Heartland Gaming Convention returns with expanded activities for 2025

The Heartland Gaming Convention in Cape Girardeau is set to return with an expanded lineup of activities and events Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1.

Following a successful turnout last year, organizers are eager to maintain momentum and possibly achieve some growth in attendance.

The convention, which aims to foster a gaming community in Southeast Missouri and surrounding areas, will be held at the Arena Building, 410 Kiwanis Drive, and will offer a variety of gaming experiences for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

Last year’s Heartland Gaming Convention exceeded expectations, drawing more than 600 attendees — more than double the initial goal of 250. This year, organizers are focused on sustaining this growth by enhancing promotional efforts and expanding the event’s offerings.

“We had an amazing turnout last year and we’ve been doing a lot more promotional work and, hopefully, getting a lot more people here locally that didn’t know about this year. So we’re hoping for about a little bit of a growth, but we’re really, really, really hoping just to maintain, for sure,” said Chris Elfrink, a veteran Cape Girardeau Comic and Anime Con vendor.

The convention will feature an array of activities, including board game tournaments, role-playing games and a consignment shop where attendees can buy and sell games. The consignment shop also offers the option to donate unsold games to local schools and libraries, supporting community engagement and education.

The convention’s organizers have been actively collaborating with local schools and libraries to promote the benefits of gaming. Partnerships with institutions such as Jackson High School and the Riverside Regional Library branch in Jackson have helped increase student involvement in gaming clubs, demonstrating the positive impact of these initiatives on local youth, according to Elfrink.

This year’s convention will introduce several new features, including a Disney Lorcana tournament, replacing the previous Magic: The Gathering tournament. Attendees can also look forward to a variety of role-playing game systems, with more than 22 events planned across six different RPG systems.

The convention will continue to offer popular features such as the play-to-win and free-to-play libraries, allowing participants to explore new games and win prizes throughout the weekend.

“We have about double the unique events from last year, because a lot more people who either attended last year or have found out about the convention, have put in to run different events. So it’s not even all us, it’s people coming in and wanting to run events for other people. So we’re really proud about that. Because that was our big thing last year, is we want people to come and be able to do (things, and) we’re now offering that much more for them to be able to come in and do,” Elfrink said.

The vendor floor is fully booked, showcasing a range of exhibitors from independent game publishers to crafters and artists. Other vendors include a retro and vintage board gaming specialist from Oklahoma and a miniature gaming vendor from Kansas City.

One of the big things the convention is changing this year is it will be making sure to have printed maps and schedules to hand out, so everyone knows what is going on through the weekend.

“Especially those who hear about this on the starting Friday and decide to go on Saturday and haven’t had February through May, to kind of look at the schedule and kind of get into the events. So we’re going to be putting that out, so that way, hopefully, people who are coming in that weekend are going to be able to sign up for the tournaments and sign up for events,” Elfrink said.

For those interested in attending, pre-sale tickets and event passes are available until Monday, May 5. After that, tickets will be available at the door, though prices will increase slightly.

More information about the convention and upcoming public gaming events may be found on the Heartland Gaming Convention’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093567187940.