Metagame 2026 is over!

Metagame 2027 is coming!

Limited time: earlier-than-early-bird
Egg Tier tickets available
until 11/15

Join us in 2027

Stay updated

Every kind
of play.

Metagame is a weekend conference devoted to games and the people who make and play them. We mean games in the broadest sense of the word: any experience meant to be played or actively experienced.

Who was there?

Speakers

Amy Schneider

Amy Schneider

Jeopardy!

Raph D’Amico

Raph D’Amico

Laughing Kaiju

Spencer Beebe
  • Galactic Survey
Casey Jones

Casey Jones

Slaydium Games

Guy

Guy

And many more…

Schedule

TalkWorkshopGameOtherRSVP = commitment🔞18+🐥Kid-friendly
Unconference Park
Outdoors, behind B
Max 300
Cantor's Diagonal
Building C
Max 60
Eigen Hall
Building E, 1st floor
Max 40
Bayes Attic
Building B, top floor
Max 35
Central Courtyard
The center of campus
Max 200
Thingspace
Building A, 2nd floor
Max 20
Protospiel Plaza
Building B, 1st floor
Max 40
Glass Hall
Building A, 1st floor
Max 35
Maze of Twisty Little Passages
Building B, basement
7:30
9:30
10:30
11:00
11:30
The board is closed now that Metagame 2026 is over.
🙋3
👍3
🪢3
👍4
🕵️3

Want to be a part of something bigger?

The Megagame

The game begins when you step through the gate, and runs all weekend. One part puzzle hunt, one part game gauntlet, one part interlocking story.

The Megagame is threaded through the rest of Metagame, with many puzzles and games making up larger games and larger puzzles. Anyone can play it, and anyone can help create it. We want puzzles! We want games! We want cryptic hints added to your session! More details in the proposal form.

Build part of the Megagame
Giant orange and blue chess pieces, a knight in front
A puzzle and game made of smaller puzzles and games. Made by… you?

Where is it?

Lighthaven Campus

2740 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705

Aerial view of the Lighthaven campus

Lighthaven Campus is a puzzle-seeker's paradise, with easter eggs wedged into every nook and cranny and games mid-play concealed behind secret doors.

Onsite housing is available for the weekend, so you can roll out of bed and into a game at any moment. Rooms can be booked directly with Lighthaven.

Got something to trade?

Night Market

Show off your game, product, or latest creation at our open market, or come discover what others have brought to share. Explore booths offering things to play, experience, and savor. This is open to the public on Friday evening (7:00–10:00pm).

“Too Many Cooks” at the Night Market
“Too Many Cooks” at the Night Market

What happened last year?

Highlights from 2025

Jay Dragon speaking into a microphone on an outdoor panel at Metagame 2025

Talks

  • Games and the World · Frank Lantz
  • PG's Playhouse: The Evolution of Escape Rooms · Peih-Gee Law & Tommy Honton
  • The Interface Is The Game · David Sirlin
  • So You Wanna Make a Tabletop Game: Designing for Mass Production and Working with Manufacturers · Rita Orlov & Spencer Beebe
  • Bleed at the Table: A Panel · Sylvan Lawrence, Jay Dragon & Jonaya Kemper
  • Will Shortz Q&A · Will Shortz
Players gathered around a table mid-game at Metagame 2025, cards and scoring strips spread between them

Workshops

  • Build Your Own Escape Room · Bansini & Ursula Collins-Laine
  • How to Construct a Crossword · Adrienne Raphel & Natan Last
  • Playtesting and Game Design at Cards Against Humanity · Josh Dillon
  • Video Games as Alignment Benchmarks · Emmett Shear
  • Design a Board Game: Zo · Paul “Lorxus” Rapoport
  • TASK Party · Ursula Collins-Laine
  • Open HDMI Cable · lightning talks, hosted by Brendan Hurst
A crowd leaning over a long table of abstract games during the board game round robin

Games & More

  • Escape the Sudoku · Thomas Snyder
  • Two Rooms and a Boom · Alan Gerding
  • Utility Monster · Nick Ross
  • Jubensha: Tree Rings Murder Mystery · Scott Lininger
  • Mystery Manor · Marlee Honton
  • Sorcerority: A LARP · Alicorn
  • Board Game Round Robin · Sparr Risher
  • Night Market + Career Fair

Ready to play?

Tickets

Limited time: earlier-than-early-bird
Egg Tier tickets available
until 11/15

Attendees working on a giant jigsaw puzzle
The election game at Metagame 2025
A card game in progress
A group solving a crossword
A jigsaw sudoku puzzle
Evening games under fairy lights
Two players studying their cards over a game of Codex

With gratitude

Our sponsors

Gold

Rogue Signal logoGoodhart Labs logo

Silver

d_model logoWalrus Security logo

Patron

Francisco San logoThe Spire logoManifund logoOutside the Asylum logo

Interested in making Metagame 2027 happen?

Sponsor form

But what about…

FAQ

When is Metagame?
2:00pm Friday, November 6th through 9:00pm, November 8th, 2026.
Where is Metagame happening?
Lighthaven
2740 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705Map of the Lighthaven campus
Is lodging available?
On-site housing at Lighthaven is now available. Book a room here. There are also plenty of hotels available in and around Berkeley.
Are meals included?
Snacks and beverages will be available for the taking. Food trucks will also be on-site with meals available for purchase.
Are tickets refundable?
You may request a ticket refund at the price you paid until 6PM Pacific on October 6th. After that, we will process on a case-by-case basis.
Can I transfer my ticket?
Yes, as long as your ticket wasn't a special personal comp. if you'd like to transfer your ticket to someone else.
Can I bring my kids?
Yes! Children under 13 get free admission, and we offer free childcare and children's programming for kids ages 5-12 during the day (we can't provide childcare for children under 5). See the childcare page for more. If you have particular questions or concerns feel free to .
Is parking available?
There is very limited street parking available by Lighthaven. Lighthaven requests that attendees avoid parking on the streets in the surrounding two blocks, as this may upset their neighbors.
May I bring or demonstrate my own game?
Please do! Fill out our proposal form here to run a game, event, or session.
Is the venue accessible?
Some parts of the campus are easier to navigate than others. If accessibility is an issue for you, so we can figure out how to make it work.
Who can I come to with problems?
For general questions or complaints, . If you have a sensitive issue to bring to our Community Health lead, you can contact Damon .
Where can I learn more about Metagame?
Join our Discord to chat with the team and other attendees, or check out Ricki's conversation about Metagame 2025 on the Complex Systems podcast.

Have more questions? Email .

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