CODCON has been going at College of DuPage for the past 25 years and has finally made a comeback after a two-year hiatus, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For those who don’t know what CODCON is, it’s an annual gaming convention hosted by the Sci-Fi/Fantasy & Gaming Club and the Anime & Cosplay Club. It also serves as their main fundraising event. It was founded by Professor Jim Allen in June 1996.

As a freshman at COD, this was the first CODCON event I’ve attended, so I don’t know much about it. I’m sure a lot would say it’s a party for people to get together and play board games and dress up as their favorite video game character, which is correct. I personally love video games, and I was curious to see what this event was going to bring.

As I entered the campus, there were a lot more activities than I expected, and I was fascinated. Many participants were gathering together to play complex board games, role-playing games, and video games, such as “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.” Others were dressed up in costumes, such as medieval

characters. There was also a man dressed as The Mandalorian from “Star Wars.” There was also a Cosplay Maid Café where they served snacks and drinks at the Starbucks area. Vendors selling books, souvenirs, and posters. I would say my favorite part about the event is that you can duel with one of the people dressed in medieval costumes.

However, there weren’t a lot of participants. I was expecting the campus to be a lot more crowded, even if the COVID-19 pandemic is still occurring. Previously, the events would be hosted in both the Student Resource Center Room 2000 and the Student Services Center. This year, SRC 2000 was not being used. In the past, usually, over 500 contestants would attend, while this year had about 400.

Despite how this year’s CODCON turned out, “most events went well, and both guests and staff liked having the entire con in one place for a change,” said Allen.

Even if I haven’t attended the previous CODCONs, I do believe that this year’s event pulled off a decent job of providing fun activities and having everyone dress in costumes. I’m sure there will be more to come next year for all game lovers out there.

Be sure to check out the video on the Courier News TV YouTube Channel.