5 Step Survival guide: PAX Prime for introverts

We’re coming upon convention season, an incredibly fun but mentally taxing time of year for the local introverted gamer contingent! I like many other people am very introverted and even panic when it comes to large gatherings like PAX. I have a few notes and suggestions for those who are introverts on how to survive the massive convention that is PAX Prime!

1: Find someone to share the convention with!

In the rush to get tickets, we were all happy to have gotten one and then we panic to make sure all our friends got their tickets too. It’s much easier to band with our friends who want to see what we want, and are comfortable standing in line and just observing and not making uncomfortable chitchat if we don’t have to. Sometimes it’s nice to just conserve the energy that’s needed for a four day convention and just observe the spectacle!

If your friends didn’t get a ticket, it gets harder. You could go by yourself (but if you’re anything like me, you panic about standing in line by yourself because I start wondering if the people around me wonder why I’m alone and not with friends like them. Maybe I’m a weirdo. Maybe they want to talk to me, or maybe they want to be left alone. Maybe…?) What I mean is that I get a little freaked out in my own head. I can do it, but it stressed me out. So maybe it’s worth reaching out to other groups going to PAX and joining with them. There are a lot of active boards about PAX – their own forum is flush with new people and veterans of the convention, and the PAX Prime subreddit is filled with people excited about the con. Both of these would be appropriate places to post a “Hey, I’m going to PAX Prime alone – I’m an introvert, but also looking for people to share the convention with. Anyone in the same boat?”

2: Snacks and lunch and food breaks

When you finally make it out of the expo floor or navigate out of the table top rooms or wherever you find yourself and realize you’re starving (for me, that usually presents itself by me getting hangry and super critical of everything, or I start feeling flush and kinda dizzy), you need to know where to get food. If you wander down the escalators you’ll find oodles of food choices and they have lines as long as the Fallout 4 demo line (I’m being optimistic, I really want there to be a demo!). So a couple of things I suggest: Bring snacks with you so when you’re dying in line for some food, but you’re 8 from the front of the line to see Unravel (I also hope Yarny makes an appearance at PAX!), munch on some cashews or whatever you’ve stashed in your bag. Once you get out, know some places that are quiet and you can decompress. My personal favorite suggestion is going to Ruths Chris for lunch. It’s around the corner from the convention center, tasty food for a few dollars more than you would spend at some of the other restaurants around the area, but for whatever reason, it’s always really quiet there. No waiting for a table, no noisy crowds – it’s really easy to relax and breathe in the quiet! (I’ll be there almost every day – look for the girl with blue and black hair looking blissfully at her vodka martini while meditating in the quiet room).

Along those same lines, the dehydration struggle is real! Being dehydrated can affect your mood, attention span, and overall ability to handle all the things that is PAX. Bring a water bottle with you and make sure to refill it at the available water fountains. (This is especially true if you imbibe in adult beverages throughout the day or evening or both!)

3: Know when to tap out

I love the expo floor of PAX – I want to play the games, watch the demos, and listen to the devs sell me on their latest project. I have already bought my ticket to the hype train. I’m all aboard with you! But after a few hours of deafening music, being body checked by people trying to get to their next panel, and feeling like a disco ball is above me at every booth, I’m ready to crawl inside of my own head and check out for a bit. Know the signs when you’re getting over stimulated, and check out for a bit.

I am lucky enough to live within walking distance of the convention center, but I almost never go home during the con, and that’s not an option for people who are traveling a long way to the con each day. So when you’re over stimulated, maybe it’s time to check some of the options that let you zone out for a bit solo! My personal favorites are sitting by myself at Reaper’s paint-a-mini take-a-mini room – no forced interaction, and I can concentrate on painting some absurdly small monk or kobold. If you’re lucky enough to find one free, the sumo sacks in the DS free play area are also super rad to pop open your own game, get comfortable off your feet for a bit, and try to not fall asleep! You can also get outdoors and see what else there is to see in Seattle – Down Town actually isn’t that big of an area if you want to go out and about for a while.

4: Real talk: Lots of us are in the same boat as you

I am not a unique snowflake in a storm of gamers that are all extroverted and maxed out their charisma. I know that the people in line in front or behind me when I’m by myself waiting for a game are not wondering what my jam is, they are excited to play a game, they’re tired that their feet hurt after 4 days of gaming, and they probably want to know what game they’re going to play next, as well as them wondering what the person behind them is thinking about them. They’re just as much in their heads as I am. I have to frequently remind myself that I’m likely not alone and that people are very understanding when I need to occasionally tap out and disappear or just hang out and stay quiet. Everyone knows PAX is emotionally and physically draining and we need to give ourselves a little leeway and some grace.

Please know that it is completely okay if someone is talking to you or is trying to start up a conversation, but you are in your introvert hidey hole and need to be silent for a bit (but not so much as to leave the expo hall entirely), you are being completely reasonable when you find a gentle way to express yourself to that person. For example: “I’m sorry, I’m kind of an introvert and feeling a little socially worn out right now. Is it ok if we just sit/stand in silence for a bit and enjoy the atmosphere together or would you be up for playing this line game with me that we can pass back and forth for a bit while I recoup?”

5: For those lucky extroverts: Ask us if we’re okay, but respect our answer if we say “Yes!”

When you’re with a friend or a group of people and you’re all having a grand time and then one person suddenly stops chiming in wants to duck out and do something else, and says they’ll catch up with you later – It’s a good idea to ask what’s up. It could be that someone hurt their feelings or maybe they aren’t feeling well. But it’s entirely possible that they’re just an introvert that hit that max point and they want some time out. Asking us again, “are you sure you’re okay?” “Really?” “But are you really okay?” will only make us more anxious. If you’re maybe only a casual acquaintance or even a total stranger, and you see someone that’s doing their own jam solo and ask if they’re okay, again, the answer can be “yes” and be completely right! (When someone is stumbling, ill, drunk, crying, I’m not saying you need to press them to tell you what exactly is wrong if they don’t want to reach out, but maybe alerting an enforcer or someone in authority who can give something more than emotional assistance is in order)

Have I missed anything for those introverts who love going to conventions? Please let me know!

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