From beloved family classics like Monopoly to more strategic, adult-oriented games like Dungeons & Dragons, board games  appeal to a wide spectrum of players.

Gamers will get the chance to sample board games of all kinds as FlatCon, the annual gaming conference, is back in Bloomington for its 12th consecutive year.

The first conference of its kind in the Bloomington-Normal area, FlatCon was started in 2000 by friends David Ross and Aaron Isaac. The event is an opportunity for people to get together and play a variety of board games, role-playing games, card games and more.

In 2007, current coordinator John Beemsterboer and friends Matt Perschnick and Greg Whalen began fundraising at FlatCon for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. In 2009, Beemsterboer, Whalen and Perschnick took over the conference completely, and now all proceeds from the event go to Relay for Life.

“Most of my friends that were involved in the fund aspect had family members that were affected by cancer,” Beemsterboer, whose wife and other family members battled cancer, said. “It seems like a really good [combination] of having a fundraising event … and also a lot of fun for us.”

Games of all types are represented at FlatCon, from PathFinder, a popular role-playing game, to the family board game Apples to Apples. These will be available for play at the conference in four hour sessions Friday, Oct. 21 through Sunday, Oct. 23.

The doors to the event will open Friday at 1 p.m. and close at 11 p.m. FlatCon will be open on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Attendees can also buy and sell games during the silent auction. Gamers enter the games they want to sell for a small fee, and other gamers can bid on the auctioned games.    

“It’s a wide variety of books and games that are available at the convention. [There are] hundreds of different games to purchase,” Beemsterboer said.

Game company vendors will also be on-site to sell games to attendees in addition to the auctioned games.

Players can choose to go to just one day of the convention, or they can pick from two passes, a Friday and Sunday pass or a three-day pass.

Beemsterboer said there is one important thing any convention-goer needs – dice.

He also reminded guests to come with an open mind and just have a good time.

“[Players should] be curious and try different games that they’ve never tried before; there’s no additional cost besides the entrance fee. It’s a good time … there are tons of games open to people who have never played them before,” Beemsterboer said.    

Snacks and pizza will be sold for those who work up an appetite during a hardcore gaming session. 

Whether you are a seasoned gamer or just want something fun to do over the weekend with friends, FlatCon allows everyone to get their game on for a good cause—curing cancer.