2D Con is a gaming convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota that I feel fortunate to show no signal at, which occurred on August 23rd to 25th. I had a really good experience there, which was quite a contrast compared to my previous convention experience.
One thing I was particularly surprised by was how proactive the 2D Con staff and volunteers were. After I posted about Delta H Con, I was contacted in order to address any concerns I might have. Power was provided. I was able to borrow a monitor and headphones to use (which was very nice, especially as someone flying in from out of state). And, while not strictly necessary, I was also offered free wifi, which made it much easier for me to keep in touch with friends while I was there.
sales
2D Con let indies sell at the event, but I didn't realize that in order for me to sell at the event I also had a legal obligation to register for a sales tax in the state I was selling in (I only had one for Texas and naively believed that was all I needed). Fortunately, applying was easy and I was quickly approved, so I was able to start selling on the second day of the event.
| Fr | Sa | Su |
|---|---|---|
| n/a | 0 | 2 |
I didn't really advertise that I was selling copies of my game Gender Dysphoria and many other tables didn't participate in selling, so the low numbers don't really surprise me. Nonetheless, I did give away a few free copies to other game devs and staff.
plays
The only direct flight between Minneapolis and Austin was during the middle of the day. This meant that I was unable to be present for the full day on both Friday and Sunday. Despite that, about 40 people played my game:
| Fr | Sa | Su |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 25? | 6 |
...frankly, I lost count on Saturday. I also received about 10 wishlists on Steam that week:
| Fr | Sa | Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
* I did a stream on the official Godot Engine Twitch channel on Thursday, which probably increased wishlist numbers on that day.
On the Thursday following the event, no signal had a total of 288 wishlists.
I was really happy to see attendees arrive to the room keyed in to the fact that it was a room for indie game developers and interested in learning more about the games and earnestly giving them a try. I received a lot of great feedback from the people who played the game and I am very thankful for the enthusiasm people have expressed for it. I also met a lot of other game developers there, many of whom were from the local Minneapolis IGDA chapter. It was nice to talk about what the scene is like in the Twin Cities and talk about games.
complaints
The only complaint I have is related to the venue. The venue was entirely too warm. Normally, conventions are cold and I had brought a sweater in anticipation of that, but I never had to use it. Instead, at the end of every warm and noisy day, I headed back up to my hotel room feeling like my clothes were damp with sweat.
Unfortunately, I doubt this is anything that 2D can address directly. After talking to other locals, I've learned that other conventions held at that venue have also experienced the same problem over the last few years.
conclusion
I wish I was able to stay for the entire event as an attendee. I was bummed to miss out on so many things to do, from pinball, to arcade games, to rhythm games, to board games. I even missed out on the hentai game show on Friday because I had lost track of time after exploring the event after Indie Island had closed for the day!
Fortunately, I did manage to play a few new things:
- Mine Storm (Vectrex)
- Battletoads (Arcade Cabinet, 1994)
- Godzilla 70th Anniversary Pinball
- Enter the Gungeon: House of the Gundead
- Deep Rock Galactic: The Board Game
I really hope that I'm able to attend 2D Con again next year, either as an exhibitor or an attendee. I had a great time.