New Con On the Block: Burning Cat by the Oatmeal

The Oatmeal launches the Burning Cat convention for card and table top gamers. Let’s take a look beyond its name and into the convention itself!

The Oatmeal announced today their endeavor to bring card and table top gaming to con goers everywhere, with a completely Oatmeal twist. The company that brought us Exploding Kittens, Bears Vs Babies, and You’ve Got Crabs will be launching their own unique gaming convention, suitably named Burning Cat.

The most notable and fascinating difference will be “The Ring” which, according to their official description, will include:

• Cat themed American Gladiator
• Dodgeball, but the balls are massive and covered in hair (we call this game Hairball).
• A dunk tank full of LaCroix™ sparkling beverage
• The world’s largest game of freeze tag

And of course, there will be a giant cat statue that’s going to burn at the end of the convention. The Oatmeal is promising “she will erupt with the light of a thousand stars. She will implode into something terrible and wonderful. She will transform.” We’re not quite sure what that means, but considering The Oatmeal made their name in the card game business from Exploding Kittens, we’re curious to see where this is going.

The Oatmeal is happily acknowledging their first year is an experiment, but they’re hoping to bring a new feel to the gaming circuit. While The Ring and the burning cat statue are integral parts of this, they also promise a no screens gaming environment where everyone is welcome. The intention is for people to come to play and enjoy games. If you need someone to game with, per their site they will help you find someone.

There won’t be much of what we typically see at conventions. They’re not expecting a giant guest list, and indeed Mathew Inman (the creator of The Oatmeal) may be their top guest speaker attending. They are pushing against the idea of conventions being a super-specific geek mall and instead focusing on what seems like a theme park for those who simply enjoy card games to come and play.

Tickets aren’t on sale yet, but should be available later this summer. The convention itself will be May 16-17, 2020 in the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. Right now they are setting up a contact list for those who are interested in tickets at BurningCat.com.

The convention promises to be amazing. Are you planning to attend Burning Cat? Keep an eye on our website for updated information closer to the convention!

Author: Caspian Casillas

Caspian is a non-binary geek, cosplayer, traveler, and when need be accountant. They have been traveling full time in an RV since January 2018 and enjoying geek life and cosplay builds on the road. They own and manage Storybook World Travel, a Disney travel focused travel agency.

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