March 1, 2025

If you would like to run an event at Vandal Gaming Convention (VGC) please email vgc@uidaho.edu or chat with us on Discord. Keep an eye on this space, our Facebook page or Discord for updates as we get closer to the event.

All VGC events will be held in the Bruce M. Pitman Center. Maps are available online.

10 a.m.

Arcade
Second Floor

The Department of Student of Involvement and the Office of Information Technology are setting out 1UP Arcade cabinets throughout the event. Stop by one and put your name on the high score board.

Beak Bonk
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Beak Bonk 2025 is the premier fighting game championship in the Inland Northwest, with intense competition, top-tier players and a variety of fighting games (Smash Ultimate, Smash Melee, Smash Brawl, Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, Rivals of Aether II, Guilty Gear: Strive).

View the full details and schedule.

Charlie’s Retro Reality
First Floor

At Charlie's Retro Reality, we're more than just a store - we're passionate collectors dedicated to preserving the magic of the past. Whether you're looking to sell your own nostalgic treasures or searching for that elusive item to complete your collection, we're here to help. Our buying process is straightforward and transparent, ensuring fair prices for both buyers and sellers alike.

Console Freeplay
Second Floor, International Lounge

The Office of Information Technology hosts a console freeplay area.

Doceo Center
Second Floor, Chief’s Lounge

The University of Idaho Doceo Center for Innovation + Learning (UIDC) leads teaching innovation and technology integration initiatives at the university and in K-12 schools in the state of Idaho. They will be demoing BeeBots, Dash Bots, Sphero and VR.

Dusty Dowdy Designs
First Floor

Art prints, handmade dice bags, hand painted miniatures for tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons, stickers, pins.

Idaho National Guard
Second Floor, Borah Theater Lounge

Medimon
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom West

Medimon is a monster-taming game where players catch, raise and battle monsters that represent cells, organ systems and diseases. Each Medimon contains mnemonics baked into its design to aid in understanding and learning important aspects of the medical item they represent.

Monster Energy
Second Floor, International Lounge

Palouse Board Gamers
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom Northwest

Come play the Palouse Board Gamers’ board game collections in the Vandal Ballroom. Palouse Board Gamers is a community group that has been meeting to play board games since 2006. They usually play modern board games with strategic elements, with party games and classics rounding out their selections.

Pathfinder Society
Vandal Ballroom Southeast

Pathfinder Society is a worldwide fantasy roleplaying campaign using the Pathfinder ruleset.

Paradise Pictures
Second Floor, International Lounge

Paradise Pictures is a student-based animation studio that specializes in creatively impactful storytelling and non-photorealistic rendering techniques—the same innovative approach seen in films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Wild Robot and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Our mission is to immerse students in a professional production pipeline, providing them the opportunity to create high-quality short films that compete at regional, national and international film festivals — all while earning college credit.

For the 2026 school year, we are actively seeking passionate and talented undergraduate students and graduate students who are interested in film production, storytelling, screenwriting, animation and acting. We are also looking to hire work-study students who are interested in the business of film promotion, grant writing, social media management and web design.

Safari Pearl
Vandal Ballroom Southeast

Join in card games, paint-and-take activities and more, provided by our own local Safari Pearl.

Scholarship Giveaway Registration
First Floor, Registration Booth

One lucky attendee can go home with a $1,000 scholarship for Fall 2025 at University of Idaho. Make sure you register at the information booth, bottom of First floor stairs, before 5 p.m. to be eligible! Drawing to be held at 6 p.m. in the Borah Theater. Winners do not need be present to win.

University of Idaho Library Board Game Freeplay and Play-to-Win Tournament
Vandal Ballroom Northeast

Play the University of Idaho Library’s board game collection in the Vandal Ballroom. Play at their table to enter a raffle to win Finspan, Stamp Swap, or Rolling Realms Redux. Raffle to be drawn at 6pm. You do not need to be present to win.

University of Idaho Visual Technology and Design
Second Floor, International Lounge

The University of Idaho Visual Technology and Design will be showcasing a virtual world project called Lunaria and other VTD related projects and 3D prints.

Quiet Room
Second Floor, Chief’s Room

A quiet place to relax.

Wheatbelt Gaming
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom Southwest

Yuliy Art
First Floor

Art prints, stickers and pins, with a focus on fantasy-themed art and fanart.

10:30 a.m.

Beak Bonk: Chess
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Beak Bonk: Melee Doubles
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Beak Bonk: Ultimate College Crews
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Beak Bonk: Ultimate Doubles
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Beak Bonk: Guilty Gear Strive
Second Floor, International Ballroom

11 a.m.

Adaptive Technology Demo
Second Floor, Chief’s Lounge

The Center for Disability Access and Resources will be showing tools and settings to make gaming more accessible.

Cherry Picked Games
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom Southeast

There is no better feeling than laughing and bonding with friends. Games bring everyone together, sharing a unique experience in a fictional world. We at Cherry Picked Games are dedicated to producing high quality tabletop games. Since 2013, we have been working tirelessly from our Seattle office to share our passion with everyone.

Echo
Second Floor, International Lounge

Echo is a gamified virtual sensory experience to help relieve cognitive fatigue and restore focus through various therapeutic techniques. Users can turn on any music they wish, and Echo will generate procedural and audio reactive environments based on the music's frequencies, with the goal of visual/audio correspondence.

Safari Pearl: Lorcana, Crisis Protocol
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom

Food vendors open!

If you're looking for something hearty, check out Battleground located out the back doors to the Pitman, towards the center of campus.

If something sweet is more up your alley, pop out the front doors and visit Lil' Manz Donuts for some donuts!

Noon

Beak Bonk: Melee Wave A
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Beak Bonk: Tekken 8 Wave A
Second Floor, International Ballroom

12:30 p.m.

Beak Bonk: Doubles Top 8
Second Floor, International Ballroom

1 p.m.

Haunted Mansion
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom West

Welcome to The Branded! Today's horror and mystery-themed RPG one-shot will set you on a haunting course through time and imagination, as you try and figure out the situation at The Wizard's Mansion. Just kidding, you're only there to loot and murder everything in sight, right? Just as long as the one guy who hired you is safe, right? Lucky for you, there is plenty to loot and every opportunity to die in the mansion just like everyone else before you! Are you brave enough to face the terror of the unknown and Save The Day? Come and get 'em.

Three to six players, expected playtime is 2-4hrs, no dice needed, beginners welcome. Meetup will be in the Vandal Ballroom, event to be held in BPC 045.

Safari Pearl: Digimon, Net runner, Battletech
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom

What not to do wrong making your first game by David Korus
Second Floor, Borah Theater

Been thinking about starting a game project? This talk details how to get started on a small, medium, or large video game project and what to worry about on the way. All along with some great examples of what can go wrong along the way.

David Korus
David is a 25+ year veteran of the game industry as a reviewer, programmer and lead engineer. He has worked at game developers including Moscow/Troy based Blevins Enterprises, Zipper Interactive, Sony of America and Hidden Path Entertainment. David's credited titles include Mechwarrior3, SOCOM: US Navy Seals and Counterstrike Global Offensive. He currently works with Wizards of the Coast on Magic: The Gathering Arena.

1:30 p.m.

Beak Bonk: Melee Wave B
Second Floor, International Ballroom

2 p.m.

Conspire Demo by Cherry Picked Games
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom South

Conspire is a hidden-role storytelling game. Players delve into any moment of conflict, real or fake, and populate the scene with shady figures. They secretly assign objectives to these in-world characters and shuffle the roles amongst themselves. Everyone draws a role to inhabit and acts them out, not knowing who any of the others are or what they are trying to accomplish. What follows is an intense tale of bluffing, brokering deals and shaping the very universe to your whims.

Safari Pearl: Star Wars, HeroScape
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom

2:30 p.m.

Beak Bonk: Ultimate Singles Wave A
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Beak Bonk: Ultimate Ladder
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Beak Bonk: Youth Ultimate Smash Bros
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Unleashing Creativity: A Panel Discussion on the Gaming Industry
Featuring Developers from Wizards of the Coast and Liquid Development
Second Floor, Borah Theater

Join us for an engaging panel discussion that delves deep into the dynamic world of the gaming industry. Featuring developers from Wizards of the Coast, known for Magic: Arena and Liquid Development, involved with games like Halo, Borderlands and Back 4 Blood, this session promises to be an enlightening experience. Our panelists will explore various topical themes within the industry and share their insights on game development, innovation and storytelling. Attendees will also have the unique opportunity to ask questions and interact directly with these industry experts.

Grayson Highbanks
Grayson earned his degree from the University of Idaho Virtual Technology and design program in Spring 2020. Currently, he is a 3D art lead at Liquid development. Grayson has worked on various projects such as Back 4 Blood, Borderlands and Halo. He is inspired by the people he has the opportunity to work with and creativity they have!

Reilly Cisco
Reilly earned his degree from the University of Idaho’s Virtual Technology and Design program in 2018. He is now a 3D Production Artist with Liquid Development and has had the opportunity to work on games in the Borderlands, Halo and Fallout franchises. He also works alongside several other industry professionals as a co-founder of Tracer Studios, a freelance design studio. Reilly loves the passion and creativity present throughout the game industry.

David Korus
David is a 25+ year veteran of the game industry as a reviewer, programmer and lead engineer. He has worked at game developers including Moscow/Troy based Blevins Enterprises, Zipper Interactive, Sony of America and Hidden Path Entertainment. David's credited titles include Mechwarrior3, SOCOM: US Navy Seals and Counterstrike Global Offensive. He currently works with Wizards of the Coast on Magic: The Gathering Arena.

3 p.m.

Beak Bonk: Melee Top Eight
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Safari Pearl: Union Arena, 40k Introduction
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom

4 p.m.

Beak Bonk: Street Figher 8
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Safari Pearl: One Piece
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom

4:30 p.m.

Beak Bonk: Ultimate Singles Wave B
Second Floor, International Ballroom

5 p.m.

Polymorphic Games
Second Floor, International Ballroom

We make evolutionary video games. Instead of pre-programming, scripted enemy behaviors to escalate difficulty, our games use populations of creatures that evolve specifically to beat your strategy. Each creature has its own traits that it can pass onto its offspring. After you beat one wave of creatures, the creatures that were the hardest to beat reproduce and you’ll fight their offspring in the next wave. Evolving traits include features like size, speed, damage, resistances and behavior. We use real principles of evolutionary biology to create a model that includes all the components of real evolution — variation, inheritance, selection and time — just operating at a much faster pace. This creates dynamic enemies that adapt to how you play the game. We just give evolution the space to work.

Safari Pearl: Paint & Take
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom

5:30 p.m.

Beak Bonk: Tekken 8 3v3
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Beak Bonk: Rivals 2 Wave A
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Vandal Games Con Invitational
Second Floor, International Lounge

Have you ever wanted to watch university leadership play video games? Stop by and watch our Dean of Students Blaine Eckles, and our CIO Dan Ewart go head-to-head in their annual grudge match to see who can still remember the controls. 

6 p.m.

Scholarship Drawing
Second Floor, Borah Theater

One lucky attendee can go home with a $1,000 scholarship for the fall 2025 semester at the University of Idaho. Make sure you register at the information booth, top of second floor stairs, before 5 p.m. to be eligible! Winners do not need be present to win.

Poster Contest Announcement
Second Floor, Borah Theater

The winner of the Vandal Gaming Convention contest to design the next poster will be announced.

Safari Pearl: Cosplay Contest Signup Opens
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom

The cosplay contest is open to characters from published works: movies, TV shows, comic books, cartoons, video games and card games. Original creations are also encouraged. Signup for the contest!

Safari Pearl: Magic
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom

6:30 p.m.

Safari Pearl: Cosplay Contest
Second Floor, Borah Theater

The cosplay contest is open to characters from published works: movies, TV shows, comic books, cartoons, video games and card games. Original creations are also encouraged.

Beak Bonk: Ultimate Singles Top Cut
Second Floor, International Ballroom

7 p.m.

Beak Bonk: Rivals 2 Wave B
Second Floor, International Ballroom

Hodgins Drug and Hobbies: Pokémon TCG Swiss Tournament (12 Players Max)
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom Southwest

Join Hodgins in a Pokemon TCG Swiss style tournament. Rules below:

Rounds: With 12 players, the tournament would likely consist of four rounds of Swiss, since four rounds provide a good balance for determining a clear winner in a 12-player tournament. The number of rounds depends on the number of players, and four rounds generally give a good spread for determining who stands out without going overboard on time.

Deck Construction: Players are required to bring a 60-card deck following the official format Standard and the official tournament rules. (We will have available for those who are interested in playing but don't have decks.) Players are allowed to use any legal cards from their collection, adhering to the format’s ban list.

Round Structure:

• Pairings: After each round, the pairings will be determined by a Swiss pairing system. Players will be paired against each other based on their win-loss records.
• Round 1: Players will be paired randomly. After Round 1, players with the same record (e.g., 1-0, 1-1) will be paired together.
• Best-of-1 Games: Each round will consist of a single game (best-of-1). Since it’s best-of-1, the games are quicker.
• Game Time: Each game usually takes between 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the decks being played.

Scoring:

• Match Win: 3 points for a win
• Match Loss: 0 points for a loss
• No Draws: There is no room for a draw in a best-of-1 format, meaning games must end with one player winning.

Prize Pool and Ranking:

• Top Players: The top players with the highest points at the end of the tournament (based on their match results) would win prizes, which could include Pokémon packs, promotional cards and invitations to future events.
• Tie-Breakers: In case of a tie in points at the end of the Swiss rounds:
• Match Wins: Players with more match wins will rank higher.
• Game Wins: If players are still tied, the number of individual games won may be used as the next tie-breaker.
• Opponent Match Win Percentage: If still tied, the strength of opponents (i.e., the total match win percentage of the players they faced) could be used to determine rankings.

Food Vendors Close

Food is only open for a limited time, if you want something make sure you stop by before 7 p.m.!

7:30 p.m.

Beak Bonk: Tekken 8 Top Eight
Second Floor, International Ballroom

8 p.m.

Hodgins Drug and Hobbies: One Piece Card Game Swiss Tournament (12 Players Max)
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom Southwest

Join Hodgins in a One Piece Card Game Swiss style tournament. See rules defined at the 7 p.m. timeslot for the Pokemon TCG Swiss Tournament.

8:30 p.m.

Beak Bonk: Rivals 2 Top Eight
Second Floor, International Ballroom

9 p.m.

Hodgins Drug and Hobbies: Pokémon TCG Swiss Tournament (12 Players Max)
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom Southwest

Join Hodgins in a Pokemon TCG Swiss style tournament. See rules defined at the 7 p.m. timeslot for the Pokemon TCG Swiss Tournament.

10 p.m.

Hodgins Drug and Hobbies: One Piece Card Game Swiss Tournament (12 Players Max)
Second Floor, Vandal Ballroom Southwest

Join Hodgins in a One Piece Card Game Swiss style tournament. See rules defined at the 7 p.m. timeslot for the Pokemon TCG Swiss Tournament.

11 p.m.

VGC Ends

Thank you for attending Vandal Gaming Convention.