BGA Conference 2026
Strong National Museum of Play, Rochester NY
October 16-18, 2026
Annual Conference
This year’s conference will be held at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY, on October 16-18, 2026.
Board Gamers Academics would like to sincerely thank our partners at the Strong Museum for their enthusiastic support of scholars, researchers, practitioners, and gamers in learning more about gaming and its power to go beyond the tabletop.
The conference features academic research on poignant topics within the board game and TTRPG communities, with insights from faculty, researchers, emerging scholars, and practitioners.
Join us for two days of discussion, networking, research, and fun at the Strong Museum, devoted to the history and exploration of play.
Attendance Options:
- General Admission – $200
* Inquire about group rate discounts.
We understand the importance of accessibility, and therefore, the registration fee will be waived for hardship cases. Contact BGA for details.
Hotel
We have negotiated a reduced group rate with the Hampton Inn and Suites in Downtown Rochester, just a 5 minute walk from the museum.
Hampton Inn & Suites Rochester Downtown
We’re in the heart of Downtown Rochester, close to many shops and restaurants. The Strong National Museum of Play is a short walk away and the Blue Cross Arena is a five-minute drive. The Geva Theatre Center is a 10-minute walk and Genesee Brewery is two miles from us. Enjoy our indoor pool and relax with a drink at our bar. Free overnight parking, breakfast, WiFi, and local transportation.
Conference Rate: $169 (Cut-off: September 24)
Distance to Conference: 5 minute walk
Venue
We’re excited to be holding the 4th Annual BGA Conference at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY.
Strong National Museum of Play
1 Manhattan Square Dr, Rochester, NY 14607
Time zone: America/New York (UTC -04:00)
About Board Game Academics
We are Board Game Academics, a group of tabletop gamers and academic professionals of various stripes. Our mission is to combine research and gaming in novel ways that benefit academics and gaming. This multi-disciplinary project takes the form of an academic journal and conference to better critically examine the role of gaming across society, education, and beyond. We are mainly focused on the historical, cultural, and systemic exploration of games as they relate to themes of race, gender, nationality, (de)coloniality, ability, sexuality, and class. In bringing these areas closer together, we hope to encourage meaningful discourse between academics, researchers, and gamers. To this end, we welcome participation in our first conference as researchers present their works linking these worlds together.
The editorial board would especially like to welcome students and those not currently engaged in this research. The world of tabletop gaming is ever-expanding, and the issues discussed in the research being presented affects all sorts of gamers, not just those in academic settings. Scholarship in this field is also relatively new and constantly developing, with ideas from our community of gamers and guiding discussions and research discourse. We encourage gamers and interested parties of all types to come along as we explore how people relate to and experience games together.
Join Us on October 16-18
Register to attend the conference October 16-18 from the link below. Students and adjuncts are eligible for a discounted rate. Please contact us for additional details.