This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Game players of all sorts — on computer, at tables or role-playing — will get their fill at the third annual Salt Lake Gaming Con, organizers announced recently.

The convention, now half-owned by Salt Lake Comic Con, is set for July 7 and 8 at the South Town Expo Center in Sandy.

The event is expected to draw some 15,000 participants, making it one of the top 10 gaming conventions in the country. Unlike some of the better-known events, like the industry-driven E3, Salt Lake Gaming Con is for players and fans.

"Our goal is to provide a fantastic experience for gaming fans by providing a regional gaming convention that didn't exist before," said Dan Farr, co-founder of Salt Lake Comic Con.

Added Jake Williams, the gaming convention's founder, "We've added a number of new activities, guests, panel tracks and features for this year's event that make Salt Lake Gaming Con an exciting regional attraction for gaming fans of all ages and interests."

Among the activities Salt Lake Gaming Con has announced:

• Participation by WizKids, a New Jersey company that specializes in board games and collectible miniatures games.

Mystery Escape Room, a live experience where people enter a themed room filled with puzzles and riddles and must work together to unravel the clues to get out of the room within a certain amount of time.

USS White Buffalo, a "Star Trek" simulation game that uses the Artemis spaceship bridge simulator.

• A cosplay contest.

• A board game library, featuring more than 700 board games.

• Live-action "Super Kart Racing," simulating a race on carts similar to Mario Kart.

• A Dart Gun Zone, in which players face off with Nerf guns.

• Celebrity appearances by video-game voice actors Jennifer Hale and Steve Blum, with more to be announced.

• PC and console gaming tournaments in "Hearthstone," "Overwatch," "Guilty Gear," "Halo 5," "Super Smash Bros Wii," "Street Fighter V," "Pokémon," "Pokken," "SuperCOD: Infinite Warfare," "League of Legends" and "Super Smash Bros Melee."

• Tabletop-game tournaments in "Destiny," "Dice Masters," "Guild Ball," "Heroclix," "Magic: The Gathering," "Warmachine & Hordes," "Warhammer 40k," "X-Wing" and "Yu-Gi-Oh!"

Tickets for Salt Lake Gaming Con 2017 are available on the event's website: http://www.saltlakegamingcon.com/tickets.

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