Tabletop gaming enthusiasts in Kamloops are hoping to capitalize on the mainstream popularity of Dungeons and Dragons to boost interest in the first-ever KamCon next fall.

Tyler Capentier is part of a small group of local gamers planning the homegrown gaming convention, set for Oct. 27 and Oct. 28 at Thompson Rivers University.

“Dungeons and Dragons, of course, is the really popular one that is back in the pop culture lexicon now, but there's other systems — Fate and Scion and Rifts — there’s a whole bunch of different games that are out there that people enjoy,” Carpentier said.

“The gaming industry is growing a huge amount right now, the tabletop gaming industry, and we feel that it's a bit underserved.”

#KamCon18 will feature content for both experienced gamers and those who have never rolled up a character. Games will be run using systems including Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, Scion, Fate, Pathfinder and Genesys.

There will also be an extensive board game library for attendees to access throughout the expo, in addition to workshops, vendors and special guests. Organizers are hoping to include a cosplay element, with a possible costume contest in the works.

Carpentier said they would be thrilled to see a couple hundred people come check it out. With the response they’ve seen so far, they feel it will be a big enough success to roll over into an annual convention.

There’s already a community that exists around tabletop and role playing games in Kamloops, with the local wargaming expo Attack-X heading into its sixth year.

While KamCon won’t be focusing on strategy war games featured at Attack-X, organizers are hoping to attract wide interest from all factions of the gaming community

“There's different groups scattered all over the place, and part of doing this convention is to try and bring those people together a bit and do what we can to build up the community for these games,” Carpentier said.

They’re also hoping to attract new players with introductory workshops for newbies.

“Some people really want to play but they've never had somebody to show them how, so these workshops have been really successful in doing that,” Carpentier said.

The schedule for KamCon has not yet been finalized, but organizers expect passes to be on sale by May 31. Gamers will have the choice to attend one day, or the whole weekend. Keep up with #KamCon18 on Twitter and Facebook for announcements.