Awesome Con 2026 Wrap-Up

Our AWESOME CON 2026 Pro badges

A couple weekends ago, LoRokka Games had the awesome pleasure of demoing IADS: The Game in the tabletop area at Awesome Con 2026. Huge shout out to Josi and Kyle for making it happen!

Walking from the Metro to Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Tracer cosplay with all the demo equipment in tow!

Friday kicked off with me flying solo, as Ric wasn’t able to attend that day. Even so, it turned into such a fun experience meeting early con attendees. Players surprised me right out of the gate with creative tactical decisions and genuinely thoughtful questions about gameplay.

Explaining all the Base Game cards and then demoing a VUL with my first IADS player, Mike!

Mike was the very first attendee to sit down at the table, which I really appreciated as it can be intimidating asking passers-by to spend time learning a new game during a busy convention.

Andre also stood out right away. On his very first VUL, he set up three distinct lines of engagement during the Deploy Phase: an upgraded long-range SAM near his HQ which deterred my Heavy Bomber, a High-Speed Bomber advancing toward my distant HQ, and a formation of fighters dynamically switching between airspace control and escort duty. It was one of those moments where you realize someone immediately understands the fundamentals of aerial combat.

Ken picked up the Base Game so quickly that we jumped into Advanced Capabilities almost immediately for a second VUL. He even suggested a more ambiguous drafting method, which Ric later added to our House Rules under “Clandestine Weapons Acquisition.”

Fellow convention exhibitors joined us for a game during their breaks from the vendor, artist, and meet-and-greet booths.

Saturday and Sunday were a completely different tempo.

Ric was an human dynamo, demoing nonstop as waves of new and returning players rotated through our double-wide table from open to close. Over the course of the weekend, he refined the base game explanation and gameplay setup down to about nine minutes after several iterations; he also wrote out that script for any instructors who would like an easy to follow method of teaching IADS: The Game to new players.

(As I’m writing this, we actually just filmed a full Base Game walkthrough, so keep an eye on our YouTube channel for that video coming soon.)

Player (right) measuring movement and detection range by hand versus Ric (left) using a navigational divider.

One of the most rewarding surprises was meeting attendees who already knew the game. Some had played at work, others at recurring game nights. It never stops being surreal to meet people already familiar with something you created.

Players taking actions and thinking deeply on the most effective next move.

I definitely need to give a huge shout out to Michael! We played multiple VULs throughout Saturday with him, even incorporating some choice Advanced Capabilities cards. On Sunday, he picked up a copy of the game and had Ric sign it, which was super cool!

After playing a couple games with us on Saturday, Filemon returned Sunday for a few more fun VULs! He quickly set up for filming and professionally improvised an engaging set of interview questions for Ric regarding designing and producing an indie board game.

Filemon and Meredith, in fantastic Outlander cosplay, also visited our table both Saturday and Sunday. They generously offered to conduct an impromptu interview with Ric right at the demo table, which you can check out on Filemon’s YouTube channel!

There were so many memorable gameplay moments throughout the weekend:

• Rachel and Ric’s “Going to Guns” fighter skirmish using House Rules

• A bold attempt at a double-upgraded Mobile SAM that nearly held the line against Kai’s Bomber team (kudos to Jase for committing to the play!)

Both of Rachel and Ric's Fighters were out of ammo, so after overlapping their cards, Ric initiated the "Going to Guns" House Rule in which each player rapidly and repeatedly rolls 1d6 until the first player to land on a 6 wins!

3-player teams set up for what will shake out to be a grueling battle between a double Upgraded Mobile SAM defending a wide airspace from a Bomber package to no avail.

And of course, as always, the “IADS” on our scrim or the giant operational charts on our table naturally attracted fellow intelligence professionals. I always enjoy when Ric gets to dive into conversations about agile employment, electronic warfare, or long-range kill chains with his peers.

One especially memorable moment: three members of the RAAF stopped by to tell us they already had both the Base Game and Advanced Capabilities Expansion in their office, and were planning a trip to Your Hobby Place to pick up more copies.

We got to play a couple VULs with our friend, Stefan! He's the best!

We also want to give a heartfelt thank you to our friends Laura, Stefan, and (other) Mike for stopping by to check in on us. Being “on” for an entire weekend of demoing can be mentally exhausting, so we really enjoyed chatting with familiar faces and playing a couple casual rounds.

Overall, the most consistent feedback we heard throughout the weekend was:

"Awesome and simple to understand!"

"Easy to learn and quick to play."

That’s exactly what we aim for, and it made the entire weekend feel like a success.

We’re already looking forward to next year’s Awesome Con to roll dice with both new and returning IADS players!

If you’re reading this in April 2026, we’ll also be at War Game Wednesday on the 8th at Labyrinth Games and Puzzles; hope to see you there!

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Madonna