Event. Would you like to GM a game? Host a panel? Run games in Games on Demand? Yes! That is fantastic. Head over here to Run an Event.
Join the Rangers. Big Bad Con is a volunteer led and run convention. We're always looking for friendly folks to join us at the reg desk, to welcome folks as greeters, and to host Games on Demand. Head over here to Join the Rangers.
Sponsor the con. Individuals and companies who pledge at the $520 or higher level are eligible to be listed as sponsors of the event. We'll list you as Sponsors ($520 and up) or Epic Sponsors ($1000 and up) on our website in our program. Contributions made for sponsorship are tax-deductible.
