METAGAME 2025
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A conference about game design, strategy, narrative, and play. Join us September 12-14 in Berkeley, California.

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What is Metagame?

Metagame is a weekend conference devoted to games. We mean games in the broadest sense of the word: any experience that is designed to be played, as opposed to passively consumed. This includes board games, card games, videogames, tabletop games, LARPs, puzzles, rock climbing routes, and more. If building it involves asking the question "what would the consumer of this experience choose to do next?", it's a game.

My guess is the event will lean extremely toward the "communal, chaotic, unconference-y" end of the professionalism spectrum, with a lot of the [sessions? experiences? internal plot devices?] designed by attendees.

This is not a 🟡coincidence, because nothing is ever a 🟡coincidence.

September 2025
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Lighthaven

Run something

We will provide the venue, the resources, and the very eager audience, and you can run whatever experimental game concept you've been toying with.

Need a weirdly shaped space to build a gradient descent themed escape room? Want to run a game design tournament where you provide the board and pieces and contestants come up with the rules? Looking for hundreds of willing subjects for a social deception experiment that isn't quite ready for prime time?

Metagame is the conference for you.

Dooooo it

Schedule

Times, locations, content, hosts, and the fundamental fabric of reality all subject to change.

Friday2025-09-12

The Park
Eigen Hall
The Clocktower
Playtesting Plaza
Escape Room Zone
The Gardens
The Den
Unconference Cavern
The Utility Room
The ParkOutdoors, behind BMax 300
Eigen HallBuilding E, 1st floorMax 40
The ClocktowerBuilding B, top floorMax 35
Playtesting PlazaBuilding C, 1st floorMax 60
Escape Room ZoneBuilding A, 2nd floorMax 30
The GardensOutdoors, behind EMax 80
The DenBehind building EMax 30
Unconference CavernBuilding B, 1st floorMax 40
The Utility RoomBuilding A, 1st floorMax 35
14:00
14:30
Metazooa: Live! Kickoff
Abe Train
1 - 50
15:00
Murder Party
Alan Gerding
12 - 30
Escape the Sudoku
Thomas Snyder
6 - 12
Kids' Corner Check-in
Yemima Morris
1 - 20
15:30
16:00
This Talk Will Not Be Boring (And Neither Should Anything Else)
Tommy Honton, Jordan Gold
IDENTITY CRISIS: The Ultimate "Who Am I?" Challenge
Jarrah Bloomfield
15 - 60
Escape the Sudoku (kids' edition!)
Thomas Snyder, Yemima Morris
6 - 12
Kids' Programming (includes dinner)
Yemima Morris
1 - 20
Utility Monster 1a
Nick Ross
6
16:30
Utility Monster 1b
Nick Ross
6
17:00
Play This Talk
Myles Nye
Playtesting and Game Design at Cards Against Humanity
Josh Dillon
Escape the Sudoku
Thomas Snyder
6 - 12
Utility Monster 1c
Nick Ross
6
17:30
Utility Monster 1d
Nick Ross
6
18:00
Pitch Your Pet Game!
Brendan Hurst
Ten Candles
Jay Dragon
4 - 5
Utility Monster 1e
Nick Ross
6
18:30
Utility Monster 1f
Nick Ross
6
19:00
Night Market
Brendan Hurst, Ricki Heicklen
Kids' Corner Pickup
Yemima Morris
1 - 20
Utility Monster 1g
Nick Ross
6
19:30
Bughouse Tournament
Ricki Heicklen
Utility Monster 1h
Nick Ross
20:00
FATHERFOG, the Fairytale Horror RPG
Alan Gerding
2 - 4
20:30
21:00
21:30
22:00
talk
workshop
game*
other
kid friendly
megagame*
* attending the full session strongly preferred

Speakers

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Sponsors

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Discounted bitcoin prices available.

Player

Full access to the event, including participating in the megagame

$580

Day Pass

Day pass (select day)

$150-250

Volunteer

Volunteer for 1-6 shifts for a free or reduced price ticket. May preclude participation in the megagame.

$0+

Sliding Scale

Player tickets at a pay-what-you-can rate

$435
  • We also have a financial aid program with further price reductions available. Apply here by 9/1.

$290-580

Student

Student ticket

$275

Supporter

We will name a game after you

$2048

Sound fun? Want to take part?

Thinking about sponsoring us, or maybe partnering with us? Something else in mind?

GET INVOLVED!