Dungeons & Dragons has been at the pinnacle of pop culture during the past decade.
D&D’s fantasy lore and gaming culture is the backbone for award-winning shows and video games such as "Stranger Things" and "Baldur’s Gate 3." Millions watch online sessions on shows such as "Critical Role" and “Dimension 20,” sometimes turning that zeal into sold-out live stadium events.
The greater exposure has only made tabletop gaming more accessible, said Adam Stackhouse, an organizer behind BurgQuest, a Williamsburg-based board and role-playing game festival. It’s a vibe he wants to replicate at the 2nd annual event, this year running from Friday through Sunday at the Sadler Center at William & Mary.
Stackhouse is well aware of the growing interest in D&D and other tabletop roleplaying games. He’s been an avid fan of the hobby for more than 10 years.
“There’s such a growing, fun culture of board games, tabletop games,” Stackhouse said. “And there’s a lot of people looking for reasons to come play together.”
About 400 people made BurgQuest that reason in 2024. This year’s venue is larger, which organizers hope will make way for modest growth in attendance this year. Stackhouse said the larger space means more room for games, more guests and new entertainment.
BurgQuest offers a low-barrier chance for newcomers to try D&D, facilitated by professional game masters. There are game design workshops, panel discussions, a cosplay contest and historical combat demonstration.
Stackhouse said he and co-owner Liz Sykes weren’t content to just set up gaming tables and leave it at that.
“That’s where we start," Stackhouse said,"and then we look beyond that.”
BurgQuest also features musical acts, including the Triforce Quartet in 2024. This year will feature an interactive musical show called “The Fantasy Tavern.” Voice actors Sarah Elmaleh, of the "Fortnite" video game and Noshir Dalal, of various "Star Wars" properties including “Jedi: Survivor," are leading workshops on voice acting and motion capture performance.
There will also be a free play game library hosted by MAGFest at the festival.
“You can come and play games, but you can duck out and do two or three other things that really appeal to you and just be fully in it for the weekend,” Stackhouse said.
BurgQuest already has a long reach. Stackhouse met a family last year that drove from Texas to meet the Triforce Quartet.
“People are impressed by the scope of it given the size of what we’re doing relative to other cons,” he said. “We’re drawing hundreds of people, and not thousands of people, but we’re having the programming and the access to board games that you get at a much larger scale event.”
BurgQuest also wants to link into the local gaming scene. Tap ‘N Roll, a game shop in Williamsburg, will be set up in the marketplace. Goblins & Growlers, which hosts tabletop sessions around Richmond, is hosting games during. Stackhouse suspects many from the Tidewater Area Gaming Society will be returning this year.
“Will it impact Williamsburg and the greater Historic Triangle and greater Hampton Roads area? To be determined,” Stackhouse said. “Catch up with me in a year or two and we’ll see if we’ve made some big waves.”
For more information, visit the BurgQuest website here.
