GameStorm is a fan-run not-for-profit annual

gaming convention A gaming convention is a gathering centered on role-playing games, collectible card games, miniatures wargames, board games, video games, or other types of games. These conventions are typically two or three business days long, and often held at ...

held in the spring in the

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

metro area.

History

GameStorm started in 1998 as a fan-run event at the Clackamas, Oregon Denney's Convention Center. The GameStorm group often provides gaming programming at

OryCon Orycon is Portland, Oregon's annual science fiction/fantasy convention, held in November since 1979. Event history {, class="wikitable" width="100%" , - ! Event !! Dates !! Guests !! Attendance !! Notes , - , OryCon 0 , Nov 11, 1978 , No GOH ...

and other conventions in the Pacific Northwest as well, and has an extensiv
game library
GameStorm also hosts panel discussions about games and gaming-related topics, provides space for designers to play-test new products, and cross-promotes for other area conventions. GameStorm provides a number of different activities for gaming fandom: *Panel discussion topics, often with gaming industry professionals *

Role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...

s (RPG) *

Live action role-playing game A live action role-playing game (LARP) is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically portray their character (arts), characters.(Tychsen et al. 2006:255) "LARPs can be viewed as forming a distinct category of RPG because of ...

s (LARP) *

Miniature figure (gaming) In miniature wargaming, players enact simulated battles using scale models called miniature models, which can be anywhere from 2 to 54 mm in height, to represent warriors, vehicles, artillery, buildings, and terrain. These models are colloqui ...

Collectible card game A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) among other names, is a type of card game that mixes strategy game, strategic deck building elements with features of trading cards. The genre was introduced with ''Magic: The G ...

s (CGG) *

Board game A board game is a type of tabletop game that involves small objects () that are placed and moved in particular ways on a specially designed patterned game board, potentially including other components, e.g. dice. The earliest known uses of the ...

s * Video console gaming GameStorm, like

, is run entirely by fans, with no paid staff, and is sponsored b
Oregon Science Fiction Conventions, Inc.
(OSFCI), a

501(c)3 A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

not-for-profit corporation.

Upcoming GameStorm Convention

'
GameStorm 26
'' will be March 19-22, 2025 at the '
Holiday Inn Portland - Columbia Riverfront
''.

Past Guests of Honor

Peter Adkison Peter D. Adkison is an American game designer and businessman who is the founder of Wizards of the Coast, where he held the role of CEO from 1993 to 2001. During Adkison's tenure, Wizards of the Coast rose to the status of a major publisher in ...

* Vincent Baker * Matt Branstad * Jason Bulmahn * Andy Collins *

Monte Cook Monte Cook (born January 29, 1968) is an American professional tabletop role-playing game designer and writer, best known for his work on ''Dungeons & Dragons''. Role-playing industry career Early years Cook has been a professional game d ...

* David Coronado *

James Ernest James Ernest (born October, 1968) is an American game designer and juggler, best known as the owner and lead designer of Cheapass Games. Career Prior to founding Cheapass Games, Ernest worked as a juggler at various venues, including Camlann Me ...

* Alex Flagg * Jacob Fryxelius *

Richard Garfield Richard Channing Garfield (born June 26, 1963) is an American mathematician, inventor, and game designer. Garfield created '' Magic: The Gathering'', which is considered to be the first collectible card game (CCG). ''Magic'' debuted in 1993, and ...

* Andrew Hackard * Alex Hart * Rob Heinsoo *

Reiner Knizia Reiner Knizia () is a prolific German-style board game designer. He was born in West Germany in 1957 and earned a doctorate in Mathematics from the University of Ulm before designing games full time. He is frequently included on lists of the gre ...

* Robin Laws * Tom Lehmann * Jonathan H. Liu * Steve Long *

Rick Loomis Rick Loomis (August 24, 1946 – August 23, 2019) was an American game designer, most notable as the founder of game publisher Flying Buffalo, which he managed until his death. Career Early years Richard F. Loomis was born and raised in Scott ...

* Andy and Kristen Looney * Michelle McNeill * Sam Mitschke * Mike Mulvihill * Brian Poel *

Michael Stackpole Michael Austin Stackpole (born November 27, 1957) is an American science fiction and fantasy author best known for his ''Star Wars'' and ''BattleTech'' books. He was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, but raised in Vermont. He has a BA in history from ...

* Lisa Steenson *

Jay Tummelson Jay Tummelson is the founder of Rio Grande Games. Career Jay Tummelson was the top-ranked RPGA Judge, when Don Bingle and Linda Bingle brought him on as a third owner of their company 54°40' Orphyte after they purchased the product rights for P ...

External links

GameStorm website
Gaming conventions Fan conventions in the United States Conventions in Oregon {{game-stub