MonCon

MonCon follows Joey, a teenager with social anxiety, as he attends a 24-hour geek culture convention on remote Mondoton Island. He hopes to meet his hero, legendary game designer Mr. Miyashiro, and get his autograph. Through Joey’s perspective, ordinary people appear as monsters he must verbally battle in a psychedelic, rhythm-based system. With help from Karl, a boisterous self-described geek, and Marnie, a fiery investigative podcaster, Joey begins to face his social anxieties and learn that not everyone he meets is a monster.

The convention

MonCon features a reveal of Run Boy 3D, a new virtual reality game from Mondoton, as well as panels, celebrity meet-and-greets and nearly two dozen vendors. The listed guests include Teijo Miyashiro, founder of Mondoton and creator of the Run Boy franchise; Martin Skoltz, creator of the arcade game Space Shock; and Tom Scholander, founder of Triple Cool Games and creator of Fallen Leaves.

Panels cover topics including Mondoton’s history, personality types, a Run Boy speedrun championship, and Fallen Leaves. The convention also has food trucks and a food court, cosplay clothing and a contest, and at least ten retro arcade minigames. You can take on side-quests, collect items and search for hidden secrets around the event.

Explore the event

The vendor booths include Art Alley, Retrospecter, Magic Egg Shop, Fan Girl Productions and Omamori Emporium. Omamori Emporium offers good-luck charms that grant mysterious abilities. The convention has over 120 attendees, and Mr. Miyashiro signs autographs in the morning. Access to Run Boy 3D is limited by the number of available virtual reality helmets, with play offered on a first-come, first-served basis.