Although tabletop games have a long history, tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) are a relatively new invention: their rise began in the 1970s, when Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson designed and published the original Dungeons & Dragons set. Since then, tabletop RPGs have acquired millions of fans around the globe, and there are numerous conventions dedicated to them. One of these convention is Dice Con that takes place in Lviv, Ukraine.
Dice Con was founded in 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the goals of promoting tabletop RPGs and raising money for the armed forces and volunteers. The first festival was held from September 1 to 3, 2023. It featured 150 RPG sessions and 16 lectures and workshops, and attracted 700 attendees.
One of Dice Con’s founders, artist and tabletop RPG enthusiast Andriy Hudyma, served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and was killed in action less than two months before the inaugural festival. A large part of the proceeds from the first Dice Con was donated in his memory to two volunteer organizations.
Dice Con is held at the Lviv Art Palace, an exhibition center in Lviv’s Old Town. The heart of the festival is the gaming area with hundreds of tabletop games, from classical strategies to vintage games, where visitors can play any of the games and then purchase the ones they liked the most, as well as participate in tabletop RPG sessions led by experienced game masters from all over Ukraine.
It should be noted that in order to participate in a game session at Dice Con one should purchase a game ticket in addition to the entry ticket, and then sign up for the game of their choice. Dice Con offers over 150 games in around 50 RPG systems. The description of every game (setting, genre, age restriction, content warnings, players’ skill level, number of players, etc.) is available on the festival website. Some of the games are specifically targeted at experienced players, but there are plenty of options for those who have discovered the wonderful world of tabletop RPG only recently.
The program of Dice Con also includes live music performances, a cosplay show, lectures and workshops, various contests, and more. There is a geek fair where visitors can buy tabletop games, comic books, figurines, jewelry and accessories, handmade dice, and other merchandise, and a food court with drinks and snacks, some of which are inspired by popular tabletop RPG settings.
Photo: dicecon.fun
