PAX West 2023: Top 10 Panels You NEED To Attend

PAX West 2023 is fast approaching, which means attendees have to plan out which panels they plan on attending. With four days jam-packed with content, guest speakers, and gameshows, we’ve widdled down the top 10 PAX West panels you need to attend.

Interested in unique perspectives of journeys through gaming? Searching for a new cozy game to keep you warm at night? Or maybe you need to find your footing in the ever-changing landscape of gaming & content creation. Well, look no further because PAX West has it all!

Related: I’ve Spent Way Too Much Time & Money On Starfield For It To Be Bad

The Town Inside Me: Guilty Gear and My Trans Experience with Fighting Games

Eileen S., also known as ATTACKONWAKEUP online, brings their queer experience with fighting games to the big stage at PAX. This is a follow-up to Eileen’s “Fighting With Pride: Queerness in Fighting Games” panel from PAX East, but it tells a more personal story and focuses on Guilty Gear’s own trans representative, Bridget.

Amazing Black Femmes in Gaming 

Another fascinating spot that aims to highlight the black experience in gaming is the Amazing Black Femmes in Gaming panel. Featuring five content creators, game devs, and industry femmes, this panel celebrates the diversity of black excellence in the community.

Inclusive Adventures: Autistic Perspectives in TTRPGs

Inclusive Adventures is a must-see at PAX West 2023 as it dives into the psychology of TTRPGs and how they are a perfect way for autistic individuals to build relationships. Hosted by a panel of doctors, counselors, game designers, and entertainers, Austistic Perspectives in TTRPGs wants to broaden the conversation surrounding autism and offer tips to steer your party’s next adventure toward success.

Getting Into the Game Industry Part I: It’s Never Too Late!

The first of a two-part panel, Getting Into the Gaming Industry, aims to answer an aged gamer’s biggest question: is it too late? A diverse panel of five industry veterans explains why it isn’t – and never will be – too late to make a career in gaming and that you can start no matter where you’re at in life.

Ask-A-YouTuber w/Caddicarus

When it comes to breaking into the industry, many gamers seek to find a career in content creation. Whether that be a successful Twitch streamer or YouTuber, finding your footing in those fields can be daunting. No worries, as PAX West’s Ask-A-YouTuber panel features Caddicarus, an internet star with over 1 million subscribers, who is available to answer all of your burning questions.

Noclip: Video Game Documentaries LIVE

This one doesn’t need much explaining if you’re a fan of the fine viewing experience that is Noclip. Their video game documentaries are among some of the best and most well-made content on the internet. This panel features sneak peeks at upcoming projects, a dive into the vault of never before seen footage, and a live Q&A with the Noclip crew.

Games You Can’t Play 

Speaking of well-documented content, this next panel is for fans of lost media. Games You Can’t Play is hosted by Rym DeCoster and Scott Rubin as they explore a variety of games you should be playing, but can’t. They’ll also explain why games just disappear, despite archivists’ best efforts to preserve them.

Hidden Gems of PAX West

If you’re looking for games that you CAN play, then Hidden Gems of PAX West is right up your alley. This has been a staple panel for PAX since 2017, and it will continue the tradition of helping attendees find the best, overlooked corner of the convention center. Once-in-a-lifetime experiences or your next favorite game might be lurking just around the corner.

Cozy Games: Little Games You’ll Love

Of course, here at Gamepur, we love our cozy games, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t spotlight this panel. Cozy Games: Little Games You’ll Love should be on your radar if you’re a cozy gamer. If you enjoy farming, cooking, decorating, or being washed in pastel, then you’ll love the games featured in this panel. Bring pens, notepads, and credit cards, and make room for more cozy on your console.

Don’t Spray Paint Inside! Crafting for Your Space

Last but certainly not least, Don’t spray paint inside! Crafting for your space. If you’re anything like me, you take on hobbies faster than you can ditch them. Crafting, in particular, is a time-consuming hobby that also requires a lot of workspace. But for the average adult with ADHD, we don’t have the dreamy workshops we see on YouTube. But this panel is meant to help the everyday crafter get the most out of their space and offers tips to help make crafting a little less hazardous.