Bringing Legends of the Arena to Genesis X2🎮

Earlier this month, we took Legends of the Arena to Genesis X2, a convention focused on Super Smash Bros. and other competitive games (mostly fighting games, but there were TCG tournaments, rhythm games, and even Mahjong). It was our first time running a vendor booth, and we weren’t sure what to expect. Would fighting game fans be interested in a tactical board game? Legends of the Arena is heavily inspired by Super Smash Bros., but as a board game the mechanics are heavily abstracted (just a flat stage, far fewer moves, no items, etc.). Would we even have time to grab lunch? Would people be familiar with crowdfunding? After three days of demos, discussions, and intense battles, we walked away with tons of great insights, some new fans, and a new appreciation for high-level Melee play.

Bringing a Board Game to a Non-Board Game Convention

Genesis X2 isn’t a traditional tabletop convention—it’s all about high-speed, competitive fighting games like Super Smash Bros., so we knew we’d be pitching Legends of the Arena to a crowd that wasn’t expecting a board game at all. But with Legends being inspired by platform fighters, we figured it was a perfect crossover opportunity. The result? A resounding success.

We ran back-to-back demos all weekend, showing off the game’s full art for Alysia and Fitz and handing out stickers, trophies, and signed cards to anyone who took us on in battle. One of our favorite moments was narrowly losing in a 2v2 match to someone who had demoed the game, loved it, and brought a friend back to challenge us. Watching players get hooked and then come back for more was a great validation of what we’re building.

We weren’t the only vendors demoing our own creations. Wandering around the floor space I saw Pulsar Crash (like TowerFall meets Geometry Wars), and Potion Slingers, a cool take on the deckbuilding genre. Most vendors artists selling prints, stickers, shirts, and other art. There were also a large contingent of folks building and selling custom controllers.

Tips for any convention

• Bring lots of water. It is easy to lose your voice talking for three days straight!
• Have at least two people at your booth most of the time. This way you can still talk to people coming by while running/playing games.
• Wear comfortable shoes and have some foam convention flooring to stand on. Our booth was directly on concrete.
• Figure out a comfortable height for playing. Fortunately the organizers allowed us to bring chairs into the aisle so folks could sit directly at our booth and play. For demos, we created an elevated playing space using a disassembled Ikea LACK table (we were not allowed to use table risers which would have worked too).
• Have a plan for when people are interested:
  • A 10-second pitch for folks who are pausing to take a look (it doesn’t have to be very clever - mine was “It’s like a Super Smash Bros. board game!").
  • A 90-second “demo” (for us, we showed a full combat sequence). We did the demo standing. Based on the interest level of the person checking out the booth we then asked for their email or if they wanted to play a full game. Most people who made it this far were happy to give us their email.
  • A full game (or longer demo) folks can actually play. This is the fun part! And a nice benefit is that more people will stop at a booth where they see others playing.
• Use a laptop or tablet with a keyboard to capture email signups. After years of losing half the emails we got at conventions due to being unable to read them, this was a major upgrade.
• Have something to give out so people remember you. We gave out signed prototype cards, stickers, business cards, and little trophies.

What Worked (And What We’d Do Differently Next Time)

👍 Highlights

• We met some incredible people – from competitors and commentators to fellow indie game creators like our booth neighbor Nack, who’s working on Pulsar Crash!
• We gathered valuable feedback, especially on theme – Super Smash Bros. players instinctively compared mechanics to their favorite fighting games, helping us refine our pitch.
• Our email list grew by ~40 signups – not bad for a first-time booth!
• Booth pricing was reasonable, making it a relatively low-risk investment for exposure.

🤔 What We’d Change

• We didn’t have anything to sell – most folks who signed up for the email list were ready to buy the game on the spot.
• We’re still evaluating the role of conventions in pre-marketing – while they’re great for awareness, we’re still figuring out how much they move the needle for a Kickstarter launch. The fact that Genesis was local for us made it an easy addition to our schedule, but there are a lot of conventions we are skipping due to the expense of travel.

Would We Do It Again?

Absolutely. The energy, the direct engagement with players, and the chance to build a community around our game made Genesis X2 an incredible experience. Next time, we’ll come prepared with games to sell, and maybe we’ll even train up so we don’t get completely destroyed in our own game.

For other indie board game creators considering a non-tabletop convention, our biggest takeaway is this: If your game speaks to the audience, you should go. While traditional board game cons are a no-brainer, don’t overlook events where your players already are.

For now, we’re back in the lab, fine-tuning Legends of the Arena and preparing for our Kickstarter launch later this year. If you want to stay in the loop, make sure to follow the Kickstarter.

See you in the Arena!