Story by DDNS Reporter Luke Morse

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Northeast Arkansas Game Fest 2025 is set to return to Jonesboro on July 17. The game fest will bring four days of tabletop games and events to the Red Wolf Convention Center.

From July 17 to July 20, NEA Game Fest is a gaming convention run by the NEA Gamers Guild to raise money for charity. The game fest has been running since 2022 and is growing steadily as it gains popularity in the Arkansas area. This year’s charity being supported is the Friends of the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library.

The game fest will feature many different types of board games. NEA Game Fest includes four days of open gaming, game demos, board games, role-playing games, card games, miniature games, tournaments and more.

Badges are sold online, and there are multiple types of badges you can purchase to get into the event. For ages 16 and up, an adult badge costs $50 online. These badges grant access to the play-and-win library, prizes, giveaways, a silent auction and most events at no additional cost. Adult badges will cost $60 at the door.

“The money raised will assist with funding library programming, resources and materials. NEA Game Fest 2024’s fundraising total was more than $11,000 for the Friends of the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library, so we hope to meet or exceed this total for NEA Game Fest 2025,” said Rachel Simpson, NEA Game Fest coordinator.

Simpson said they are expecting around 250 attendees. Many people are returning to the event to enjoy the various board games and tabletop games available to play. Simpson also said that this year the event is in a new venue, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Jonesboro Red Wolf Convention Center, to fit more people.

“From the humble beginnings at the Hoxie Community Center to our largest NEA Game Fest yet, it’s evident that tabletop gamers in the Mid-South and our sponsors are passionate about the hobby while supporting local charities — it’s infectious,” Simpson said.

“I’m coming back to NEA Game Fest as a yearly event, which I personally adore because it’s three whole days of games, companionship and rest. Tabletop games are a spectacular way to relax and make good friends. It’s something my fiancée and I, whom I actually met through the hobby of tabletop RPGs, love to do,” said Matthew Randle, an NEA Game Fest attendee.

Randle has attended the last two years of the game fest, with this year being his third. He said he is thrilled to see new games and role-playing games featured at this year’s event. Randle also said the festival is important for Jonesboro as a whole, giving families who are less inclined toward sports a chance to get out and have fun while supporting the public library.

“I feel like events in Jonesboro are important, but don’t foster that sense of community that something like NEA Game Fest does. That, and certain events in town really only pertain to people of certain age groups, while I feel like Game Fest caters to multiple age groups at once,” said Sebastian Stokes, an NEA Game Fest attendee.

Stokes said they have met many new people at the game fest, as well as discovered new games to play. Some of Stokes’ favorite games featured at NEA Game Fest are Blood on the Clocktower and Weird Frontiers. Stokes also said the game fest is a safe place for people of all backgrounds, and even if you can’t pay to get in, there are free board games for people to enjoy.

With four days of games, tournaments and fellowship, NEA Game Fest 2025 promises to bring players of all ages together for fun and charity. Organizers say they hope the growing event will continue to strengthen northeast Arkansas’s gaming community while supporting local causes one roll of the dice at a time.

For more information on badges, schedules and how to get involved, visit the NEA Game Fest website here https://tabletop.events/conventions/nea-game-fest-2025.