Now LitRPG—storytelling with visible ‘stats’, skill trees, and level-ups—is having its moment. One of the fastest-rising, indie-driven genres, breaking out with NYT placements and screen deals while building its own reader–and–creator infrastructure.
LitRPG (short for “literary role-playing game”) is fiction where the story runs on game mechanics like an RPG: characters gain levels, skills, and loot; quests are logged; damage, XP, and stat increases often appear on the page and drive the plot.
2025’s first in-person LitRPG Con at the Grand Hyatt Denver (18–20 July) sold out around 1,300 tickets and gathered a who’s-who of authors, narrators, and specialist publishers, testament to a community that built itself from the ground up.
Organized by Geneva Agnos and Emily Labes-Royce with The Legion Publishers and Soundbooth Theater, it set a high bar—and it’s already back on the calendar for 10–12 July 2026. The overwhelming success of this first year has solidified LitRPG Con's place on the convention calendar, so if you’re curious, then mark your calendars now: LitRPG Con 2026 will return to the Grand Hyatt Denver July 10-12, 2026.
But what is LitRPG, why now, and is it for you? Jez Cajiao, a best selling LitRPG Author who’s been a welder, restauranteur and IT Engineer, and is now a director of The Legion Publishers, an imprint dedicated to LitRPG and Progression Fantasy Novels, has a conference report.
Hi everyone, Jez Cajiao here! So, the first live and in-person major LitRPG convention was held this year on July 18–20 at the Grand Hyatt in Denver, Colorado, marking the first-ever in-person convention dedicated to the explosive LitRPG, or Literary Role-Playing Game, genre.
Jez Cajiao
Organized entirely by Geneva Agnos and Emily Labes-Royce and co-hosted by their companies, The Legion Publishers and Soundbooth Theater—two powerhouses in the LitRPG community—this first year’s event beat all our expectations, selling out nearly 1,300 tickets overall, despite this being both the first year and tickets only being available for a few months.
What Made This Convention Special
LitRPG is a genre born of blending traditional storytelling with video game mechanics, and over the last few years, it’s evolved from a niche online community into a mainstream literary phenomenon. Whereas only a few years ago the mainstream publishers dismissed the genre as a “flash in the pan,” now, with significant percentage growth year on year, major publishers such as Penguin and Simon & Schuster are scrambling to establish a presence and build on the newcomer.
With bestselling series like Matt Dinniman’s “Dungeon Crawler Carl” reaching the New York Times bestseller lists and securing television adaptations, the timing couldn’t have been better for the community’s first dedicated gathering.
The convention was blessed with an impressive showing of over 100 industry professionals, including bestselling authors, renowned narrators, and key industry figures who have shaped the genre. Notable authors included heavy hitters like Matt Dinniman, Aleron Kong, Travis Baldree, Dakota Krout, Steve Beaulieu, Rhett Bruno, Daniel Schinhofen, Eric Ugland, Niccoli Gonnella, Brian J. Nordon, and James Hunter.
On the audio side, co-founders of the convention, immersive audio specialists Soundbooth Theater—headed by Jeff Hayes of Dungeon Crawler Carl fame—are also known for their groundbreaking full-cast productions that bring LitRPG worlds to life with professional sound design and musical scores.
The wonders of voice acting were demonstrated as well by attending giants such as Travis Baldree (yes, he’s an author and narrator both), Andrea Parsneau, Neil Hellegers, Justin Thomas James, Johnathan McClain, Annie Ellicott, Jack Fields, Gary Furlong, Wayne Mitchell, Jessica Threet, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker, and Ryan H. Reid, not to mention dozens more.
(If I didn’t mention you and you were there, it’s not a snub; I just didn’t want to turn this into a name-dropping situation!)
Lastly, for those who were more interested in the publishing side and had a desire to meet the publishers, Rhett and Steve represented Aethon Books, the largest LitRPG publisher. So did Dakota and Danielle from Mountaindale Press, James and Jeanette from Shadow Alley Press, Rhea Lyons of Audible, Julie Constantine of Podium Entertainment, Gregory Souza of Tantor Media, and of course—as well as being the event’s organizers—Jeff Hayes for Soundbooth Theater and Geneva Agnos and Jez Cajiao (me) for The Legion Publishers.
Programming Structure
What I believe set LitRPG Con apart was its daily schedule, which was carefully planned to maximize the madness for our attendees:
- Mornings: Educational panels and workshops exploring craft, industry trends, and world-building, and fun panels featuring authors fielding questions and talking about stories.
- Afternoons: Gaming sessions featuring everything from classic D&D campaigns to casual games like Cards Against Humanity and more.
- Evenings: Entertainment and community-building events.
This unique structure eliminated the often-painful choice between learning opportunities and social events that can plague traditional conventions, meaning both guests and attendees could participate in the full convention experience. Also, it meant that by the time we all sobered up, it was already time to relax.
Memorable Highlights
Friday night launched with Soundbooth Theater’s spectacular variety show, Initiation: The LitRPG Con Variety Show, featuring skits, songs, and performances that celebrated the community’s creative spirit, followed by a concert that kept the energy high.
Saturday evening delivered both entertainment and heart with a celebrity-filled game of Imminent Peril and a charity auction that raised over $10,000 for the ASPCA, proving that the LitRPG community’s generosity matches their passion for storytelling.
Sunday afternoon’s Last Sunday Squad D&D game had over 300 attendees, loving every minute as the yearlong public campaign finally drew to a close with master Fable Crafter Jack Fields leading the event.
The vendor hall was incredibly busy for the entire event, showcasing everything from handcrafted leatherwork and chain mail to original artwork and, naturally, stacks of the latest LitRPG releases, which resulted in manic opportunities for fans seeking that last signed addition to their collections.
Plus, there was an unexpected fire in the hotel (not us, honest), which resulted in a few hours of cabaret as we all gathered outside in a nearby lot, with one fan’s dreams coming true when he collapsed and was fussed over by several major authors with medical backgrounds.
No promises on the same happening next year.
Building Community, One Level at a Time
Perhaps most importantly, LitRPG Con succeeded in its core mission: bringing together the authors, narrators, and readers who make this genre thrive and such a wonderful place to be. The convention fostered connections that just haven’t been possible at broader genre events, creating a space where discussions of character progression systems, world-building mechanics, and the art of crafting new worlds could flourish among passionate lunatic fans and authors—yeah, I totally meant that.
New authors to the genre were able to sit and ask questions over drinks at the bar with experienced professionals, meet the publishers face-to-face and pitch them ideas, and, most of all, the fans had a wonderful time.
Looking Forward
The overwhelming success of this first year has solidified LitRPG Con’s place on the convention calendar, so if you’re curious, mark your calendars now: LitRPG Con 2026 will return to the Grand Hyatt Denver July 10–12, 2026.
Given this year’s rapid sellout, early registration is strongly recommended for anyone hoping to join what’s going to be an even larger meeting of the minds of the genre. Also, early-bird tickets are on sale now and are expected to sell out quickly. (Last year they were sold out in four hours!)
As the LitRPG genre continues its incredible rise from online niche to mainstream dynamo, LitRPG Con is in turn establishing itself as the gathering point for a community, and we hope proves the future of storytelling is immersive, addictive, and absolutely unstoppable.
For updates on LitRPG Con 2026 and to join the community, visit litrpgcon.com.
FAQ
What is LitRPG Con?
A genre-focused convention for LitRPG/GameLit with panels, gaming, and evening entertainment.
When and where did LitRPG Con 2025 take place?
July 18–20, 2025, at the Grand Hyatt Denver, Colorado.
Why is 2025 significant?
It was the inaugural year—the first dedicated LitRPG/GameLit convention.
Who featured on the program?
Examples include Travis Baldree, Jeff Hays, Shirtaloon (virtual), and others across panels and evening events.
Is there a 2026 event?
Yes. Dates announced for July 10–12, 2026, in Denver.
How can indie authors enter the LitRPG genre?
Start with progression-driven series planning, community platforms (Discord/Patreon), and a strong audio strategy.
Further Reading
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