Seven Hills will be back
Sheffield: 6-7 April 2024

About

Seven Hills is an annual tabletop roleplaying games convention. Born in Sheffield UK as one of the Garrison Conventions, it returns to the popular gaol venue after a virtual run in 2021. From 2023, it’s back for a double shot – real in spring, and virtual in autumn.

Each year, games offered are inspired by a different theme.

To participate, you’ll need to register for the convention in advance. Individual game bookings are also processed ahead of the convention weekend.

  • Allocation is based on player preferences.
  • We’ll randomise placement where a game is oversubscribed.
  • Newcomers and game hosts get a priority allocation round ahead of other players.

The Community

At Seven Hills we welcome new games masters and players, and especially embrace fresh, independently produced games.

The convention hosts around 60 gamers over 2 days, with up to 50 games in 5 slots from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. We use Discord and email to keep attendees and other friends of Seven Hills updated.

Join the Seven Hills Discord Server

The Venue

The Garrison Hotel is a former army gaol where you can play in atmospheric locations like the cells of miscreants and scallywags, or the garrison’s armoury. You will need to arrange accommodation separately.

Register

Join the mailing list or Discord server to get notified of when tickets are released.

You will need to register in advance to participate in Seven Hills virtual or face-to-face conventions.

Registration is free for virtual Seven Hills, but still required.

For face-to-face events, convention tickets are available for the whole weekend, or either Saturday or Sunday only.

  • The fee covers your participation in games – there is no additional charge per gaming session.
  • There is also no charge for joining in the pre-convention social on the preceding Friday evening.

You will need to make separate accommodation and food arrangements. The fee is non-refundable. Once you’ve registered, you’ll be added to the list of convention attendees.

Key Dates

The next Seven Hills in Sheffield 6-7 April 2024.

Timeline

  • September: Theme suggestions welcome. ✅
  • October: Registration opens. Get tickets from here. ✅
  • November: Game submissions open. Add game details here. ✅
  • December – February: Dice roll practice ✅
  • 1 March: Game submissions close
  • 4-15 March: Game bookings
  • 16-17 March: Game allocation
  • 6-7 April: The Con

Join the Seven Hills Discord or the mailing list to get updates about when registration opens, and the game submissions and bookings windows start or are about to close.

The next virtual Seven Hills is 15-17 September 2023

Timeline

  • July: Open for theme suggestions 
  • August: Open for registration and game submissions
  • August 27: Game submissions close 
  • September 1: Game registration
  • September 15-17: The Con

Theme

The theme for 2024 is Punk.

Any flavour of punk (or even punk-punk) welcome.

Expect your fair share of steampunk, cyberpunk, dieselpunk, splatterpunk and renegade elf punk.

But don’t be surprised if someone rocks up with a table full of dungeon punksandal punkcattle punkdesert punkstone punkbiopunk or gothic punk.  

There’s even been rumour of some anthro-punk.


If you’re thinking of running a game, consider the theme as less of a restriction, and more a creative constraint to inspire your offer.

You could apply it to the scenario, the setting, or the game system.  Or any combination.

You could hint subtly at the theme context, or immerse your game in it.

Previous themes have included Change, Steel, Elements, Urban Legends, Far Frontiers, Historical and Horizons.

How It Really Works

Game Slots

Seven Hills hosts up to 50 games in 5 gaming slots and 10 tables across the convention weekend.

  • Slot 1: Saturday, 10am to 1pm
  • Slot 2: Saturday, 2:30pm to 6pm
  • Slot 3: Saturday, 7:30pm to 11:30pm
  • Slot 4: Sunday, 10am to 1pm
  • Slot 5: Sunday, 2:30pm to 6pm

Each game is classic one-shot format – running in a single slot at one table.


Game Bookings

  • All games are pre-booked, so no queuing at the convention.
  • All booking preferences are submitted at the same time but will be processed in priority order.

Game Allocations

We’ll prioritise allocations for 1 or 2 games for new attendees and GMs.

  • If you’re a new attendee and run a game at Seven Hills, you’ll get 2 priority allocations.
  • If you run 2 games, you’ll get 2 priority allocations.

Games will be allocated in order:

  • Priority 1: Newcomers to Seven Hills (1 game).
  • Priority 2: Game Hosts (1 per game run, max 2).
  • All remaining player and host bookings.

We’ll randomise allocations if a game is over-subscribed beyond

  • 50% when processing priority allocations
  • 100% when processing remaining bookings

Games that are under-subscribed or have dropouts may be picked up via the convention Discord server before the con, or directly at the event, as long as the GM is willing to take new players.

New GM?

Seven Hills has a friendly community and is a great place to break into games mastering at conventions.

We’re especially keen to support those who have less experience to have a go, running a game they’re comfortable with, and to have fun while doing so.

Many of our attendees are veteran GMs of the tabletop convention circuit, and have offered to mentor new GMs in the past.

Game hosts get access to a dedicated #gm-lounge channel in the Seven Hills Discord server to get help with their games and share experience and advice.


In the meantime, here’s some useful advice for convention GMs: