Stepping into a typical fandom convention usually yields congestive crowds that are so noisy that you can barely speak to friends, and breaks for fresh air are much needed due to the stuffiness. Yet this not the case at SaltCON — a Utah-based board game convention held at the Davis Convention Center in Layton, Utah. Inside the building was mellow, breeding a welcoming atmosphere for gamers of all walks of interest and experience.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t until instructor Ashley Brown of the Entertainment Arts and Engineering program at the University of Utah mentioned the event that anyone in the program had heard of SaltCON. She was adamant that students attend and preferably enter or host their games at the event for feedback and a possible route towards publication. In fact, the organization only advertises by “word of mouth through Facebook posts and flyers at game stores,” Gifford said. It’s no wonder that the event isn’t as large as similar conventions, but there’s a different type of joy in this unique experience.
Playing a variety of games in an informal environment helped to bring a nice experience for entertainment arts students who are used to playing games for assignments and analyzing each and every detail. While this is necessary for the field of study, playing a game with strangers felt like getting back to the reason games are made — for enjoyment and human interaction. These two aspects are a large reason behind continuing SaltCON each year. As Gifford said, “Board games give human interaction. People are alone at work in their cubicle, looking at their phones all day. Board games allow for those to meet up with friends or family. Children learn essential skills like problem-solving and how to lose.”
If you missed SaltCON this season, then you can check them out at their smaller fall hosting August 30-31. Each event is worth the entry fee as you can try as many games as you want. The organization is also in need of volunteers. The SaltCON Facebook page is the best way to stay updated on current events and reach out to the owners. Weekly game nights are also a way to participate, meet new people and possibly get your games play tested or play test others.
In an earlier version of this article, the founding date of SaltCON was misatributed as 2007. The article has also been updated to clarify SaltCON UT LLC as an entity, as well as the roles of Dale Gifford, owner and founder, and Dan Naylor, a partner in SaltCON UT LLC. We regret the errors.