Gaming

Saluki Con Gaming

The Saluki Con boasts an array of gaming opportunities for participants of all ages. Explore the tabs below for more information about our gaming events.

Gamers! There will be Friday night advance events* at the Student Center from 4-9 pm!

*Saluki Con ticket OR current SIU Carbondale student ID is required to participate in Friday night gaming.

Games

E-Sports

The New E-Sports Arena is officially open, and during Eclipse Con, we will be hosting several competitions that will test your skills among the best in the region!

Saturday

Noon | Smash Bros. Tournament Begins
Cambria Room, First Floor South End
Prizes for 1st and 2nd places
Registration begins at 11:15 AM
Sign Up Here
2 pm | Mario Kart Tournament Begins
Esports Arena, First Floor North End
Prizes for 1st and 2nd places
Sign Up Here

Sunday

10 am | Open Play
Esports Arena, First Floor North End

Play to Win

What is play to win?

Every person that plays a game during the event will get a ticket for a chance to win games in a drawing held the last day of the convention.

Location: Old Main Lounge, 2nd Floor

Game Times:

Friday, 4 - 8 pm
Saturday, 10 am - 8 pm
Sunday 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday 5 pm: Play to Win Drawing

Drawing will be held at 5pm on Sunday after gaming ends, until it is finished.

What Do You Do?

Get a name badge from the event table. We want everyone to be able to get to know the players participating in the event.
Check out a game you want to learn to play and have a chance to win by filling in the check-out sheet. Must be 15 or older to sign out the game.
- Only one game per group/table at a time.
- Must have a minimum number of players in the group as stated on the game.
- Use the website BoardGameGeek for videos on how to play the game.
- If the game time on the box is 2 hours or less, you must play until you finish the game. If the game time on the box is 2 hours or more, you must play for at least 2 hours. Leaving the game unattended does not count as playing the game.
- Games must be played and remain in the event area while they are being played.
When you have finished your game, please return it to the event table to check it back in. All the players in your group will receive a ticket for the game played for the drawing on Sunday. You keep one copy and the other goes in the corresponding ticket container for the game.
You may continue to check out games and play them, entering as many times as you like. You just can't have the same game in consecutive sessions.

General Rules

No food or drink at the game tables. We do not want game components damaged.
Be courteous to the next group and return the game with its components neatly packed away.
This is a family atmosphere so please mind your language and be respectful to the other participants.
Keep track of your personal belongings. Event staff is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
No fighting of any kind will be allowed at the event. This includes excessive arguing. Any unfit behavior will result in you being asked to leave the convention.
All attendees under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
Must be 15 or older to check a game out.
Above all else, a game is meant to be enjoyed with the company you are sharing. Winning is not the ultimate goal!

Drawing Guidelines

Drawing Time is Sunday beginning at 5 pm until it is finished. You MUST be present and present your ticket to win!

Process

No more games can be checked out after 4 pm on Sunday.
Starting Sunday at 5 pm, we will call out that all games must be checked back in.
Beginning at 5 pm, the staff will pick a game ticket container and begin the drawing. The games will be chosen in no specific order.
Event staff will call out the ticket number of the winning ticket drawn. If no one yells out that they have the ticket, the event staff will continue to draw tickets from the container until we have a winning ticket or until ALL tickets have been drawn.
If you have a winning ticket, make your way to the event table. Your ticket will be verified with the one drawn. If they match, you win the game. You do not have to be the person that played the game, only the person that has the ticket. So, if you cannot be there Sunday for the drawing, feel free to give your tickets to someone that will be present for the drawing.
You will be asked to take a picture with the game for our sponsors.
If a game has no winning tickets the game will be retained by the event staff for a future event. No games will be sold, raffled off, or given away.

Special Thanks to Double Exposure Inc, Envoy Program and Rio Grande Games for donating the games for this event!

Double Exposure Inc. Envoy Program Logo

Board Game Olympics

Sponsored by BoardGameGeekStore. Members of the winning team will each receive 1 $50 gift certificate to the BoardGameGeekStore.

Setup

The competition will be held among four 4-person teams of their choosing. At the start of the competition the teams will choose a player to compete in one of the four games in the competition.

Official rule books will be at the tables and a judge will be on hand for any rulings. No house rules will be in place.

Competition

Each game will have a 2-hour limit. At the end of the two hours final round will be called. At the end of the game players will be awarded points based on their placing in the game:

First Place = 4 points
Second Place = 3 points
Third Place = 2 points
Fourth Place = 1 point
Cheating = 0 Points

These points will be tallied and the winning team will be awarded to the team with the most points. In the case of a tie we will have a deciding match. Each team will choose a player to compete in the game.

Spectators

This is a competition and we require that no one from the spectators offer advice or carry on distracting conversations. You will be warned once. If it happens again you will be asked to leave the competition area.

Player Conduct

We expect all players to conduct themselves with respect to the other players. No offensive language, cheating or otherwise disruptive play will be allowed. A player will be warned once. If it happens again they are kicked from play and their team receives a 0 for points.

Competitive D&D Event

What is Competitive D&D?

This is a throwback to the 80's and 90's when TSR owned the rights to the game and the RPGA was running tournaments at conventions. The premise is that all the tables will each have the same module and the same pregenerated characters. The module will be scored at intervals throughout for goals and group accomplishes. By event end the points will be tabulated and the winning group decided.

Adventure Description

A new dungeon has been discovered in the Kingdom of Heroes! Join the droves of eager and desperate adventurers in being among the first to delve Doldegar’s Demise, an uncovered ruin said to be the resting place of an ancient sorcerer king. Marshal your resources and attack the dungeon from any angle you can find, for the company recovering the biggest treasure haul in the first week is set to earn recognition and a bounty from the crown. But beware, for the scouts have already given the place a nickname… Do you have the grit and determination to tackle the Deathtrap Dungeon?

In this 3rd level D&D 5th edition adventure you’ll take on the role of an adventuring company and send your party into the Deathtrap Dungeon in hopes of scoring the grandest haul. The dungeon isn’t eager to give away its hidden treasures, however, and you’ll have to carefully plan your delves to maximize profit and avoid costly wipeouts. Only one company can win the prize in the end, so join us and prove you have what it takes to Delve the Deathtrap Dungeon of Doldegar!

Game Times

Saturday | 12:00 pm–5:30 pm.
Check-in begins at 12:00–12:30 pm. Brief announcements and table prep 12:30–1 pm.
The event starts 1 pm and runs until 5 pm.
Awards and drawing 5 pm–5:30 pm.

Sign-Ups

Signups begin Friday night in the Old Main Lounge on the second floor. You must have an advance online ticket purchase for Saturday. Signups will continue until the next morning (Saturday) at the same location with a ticket purchase until 30 minutes prior to the event or until the signup board is full. If the signups are not full we will take players at the event location in the Renaissance Room, First Floor. To register for this event you must have a convention ticket for Saturday. If the signup board is full, you may come to the event location day of the event. We will take replacements for no-shows once the event staff has finished the check-in procedure.

Check-In

Players are asked to remain seated until everyone has checked in.

Event Start

During the event start, a brief introduction will be given of the event. We will then be randomly assigning dungeonmasters (DMs) to the tables. Our times will be held strictly for the event start and stop.

General Rules

No food or drink on the game tables. We do not want game components damaged.
Only leave the table after the check-in process. We don't want to fill an empty seat that belongs to someone. Bathroom breaks are allowed during the event and you can pass off your character to a neighbor until you return.
Be courteous to your fellow gamers and especially to the DM.
This is a family atmosphere so please mind your language and be respectful to the other participants.
Keep track of your personal belongings. Event staff is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
No fighting of any kind will be allowed at the event. This includes excessive arguing. Any unfit behavior will result in you being asked to leave the convention.
No phone or other devices will be allowed to be in use at the table unless it is an emergency.
Above all else, a game is meant to be enjoyed with the company you are sharing. Winning is not the ultimate goal!
The DM has the final say in everything at the table!

Event Completion

Once the event has been ended all DMs will total the group points on their record sheet. We will double check these results. In the unlikely event there is a tie we will use the time honored way of settling treasure: rolling off! Once the winning table has been determined their members will be given their rewards and a picture taken for our sponsors for publishing.

Magic: The Gathering Tournaments

Players asked and we listened! This year replacing our Magic the Gathering learn to play event Saluki Con volunteers are working with local game stores across the Southern Illinois region to host a variety of tournaments and events spanning a diverse range of Magic formats including commander, standard, modern, pioneer, and pauper. More information and a full schedule of events including dates, times, prizing, and registration information is coming soon so please stay tuned to Saluki Con social media channels and this page for information as it is released.

*Please note that while SIU students receive free entry into the convention, they will need to pay the advertised entry fee of any tournament they wish to play in. These events are open to the public and anyone may compete however non-SIU students will need to purchase a Saluki Con 2026 ticket to enter the venue which includes access to the exhibit and vendor areas of the convention. Tickets for Saluki Con can be purchased here on the Saluki Con website at https://salukicon.siu.edu/.