Following on from my chat with The People’s Guild Podcast, I want to open up a new conversation for the community with the following question.
What would it look like for Splinterlands to start attending conventions?
Why Conventions?
Splinterlands is already one of the longest-running and most established Web3 games. But outside of crypto and Hive circles, we’re still flying under the radar. Conventions could be a way to:
- Showcase the game in a live, exciting setting.
- Meet gamers face-to-face and help them onboard.
- Give our community a stronger IRL presence, beyond Discord and tournaments.
- Show that Splinterlands isn’t just digital cards — it’s a culture, a DAO, and a living ecosystem.
Why Now?
With the launch of Frontier mode, Splinterlands finally has a true free-to-play entry point. That makes conventions the perfect opportunity:
- New players can jump in instantly without upfront cost or being put off by blockchain
- Demos become smoother — we can showcase real gameplay without needing to sell a Spellbook first.
- Conventions can act as funnels into Frontier, with Spellbooks, promos, or packs as the next step.
If there was ever a time to experiment with convention outreach, now feels like prime time.
Key Considerations
How is it organised?
- Is it run by the Company?
- Is it a DAO initiative?
- Could it be a partnership with HiveDAO, representing not just Splinterlands but Hive gaming as a whole?
Who runs the booth?
- Official team members traveling to key conventions?
- Trained community reps in each region (local presence, lower costs)?
- Volunteers who are passionate about running a booth?
Costs
- Booth / stall fees.
- Travel & lodging.
- Equipment, banners, demo setups.
- Swag and promo material.
- Potential support from DAO(s) to offset costs.
Engagement & Incentives
- How do we make people stop, play, and sign up?
- Demo stations: Frontier quick matches or full-powered games.
- Signup bonuses: Spellbook promo, packs, or a unique convention-exclusive card.
- Incentives for volunteers:
- Exclusive titles.
- Packs, credits, SPS.
- Free merch (shirts, hats, playmats).
- Travel subsidies where possible.
Merch & Presence
Conventions are built on swag. Some ideas:
- Branded shirts, hoodies, hats.
- Playmats or card sleeves (popular with the TCG crowd).
- Promo packs or cards.
- Stickers, posters, lanyards for quick handouts.
Hive Connection
Splinterlands is Hive’s flagship game, but if HiveDAO wanted to get involved, we could potentially represent Hive eco system as a whole.
- Are there other Hive games that would want a seat at the table?
- Could Splinterlands booths double as Hive booths?
That could open up co-funding, cross-promotion, and a bigger impact.
Community Questions
So what do you think? Is now the right moment — with Frontier mode live — for Splinterlands to finally show up at conventions?
- Would you like to see Splinterlands represented at conventions in your area?
- Do you know of specific conventions (gaming, TCG, Web3, pop culture) that we should target?
- Would you be interested in helping run a booth at a local convention?
- What kind of incentives would make volunteering worthwhile (titles, packs, merch, credits)?
- Should this be a company, a DAO initiative, or something HiveDAO-linked?
- What do you imagine a Splinterlands convention booth experience to be like?
What next?
This is a post exploring the possible opportunity — just an idea, open for feedback. If it gets traction, we can refine the idea as a community and work on drafts until we eventually get to a point we think we can pass a formal SPS proposal.
I would love for more proposals to engage the community earlier and explore ideas together. I've done a post about my thoughts on how they could flow, and this is just one of the ideas I want to test using these principles.
So get involved, share your thoughts, and help shape whether we go to conventions and how!