NPL Code of Conduct
2025 SPAMcon
2024 BigDCon
2023 Motréal
2022 Contry
2021 WashingCon
2020 Contario
2019 RockOn!
2018 Milwaukee
2017 BeaCon
2016 SiLiCon
2015 Recouvery
2014 MaineCon
2013 ConTex
2012 Orecon
2011 Convidence
2010 ConPac

Older Convention Puzzles

Archive of older cons
Historical Nomtags
 

Official Program

The basic schedule is the same for every con:

  • Wednesday: Host's picnic in late afternoon/early evening, a social gathering with light food for early arrivals.
  • Thursday evening, 8-11: Introductions for first-time attendees, followed by interactive word games and puzzles; two or three official cryptic crossword puzzles are handed for over-the weekend solving; if there is a hidden contest, it may be announced as well.
  • Friday evening, 8-11: Interactive word games and puzzles.
  • Saturday morning: Business meeting, at which the location of the NPL convention two years hence is decided, along with discussion of other matters that may come up.
  • Saturday afternoon: Pencil-and-paper puzzles for competitive solving, including a flat-solving contest composed of puzzles created especially for the convention. Convention photos of all attendees are taken before or after the competitions.
  • Saturday evening: Presentation of the annual Golden Sphinx awards during dinner, followed by a Puzzle Extravaganza, a themed team-solving event, with multiple puzzles and at least one meta-challenge incorporating answers from other puzzles in the set.
  • Sunday morning: Prize ceremony and tearful good-byes.


For information on how you can contribute to the official con program, please visit this page.

In addition to the official program, there are always a multitude of Unofficial games and paper-and-pencil puzzles, walk-around puzzles, and the opportunity to solve and play games with many krewemembers in practically every public place in the hotel.