DARECon 2026

03/09/2026

Hi everyone . It's the right time of the week for another:

DARECon GAME SPOTLIGHT:

LUTHIER

This one is for the serious euro gamers.

UKGE 2026
“Best Board Game Euro Style” (Judges' Choice Award)
“Strategy Award” (People's Choice Award)

Luthier puts you in the workshop of a master instrument maker during the Golden Age of Classical Music. You’ll be crafting instruments, managing your workshop, competing for prestigious patrons and sending your workers out through a clever hidden-bidding system.

There are multiple paths to victory, loads of tough decisions and plenty of opportunities to watch your beautifully laid-out plan fall apart because someone else had exactly the same idea.

Bach. Mozart. Beethoven. Master craftsmen. Prestigious patrons. Hidden bidding. Worker placement....and you will be playing a deluxe version with fantastic wooden pieces and a very special Dice Tower !!!
What more could you want?

If you like big, meaty strategy games where every decision matters,
come and give Luthier a try at DARECon 2026.

17–18 October
Osprey Hotel, Naas

If you haven’t got your DARECon ticket yet, you can grab one here:
https://darecon.ie/

Then head over to Aftergame, find Board Game - Luthier and claim your seat:
https://aftergame.app/events/4081ba0f-1a89-4a36-a712-8c12c1724233

****Please read before booking** The listed start time is an **estimated** start time and may be adjusted closer to the event to accommodate scheduling requirements. If any changes are necessary, attendees will be notified as soon as possible. By claiming a seat at this event, you acknowledge that t...

02/09/2026

⚔️ PARTNER REVEAL: EASTERN FRINGE GAMING CLUB ⚔️

We’re delighted to announce easternfringegamingclub as DARECon 2026’s official wargaming partner!

Eastern Fringe is a narrative and casual-focused tabletop gaming community, with players across Kilcullen, Dublin, Carlow and Wexford. Across their chapters, members take part in map-based campaigns that link individual battles into an ongoing story of glorious victories, crushing defeats, heroes, villains… and the inevitable reckoning.

At DARECon, Eastern Fringe will be helping us bring miniature wargaming to life throughout the weekend:

• Wargaming demos - never played before? Learn the basics and play your first game.
• Miniature painting - try the hobby side of wargaming and get started on your first mini.
• Campaign showcase - see how individual battles can feed into a much larger narrative campaign.
• Sunday Narrative Event - experienced Warhammer 40,000 players can join The Sack of Kapitoly Zadveniye, an all-day linked narrative event hosted by Eastern Fringe.

Whether you already have an army or have never rolled a dice in anger, there’ll be something to discover.

Sign-ups for a selection of Learn-to-Play demos, and for the narrative event The Sack of Kapitoly Zadveniye, are now live on Aftergame and places are limited. Grab your DARECon ticket at our website, then head to Aftergame to save your seat!

🎟️ DARECon 2026
📅 17–18 October 2026
📍 Osprey Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare
🌐 Tickets: darecon.ie

Find out more about Eastern Fringe at easternfringegaming.ie

27/08/2026

Such an enjoyable conversation with this week, ranging from TTRPGs to board games, to where DARECon came from and what’s in store for 2026!

It was a real privilege to help kick off their new ‘EC Spotlight’ show on Twitch, and we owe Dave and a big thank you. Check out the full chat over on the Emerald Collective YouTube channel (link in our bio). Then go grab your ticket for DARECon 2026 on our website, and head to our Aftergame platform to save yourself a seat for ’s RPG session ‘The Haunting of the Vozgruud Straits’! 🏴‍☠️ ⚔️

See you in October!

25/08/2026

First DARECon 2026 Play & Win titles have just landed!! An enormous thank you to the amazing folks at Stonemaier Games for their continued support of DARECon! ❤️ 🍁

25/08/2026

WHO DARES WINS.

Two days. Hundreds of games. One massive weekend of tabletop gaming.

Whether you’re looking to discover something new, bring an old favourite to the table, compete in a tournament or just spend the weekend playing games with good people - there’s a seat waiting for you at DARECon 2026.

🍂 17–18 October 2026
📍 Osprey Hotel, Naas

🎟️ Tickets available now - link in bio.
🎲 Check out our programme on Aftergame - link in bio.

24/08/2026

Hi everyone!

It’s time again for the DARECon GAME SPOTLIGHT!

This week we’re taking a look at one of the biggest social deduction games of the last few years: Blood on the Clocktower.

Since its full release in 2022, Blood on the Clocktower has built a huge following and become a firm favourite with social deduction fans. So, what makes it so special?

Blood on the Clocktower is a game of deduction, deception and murder for 5 to 20 players, with everyone secretly divided between the forces of Good and Evil.

Somewhere in the village of Ravenswood Bluff, a Demon is hiding.

The Good team needs to work out who it is and execute them before Evil takes control of the village. Meanwhile, the Evil team is doing everything it can to mislead the group, spread suspicion and keep the Demon alive.

And nobody is just a regular villager.

Every player has a unique character with their own ability. Some receive information that can help uncover the truth. Others can protect, interfere, manipulate or deceive. The challenge is working out not only what everyone knows, but whether you can actually trust the information you’re hearing.

Then there’s one of the things that really sets Blood on the Clocktower apart:

Death is not the end.

If you die, you stay in the game. You can still talk, share information, bluff, accuse people and help your team work out what’s going on. You normally lose your character ability and can no longer nominate, but you keep one final vote for the rest of the game — so choosing when to use it can be crucial.

And overseeing the whole thing is the Storyteller.

The Storyteller knows everyone’s characters, runs the day and night phases, secretly gives information to players, resolves abilities and keeps the game moving. They aren’t simply a referee — they’re an active part of what makes Blood on the Clocktower work, and a big reason no two games play out quite the same way.

For DARECon, you’ll have Cathal, our official Blood on the Clocktower host, at the table to guide you through the mystery, lies and inevitable accusations.

If you fancy joining him, don’t leave it too long — seats are already being claimed, and this is one you won’t want to miss out on!

If you haven’t got your DARECon ticket yet, you can grab one here:

https://darecon.ie/

Then head over to Aftergame, find Blood on the Clocktower and claim your seat:

https://aftergame.app/events/c6b9d5c5-c579-4439-b02f-ce8eeff210b4

Don’t wait too long to claim your seat — spaces are limited and may fill up quickly!

And remember…

In Ravenswood Bluff, the person you trust the most might just be the Demon! 😈

Welcome to DARECon’s Blood on the Clocktower, hosted by storyteller Cathal Murphy. To quote the official Blood on the Clocktower website, this is “a game of murder and mystery, lies and logic, deduction and deception for 5–20 courageous players and one devious storyteller”. Players sit toget...

20/08/2026

DARECon 2026 Official Poster Reveal!

We’re incredibly proud to unveil the official DARECon 2026 poster, illustrated by the exceptionally talented Dylan Yap

A huge thank you to Dylan for creating another incredible piece that we’ll proudly use to represent DARECon 2026!



We couldn’t be happier to welcome Dylan back as DARECon’s official poster artist for 2026. Born and raised in Prosperous, Co. Kildare, Dylan has worked as a Background and Concept Development Artist at Boulder Media across a range of episodic shows for children’s TV.

With this year’s DARECon poster, he has once again created something that is vibrant, imaginative, unmistakably Irish, and brings together all the wonderful strands of tabletop gaming in one united image.

“I’ve been an avid and passionate board gamer for a few years now, so getting to create the DARECon artwork is very special to me… I hope people enjoy spotting the Easter eggs I’ve left throughout the posters, relating not only to board games but also to Irish history and mythology. It’s been a lot of fun bringing these to life, and I’m really excited to see everyone at DARECon!” - Dylan Yap

Official Poster for DARECon 2025 by Dylan Yap

Rick and Morty

Grimsburg

Krapopolis

Sullivan Sails

Supporting local artists has always been central to DARECon’s ethos. We believe the tabletop hobby is built on the creativity of real people, and we’re committed to celebrating that creativity wherever we can.

For that reason, we’re also proud to say that every piece of official DARECon artwork is 100% human-made. We do not use generative AI in our promotional artwork. We recognise the importance and sensitivity of this issue within the creative community, and we’re committed to ensuring that artists remain at the heart of everything we produce.

“Human Made” icon by HINOKODO

20/08/2026

Hi everyone !

Today we inaugurate our weekly DARECon Game Spotlight

And what better game to start with than Twilight Imperium 4th edition ?

Saturday morning, 10:00 AM.
The Galaxy goes to war!

TWILIGHT IMPERIUM is coming to DARECon!

Build your empire, negotiate alliances, betray your neighbours, explore the galaxy and fight for control of the universe. Expect epic battles, questionable diplomatic decisions and plenty of moments you'll be talking about long after the game ends!

Saturday 17 October – 10:00 AM

If you've never played, this is your chance to experience one of the ultimate epic boardgame experiences. If you have played , you already know why you need to be there !

The galaxy is waiting. Who will rule it?

If you haven't done it yet, get your ticket for the convention here:

https://darecon.ie/

Then check out Twilight Imperium on Aftergame and claim your seat!

https://aftergame.app/events/06c4907a-2363-4e95-b195-0dde32f833f7

DARECon 2026 is a two-day board gaming convention in Naas, Co. Kildare, run by Naas Board Game Club.

13/08/2026

We’re delighted to welcome Life Credit Union back as a Gold Sponsor of DARECon 2026! 💚

From the very beginning, Life Credit Union believed in what DARECon could become. Their support helped turn an idea into reality, and quite simply, there would have been no DARECon without them.

As we grow into a full weekend convention this October, we’re incredibly grateful to have them continuing that journey with us.

Life Credit Union is much more than a financial institution. As a community-focused financial co-operative, they invest in local people, organisations and initiatives that make a real difference across Kildare and beyond.

If you’re looking for a financial institution that puts its members first, consider opening an account with your local Life Credit Union branch. You can also follow Life Credit Union to keep up with their latest community initiatives or visit lifecu.ie to learn more.

Thank you to everyone at Life Credit Union for your continued support. We look forward to building another fantastic DARECon together!

16/11/2025

DARECon 2025 – who DAREs wins!

Our first batch of stills is in, and the atmosphere speaks for itself: packed tables, new friendships, wall-to-wall games, and a community that absolutely showed up. We are so grateful to all our attendees, volunteers, GMs and vendors for making the inaugural DARECon so special, to for the fantastic venue, and of course to our wonderful sponsors , and for making the whole thing possible!!

Keep an eye out for more photos coming over the next few days, and a video recap of the day coming down the line! Roll on DARECon 2026!

If you were there on the day, tag yourself or your group so we can all relive the fun together!