PAX Unplugged Houston will bring a new tabletop show to Texas

PAX is returning to the southern United States with a new tabletop-focused event. PAX Unplugged Houston will hold its first convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center from 25 to 27 June 2027.

The convention is the latest project from Penny Arcade and co-organiser ReedPop. It will be the first PAX event in the region in roughly six years, following the end of PAX South in San Antonio.

Why Houston was chosen

Organisers selected Houston for its ability to support a large convention, pointing to the city’s transport infrastructure, major airport, hotel capacity and demographics. Its sizeable young and technology-minded population was also considered a strong match for the event.

The city is being presented as an especially promising home for tabletop gaming, with organisers describing Houston as having a substantial community of enthusiastic players.

PAX Unplugged Houston will be the second annual Unplugged convention. The organisers say the tabletop sector is expanding rapidly, with more ambitious games and a wider range of creative ideas reaching players.

From Penny Arcade Expo to PAX

Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik launched the Penny Arcade webcomic in 1998, drawing on their interest in video games and the broader games industry. In 2004, they created a dedicated gaming convention for the United States’ West Coast. That event became Penny Arcade Expo before adopting the shorter PAX name.

What began with about 1,300 attendees eventually grew into four, and now five, yearly events. The founders have continued to emphasise a welcoming community and a personal responsibility for making the convention enjoyable for visitors.

Unplugged has developed its own character within the wider PAX programme. Holkins has described the tabletop event as particularly energising, while Krahulik has identified the southern United States as an important part of the country for PAX to reach.

Tabletop gaming has always been part of PAX

PAX Unplugged is a dedicated expression of an interest that has been present across the convention series for years. The organisers originally used PAX to introduce video game players to tabletop titles, and tabletop content now occupies roughly a third of the show floor at PAX East.

The idea is that players may be drawn less to a particular format than to clever systems, rules and mechanics. That philosophy has helped tabletop games become a central part of the wider PAX identity.

Acquisitions Incorporated is one of the best-known examples. It began in 2008 as a podcast made with Wizards of the Coast, later expanding into live performances at PAX, pre-recorded miniseries and an official sourcebook for fifth-edition Dungeons & Dragons.

Daggerheart becomes central to Acquisitions Incorporated

At PAX Unplugged 2025, Acquisitions Incorporated revealed that it would move away from nearly two decades of Dungeons & Dragons and adopt Daggerheart, the tabletop role-playing game created by Critical Role.

The change reflects the appeal of exploring different systems. While Dungeons & Dragons offers a familiar framework that can fade into the background during play, Daggerheart places greater emphasis on the relationship between the Game Master and players, including the consequences of dice rolls and shared resource pools.

Holkins highlighted a moment from the first live Daggerheart game for Acquisitions Incorporated. Matt Mercer, playing Bode Dran, used an ability to introduce a new non-player character. The mechanic formalises the sort of improvised “I know a guy” rule many role-playing groups already use, while also tracking it within the game system.

With Acquisitions Incorporated available on Critical Role’s Beacon streaming service, the partnership could lead to further projects. Holkins said he would be interested in a more formal, elaborate series, as well as contributing to the setting and game mechanics.

A new convention for tabletop fans

PAX South ran in San Antonio from 2015 to 2020 before its cancellation in 2021. The organisers now believe the time is right to return to the South and add a second annual Unplugged event.

Despite the expansion, the founders say the conventions should retain the atmosphere of a welcoming home. PAX Unplugged Houston will be built around the same accessible community spirit that began with two creators making a webcomic from an apartment.

Badges for PAX Unplugged Houston are scheduled to go on sale later in 2026. Australian readers following the wider arcade and games scene can explore the RETROCADE Arcade Blog, browse arcade machines, compare options in the Arcade Machine Buying Guide or consider a compact bartop arcade.