DISCOVER

There are tons of games and gaming related things to discover at the Midwest Gaming Classic! Here is some of what we’ll feature in 2024!!

 
3DS Streetpass Meetup

3DS Streetpass Meetup

3DS Streetpass Meetup

3DS Streetpass Meetup

Party like it’s 2010 and gather ’round the jukebox at 3pm Saturday to make your 3DS’ little orange light BLOW UP! 3DS Streetpass enthusiasts from around the world will be gathering at the Midwest Gaming Classic to keep that little led torch lit and the Streetpass spirit alive.
Air Hockey Pro Challenge Matches

Air Hockey Pro Challenge Matches

Air Hockey Pro Challenge Matches

Air Hockey Pro Challenge Matches

In a new format for 2024, MGC is proud to showcase top professional Air Hockey talent in a series of showcase matches on Saturday. Come out and see how the pros really do it on the air hockey table and maybe pick up a trick or two to help win next time someone challenges you to a game.
Arcade Manufacturer Showcase

Arcade Manufacturer Showcase

Arcade Manufacturer Showcase

Arcade Manufacturer Showcase

See all the latest and greatest coin-op and home arcade games from the biggest manufacturers including Stern Pinball, American Pinball, Raw Thrills, Spooky Pinball, Chicago Gaming, Skee-Ball, Jersey Jack Pinball, and many others! Then, find out how to bring your favorite game to your home or arcade from the manufacturers and distributors on site!

Arcade Supernova

Arcade Supernova

Arcade Supernova

Arcade Supernova

Arcade Supernova is a culmination of 30 years finding, hoarding, and refurbishing classic video arcade machines. Brett Fuehring and Mike Freeland are two arcade collectors turned operators that met in the mid 1990’s through the local collecting community in Kansas City. After years of traveling the midwest to grow their collection they eventually turned to partnering with others to get the games back out in the the public eye. Over the last dozen years they’ve found the recipe for the perfect partnership locations and now operate nearly 500 original classic video games in Toledo Ohio, Cleburne Texas, Richmond Virginia, and four locations in the Kansas City, Missouri metro.
Artemis Bridge Simulator [Full Experience]

Artemis Bridge Simulator [Full Experience]

Artemis Bridge Simulator [Full Experience]

Artemis Bridge Simulator [Full Experience]

Immerse yourself in this starship bridge simulator. This is the premier event for the actual built bridge with Spaceship type walls, monitors, and a large central view screen. Take one on of seven different positions and work together to overcome whatever the universe throws at you. Will you be the Captain, Helms Officer, Weapons Officer, Science Officer, Communications Officer, Fighter, or Engineering Officer? Yell things like “Give it all she’s got, Cap’n!” and “Logically speaking, there is no chance for survival.”
    • Training Experience. This is no Kobayashi Maru, so there’s no need to cheat, Kirk. The training ship has a crew of five and is aimed at giving everyone the fundamental experience while training them what each position does. $5 per seat, 5 seats per session.
    • Full Experience – Training days are over! You’re on a deep space mission to ███ █████ █████ to do ███ █████ ████. Crews of seven will take up positions on the bridge and strive to go where no crew has gone before? $10 per seat, 7 seats per session.
Artemis Bridge Simulator [Training Experience]

Artemis Bridge Simulator [Training Experience]

Artemis Bridge Simulator [Training Experience]

Artemis Bridge Simulator [Training Experience]

Immerse yourself in this starship bridge simulator. This is a smaller training session that will give you the basics of each position. Take one on of seven different positions and work together to overcome whatever the universe throws at you. Will you be the Captain, Helms Officer, Weapons Officer, Science Officer, Communications Officer, Fighter, or Engineering Officer? Yell things like “Give it all she’s got, Cap’n!” and “Logically speaking, there is no chance for survival.”
    • Training Experience. This is no Kobayashi Maru, so there’s no need to cheat, Kirk. The training ship has a crew of five and is aimed at giving everyone the fundamental experience while training them what each position does. $5 per seat, 5 seats per session.
    • Full Experience – Training days are over! You’re on a deep space mission to ███ █████ █████ to do ███ █████ ████. Crews of seven will take up positions on the bridge and strive to go where no crew has gone before? $10 per seat, 7 seats per session. (Full experience tickets here)
Artist Alley

Artist Alley

Artist Alley

Artist Alley

Check out the work of established and up-and-coming artists in our Artist Alley section! If you are an artist interested in displaying and selling your work here, please visit our Artist Alley Registration page.

BitBuilt Experience

BitBuilt Experience

BitBuilt Experience

BitBuilt Experience

Curious how far modding original video game hardware can go? The BitBuilt Experience is a collaboration between the BitBuilt and Ben Heck Experience communities to show, tell, and teach about console modifications. Such mods include adding video out to older systems, miniaturized consoles such as the world’s smallest GameCube that can fit in your palm, handheld consoles made from home consoles ranging from Atari 2600 to Wii, and everything in between — all with original hardware. Stop by the experience to see these mods and chat with some of the great minds behind them.
Brew City Wrestling

Brew City Wrestling

Brew City Wrestling

Brew City Wrestling

We love us some wrestling here at MGC central and Brew City Wrestling is the local home grown group providing the perfect type of wrestling entertainment we like to see. Join us at the show as BCW takes to the ring and brings the action up close and personal to all show attendees. Learn more about Brew City Wrestling at the Midwest Gaming Classic!
ByteOff Awards

ByteOff Awards

ByteOff Awards

ByteOff Awards

The NESmaker Byte-Off awards are our way of celebrating this amazing, diverse, creative, ingenious, passionate community. It is designed to be a collaborative event to drive new ideas and give everyone a platform to show them off. Many games that started off as fun, small scale Byte-Off demoes have gone on to be fully fleshed out and have been published for retro and modern consoles. Who will win this year’s annual NESmaker Byte-Off awards? Find out at Midwest Gaming Classic! To play the entries and for details, go to www.TheNew8bitHeroes.com
Cabin of the Cackling Man Escape Room

Cabin of the Cackling Man Escape Room

Cabin of the Cackling Man Escape Room

Cabin of the Cackling Man Escape Room

Lost in the woods, you stumble upon an old cabin.  There are human remains inside, long deceased, and …clutching an old gaming controller?

Whatever happened here is about to happen again.  Something has awakened in the woods, and it’s coming for you.  Can you solve the mystery behind a cursed video game and a strange occult ritual before midnight? Or will you be the next victim of the Cackling Man?

An escape room inspired by creepypastas, the 80s, retro video games and urban legends.

Click here for more information and to register! Ticket to the Midwest Gaming Classic is required. Make sure you arrive early to get your MGC wrist band well before your scheduled time.

CARCADE

CARCADE

CARCADE

CARCADE

Milwaukee’s own mobile arcade returns to the Wisconsin Center! CARCADE arrives #PARKandPLAY your favorite games with its go-anywhere entertainment system perfect for birthday parties, tailgating, company events, and more!

Classic Gaming and Computing Museum

Classic Gaming and Computing Museum

Classic Gaming and Computing Museum

Classic Gaming and Computing Museum

The Computing and Gaming Museum is one of the centerpieces of the Midwest Gaming Classic! Check out hundreds of different consoles from Pong to the PS5 and everything in between! Discover the joys of early computers, share the fun of hit games from the past, and check out the present of video games in the home! Best of all? Unlike a museum where you can just look, in the Computing and Gaming Museum, it’s almost all playable too!
Discover Dungeons & Dragons

Discover Dungeons & Dragons

Discover Dungeons & Dragons

Discover Dungeons & Dragons

No Experience Necessary! Walk up, sit down, play! From the Birthplace of the “Game that Changed the World” come join Realms of Adventure with the very first role-playing game that has ignited the imaginations of millions of gamers around the world for five decades! We will teach you the basics of the original role-playing game and give you a taste of this collaborative storytelling game that relies more on teamwork and less on competition to win the day. Ever wonder what changed the face of tabletop and video gaming from the early days of Pong and Space Invaders into the magic of Legend of Zelda and the Elder Scrolls saga? Let us be your guide and companion through amazing lands and dread dungeons to battle monstrous foes, best deadly challenges and seize marvelous treasures to forge your own legend! Join Wisconsin (Harold) Johnson, Tom “The Dwarf” Darga, and others on fast-paced and quick intro adventures in the endless Realms of Adventure.
Dragon's Sandbox

Dragon's Sandbox

Dragon's Sandbox

Dragon's Sandbox

Dragon’s Sandbox offers beginner friendly pop-up Dungeons & Dragons 5e events; come crawl through dungeons, defeat creepy monsters, and possibly earn some gold during the convention. Look for the suit of armor in the Tabletop zone and we’ll get you seated.
Free Geek Twin Cities

Free Geek Twin Cities

Free Geek Twin Cities

Free Geek Twin Cities

Free Geek Twin Cities- We are an electronics recycling and refurbishing center located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We have a mission to keep electronics waste out of landfills and repurpose it into usable technology. Thanks to the donations we receive, we can get computers into the hands of our community’s financially needy and help bridge the digital divide. We’re hosting a family-friendly recycling activity where we’ll help you disassemble controllers to help the environment! A few items from the legendary Computer Reset warehouse in Dallas, TX will be on sale as well.
Future Classics

Future Classics

Future Classics

Future Classics

Try out the classics of the future from various developers of all sizes! From VR to console, Steam to mobile, you might be the first to check out tomorrow’s hot new game!

Are you a developer? Register here to show your games at MGC.

Game Center Arcade

Game Center Arcade

Game Center Arcade

Game Center Arcade

When the show opens, so does the largest arcade in Wisconsin! Featuring hundreds of arcade video and pinball machines, this is a room that you don’t want to miss!

Interested in bringing a machine to share and getting awesome rewards? Click THIS!

 

 

Garcade

Garcade

Garcade

Garcade

The incredible Menomonee Falls-based arcade the Garcade joins us and is throwing an EPIC bash! Featuring games, a DJ, and a friendly competition, come celebrate the Garcade with them! Can’t wait? Visit the Garcade in Menomonee Falls today to play over 175 games for one price!

Learn More About the Garcade at the MGC

Guys, Games and Beer

Guys, Games and Beer

Guys, Games and Beer

Guys, Games and Beer

The fun-loving Guys, Games and Beer podcast is an amazing group of guys (and gals!) that get together to discuss games and beer! They love sharing their favorite games with people, whether it is classics you may know, or extremely unique and one-of-a-kind things you may never seen! Walk into the room and become part of the G2B family and see what all the fun is about!
Homebrew Pinball

Homebrew Pinball

Homebrew Pinball

Homebrew Pinball

Do you have a homebrew pinball or arcade game you would like to show off at the 2024 Midwest Gaming Classic? If so, please email your name, the game’s name, and if you will bring more than one game. Space is limited so please contact us as soon as possible, the deadline to enter will be March 25, 2024.
I Play Games

I Play Games

I Play Games

I Play Games

I Play Games is coming to the show and bringing a bunch of their great head-to-head modern games for people to check out and play! Stop by for a casual game, or play in a for-fun tournament with announcers calling the action live!
KingPin Kiddie Ride Menagerie

KingPin Kiddie Ride Menagerie

KingPin Kiddie Ride Menagerie

KingPin Kiddie Ride Menagerie

Want to put your kids into a vehicle from a popular 80s cartoon, the back of an animal, or onto a space ship? These are just some of the options that KingPin Games will have in their KingPin Kiddie Ride Menagerie at the show! Hop on (as long as you are the correct size and / or weight) and take a ride down memory lane in this fun area! If you love one of these, you can bring one home with you or get it to put at a location to share after the show is over! Want to reserve one for delivery at the show? Contact Chris at KingPin at (608) 393-2299 for current inventory and pricing!
MGC Gaming Jukebox

MGC Gaming Jukebox

MGC Gaming Jukebox

MGC Gaming Jukebox

Listen to music from your favorite video games at our specially built jukebox!

Click Here for a Full Track List

MGC Main Stage

MGC Main Stage

MGC Main Stage

MGC Main Stage

The MGC Main Stage features entertainment, our famous Saturday night Cosplay Contest and the epic MGC After Party (additional ticket required)!

View the full-stage lineup!

MilCog Game Library

MilCog Game Library

MilCog Game Library

MilCog Game Library

With a library of more than one thousand table top games to borrow, MilCog (or the Milwaukee Company of Gamers) has something fun for you to play with your friends! Pull up a chair and sit down at a table! Want help learning a new game? We’ll have staff on site to help teach you new things!
North Point Gaming Experiment

North Point Gaming Experiment

North Point Gaming Experiment

North Point Gaming Experiment

Join us at the Midwest Gaming Classic for an experiment hosted by North Point Chiropractic. We’ll test if higher Heart Rate Variability Scores correlate with gaming performance. Heart Rate Variability gauges overall nervous system health. Explore the intriguing link between physiological well-being and gaming prowess in this innovative study. It’s just a couple minutes of your time where we track your HRV while you play a fun racing game.
Relic Quest Escape Room

Relic Quest Escape Room

Relic Quest Escape Room

Relic Quest Escape Room

Presented by Think Quick Events, teams of players are adventurers looking for an artifact to restore an ancient power to a secluded village. Solve puzzles, decipher codes, and work together as a team before the window of star alignment closes to answer the village’s pleas, lest they wait for another generation of heroes to come to their aid! Maximum room size of 8 players.

Click here for more information and to register! Ticket to the Midwest Gaming Classic is required. Make sure you arrive early to get your MGC wrist band well before your scheduled time.

Roman's Qualifying Coliseum

Roman's Qualifying Coliseum

Roman's Qualifying Coliseum

Roman's Qualifying Coliseum

Roman’s Qualifying Coliseum is where you compete in your qualifying rounds for several console games. Jason Roman is a game lover, and realtor who can help you find the new home that will have enough space for your entire gaming collection. Find them on Facebook.

MGC thanks Roman Properties, for helping us to upgrade our tournament area!

Saber Legion

Saber Legion

Saber Legion

Saber Legion

The world’s largest LED saber combat organization is coming to MGC! A global community of LED saber combat sport enthusiasts. You might think the sport itself is our secret sauce, but to us, it’s a way to bring all sorts of people together from all around the world to make friends, have fun, play with amazing laser swords, and safely challenge ourselves to learn and grow. Witness the power of the light saber in action!
Show Exclusive Game Experience

Show Exclusive Game Experience

Show Exclusive Game Experience

Show Exclusive Game Experience

Come play the games we’ve had as show exclusives in the past and this year’s new MGC Show Exclusive games. Then buy them right at the MGC Official Merchandise booth while supplies last! This includes games on the Atari Jaguar, Sega Genesis, Nintendo NES, SNES, and Switch. Then, if you like, you can buy them from the Merchandise booth during normal show hours. Want to get them before the show? Head over to JJGames, which we own, and get the games sent to you! Want to know more about all the games? Check out the MGC Show Exclusive History page. VIG exclusive games are not part of this experience.
Skeleton Crew

Skeleton Crew

Skeleton Crew

Skeleton Crew

The Skeleton Crew is a group of professional paleontologists that like to play video games and talk about dinosaurs – and hopefully teach a thing or two about science along the way! Join them for paleo-game playthroughs, fossil replicas, & more!
Slypatch TCG Room

Slypatch TCG Room

Slypatch TCG Room

Slypatch TCG Room

Buy Magic, play Magic, talk Magic…BE MAGIC! Or, you Yu-Gi-Oh! Or, you Gotta Catch ’em All: Pokemon TCG!

Slypatch is your place to participate in Magic tournaments, play pick up games, and even learn how to play if you haven’t before! Play in the same spot (just in a new building!) as the game was revealed in 30 years ago!

Run by Slypatch Gaming.

Tabletop Stage

Tabletop Stage

Tabletop Stage

Tabletop Stage

All things Tabletop gather on this stage and roll for initiative. As the rolls shake out we’ll update the schedule. Until then, do your best life-sized miniatures pose. Here’s a joke for some.

Why does Reaper call their miniatures line Bones?

Because they stay white and pile up! HAhahaha haha ha… ah heck.

Saturday

10:00-10:30 Meeples & Wine

10:30-11:30 Charles D. Moisant – Game Demo/Talk – Either Outer Planet Panic or AutoClash

12:00-13:00- Roll for Sandwich

14:45-15:45 – Viva la Dungeon! – Game Showcase, audience interaction

15:45-16:45 Dan Houser – Getting into the industry as a writer/illustrator with Q&A

18:00-19:30 Ampersand Theater Co.

Sunday

TBD

TASBot and TiKevin83

TASBot and TiKevin83

TASBot and TiKevin83

TASBot and TiKevin83

The TASBot community was founded in 2013 and is focused on helping our robotic mascot, TASBot, play video games perfectly for charity. TASBot content at Games Done Quick events has helped raise more than $1.3M USD for The Prevent Cancer Foundation and Doctors Without Borders. TASBot plays back Tool-Assisted Speedruns from TASVideos.org using replay devices that typically pretend to be a controller plugged into a real video game console. Through this process TASBot verifies that emulators act exactly like the consoles they emulate. TASVideos Ambassdor TiKevin83 is a record holding TASer in Pokemon Yellow and has been helping present TASVideos and TASBot runs since 2019. TASBot, TiKevin83, and friends will show TASes being verified live all weekend!
Tesla Demo Drives

Tesla Demo Drives

Tesla Demo Drives

Tesla Demo Drives

Tesla will be offering Demo Drives of their Model Y crossover at the show! To get one, sign up for a time at their table in the foyer. Make sure to ask them how to drive on Rainbow Road, and to show you the built-in games!
Uptown Society Photobooth

Uptown Society Photobooth

Uptown Society Photobooth

Uptown Society Photobooth

Get ready for a blast at the Midwest Gaming Classic with Uptown Society! They’re bringing the vibes and curating an awesome photobooth experience. Swing by, snap some pics, and discover the cool stuff they’re up to in Milwaukee! 📸 Check TheUptownSociety.com for more details. 
Vendor Hall

Vendor Hall

Vendor Hall

Vendor Hall

Over 100,000 square feet of gaming goodness! Whatever you are looking for – from games and systems to shirts, toys, machine parts, costume pieces, and so much more – find it among our 100+ vendors from all over the country! Remember, if you pre-ordered tickets, you get into the vendor hall 30 minutes early on Saturday, and for VIG, it’s an HOUR early on Saturday!

Want to be a vendor at MGC? Sign up here!

Virtual Boy Exhibit

Virtual Boy Exhibit

Virtual Boy Exhibit

Virtual Boy Exhibit

The Virtual Boy, you say? Yes! A complete US Virtual Boy collection in box, many of the Japanese boxed games and boxed homebrew titles. Additionally, check out promotional material including pins, figures, books, and magazines. But don’t just look, play! Also on site will be a working store kiosk unit and two systems modded into consoles with two player head-to-head play.
World of Nintendo Retail Store Exhibit

World of Nintendo Retail Store Exhibit

World of Nintendo Retail Store Exhibit

World of Nintendo Retail Store Exhibit

The ‘World of Nintendo’ was a store-within-a-store concept that Nintendo popularized in the late 80s and early 90s. Retailers transformed their spaces into luminous merchandising wonderlands where animated lighted signs hung from the ceilings, iconic soundtracks filled the air, and children lined up to play the latest Nintendo games on interactive displays. The author of ‘The World of Nintendo Book’ has curated this exhibit to allow visitors to experience the sights and sounds of what it was like to visit these stores during Nintendo’s heyday. This will be the 2nd time the exhibit has been featured at MGC. In 2024, you’ll be transported back to 1991, a time when Nintendo’s NES, Super NES, and Game Boy reigned supreme.