Our 2024 Arcade was provided by the following vendors:
Some of the games available in prior years include...
DDR Extreme
Dance Maniax
WACCA
F-Zero AX (linked pair)
Monkey Ball
Kickthrough Racers
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike (VS)
Marvel VS Capcom 2
Capcom VS SNK 2
Soul Calibur II
Hyper Bishi Bashi Champ
Project Justice
Tetris The Grand Master 2 PLUS
Windjammers
Mr. Driller 2
Grab your friends and come see us in Gaming Hall A to play some Card Games!
For Tekko 2024, we headlined tournaments for:
Yu-Gi-Oh! (Advanced Format and Speed Duel)
Magic: The Gathering
Pokémon TCG
One Piece
Disney Lorcana (new for 2024!)
We will also be offering flights, sealed play, and draft play events for those who do not have their own decks. Don’t see your favorite game listed? Just ask our CCG staff and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Too shy to jump right into battle? Find any of our CCG staff members and ask about Open Play areas and Demos that will be available all weekend for almost any card game. Our vendor will be equipped with products for all your card game needs to get you tournament ready!
Board Game Tournaments
Due to some tournaments having a maximum player cap, make sure to sign up in the Gaming Hall.
Board Game Rental
Have some time to spare in between panels and events and aren’t sure what to do? Did you know that you can sign out board games for free to play in the Gaming Hall? We have a plethora of unique and fun games to play. Don’t know what you want to play? Ask our staff, we love to make suggestions!
Open Demos
All weekend we will be running demos of our tournament games, fun party games, and staff favorite games!
Role Playing Games at Tekko 2024!
Tekko is a non-profit event, run by the Pittsburgh Japanese Culture Society (a 501c3 corporation.) Tekko’s annual attendance has reached approximately 10k individuals, and they are continuously adding new content. This year, Tekko is expanding their RPG department to encompass additional styles of game play and gaming discussion panels. We have a wide variety of gaming content and styles of play from popular titles like Dungeons & Dragons 5e and Pathfinder 2e to Avatar Legends and more! You can find the schedule to signup by following the "upcoming games" link under the SCHEDULE dropdown menue at the the top of this page. Please don't sign up until after you have registered for Tekko on this site. Online signups will close the week of the convention, but we will still have walk-up seats available at the convention.
Submit a Game
Games are by no means limited to anime or pop culture themes. We are adding new games to appeal to different audiences. After you are approved, the RPG request further information on the game you would like to run.
GMs with accepted games will be required to pre-register for the convention. Tekko will offer on-site reimbursement based on the number of games approved and performed. GMs will have a choice:
(OPTION 1) If you register as a GM, you will be entitled to a $40 reimbursement for each 4 hours of content for an approved & completed game, up to the full cost of the badge that you purchased.
(OPTION 2) You can register as a full staff member by running two gaming sessions at 4 hours each (which can be broken into 2 hour games if you are running shorter games) and one 4 hour session working at the mustering desk. You will also recieve a complimentary guest badge for a friend or Co- GM, a staff t-shirt, food for lunch and dinner provided for all volunteers each day of the convention, and free access to bag check. If you work at least 18 hours, you will have the chance to be invited to the staff dinner on Sunday night which includes a wide array of food, live entertainment, and drinks.
For example, if you register for a General Admissions badge ($65) and GM a four-hour game, you would be eligible for a $40 reimbursement (or $20 for a 2 hour game slot). If you and a Co-GM who both registered for as staff wanted to offer 3 games that were all approved, you would get a staff badge and a pass for your Co-GM
More information regarding admission to the event can be found by visiting REGISTRATION .
Special Guests!
This year we are proud to welcome Pittsburgh Lodge of Paizo Organized Play for a thrilling selection of Pathfinder and Starfinder games. Also, more to come...
Sign-Ups OPENING SOON
Tekko is a non-profit event, run by the Pittsburgh Japanese Culture Society (a 501c3 corporation.) Tekko’s annual attendance has reached approximately 10k individuals, and they are continuously adding new content. This year, they are expanding their LARP department to encompass additional styles of game play and LARP discussion panels.
GMs interested in running a game should complete the preliminary form. Once the deadline has passed, the form will close and the LARP department will choose games that are appropriate for the Tekko demographic. (Note: games are by no means limited to anime or pop culture themes. There is an existing anime LARP track, and we are adding new games to appeal to different audiences.) The LARP department will contact GMs with approvals or rejections, or to request further information.
Form submissions will close by a TBD date so that games can be accepted and placed on the schedule for advanced registration.
The Submission Form can be found here. (2025 Link Will Be Available Soon!)
GMs with accepted games will be required to pre-register for the convention. Tekko will offer on-site reimbursement based on the number of games approved and performed. GMs will have a choice:
(OPTION 1) If you register only a Head GM with no Co-GM, the Head GM will be entitled to a $20 reimbursement for each hour of content for an approved & completed game, up to the full cost of the badge that they purchased.
(OPTION 2) However, if you submit a game application with (one) Co-GM, the reimbursement will be: for every approved game completed, both the Head GM and (one) Co-GM will be entitled to a $10 reimbursement per hours, up to the full cost of the badge(s) that they purchased.
For example, if you register for a General Admissions badge ($50) and GM a one-hour game without the aid of a Co-panelist, you would be eligible for a $20 reimbursement. If you and a Co-GM who both registered for $50 badges wanted to offer 5 one-games that were all approved, you would each receive a $50 reimbursement.
GMs who are approved for more than 20 hours of content should consider applying for Tekko Staff to receive additional Staff perks.
Exact Scheduling will be prepared after game submissions have ended to best accommodate the GMs. At this time we are planning 28-50 hours of new game content excluding built in set up/tear down (separate from the Tekko Anime Larp track.) If there is both supply (of GMs) and demand (from players), we will see about adding additional play space to accommodate more games. The LARP Department will tentatively run during the following hours (based on prior years):
Thursday, July 21st: 4 – 9 pm
Friday, July 22nd: 10 am – 12 am
Saturday, July 23rd: 10 am – 12 am
Sunday, July 24th: 10 am – 2 pm
Currently, game size should be capped at 30 players. If a GM has a large scale game to run, we may be able to acquire a larger space. Current game space is set to be one of the numerous DLCC panel rooms.
To ensure safety and comfort, Tekko’s LARP department has a strict no physical contact policy, unless explicit verbal permission has been given. Contact permission can be negotiated before game play but may also happen during game play – we recommend players use the out of game mechanics to negotiate during a scene pause. If a GM believes that their game requires some level of physical contact, they will be required to disclose this ahead of time so that the description can state the physical contact and a warning can be placed before entering game space.
Tekko will be utilizing the universal LARP safety mechanics, though a GM can use their own mechanics as long as they host their own safety session at the start of the game.
The ‘Okay’ Check-In
By utilizing the ‘okay’ sign with their hands, players are checking with others to make sure that other players are okay. Players should respond with the following: a thumbs up to indicicate that play may continue onwards, a horizontal shake of the hand (will be shown in safety sessions) to indicate that play should be temporarily halted while a player decides how they would like to continue, or a thumbs down, which means that play should be halted so that a player can leave a situation.
The “Look Down”
This mechanic is used so that a player may enter or leave a scene without ‘being noticed.’ Gameplay will continue without being paused and other players should ignore the look down individuals so that the game can continue.
GMs are required to disclose content warnings when submitting their application. Those warnings will be posted to the Game Description and restated at the start of play. It is important that potential players have content warnings ahead of sign up so that they can choose whether or not to participate. Players may leave a game at any time, if they feel they are not suited for the content as the game progresses. Examples of disclosable content include, but are not limited to, the following: Sexual Content or Violence, Racism, Violence, Homophobia, Self Harm, Abuse, Death/Dying, etc. Players may feel free to contact the Tekko LARP department heads at parlorlarp@tekko.us for any concerns. Submissions will remain confidential and anonymous.
Some roles in games are written for specific genders—some are not. GMs will be required to list the number of roles available in each of the following categories: male, female, non-binary, or player decided. (Player decided means that the character is not written to have any gender determined characteristics, and that players may choose the character’s gender.) Players will be able to select the gender they prefer to play at sign up. The website may not be updated as fast as registration occurs. If the preferred character gender is unavailable, the LARP department will inform the player.
The game registration will close when all character roles have been filled. If roles are uncast by the start of Tekko, players will be able to register on site for remaining slots.
Email parlorlarp@tekko.us for more info! Department staff will aim to help answer all questions and provide adequate support to game GMs.
Sign Up Form For 2025 Will Be Available Soon!
Have you ever wanted to try a LARP or RPG game, but were intimidated by jumping right in with a character you weren't familiar with? Do you love fanfic writing and you've always wanted to see something spontaneous and collaborative? Have you ever wanted to take part in an ongoing roleplay story that develops over several days? The Tekko Anime LARP is here for you then! While the other LARPs running at Tekko are shorter form, the Anime LARP lasts all weekend with a singular storyline that will develop over time. Sign up as one of literally hundreds of anime and manga characters that we have character sheets for and discover how they interact with each other! Players can join in and leave at their leisure. We use a simple rock-paper-scissors system to determine the results of conflicts and everything needed to play will be provided. Cosplay is not required at all.
This year, the new city of Neo-Sol, a solarpunk city of the future where robots see to every major need, is showing off the latest in technologies and requesting assistance to make the city better! Can YOU help in building a sustainable paradise for both humans and robots, or will stubborn personalities cause this hope for the future to fade before it can take hold?
The Anime LARP starts Friday afternoon at 3 PM and runs till Sunday, but you can sign up any time the Anime LARP room is open until Saturday afternoon.
See you there!
For further information and to chat with other players and the GMs before the con, please join our Facebook group .
These are the 6 "Golden" rules which are to be followed during game:
No Touching! Nobody playing in the LARP is allowed to physically touch anyone else in the LARP for any reason, no exceptions. This is why any combat or conflict is resolved with games of rock-paper-scissors.
No Stunts. Your character might be able to jump 50 feet in the air, do a somersault and pose while landing on both feet, but unless you’re THAT well trained, you can’t. Also, if you ARE that well trained, kudos to you, but this isn’t the time or place to be showing off. It’s in everyone’s best interest to keep the LARP safe.
No Weapons. The LARP follows all of the rules of the con, including the weapons policy, but it goes one step further. Nobody is allowed to even PRETEND to hold a FAKE weapon as if it is a REAL weapon. If you have a fake weapon as part of your costume which is allowed by con policy, that’s great, you can keep it on you. But again, for the sake of safety, we ask that you keep it out of game play.
Be mindful of those not playing. If you’re playing in the LARP, have all the fun you want, but do bear in mind there is a con going on around it and a lot of people won’t be in the LARP. This means you shouldn’t act as if everyone is playing. The best way to avoid this is to try and keep most of the action close to the LARP area in the Convention Center (and yes, the LARP will have its own specialized area).
Remember it’s just a game. In the LARP, there won’t be prizes for winning or losing. In fact, like most RPG’s, it will sometimes be hard to tell who exactly won or lost. Don’t take the game too seriously. If something bad happens to your character, don’t worry about it. It might make for an interesting plot twist later on in the game. As long as you’re having fun, that’s all the matters.
Listen to the Game Masters. Running the game will be a dedicated team of game masters who will be doing their best to keep track of all of the dealings going on. They need every player’s help in order to do their jobs. If you don’t listen to the rules, or don’t pay attention to them, then the game will only seem like it’s taking forever.
Beyond these 6 rules, everything else can be learned easily enough at the con. The rules are meant to be as quick and simple as humanly possible.
Characters from existing Anime, Manga, and Video Games are allowed with the following restrictions:
All characters must have a Japanese Creator and have been initially published in any media Japan (unless the character has existed for over 80 years)
All characters must have a motivation beyond "Kill everything and everyone."
Characters must not be all powerful.
Characters should not have the focus of significantly altering the focus or powers of other characters.
The character must be able to exist in a PG-13 rated movie and be allowed the exact same abilities they have in their media with no alteration.
The Tekko LARP GMs have the final say as you whether or not a character is playable.
For a list of pre-generated characters who are definitely allowed, please visit this page .
If the character you wish to play is not on this list, you may request them to be created for you with pre registration, but keep in mind if you do not pre-register you will be restricted ONLY to the list at the link above when you join in at-con.
Our LARP is NOT free form. It is a GM-directed LARP with a rules system which is used to adjudicate success or failure for most actions. Action results are determined by games of Rock-Paper-Scissors played either between two players or between the player and a GM. The system is designed to try and keep the number of games of Rock-Paper-Scissors down to a minimum so action scenes do not drag out longer than necessary.
The Anime LARP runs from about 4 PM on Friday until about 1 PM on Sunday, with the LARP room closed overnight so people can get some sleep. While the LARP is open, GMs will be available to moderate player conflict, and to run moderated scenes (or "mods") which are scheduled to occur about every 2 hours. Other "secret" mods may occur when players wish to perform a task outside of the bounds of the typical mods. Over the weekend, these "mods" create an ongoing storyline which build to a conclusion on Sunday. While player versus player conflict is possible, it is not the point of the game as the GMs provide adversarial characters and creatures for the players to deal with.
LARP stands for Live-Action Role-Playing. It is a lot like a normal Role-Playing Game such as Dungeons & Dragons, but instead of having everyone seated around a table with pencils and dice, everyone gets to interact with each other on a face-to-face basis, with everyone playing their role physically and in near real-time. This allows for very large groups of people to all be involved as players come and go.
This particular LARP will be based on Anime and Manga, along with a bit of Video Games, with characters both famous and obscure. Players get to choose who they play, receiving a character sheet which spells out the powers and abilities of that character.
As much or as little as you’re willing to put into it. Character signup will be on Friday, sometime in the early afternoon. Game play will officially start in the late afternoon. (Times are subject to change but traditionally pickup starts close to 1PM and the game starts close to 4PM.) The LARP will run through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and events will happen throughout all three days. Attendance is not mandatory if you sign up, but the more you play, the greater the odds are that you’ll be around for something neat.
Registration for the LARP only requires that you’ve registered for the con.
Possibly, the list of characters available can be found here , but if you don’t pre-register, we can’t say for sure that a character will be available for you. If you wish to request a character that is on the list, feel free, but again, you MUST pre-register to give us time to write up the sheet. Bear in mind that this LARP is meant for Anime, Manga, and Japanese Video Game characters only, so if you’ve a character in mind from Japanese pop-culture, or American produced cartoons in mind, they won’t be on the list.
If you don’t see a character listed, or even a whole Anime or Manga series listed, it’s likely because of one of two reasons. Either:
The character is too powerful or evil to be allowed to be played as a character. Characters who have no motivation but to kill everyone they see only limit the fun of playing for all involved.
The character hasn’t been written up yet! Sorry, but there are so many series to choose from, and only so many people write up character sheets. Go ahead and per-register and we’ll get right on it!
Again, possibly. The character sheets try to capture the spirit of the characters, but may not have every single power that a character has ever displayed in a series. This is in the interest of game balance; making sure no one character can beat all the others at everything.
Well, yes, but then the GMs have to come up with an overarching plot that gets your characters involved. Hopefully the characters in play will also want to do things based on their motivations. I also put in characters played by the GMs who send you on missions or tell you of events that will be happening.
We will allow character swapping up until the close of pre-registration on March 1st. If you still find a good reason to swap after this point we’ll allow it on a case-by-case basis, but please, if you swap after the close date, you may only swap to a character whose sheet is already written.
We’re sorry you couldn’t make it, but if you find out you are unable to attend, please let us know so we can free up the character you’re pre-registered as for other people to play. There’s nothing worse than being told you can’t play a particular character because they were reserved, and then the person who reserved the character never shows up.
The Tekko Scarlet/Violet Challenge is an interactive experience that aims to bring a pokemon gym challenge to real life with a range of activities to excite all ages and skill levels. Enjoy themed daily games that culminate in a VGC style battle with one of our challenge leaders that may even be projected on a screen or streamed on Twitch! Succeed in your challenge and you’ll win wonderful prizes to boot!
Bringing your own Switch console is recommended, but not required. There will be a limited stable of rental pokemon on a dedicated rental console so that everyone can play. Even if you don’t want to battle, you can team up with another player to earn Challenge Points that can help them succeed.
