At Go Play, we bring together some of the best GMs in Brisbane … and they always bring their A‑game. The variety and creativity of the games on offer humbles us every year. And the diversity of players welcomed at Go Play – and the wild, wonderful stories they bring to life – is endlessly inspiring.
But how did this all start?
Way back in 2008 – a time before QR codes were on every surface and Stranger Things made being nerdy cool (while simultaneously making D&D look fun!) – our founder, Andrew Smith, decided to start Go Play Brisbane with three simple goals:
- 1.
To connect local gamers to each other
- 2.
To invite new people to the hobby, and
- 3.
To have fun.
Our very first Go Play was held in the basement of Ace Comics and Games with just a couple of tables of players. Fast‑forward to today and we fill 13 tables across 4 sessions (we’ll do the maths for you) that’s 52 tables minimum at the past four or five Go Plays … plus the boardgamers’ and creators’ tables too).
Every year we get bigger and better … and we can say that honestly, because each year we evolve to bring together more gamers, more games, and more stories than ever before each Go Play.
But, even as we’ve grown exponentially and tales of Go Play fun spread across Brisbane (and the metasphere), our philosophy hasn’t changed.
Look at Go Play through the lens of our founder and allfather Andrew’s original goals and you’ll see the same heartbeat:
- 1.
Go Play brings together players from all over Brisbane who love to roleplay and puts them in one room to create incredible adventures. ✓
- 2.
We welcome newbies every year – people trying roleplay for the very first time. ✓
- 3.
The happy, creative vibe in the room is palpable. ✓
Since we began over a decade ago, we’ve run games in the big systems like Dungeons & Dragons and Vampire. We’ve run games in indie gems like Fiasco and FATE. We’ve even hosted playtests for locally designed systems that later became published games.
Our conventions are filled with laughter, cheers, and the occasional dramatic gasp. And we always head out afterwards (drinkers and non‑drinkers equally welcome) to share war stories and hear about the games we didn’t get a chance to play.
We’re committed to keeping this convention free of charge. No matter your financial situation, we want Go Play to be accessible to you. And, above all, we want to create an environment where we'll all have fun.
