Kobold Press was at Gamehole Con 12 in October, and our very own Monica Paprocki was there!
Gamehole Con’s 12th year was fun-filled, as always. Around 6,300 people attended the event this year.
Gamehole Con is a smaller, but growing convention located in Madison, WI. This event has been boosting its popularity by inviting the best writers and creators in the tabletop industry. It’s focus is mainly on TTRPGS, but also has different board game publishers, fantasy, and miniature gaming.
If you’re into going to conventions to game all day and hang out with friends that’s not as crowded as Gen Con or Origins, then this is the convention for you.
Our very own Alexander Stangroom was one of the special guests for the year. He ran Tales of the Valiant games in the event hall, and at the new area expanded section of the event called New Holland.
We had a smaller -than-usual team attending. Myself doing social media posts, and Michael Waldschlager helming our organized play for the event. Michael and a handful of GM’s from all over the country ran games from 8 A.M. through 11 A.M. Long days really feel like a quick time warp when you’re having fun in a game. Our GMs ran Tales of the Valiant scenarios, Trollfall and Well of Shadows.
Players received a free copy of The Well of Shadows Quick Start Guide, that included the scenario four to five 3rd Level, pre-gen characters and the cover which unfolds into the adventure map. If you have never run or played an RPG before, this guide includes everything from giving advice to running games, how to play and even QR codes that led you to Safety Tools when running or playing the game.
We also had a few demos of the Necromancer card game, which folks thoroughly enjoyed.
There were more food trucks this year, but I’m always down for some local fare.
As a former resident of Madison, I know some great places to eat, in case you want to check it out next year:
Ahan
744 Williamson St., Ste.100, Madison, WI 53703
Ahan (meaning “food” in Lao) is an Asian-inspired restaurant that’s known for partnering with local farmers and featuring their meat and vegetable produce in their delicious food. In January 2025, Chef Jamie and GM Chuckie were jointly nominated for a James Beard Award for “Best Chef – Midwest”. I had the Pad See Ew with pork, and only ate half because of how filling it was. It was with stir fried wide noodles, with vegetables and fried egg. Simple ingredients, but full of flavor!
The Mediterranean Joint
600 Williamson Street, Madison, WI
Want delicious Mediterranean food that won’t break your budget? Head over to this place. I had the beef kebab plate, which was served with the skewers that personally looked like sabres to me. I was ready to fight – my hunger as I took a bite of the deliciously charred rib eye steak cubes and it was served with tzatziki, house rice, house salad and pita bread. It was a perfect meal if you have been playing game after game at the con.
The Memorial Union (Student Union)
800 Langdon St, Madison, WI 53706
Stretch your legs after a long day of gaming at the halls of the Memorial Union. With several food places to choose from, you’ll definitely find something to snack or eat while looking out the window with the amazing view of Lake Mendota. I had a brat mac and cheese with grilled onions. If you’re lucky and the weather is nice, you can sit outside. And there may be a band playing outside on the stage at night.
Delta Beer Lab
167 E Badger Rd., Madison, WI 53713
Fancy a drink and a great place to hang out post- convention? Delta Beer Lab focuses on inclusivity and community. It’s quirky lab-like decor, dart boards and shuffle board table makes it feel like a nice place to grab food and drink with friends post-con.
The weather was unpredictable while we were there. Nice and sunny one day, followed by a torrential downpour with a bit of hail. So definitely watch out for that.
My next convention will be at Pax Unplugged. Kobold Press won’t be there in full capacity, come say hi and let’s chat all things KP!
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