If you must spend time indoors this summer, there is no better place (for the geeks among you, at least) to ignore the sun than in the inviting environs of the area’s conventions. This season is a beautiful time for Washington nerds of all stripes, but especially for gamers—though there is a sprinkling of comics and ponies for good measure.

Olympia Comic Festival Perfect for comic lovers looking for an alternative to larger comic-cons, where comics can easily be lost in a sea of toys and entertainment. Now in its 14th year, OCF prides itself on focusing purely on comics, especially independent comics. In fact, all OCF exhibitors are either cartoonists or publishers (quite rare in the comic-con world). This con’s relaxed environment allows fluid interaction between attendees, comic-book creators, and guests of honor, fostering a happy and healthy comics community. It includes a comic expo, panels, and a stage show; guests of honor include Charles Burns, Simon Roy, and Jesse Reklaw. The Capitol Theater, The Olympia Center, and Danger Room Comics, olympiacomicsfestival.org. Buy badges online or at the door, $6. Sat., June 7.

Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show This paradise of flippers and plungers features over 400 pinball and arcade games. The best part? They are all free to play! The NPAS also holds multiple pinball tournaments, ensuring that there’s a tournament set to your skill level, so even newbies can participate in the fun. World-record high scores will be attempted; there will also be prizes galore (including a full-size pinball machine), a Pacific Pinball Museum exhibit and seminar, panels, a large “kid friendly” zone, and a special screening of Game Play: The Story of the Videogame Revolution. Notable guests include pinball designers Mark Ritchie, Pat McMahon, Steve Ritchie, and David Thiel. Tacoma Convention Center, nwpinballshow.com. Buy badges online or at the door, $10-$65. Fri. June-Sun., June 6-8.

Seattle Retro Gaming Expo The Seattle Retro Gaming Expo is a gamer geek’s paradise. Started by Northwest Classic Gaming Enthusiasts, it was created to provide gamers in the area an outlet to geek out unabashedly on classic videogames. The event includes a huge exhibit hall and show floor, but the star of the show is a massive freeplay room, which includes more than 1000 games available on systems like Sega CD, Vectre, and TG16. There will also be a 10-player Steel Battalion station, a 8-player Xbox System Link station, a 10-player Saturn Bomberman set up, and much more. Washington State Convention Center. seattleretro.org. Buy badges online or at the door, $15-60. Sat.-Sun., June 28-29.

Everfree Northwest Dedicated to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Everfree Northwest is a three day event full of pure fun for pony fanatics. Now in it’s third year, Everfree Northwest aims to create a space that reflects the spirit of the show and is packed full of panels, games, dances, live music, art, costume contests, and more. Special guests include Cathy Weseluck, who voices Spike and the Mayor in MLP; Rebecca Shoichet, who provides the singing voice of Twilight in MLP; and Marÿke Hendrikse, who voices Gilda the Griffon. Washington State Convetion Center. everfreenw.com. Buy badges online or at the door, $50-100. Fri.-Sun., July 4-6.

GAMCON The Gaming, Anime, and Music Convention, more aptly known as GAMCON, strives to provide a space that celebrates all three of these geeky elements. Throughout this two day event, attendees can attend panels, watch live music and anime, participate in the cosplay events, or get their game on in one of the many gaming events. Guests include D20 Brass Band, the folks from Digital and Dice Podcast, and more. Kitsap Conference Center. gamconvention.com. Buy badges online, $10-20. Sat.-Sun., July 5-6. E

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