METAGAME 2025
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A conference about game design, strategy, narrative, and play. Join us September 12-14 in Berkeley, California.
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.
This is not a 🟡coincidence, because nothing is ever a 🟡coincidence.
Every attendee will be assigned to a team, and the teams will compete across the entire weekend. Win games for your team! Strategize together in your secret headquarters! Become the greatest team at Metagame! Events that relate to the Megagame are striped on the schedule
Open to the public!
The Night Market will be an opportunity to exchange goods and services with fellow game aficionados. Anyone with or without a ticket to the main event is welcome! Come and find booths based around:
- Games and PuzzlesIndie TTRPG / jigsaw puzzle / 5-dimensional rubik's cube / escape room in a box! For sale! Right here!
- Other Physical StuffArts, crafts, foods, books, take-home items that don't fit in the "games and puzzles" category
- ExperiencesTry on a weird VR immersive bodysuit, get your fortune told, have a phenomenological time
- Job MarketPeople looking to hire, get hired, or otherwise promote their company or self. Open for people on either side of the job market!
- Black MarketRights to middle names, tickets to cheat in your next RPG, etc. Black market goods must still be legal!
- Information BoothLike a poster session, without the standards
- OtherBooths too weird to fit into any of the categories above!
Schedule
Times, locations, content, hosts, and the fundamental fabric of reality all subject to change.
Sunday (2025-09-14)Sunday2025-09-14
Speakers
Sponsors
Gold
Silver
Grab a ticket!
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
- We also have a financial aid program with further price reductions available. Apply here .
$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?