SWA Gameathons
The SWA holds monthly gaming sessions, usually on the first Saturday of each month. Each Gameathon has two time slots for events: 11am - 4pm, and 5pm - 10pm. We can also accommodate games that run longer than five hours, if needed. Doors open around 10am, so GMs can arrive early to set up. Admission is just $5 for the whole day (cash only), and free for students up to 12th grade, as well as GMs running a scheduled game.
Gameathons are held at Proctors Theatre in the Hearst Education Center (the finished basement under the cafe). Stairs and elevators to the basement are located off the main corridor, between the box office and cafe area. Proctors has its own parking lot, and there's a garage across the street; both are normally free on weekends.
Gameathon dates for 2025 are: January 4, February 1, March 1, April 5, May 3, June 7, July 5, August 2, October 4, November 1, and December 6. Council Con will be held September 5-7, replacing that month's Gameathon. We generally ask for events three weeks ahead of time, and post the schedule the week before game day; both announcements are sent via our mailing list. You can submit events through our Google form, and preregister for events on our signup spreadsheet. If you have any questions or comments, please send them to our GAT email address: game-a-thon [at] swa-gaming [dot] org.
Gameathon schedule: October 4, 2025
Morning Session (11 am - 4 pm)
Sickest Witch: Hayride
Devin Fortman
Low-fantasy, rules-light folk horror. The players' Witches harvest body parts from their enemies, imbue them with magic, and use them to cast sinister spells (and they're the good guys!). While the town of Black Branch prepares for their Samhain (Halloween) festival, three young witches have gone missing. As the sun sets and the light fades, it's time for your rescue party to ride out on the hay wagon into the heart of the Wilted Forest.
6 player, age 14+, beginners welcome. Link: Publisher
Pathfinder 2e: 6-01 Intro: Year of Immortal Influence
Sam Pitcheralle
A level 1-4 adventure that is great for new players.
6 players, age 10+, beginners welcome. Link: Warhorn
Pathfinder 2e: Battle of the Thorns
Harold Austin
This is a level 9-12 adventure. Only players with society adventures in that level range can participate.
6 players, age 10+, beginners welcome. Link: Warhorn
Le Havre
Stephen Hull
An Uwe Rosenberg classic, Le Havre turns you into a shipping magnate in the early 20th Century. Manage your funds, feed your sailors, establish your supply chain, and build up your industrial superiority with effective resource management.
5 players, age 14+, beginners welcome. Link: BoardGameGeek
Underwater Cities
John Fontana
Players direct the founding of their own underwater nations. They collect resources to build cities, a transportation network, and the facilities necessary to support life under the sea. Everything is accomplished by playing cards to choose various actions. If the card matches the action, the player also gains a benefit from the card. At times, the action may be so important that the player will choose it even with a non-matching card. At other times, the benefit of the card may be so good that any action is acceptable as long as the card matches it. Balancing these choices is the key to building an underwater habitat in which humanity can thrive.
4 players, age 10+, beginners welcome. Link: BoardGameGeek
Horrified: The D&D version
Robert Turnbough
I will introduce players to the new Horrified game using monsters from D and D. The original version will also be available for play.
5 players, age 10+, beginners welcome. Link: BoardGameGeek
Power Grid
David Bibicoff
6 players, age 10+, beginners welcome. Link: BoardGameGeek
Blood on the Clocktower
Mike Eckard
Each player receives either a ‘good’ or ‘evil’ token with their unique character on it. Good players share information to solve the mystery whilst evil players lie about who they are and what they know. The good team wins if they can piece together their knowledge, trust each other, and execute the demon. The evil team wins if the demon can sow distrust, evade detection, and wipe out the village. Paper/notebook and pen is allowed but not necessary.
24 players, age 14+, beginners welcome. Link: BoardGameGeek
Evening Session (5 pm - 10 pm)
Doronain Nui: Bionicle D&D
David Mead
Beginner scenario introducing most mechanics and systems. Characters will be premade and ready to play.
6 players, age 14+, beginners welcome. Link: Publisher
Pathfinder 2e: Quests and Bounties
Chris Sean
This is two 2 hour adventures that are geared for new players.
6 players, age 10+, beginners welcome. Link: Warhorn
Pathfinder 2e: Sulfuric Negotiations
Harold Austin
This a level 3-6 adventure from Pathfinder's most recent season.
6 players, age 10+, beginners welcome. Link: Warhorn
Compounded
John Fontana
Better Gaming Through Chemistry! Each round has 4 phases: Discovery - get elements, Study - Claim compounds, Research - place elements on your compounds, and Lab - complete compounds to gain points. Use your lab equipment to gain advantages and beware of the flammable compounds. Be the first to get 50 points to win.
5 players, age 10+, beginners welcome. Link: BoardGameGeek
AuZtralia
Karen Seiz
The Creatures have been defeated. It's time to re-build Earth. And what better place to start than Australia - cornfields in coastal plains, sheep in the uplands, cattle in the mountains... Now that all the monsters are gone........
4 players, age 10+, beginners welcome. Link: BoardGameGeek
A Feast for Odin
Stephen Hull
Experience the life of the Vikings in this worker placement game designed to challenge your ability to make hard decisions, balance your production, and talent (luck) with hunting, whaling, and pillaging nearby islands.
4 players, age 14+, beginners welcome. Link: BoardGameGeek
Cape May
Jeff Sterling
In Cape May, players traverse the city streets as entrepreneurs, developing property while building wealth over four seasons to earn prestige.
3 players, age 10+, beginners welcome. Link: BoardGameGeek
Code of Conduct: We expect all SWA attendees to treat others and be treated themselves with dignity and respect. Unacceptable behavior for attendees includes, but is not limited to: obscene language, racial or other slurs, physical threats, and acts of violence. Anyone who witnesses an attendee engaged in unacceptable behavior should notify an SWA staff member, who will address the situation as we deem appropriate. This may include asking the person to cease their behavior, leave the event, or if necessary referring the matter to the proper authorities. Repeated offenses may result in a temporary or permanent ban from SWA activities, at Staff's discretion.