Kicking off Summer with Nerd Louisville
The dice are rolling, the tables are set, and our community continues to grow stronger with every session, workshop, and event we share. None of this happens without you — our amazing players, GMs, volunteers, and supporters who make every game night feel like a critical hit. Let’s take a look at what’s happening this month!
With excitement and gratitude,
The Nerd Louisville Board
Our Con is Back!
Game Con Junction 2025
- Tabletop RPGs for all skill levels
- Massive board game library (280+ titles!)
- Megagames and social deduction favorites like Blood on the Clocktower
- Youth D&D Tournament for aspiring young heroes
- Vendor and Arts Hall featuring games, gear, and nerdy merch
- Halloween-themed RPGs, board games, and a Trunk-N-Treat for families
- Cosplay, performances, and spooky surprises
Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to gaming, Game Con Junction is all about inclusion, creativity, and community. Best of all, your badge helps fund free and discounted gaming events for the Louisville area all year long.
- Get Your Badge Now – Save with our Summer Sale!
- Apply to Be a Sponsor – Support regional gaming and reach your audience
- Submit Your Session – GMs can earn a free badge for running 12+ hours of games
- Become a Vendor – Reserve your booth before they’re gone!
Let’s make this Halloween weekend unforgettable.
Upcoming Events – Roll for Adventure! WE NEED GMS!
This summer, Nerd Louisville is teaming up with local libraries to bring even more tabletop roleplaying to the community. Whether you’re a seasoned Game Master or someone who’s just curious about leading your first session, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. From youth-focused D&D afternoons to adult one-shots and monthly campaigns, there’s something for everyone—and we’d love your help making the magic happen!
Newburg LFPL: Dungeons & Dragons at the Library
Dates: July 10, July 24, August 7, August 21
Time: 3:30–5:00 PM
This summer, Nerd Louisville is bringing Dungeons & Dragons to the Newburg Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library! Join us for a series of exciting afternoon sessions where adventurers will explore new worlds, solve mysteries, and face daring challenges. We are seeking volunteer Dungeon Masters (DMs) for these events. If you’re passionate about gaming and want to help new players discover the magic of D&D, sign up to lead a session!
Iroquois LFPL: RPG One Shots at the Library (For Adults!)
Dates: Wednesday, August 20th
Time: 5:30–8:30 PM
All adventurers welcome! Party up for the first installment in Iroquois Library’s new monthly tabletop RPG program in collaboration with Nerd Louisville. Each month we’ll play a “one shot” session in a variety of RPGs. Registration required, limited space available.
St. Matthews LFPL: Monthly D&D Adventures
When: Monthly
Time: 4:00–6:00 PM
Adventure awaits at the St. Matthews Library! Nerd Louisville is hosting monthly Dungeons & Dragons sessions open to players of all experience levels. We are looking for volunteer Dungeon Masters (DMs) to help us keep the stories alive and the dice rolling! Whether you’re new to running games or an experienced DM, this is a great opportunity to share your love of D&D with the community. Join us each month to meet new friends, tell unforgettable stories, and create lasting memories!
Interested in helping with these events?
Complete the form below and we will be in touch with more details!
Slur Your Roll
Meet a Board Member:
Chris Tatum
Treasurer, Nerd Louisville
- What’s your day-walker job? (What do you do when you’re not helping Nerd Louisville take over the world?)
- I work for a local manufacturer in their Quality Department.
- What made you interested in Nerd Louisville?
- I’ve long been aware of NerdLouisville since its inception 10 years ago. I knew people who knew people. I attended a few of the larger events and always appreciated that an organization like this was in Louisville. I didn’t get involved until Jonathon talked me into applying to the board in 2024. I immediately recognized that some of my professional skills were useful to the organization and I saw a bunch of untapped potential in it.
- How did your nerd origin story begin? (What first got you into nerdy things?)
- I’ve always been nerdy. I’m nerdy and proud. One of my earliest memories of gaming (TTRPGs, D&D specifically) was a Boy Scout lock-in (overnight) at the sponsoring church. Some of the boys brought D&D (the red box, basic D&D [1983] set) and I was instantly hooked. D&D still had the “stink” of the early 80’s Satanic Panic on it, in my parents’ eyes, so they didn’t let me buy my own copy, but I figured out that there were other roleplaying games to help scratch that itch. My very first game was Palladium’s TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) RPG, followed quickly by Marvel Super Heroes and the venerable Star Wars (d6) from West End Games. I’ve been playing nonstop, since then, for at least 35 years and own dozens of systems.
- If you had a superhero alias, what would it be and what’s your power?
- I’m the “Gray Man” – one of my first and favorite “homebrewed” characters from the Marvel Super Heroes game. I can phase through walls, like Kitty Pride, and I was an excellent detective, like Batman (I know the difference between DC & Marvel…). I’m dressed like a detective out of a 40’s noir film and a brooding presence that always lingers in the shadows.
- What’s your all-time favorite tabletop RPG, and why?
- Oh. Wow. How do you choose which of your children you love the most? I guess if I had to take a box (a heavy box) of one game to my desert island to play forever, I’d hesitantly take my collection of West End Games, d6 Star Wars. It’s versatile, rules-light, and pays such loving homage to the Star Wars universe. If you didn’t know – Disney has officially used some of the West End Games material in their Star Wars creations. Look up the origin of the ISB from the show Andor. I looked at my wife when we first watched the show and I screamed out, “That’s the ISB!!” before they were even called that in the show. I knew about the ISB (Imperial Security Bureau) from the Imperial Sourcebook long before it was in a TV show. Similarly, I was a Grand Admiral Thrawn fan long before the Rebels TVshow.
- You can game with any fictional character—who’s at your table and what are you playing?
- I don’t want to play with any fictional characters. Why would I? I can be with friends and family and be any fictional character I want. Tabletop gaming is communal and an incredible outlet for social activity. I’ve lost a few friends over the last few years and I still remember some of the best (and a few of the ‘worst’) nights of gaming I spent with them. I’d rather just keep playing with friends and family. It can even be fun to play with strangers at conventions!
- What’s your go-to board game for a game night?
- If my wife lets me, Terraforming Mars (she won’t play it, and it takes hours to play). If she doesn’t, something more social and light like Machi Koro, Splendor, & Sushi Go will usually suffice.
- If you could live in any sci-fi or fantasy universe, where would you go?
- The easy answer is Star Wars, but I have a soft spot for the Dune universe. I’d be a Mentat, of course.
- What’s a book, show, or movie that had the biggest impact on your nerd journey?
- Star Wars (original trilogy), all of the Star Trek (Original Series) & Tron for movies. As a family, my parents and I watched Star Trek (Next Gen) every Friday night for years, always eating pizza. I read a lot of the Star Wars novels in high school and many of the classics like Lord of the Rings, Hobbit, Dune, most of the works of Herbert and Heinlein.
- What’s the best RPG session or campaign moment you’ve ever had?
- Wow. Again, so many… If I had to pick a “best” moment, it happened relatively recently. It was the culmination of a year and a half Curse of Strahd (5e) campaign. I had six to seven regular players that started at level 1 and had moved through the book to level 10. The stage was set for the final confrontation with Strahd in his castle on his terms. They had accumulated a number of useful NPCs and staged their final attack with some of their help. I allowed some other friends to come over and play many of those NPCs in the final battle. It took a few hours, but I held the pace steady and they slowly whittled down Strahd’s minions and his defenses while he used up a bunch of their resources and HP. When someone finally landed the blow that dropped Strahd to 0 hp, I giggled as he turned to mist and retreated to his coffin. I thought I had evaded his final death when my youngest child – playing a Warlock – looked up and said, “I cast Dimension Door to his coffin room”. Their character was one of the few who had been there in earlier castle explorations and they were (after a quick check) in range… The table erupts into cheers as they realize that they had him, and a look of shock covers my face.. I had forgotten they had that. Another character with a wooden stake joined them and Strahd was dead within a round. The party was victorious and I couldn’t have been happier. They still talk about that victory, years after it happened. It was a masterclass in DM-ing and in strategic play from the players.
- What’s your alignment? (And does it match your real-life personality?)
- Lawful Neutral. Deal with it.
- What’s the nerdiest thing you’ve ever done?
- I exist. I’m a nerd and I’m proud. I have a basement full of games, a living room full of books, a regular group of friends I’ve gamed with for decades, raised all three of my children with games, and have started a (side) business that deals almost exclusively with tabletop games. I owe my life to games. It’s the bedrock that my social life stands on.
- If you could recommend one nerdy Louisville spot, what would it be?
- Comic Book World. That place has survived decades and has been around for most of my life. Comics may be their ‘bread and butter’ but they’ve carried many of the games I now own. The Great Escape is another local “institution”.
🎲 Regional Cons to Check Out! 🎲
Looking to take your nerdy adventures on the road? There are plenty of awesome conventions happening in and around Louisville this year! Whether you’re into tabletop RPGs, board games, anime, or general geek culture, these cons are great places to roll dice, meet fellow nerds, and discover something new. Check out the list below and start planning your next con adventure!
- Charcon (Charleston, WV) – July 11th – 13th
- Frankfort Anime-Fest (Frankfort, KY) – July 12th
- Louisville Anime-Fest (Louisville, KY) – July 13th
- GenCon (Indianapolis, IN) – July 31st – August 2nd
- Bowling Green Anime-Fest (Bowling Green) – October 19th
- Game Con Junction (Louisville, KY) – October 31st – Nov 2nd
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