The first time The Stranger formally covered the PAX West gaming convention was in 2007, when it brought a mere 39,000 nerds to downtown Seattle and prompted our own Dan Savage to ask why there were so many furries downtown that weekend. (I originally thought Dan didn’t understand cosplay, but I also don’t doubt his ability to pick out a furry amongst a crowd of Master Chief and Optimus Prime outfits.)
Sixteen years later, PAX West (formerly the Penny Arcade Expo) has grown exponentially, and it gets bigger this weekend in its first incarnation at the newly expanded Seattle Convention Center. We’re taking the opportunity to recap what to expect, whether you’re steeped in geek culture or don’t have the faintest idea what a Charmander is.
I’ve never heard of PAX West, wuzzat?
A four-day fandom expo that revolves around playing and talking about games: video, board, card, tabletop, phone, pinball, and probably others. The original expo was created as a response to “industry” events that rarely let attendees go hands-on with games. At PAX West, playing games is key.
Isn’t PAX a vape pen or something?
“PAX” is a callback to the expo’s original lineage: a Seattle-area gaming-focused webcomic. (Remember webcomics? They still exist! Tumblr, too!) 2004’s first Penny Arcade Expo revolved as much around the comic strip as it did gaming. This many years later, it still involves Penny Arcade’s creators and peers to a small extent, but “previously on Penny Arcade” expertise is not needed to attend or have fun.
Doesn’t PAX West normally sell out by now?
Yes, but the expansion to the much larger Seattle Exhibition Hall has opened up a ton more tickets—and breathing room—this year. Speaking of breathing: consider wearing a mask. PAX West has famously spread a number of diseases (I’m pretty sure I caught the swine flu like 10 years ago), so, don’t push your luck.
What’s the exhibition hall like?
PAX West’s primary show floor is something between a modern comic convention and a massive arcade. If something is playable, it’s free once you’ve paid for a PAX ticket, no additional quarters required.
- The exhibition hall is where PAX hosts its latest and greatest playable video games, particularly ones that aren’t yet on sale. Be warned: Some of the biggest gaming companies skip PAX West, so you may want to scan the list of participating vendors before placing a bet on whether, say, Dukes of Killing: More Lasers 7 will be available.
- Like most modern comic cons, PAX West has merch. Soooo much merch. Shirts and other attire smothered with your favorite gaming heroes; '80s and '90s cartridges from retro resellers like Seattle’s own Pink Gorilla Games (booth 136); and all of the books, board games, cards, miniature figurines, and dice you’d need to run your own funny-smelling basement party. A few booths may sell PAX West-exclusive merch; if that matters to you, attend on the event’s first day.
Got any exhibition hall tips?
A few playable-game booths I’m excited to check out this year include: Rift of the NecroDancer (booth 817), which turns Guitar Hero into a bombastic Saturday morning cartoon; Animal Well (651), a fascinating twist on the “Metroidvania” genre with a confounding number of surprises and wild animal species; Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore (1939), an ode to the incredibly niche early '90s CD-I console that is surprisingly fun and funny; Devolver Digital (617), a hipster gaming label that consistently releases cool games; Panic (1917), whose quirky, portable, and oft sold-out Playdate gaming system is a must-try if you’ve never heard of it; and Baldur’s Gate 3 (2305), the summer’s surprise-hit D&D-based game where you can romance and have sex with a bear.
Really, my biggest tip is to try games with shorter lines. PAX West is too big to judge a game based on its line, so don’t be afraid to pick up a controller and test an unfamiliar indie game for a few minutes. Bonus points for games that support four or more people; how often are you surrounded by fellow gamers in person? Sharing a new, weird game on the same screen is way better than having squeaky-voiced Call of Duty dipshits mock you on the internet. (Similar advice: Board game demos at PAX are often ignored in favor of shiny screens. If you see an empty table, I urge you to sit down, learn a new game, and make some friends!)
Should I cosplay?
As someone who loves any excuse to wear a costume, I say: hell yes. PAX is a great place to trot out your most obscure nerd-culture outfit. With thousands of attendees, surely someone will recognize your tribute to early 1980s curio Mr. Do! or your sexualized interpretation of Bubsy the bobcat. Be sure to line up at the weapon inspection entrance, as PAX takes fake guns and fake swords quite seriously. Health-minded tip: lots of Mortal Kombat characters wear masks by default, which is one way to earn nerd cred and reduce the likelihood of contracting an airborne disease.
There’s more than the exhibition hall, right?
Yes! My favorite is the massive board game pavilion, where you can sample hundreds of board games for free. Those shits are expensive—cardboard ain’t cheap—so it’s nice to drag a few friends to PAX West’s board game zone and try a few $70-100 games before possibly buying them for future play.
The “freeplay” rooms are another must-play highlight, each full of game systems old and new, plus all the discs, cartridges, and controllers you’ll need to recreate any era’s birthday party. (Pro tip: Heed all instructions to not blow into old cartridges. It’s not good for old NES games!)
And if you or your kids love certain gaming podcast hosts or Twitch streamers, they may be here hosting panels, signing autographs, or both. Peruse the special guests list to see if you recognize any names.
Isn’t there some Nintendo-specific event happening next door to PAX?
Yes, and it’s free! But it’s already “sold out.” Nintendo opened up ticket requests for its first-ever Nintendo Live event months ago, then held a random lottery to give passes out. This event revolves around playable video games for the modern Nintendo Switch system, though parents will appreciate “retro” stations with fare from older systems like the NES. Next to these, expect elaborate decorations, like a walk through an Animal Crossing-themed beach next to a towering, 14-foot-tall LEGO approximation of Bowser, and event-exclusive merch. Nintendo Live’s official site has more info—and can confirm whether ticketholders are eligible for “warp pipe passes” to orchestral concerts dedicated to Super Mario and Zelda music. But let’s be clear: Nintendo made it a pain in the butt to scalp tickets, as they’re attached to Nintendo account credentials. If you don’t already have tickets, don’t expect to sneak in.
PAX West is Sept 1-4 at the Seattle Convention Center, 800 Convention Pl, $71-$260, all ages.
