The games people play were on full display during the Ptarmicon 2024 convention held in Yellowknife last weekend.

From medieval dungeons and dragons warriors to modern superheroes, it was an extravaganza of the underlords and the overworld.

Reigh Foster DeBaie, president of the Ptarmicon Society, said the popularity keeps growing for the SA国际影视传媒渨orldSA国际影视传媒檚 most NorthernSA国际影视传媒� gaming and pop culture convention, with last year drawing more than 600 attendees to the event.

SA国际影视传媒淲e do a comic-con style event that mostly focuses on video games, board games, costumes, tabletop gaming and that sort of thing. We also usually have five to 10 vendors every year. This is our 12th year,SA国际影视传媒� Foster DeBaie said.

Part of the recent upsurge of interest in the gaming culture came about during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Foster DeBaie.

SA国际影视传媒淵oung people started playing board games and, you know, there's a drive SA国际影视传媒� for especially parents SA国际影视传媒� to try and get their kids out of their obsession with electronics and that sort of thing. So, we try to help families and people who like tabletop gaming in general to find ways to get together and have some good old-fashioned fun around the table and find ways to build community when it's been a little bit hard after Covid to start opening up your friend circles and stuff again.

SA国际影视传媒淪o, I think that's another reason why our popularity has grown over the last few years, for sure.SA国际影视传媒�

Battling the foes

Chris Bessey, a member of Yellowknife Live Action Role Playing (LARP), was demonstrating live action role-playing during the convention.

Both Bessey, dressed in medieval garments and brandishing a long spear, and Phil Anderson, a knight in shining armour, appeared to have stepped out of a Dungeons and Dragons game and onto the battlefield during an impromptu faceoff.

SA国际影视传媒淧art of the reason we put these costumes together, and that we trained with these foam weapons, is because we actually run adventures for the group members every couple of weeks throughout the summer,SA国际影视传媒� Bessey said.

SA国际影视传媒淪o with Dungeons and Dragons, you might be sitting around a table and you're telling people what you're doing SA国际影视传媒� you're narrating it so that everybody understands what you're doing.

SA国际影视传媒淚n our case, we just do it. We're physically there to do it in person.

SA国际影视传媒淪o it takes a little bit of training. It certainly means that you do need to be prepared, especially if you're going to be out and about 30 degrees and it's hot and smoky as it is. But we'll still try to do it every opportunity that we get,SA国际影视传媒� Bessey said, adding that new members are always welcome to join the fun.

Foster DeBaie said Dungeons and Dragons has become especially popular over the past decade, and the Ptarmicon event is a chance for everyone to try out the games with others.

SA国际影视传媒淎 popular event that we put on, too, is all our different video game tournaments, and it's kind of a fun place.

SA国际影视传媒淔or people that might play together from home, they can come together at a big event and hang out with other people and meet new friends, try new games, things like that.SA国际影视传媒�