Early the 19th of October 2024, my brother and I awoke to a groggy start, barely recovering from spending a late night playing Magic the Gathering against a couple compatriots. The morning involved grabbing the last remains of continental breakfast, and spending the first hours zoning out on Sponge Bob Square Pants. Once our seratonin reached sufficient levels of worldly engagement, we gathered our effects and headed to the Alliant Energy Center for the third day of GameHole Con, a tabletop RPG and trading card game convention hosted in Madison, Wisconsin. Most of our days were spent playing Dungeons and Dragons, Savage Worlds, and Symbaroum. However, today took a different tone for me; one of purpose. My mission was clear; venture through the vendor hall, and with trusty iPad in hand, walk the tenuous tightrope between entertained patron and watchful observer.

I unconcealed a badge that bore “Media” across its front, the first such that I’ve worn to a convention, and with a mixture of intent and anxiety, dove head first into the role. Swimming against a vortex of voracious vendors and visitors, battling between bustling branded booths, polychromatic pedestals of promoted products, and racks revealing a range of replicas, records, and artist renditions, I spent my nervous effort targeting key publishers and peculiar presentations, and wrote down my findings. 

Among my arbitrary selection of interesting vendor stalls, a particular large yellow sign caught my eye, beckoning me towards the southern wall. A diamond logo bearing a D6 die across a striped backdrop was emblazoned by an elegant serif font bearing the name “Indie Game Developer Network“.

Four words, all of which I like independently! … The question was, when stewed together into this specific concoction of meaning, what manner of witches brew was this? Who were these spellbound staffers behind the stall, and what sort of magic tomes did they showcase?