First Timer’s Guide to OrcaCon

So, it’s your first time at OrcaCon! There’s a lot happening, so we would like to welcome you and offer up some first timer tips. OrcaCon is a registered 501c3 and completely volunteer run. We hope you enjoy your time at OrcaCon and meet lots of amazing people! You can join our Discord here – Join the OrcaCon Games Convention Discord Server! 

First up is important info. Next, some cool things you might not know that OrcaCon has going on. And lastly, games and how to play them! 

Doubletree by Seattle Airport aka Sea-Tac Information
  • 18740 International Blvd, Seattle, WA 98188, USA
  • Parking is $16.00 while you attend OrcaCon
  • Hotel Registration is on the 1st floor
  • OrcaCon registration is on the 1st floor
 
How to get to OrcaCon via public transit

The  Doubletree can be reached by bus easily from Seattle, Tacoma, and the surrounding areas. If you can access the Light Rail, you can take it to the Seattle Airport Station and hop on the Rapid Rise 

If you’re flying in, you can take the Light Rail to King St Station and then take one of the Bellevue buses. Preferred route is the 560 to the Bellevue Transit Center and then the 240 to Renton. There is a stop right outside of the hotel. 

Registration & What to Expect

When you get to OrcaCon, you’ll come into the hotel via the first floor. You’ll walk past hotel registration and OrcaCon registration will be right past the Coffee Stand Cafe. 

For the safety of everyone attending our event and hotel staff, OrcaCon hope every person wear a mask in our designated OrcaCon spaces.

OrcaCon Badges

The OrcaCon badges won’t have your name on them. We have a station set up with sharpies so you can sign your name, nickname, and decorate it up! We also have pronoun ribbons and communication buttons. These are all free to you. Our volunteers can help you with questions about these things. 

You can also stop by our Info Booth, which will have extra masks, plenty of information for directions and such. It’s attached to our OrcaCon Merchandise table, where you can also grab pride pins for free! The Info Booth will also have a First Timer ribbon, so come by and get them and say hello to our friendly volunteers!

Info Booth

The Info Desk will be on the first floor near Community Row. Our friendly volunteers will be there to give you directions, hand out masks in case you need a new one, and answer any questions you might have about OrcaCon or the surrounding area. 

OrcaCon Program 

Our volunteer Jesse F. has put together a lovely program, which you’ll be able to download and print out if you wish! You can view the 2024 program here: https://bit.ly/OrcaCon2024Program

Special Guests

We are very excited to have Special Guests again at OrcaCon! Once we have sent out the invitations and they have accepted, we will update the information here, so check back every so often.

Panels, talks, and events

When you’re not in a game, you can check out our Panel & Events rooms. Our Special Guests and other speakers have some great things planned. There’s interesting panels and workshops about the game industry, designing & developting games, the social aspects around gaming as a hobby, Actual Plays, Special Events and more. 

Merchant Hall

We have a great Merchant Hall at OrcaCon! We have some returning favorite vendors, and a few new ones joining us at this show. You’ll find games, game accessories, dice, art, books, and more! 

Community Row

We love to support our local communities, charities, and other non-profit organizations, and want to feature some of the best at OrcaCon! We’ll have a mix of game groups, other local conventions, and charity organizations in Community Row. 

OrcaCon Merchandise

We have an official convention shirt available for purchase in our Merch area. We will also have hoodies, playmats, dice, enamel pins, beanies, scarves, and more. You will find the OrcaCon Merch Tables in the first floor lobby.

Quiet Room

You’ll find the Quiet Room up on the 1st floor in XXXXX room We will have puzzles, coloring books/pages, and a nice place to relax. You can view the rules for the Quiet Room here: https://www.orcacon.org/quiet-room-policy/

Comforts & Compassion

More info to go here for all gender restrooms. In all our restrooms, you’ll find a Menstruation Station and Scent-Free soap. Please let a volunteer know if the restroom you’re in is running low on supplies and we’ll get it restocked! 

And finally…GAME GAMES GAAAAAMES!!

We have SO many games! Here are the various kinds of gaming you’ll find at OrcaCon.

Scheduled Games – You’ll find all the scheduled games on our Tabletop.Events site. https://tabletop.events/conventions/orcacon-2024 Click on “Attend” and “Events Schedule”. You can sort the type of events you are looking for such as Demo Game, Panel, Tournament, and such. If you need assistance, there is our Games Admin table in the first floor main ballroom. The lovely volunteers can help you find games on the schedule and answer any questions!

Open Games Library – In the first floor ballroom, you’ll find our open play library. You are welcome to check out games with our games volunteers. You can take them to any official OrcaCon play spaces and bring them back when you are finished. You can find our current open play library here: https://tabletop.events/conventions/orcacon-2025/library

Play & Win Library – Visit our Play & Win library to learn new games and possibly take one home! Our volunteers will help you pick games, check them out, and then enter you in the drawing to possibly win the games you played. Read more about Play & Win here: https://www.orcacon.org/play-win/

Demo Tables – We have a number of tables set aside for companies demoing their games! They are under the schedule. When you go to “Attend” and “Events Schedule”, you can search just for Demo Games! These games are all walk ups, so you don’t need to sign up for anything. They’ll be running their demos for everyone at your leisure. Demo Tables are in the 1st floor main ballroom.

PlaytestNW – The lovely folks with PlaytestNW will be staffed with game designers who will teach you their games, and get your feedback. It’s a great way to meet some excellent folks and see games that aren’t into production yet! The PlaytestNW folks will be in the 1st floor main ballroom.

Open Play tables – There are open play tables in the main ballrooms, and in some of the smaller ballrooms. For all rooms and atriums near hotel rooms, please note that these are in the lobbies where there are hotel guests. Be sure if you are playing at night, that you aren’t disturbing anyone who might be sleeping!