Adventure Game Fan Fair update: Panels, parties and presentations announced!

Updated July 11th to reflect changes since the original announcement, including a change of venue to the Greater Tacoma Community Center. 

It’s May already, which means that July is just around the corner. And THAT means that the countdown is on for real until the Adventure Game Fan Fair!

Surely you’ve all heard of the Fan Fair by now, but just in case you’ve developed a typically adventure-ish case of amnesia in the last few months, it’s the very first convention dedicated to adventure games in the United States! It’s being held July 26-28 in the Greater Tacoma Convention Center, and it’s going to be an amazing weekend packed full of fun times and fellowship with fans and developers alike, including many industry legends!

But yeah yeah, you know all that and either jumped in early to snag your tickets and help us fund the event on Kickstarter (thank you!), or you’ve been waiting for a bit more info before diving in. Well, ask and ye shall receive, as info is exactly what we come bearing today.

The schedule isn’t fully finalized even now, as we’re still waiting on final confirmation from some, but we know you’ll agree it’s already an embarrassment of industry riches, and it’s only going to get BETTER as we finish tying up loose ends.

So, without further ado, here’s the panel itinerary (hands-on demos to be announced soon!) for the Adventure Game Fan Fair 2024. We hope to see you there! (And there’s still time to make that happen, but tickets won’t last much longer!)

Friday, July 26th

Doors open at noon!

12:30 PM: That’s Edutainment!

What goes into making a game both entertaining and educational? Daniel Greenberg (George Mason University) hosts a discussion with creators Deborah Todd (Reader Rabbit, Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego), Robert Eric Heitman (Story Maker, Mixed-Up Mother Goose), and Lori and Corey Cole (Mixed Up Fairy Tales, Castle of Dr. Brain) on the pitfalls and possibilities of edutainment titles.

1:45 PM: Narrative Design Chat

Join us for an hour-long discussion with prominent game developers Charles Cecil (Broken Sword, Beneath a Steel Sky), Dave Gilbert (Unavowed, the Blackwell series), Matt Costello (The 7th Guest, The 11th Hour), Deborah Todd (Reader Rabbit, Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego), and Emil Pagliarulo (Starfield, Fallout). Mat Van Rhoon leads the chat about their experiences and lessons learned while crafting stories for games.

3:00 PM: A Peek Inside Phantasmagoria 2

Lorelei Shannon (designer/writer) and Paul Morgan Stetler (Curtis, lead character) join Matt Aukamp and Anna Vigue to chat about putting all the pieces together to make the FMV cult favorite, A Puzzle of Flesh.

4:00 PM: The 7th Guest Retrospective

Join The 7th Guest creators Matt Costello, Graeme Devine, and George “The Fat Man” Sanger as they discuss stories from creating the original CD-ROM horror classic, as well as the sequel, The 11th Hour. Led by Phantasmagoria 2‘s own Paul Morgan Stetler, you’ll hear tales about writing the puzzles, working with the actors to create haunting FMV scenes, and ask your own burning questions!

6:00 p.m. Variety Show

It’s a veritable buffet of entertainment, with features including a trivia game show, a cosplay contest, and a number of live game-themed musical performances by Al Lowe, Erik Elsom, Alex Greenberg and Error 47. 

8:30 p.m. Afterparty (Greater Tacoma Convention Center)

Once the distilled and fermented juices start flowing (and with a bar at the venue, you know they will!), it’s time to let our hair down for a late-night panel doing a comic deep dive into the infamous Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties, a live DJ set, and singing ourselves silly at marioke. (That’s exactly like karaoke, but with rewritten songs about our favorite video games!)

Saturday, July 27th

Doors open at 9:00 a.m.!

10:00 AM: Secrets of Shannara

Adventure Game Hotspot's own Jack Allin leads the discussion with Lori and Corey Cole (game design), Doug Herring (art director), Robert Heitman (programmer), George Sanger (music producer), and (remotely) Josh Mandel (writer) to reminisce about Legend’s legendary title based on the Terry Brooks novels.

11:15 AM: AMA with the Williams

Find out what you’ve always wanted to learn about the legendary founders of Sierra On-Line! Metal Jesus Rocks and Drunken Master Paul will kick off an impromptu discussion with Ken and Roberta Williams, and then pass the mic onto our audience to ask all their burning questions.

12:30 PM: Sierra Days

Once the bosses are out of the room, it’s time to hear all about what REALLY went on within (and beyond) the hallowed halls of Sierra, led by host Paul Quinn (aka Drunken Master Paul). You will not want to miss this who’s who reunion of adventure game giants, including Al Lowe, Jane Jensen, Robert Holmes, Richard Aronson, Al Eufrasio, Doug Herring, and Neal Hallford.

1:45 PM: Meet the Voices

You’ve heard their voices, now meet the people behind many of your favorite characters! Acclaimed indie developer Francisco González (Rosewater, Lamplight City) hosts a star-studded voice acting lineup including Dominic Armato (the voice of Guybrush Threepwood), Ivy Dupler (Unavowed, Whispers of a Machine), Ben Britton (Lamplight City, Rosewater), Richard Aronson (King’s Quest‘s own Cedric the Owl), and (remotely) Melissa Medina (Starfield, Return to Monkey Island) and Sally Beaumont (Lucy Dreaming, Old Skies).

3:00 PM: Composing for Games

Join the Space Quest Historian for a chat with illustrious game composers Al Lowe, Ken Allen, George “The Fat Man” Sanger, and Robert Holmes for a discussion that covers everything from mood and feelings to the nitty-gritty technical details. From the early days of single-tone PC speaker and FM synthesizers to the lush orchestral scores of today, this panel takes you on a historical journey through the magic of game music.

4:15 PM: King’s Quest 40th Anniversary Retrospective

You feel a strange pulling sensation to this panel, as we discuss the legendary series King’s Quest with some of its many creators. We’ll take an hour-long stroll through Daventry, chatting about its many inspirations and challenges along the way. Who better to reminisce and take us all back to where it started than Ken and Roberta Williams, Jane Jensen, Lorelei Shannon, Richard Aronson, and (remotely) Josh Mandel.  

6:00 p.m. Awards Ceremony and Hall of Fame Inductions 

We close out Saturday by recognizing the best of the best, beginning with awards for the top modern games of the last few years, followed by the best EVER with the inaugural inductions into the officially licensed Adventure Game Hall of Fame! You'll want to dress up for this evening gala led by esteemed actor Melissa Medina, interspersed with a variety of musical interludes, including never-before heard pieces and medleys created especially for this evening.

Sunday, July 28th

Doors open at 9:00 a.m.!

10:00 AM: Engineering Empathy

Dave Gilbert, founder of Wadjet Eye Games, talks about the importance of evoking empathy by the examples of the Blackwell series and Unavowed. Why should the player feel invested in your game, if they don’t care for the characters? Take away useful tips to avoid this pitfall.

11:15 AM: A Riven Retrospective

“Prepare to enter a world torn asunder by timeless, unresolved conflicts—a world of incomparable beauty, intrigue, and betrayal.” Independent narrative designer and D’ni cavern explorer Jess Haskins interviews Cyan co-founder and CEO Rand Miller about developing the 1997 award-winning sequel to Myst and the collaborative work that went into crafting the newly released and highly acclaimed 2024 remake.

12:30 PM: Pixel Panel

Once upon a time, pixel art was just art, and cutting-edge art at that. But now, with all the bells and whistles of modern technology, there’s still something comfortably nostalgic about those wonderful blocky designs. So much so that they may be more popular than ever; here to tell us all about it are several of the top modern indie game developers: Meredith Gran (Perfect Tides), Tom Hardwidge (Lucy Dreaming), Julia Minamata (The Crimson Diamond), and emcee Paul Korman (The Phantom Fellows).

1:45 PM: Tex Murphy: Tesla Effect Retrospective

Join Mat Van Rhoon and Aaron Conners as they discuss stories from creating the latest Tex Murphy adventure with host Space Quest Historian. Hear insider stories about your favorite post-nuclear private investigator, and what it was like to be behind the scenes of this cyberpunk noir.

3:00 PM: Summer Daze at Hero-U

Creators Lori and Corey Cole sit down with AdventureGameGeek to discuss the process of crafting their hybrid adventure/role-playing Hero-U series, including Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption, Summer Daze: Tilly’s Tale, and more. Joining the conversation are animator Al Eufrasio, musician Paul Korman, voice actor Ben Britton, and writer Josh Mandel (remotely).

4:15 PM: Live Speedrun

This might be over quickly! Popular YouTuber and speedrunner extraordinaire OneShortEye shows us how to whiz through a game at breakneck speed without hurting ourselves. You’ll have to see it to believe it – just don’t blink or you might miss it. Cheering him on and probing for details about the secrets of successful speedrunning will be none other than The Crimson Diamond's Julia Minamata. 

5:00 p.m. Send-Off

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and this last little gathering wraps up the Adventure Game Fan Fair 2024. With drives home ahead and planes to catch, we won't keep you long, just enough to offer our sincere thanks, shed a few tears at the parting, allow time for photos, and then kick you all out. After all, someone's gotta clean up the place! 

Links

• Adventure Game Fan Fair 2024

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