Located in the heart of the prairie, FlatCon is Bloomington/Normal’s very own family-friendly and inclusive tabletop gaming convention since 2000!
You will find a game you like at FlatCon.
Please note - this is NOT the official FlatCon website. Red Raccoon Games gets asked a ton of questions about FlatCon every year, and we created this page to answer as many questions as possible about FlatCon and to encourage RRG customers to attend!
FlatCon is our convention for Bloomington-Normal. It is run by a 501c3 non-profit called Tabletop Gamers For Good. Everything they do raises money for charity, & Red Raccoon Games is proud to be a primary sponsor every year. FlatCon runs from Friday - Sunday 1 weekend each October.
A question that always comes up that we want to address early: kids under 12 attend for free! (we'll talk more about this below in the badges section.)
So what can you expect at FlatCon? Games! Lots of games!
Board Games
FlatCon always boasts a massive board game library. You can check out a game & sit down to play it with your friends & family. Coming to FlatCon alone? There are always other attendees to play with!
There are also games in the board game library area called "Play to Win". These games have been donated by publishers, and every person who plays one of these games will have their name added to a hat. One of the people who played the game will be chosen to take it home for free!
Not sure how to play a game? One of the things you will notice looking at the schedule of events is there are people who run demos of games. Some of these demos are free, and some of them are more involved & require you to purchase a ticket for that event.
Role-Playing Games The biggest role-playing games played at FlatCon are Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. But every year there are other new rpgs played at FlatCon - make sure you take a look at the schedule. Aliens RPG, Monsterheart, Call of Cthulhu, Dragonsbane, and so many others are offered. FlatCon is an amazing way to experiment & try new game systems you have never seen before.
Each RPG event has slightly different rules for character creation. D&D Adventurer's League, D&D Heroes of Enteja, and Pathfinder Society all have published rules for creating a character & bringing it with you to every convention similar to FlatCon. If you don't want to do that, or don't know how, most of the time at events like FlatCon, the game masters will have pre-generated characters ready to play, so unless the event says differently, you really don't need anything to play other than a pencil, paper, and a set of dice! It's awesome!
Miniatures Strategy Games
Miniatures games are incredibly popular in the Midwest. In fact, that largest miniatures convention in North America happens in the Midwest - Adepticon has been in Chicago for years, but will move to Milwaukee in 2025.
In a minis game, each player commands an army of some sort and moves their miniatures around the board in simulated conflict. These are games that normally you already know the rules & have your army ready to go, and FlatCon gives you the opportunity to compete in larger tournaments versus people who have traveled from outside the area to compete.
Never played a game like this before? It's ok just to watch, and check the events schedule because there are often demos running to teach new players. The players are almost always happy to explain what is going on as long as you are respectful of their time.
The biggest minis events run at FlatCon are Warhammer 40k, Age of Sigmar, and Marvel Crisis Protocol. Again, there are other games that are played. One of our favorites are the giant LEGO battles. In 2023 there were giant LEGO pirate ships, and in past years there have been LEGO tanks or LEGO mechs! It's amazing fun to watch.
And we can't ignore Aerodrome! Aerodrome is WW1 fighter planes dogfighting, and is amazing. We think it has been run all 20 years of FlatCon!
Vendor Hall As one of the premier sponsors, Red Raccoon Games will have a huge booth in the Vendor Hall, but we are far from alone. Other stores will be there, and so many craft vendors will be there. Most of them are there every year with us, like Mythica Gaming from Bartonville, Limitless Adventures, Rusted Icon Designs, and so many more! Sometimes just shopping the Vendor Hall is fun!
These are the 4 biggest sections of FlatCon, but there is so much more to see & do. The charity silent auction is always popular, as is the Saturday cosplay contest. Check out the event schedule for full details.
Now that you know why you should come to FlatCon, here is a quick FAQ section:
What do I need to attend FlatCon? To attend FlatCon, you must register for a badge. Badges can be for a single day, or for the entire weekend.
Can I bring kids? Yes! There are many kids at FlatCon every year! Kids under 12 attend for free, but must be accompanied by an adult with a badge.
Where is FlatCon? FlatCon is located at the Interstate Center in Bloomington. The Interstate Center is where the McLean Country Fair is held every year on the far west side of Bloomington, on Route 9 just past the Farm & Fleet and Walmart.
What is the difference a badge and a ticket? A badge gets you in to FlatCon, and you can participate in most events for free. Things like the Vendor Hall or the Board Game Library are just you walking up and participate, but other games and/or events are limited. Board games usually have a limit to how many can play, and other events are limited by how many people fit around the tables. Once you register, look at the events schedule. There you can sign up for any event that sounds interesting. Some of them are free, and some are not. Signing up for an event to guarantee your spot is called buying a ticket to that event. Popular events will sell out, so the sooner you lock in your ticket the better!
What about food / snacks / drinks? Inside of FlatCon, volunteers from Tabletop Gamers for Good always operate a snack bar for a quick grab of something between games. Flatcon also has a schedule of food trucks that will show up during lunch and dinner hours each day of the con. Additionally, it's pretty easy to hop in your car and find some great restaurants in the area.
Please remember that if you sign up and for some reason you cannot attend an event, or all of FlatCon, it is good manners to cancel any events you signed up for so other can attend!
