Does anyone know if there will be a booth this year at Gen Con that specializes in OSR games? I'm remembering one from a few years back that was strictly OSR games (LL, S&W, and various other offerings such as the Advanced Adventure modules) but I couldn't find anything like that on the list of exhibitors this year. Anyone else know?
No one heard anything?
Last yer there was Night Owl Workshop which had some but they are not listed this year. There is Goodman Games who is reprinting some old Judges Guild stuff. But looks like you are going have to do research company by company who prints some OSR stuff and see if any are coming.
I do not know what OSR games are. A less vague post may get more responses.
OSR stands for "old school rules" or "old school renaissance," meaning games inspired by rpgs of old. Games like Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry, or Adventurer, Conquerer, King System (ACKS), are games that borrow heavily, or are inspired by, old rpgs (usually these games are homages to an earlier version of D&D, but others do exist).
Anyway, I was wondering if anyone recognized from the list (I don't) or knew off-hand if an OSR vendor was going to be at the Con.
Your best bet may be the auction (check the sign out front for times they'll be auctioning off RPGs) or consignment store. Goodman Games has reprinted Metamorphosis Alpha, I think. I wonder if Ken St. Andre (creator of Tunnels and Trolls) will be there this year. He ran a game of T&T in 2014 and then told everyone to stop at his booth to get 20% off. Picked up a signed re-print of the original rule book.
I'm pretty sure (95%) that there isn't a specific OSR booth this year. The one that exhibited a several years ago - really cool stuff too - stopped attending.
As part of my research, I click on every vendor on the Exhibit Hall map looking for RPG publishers. Nothing popped.
LotFP and The DCC guys(Goodman Games) are the only major OSR people I know of with booths. I've seen some blogs mention Zak S having an OSR party so LotFP might have some other companies products at their booth. That's just speculation though. My understanding is with skyrocketing booth prices at Gen Con most small press indie publishers, OSR or otherwise, simply can't afford their own booth these days and tend to stick to smaller cons for dealers hall presence.
There is a largish booth, I want to say toad and troll but I think they went out of business, that pretty much sells nothing but old school stuff but three get one free kind of thing. I see them there every year usually middle of the hall area lots of stuffed dragons and ponies on there endcaps. Lots and lots of books from just about any game you can name
You may be remembering Chimera hobby - booth 2301 this year. A lot of manuals and other gaming stuff. Seems like mostly close outs. Deals like buy 3 get 1 free. I don't recall any of the newer OSR's. But definitely worth a look
Also Troll and Toad is the opposite of out of business. They took over the Auction a few years back and also still have huge booths at pretty much every convention I attend (Gen-Con included, of course).