Looking for access to 5,000 board games in the month of March? Good news! Your search is over. Get your badge to the friendliest board game convention this side of the Mississippi: Dice Tower West. With a five-day or three-day weekend badge option, DTW has it all when it comes to providing a fun, friendly, event-filled board game convention at the Rio in Las Vegas. From play-to-wins to scheduled events to panels to a huge library to the hottest games in the hobby to great vendors, this convention provides all gamers with the opportunity to curate their ideal board game experience.
CONVENTION TIP: If you would like to game with the members of The Dice Tower, then be sure to get up early and head down to the main gaming hall. We ran into more than one member of the team each morning. To increase your chances, it helps to have a larger group.
This was the second year that Mason and I have attended the con and we fully intend to make this a yearly tradition. We purchased the three-day badges, which actually gives us two and a half days of access to the game library. Access to Tom’s game library is a huge draw for us because it gives us a chance to play games on our wish lists prior to making the decision to purchase the game. For example, we put Aquatica on the list and after our first play at the convention we knew that we wanted to add the game to our collection.
CONVENTION TIP: Make a list of games you want to play before you arrive at the convention. It gives you a place to start in the library so you avoid browsing for too long.
In addition to the massive game library, the Dice Tower show on Saturday night is an absolute blast. This year the members of the Dice Tower shared their top 5 overrated games, which stirred up lots of emotions and controversy amongst the crowd while being fun and entertaining. Be sure to check back for my top overrated game and reasons why.
CONVENTION TIP: Be sure to get to The Dice Tower show early (about 20 minutes) in order to get decent seats.
During the Dice Tower show it was announced that the convention will be moving to the Westgate next March, which came as a bit of a surprise. The convention space at the Rio is spacious and well-organized. Both years we stayed in the Masquerade tower, which is not upgraded and a little farther away from the convention space, however, it is a nice room with great windows. The reason that was given for the move to the Westgate was double the convention space, however, comments were made about some people complaining about the Rio and maybe some issues on the back end of planning for the Dice Tower.
CONVENTION TIP: Don’t forget to go outside a couple of times a day, whether to get food at a nearby restaurant or just to go for a walk. The fresh air, muscle stretching, and vitamin D from the sun will help you stay healthy and happy.
Overall, this was a great convention! We played so many news games and bought a few games to add to the collection. We enjoyed the Dice Tower show and met some new people. We avoided con-crud and felt well-rested all weekend. We laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. Most of all, we made plans to return to Dice Tower West in 2025.
CONVENTION TIP: Take Emergen-C and vitamin D the week leading up to the convention and while you are there to avoid getting sick before or during the convention.
