WAFFLE GAMES 9.0

April 18th, 2026

EGD's FREE Convention & Conference

Waffle Games is the EGD's annual convention and conference held each spring semester - run by emerging adults, for everyone. In 2026, Waffle Games is back in NYC as a fully in-person event! In the past, our event has brought in over 600 students, recent grads, and industry professionals to play, design, compete, and learn. This year, we're so excited to welcome you back at City College!

The care of the future of games is ours

...and when we democratize games education, we all win.

More than just an affordable con, Waffle Games is a celebration of what it means to be involved with gaming. Panels, workshops, tournaments, and an expo hall come to life every spring with one mission: to allow everyone the chance to get involved with the community, chase their dreams, and change our industry for the better.

XR Panel (2021): Jessica Kantor, The Look Club; Noelle Masurek, Games for Change; Lawrence Yang, Valve; Will Roberts, VR Diamond Leauge; Lupe Leos, California State University Long Beach.

Game Translation and Localization (2019): Ayaka Sato, College of Staten Island

DATE & THINGS TO DO

City College NAC Building - April 18th, 11AM-5PM ET

Expo hall with over 50 exhibitors to interact with! Play their games, try their products, and ogle at their art while you try to convince yourself that you don't need another fanart print of your favorite character.
Panels, workshops, and talks from industry professionals, hobbyists, and people like you! We encourage anyone who has something to share to do so - from career advice on breaking into games, to how to make the best D&D map.
Gaming sessions from Jackbox Party Pack to 7 Wonders, as well as drop-in PUGs.
No entry fee tournaments, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, 2XKO, and Dance Central 3!
One-shot RPG campaigns for both beginner and experienced players.
Networking opportunities. Chat and meet with peers and industry professionals.
Free-to-enter and donation raffles. You could win merch, games, maybe even something bigger...
Free waffles!!

Building Better Worlds through Game Culturalization (2021): Kate Edwards, Geogrify/Global Game Jam

Your Day-Of Inventory

Expo Hall Info

TBD

Panels & Schedule

TBD

Tournaments

TBD

Hotels & Transit Info

Discover how to get here or where to stay!

Watch Past Years' VODs

WATCH NOW

Past speakers have included:

Natalie Asport Senior Prop Artist, NetherRealm Studios

Jimmy Bauer Ast. Partnerships Account Manager, Gen.G

Michael Cooper Software Development Engineer, UI/UX Developer,

Amazon Games

Victor Davila Former Events and Partnerships Manager, MSI

Kate Edwards CEO, Geogrify & Former Executive Director, Global Game Jam

Jonathan Flesher VP Business Development, Partnerships & Corporate Development, Reddit, Inc.

Kevin "Kebunbun" Hoang CEO / Co-Founder, Arclight Labs

Tamara Hughes Social Media & Event Producer, Spatial

Jenelle Jaquays Art & Content Creation Veteran

Josh Mancell Composer, Freelance (Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter)

Dominic Nguyen Community Engagement Specialist, NVIDIA

Coraly Rosario Senior Experience Designer, Zynga
Tori Schafer Senior Narrative Designer, Activision

Kate Smith Technical Designer, WB Games

Oshin Tudayan Social Media Strategist II, Riot Games

Lawrence Yang UX Designer, Valve

Yiyi Zhang Community & PR Manager, Heart Machine

and many, many more!

Made Possible By

Frequently Asked Questions

While Waffle Games welcomes attendees under 18, this event occurs in an adult setting and may involve adult discussions and mature themes such as religion, violence, gender issues and human sexuality, war, politics, and other issues that encompass the realm of college and industry-level considerations and discussions. Talk and gameplay sessions may contain profanity. All attendees under 18 will be required to have a parent or guardian sign an event consent form.

All on-site attendees under 16 must have an accompanying adult 21+.

Anyone can apply to speak or exhibit at Waffle Games, whether you're a student, hobbyist, academic, or industry pro. We want our event to be an open exchange of ideas and a celebration of everyone in gaming!

Speakers We accept submissions for panels, workshops, and talks of all kinds. Whether you want to talk about your love for Elder Scrolls lore or provide technical advice on shaders, we're open to hearing about it! This year, we are looking for in-person speakers only.

Exhibitors

Studios, artists, startups, services, nonprofits, community groups, and more are all welcome to apply to exhibit for free on our in-person day!