Kotaku82%

Fans Take Shelter After Tabletop Convention Gen Con Gets Hit By A Massive Storm That Leaks Onto The Show Floor 52%

By Zack Kotzer79%

8/2/2026, 7:34:01 AM

BS Summary: This article contains 16 faulty reasoning types, including Anecdotal, Availability Heuristic, and Negativity Bias, with Appeal to Authority as the most egregious example at 15.9% saturation with 59 hits. Analysis detected 427 faulty-reasoning hits from 370 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 45% and a BS Rank of 52% (12,914 of 26,418 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 51.10% of the article peer group.

Gen Con, the largest tabletop gaming convention in North America, cast one too many lightning bolts on Saturday. 
The gathering of players, vendors for all manner of pen and paper were startled and soaked as tornado warnings rang out through Indianapolis. 
Videos have emerged of the surreal scene as attendees were asked to take shelter and rain waters pierced through the ceiling above. 
Around 5:30 PM, the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for central Indiana. 
This includes downtown Indianapolis and the Indiana Convention Center, where tens of thousands of fans gather each year for Gen Con. 
As the warning went into effect, the Convention Center speaker system asked attendees to locate themselves to safer parts of the building. 
In case there were any doubts about the severe weather, the outside rains were so heavy they began to leak through the ceiling. 
Showering guests and risking ruin to all kinds of very expensive cardboard. 
“It’s raaaining at Gennn Con! 
Oh no…” posted publisher Mythworks as a waterfall drenched tables below. 
Another post from attendee AlexanderTheGreatest captured the scene as multiple leaks sprang from above. 
“Ho lee shit, Gen Con is fucking flooding. 
All over the place.” 
The video shows staff trying to collect some of the incoming water with huge garbage bins. 
Most of the waters poured over the playtest area, though some vendors say they witnessed tables in their zone getting washed as well. 
Founded by Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax, the convention was first held in Wisconsin in 1968. 
It serves as a major hub for all things tabletop, including big announcements from Magic: The Gathering publishers Wizards Of The Coast (who previously ran Gen Con) and dice superstars Critical Role. 
The convention moved to Indianapolis in 2003. 
Bleeding Cool’s Gavin Sheehan says that while weather spikes are common this time of year, it’s never been this torrential, and the roof leakage was a first. 
Most importantly the warning lifted after a few hours and there were no reported injuries from the frightening spell. 
With the weather returning to normal, the convention continued as planned on Sunday. 
Article reasoning-pattern comparisonThis article: 6.2%Zack Kotzer: 4.7%Kotaku: 4.2%Confirmation Bias6.2%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.1%Kotaku: 1.3%Anchoring Bias0.0%This article: 12.2%Zack Kotzer: 4.8%Kotaku: 3.8%Availability Heuristic12.2%This article: 5.7%Zack Kotzer: 1.8%Kotaku: 1.1%Representativeness Heuristic5.7%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.6%Kotaku: 1.0%Hindsight Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 1.0%Kotaku: 1.5%Overconfidence Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 5.8%Kotaku: 5.2%Framing Effect0.0%This article: 3.2%Zack Kotzer: 1.2%Kotaku: 1.0%Loss Aversion3.2%This article: 3.5%Zack Kotzer: 0.7%Kotaku: 0.9%Status Quo Bias3.5%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.2%Kotaku: 0.4%Sunk Cost Effect0.0%This article: 5.1%Zack Kotzer: 1.1%Kotaku: 2.6%Optimism Bias5.1%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 2.8%Kotaku: 3.0%Pessimism Bias0.0%This article: 11.6%Zack Kotzer: 14.4%Kotaku: 12.7%Negativity Bias11.6%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 1.4%Kotaku: 1.7%Self-Serving Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 1.2%Kotaku: 1.3%Fundamental Attribution Error0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.3%Kotaku: 0.2%Actor-Observer Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 2.2%Kotaku: 1.2%In-Group Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 1.1%Kotaku: 0.3%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias0.0%This article: 8.6%Zack Kotzer: 1.2%Kotaku: 3.0%Halo Effect8.6%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.2%Kotaku: 0.3%Horn Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.0%Kotaku: 0.1%Dunning-Kruger Effect0.0%This article: 5.1%Zack Kotzer: 1.6%Kotaku: 2.1%Recency Bias5.1%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.3%Kotaku: 0.5%Primacy Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.0%Kotaku: 0.0%Blind-Spot Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 2.1%Kotaku: 1.2%Ad Hominem0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.5%Kotaku: 0.6%Straw Man0.0%This article: 15.9%Zack Kotzer: 2.7%Kotaku: 2.2%Appeal to Authority15.9%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 1.4%Kotaku: 1.9%False Dilemma0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 1.6%Kotaku: 0.9%Slippery Slope0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.0%Kotaku: 0.2%Circular Reasoning0.0%This article: 6.2%Zack Kotzer: 9.1%Kotaku: 8.5%Hasty Generalization6.2%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.1%Kotaku: 0.3%Red Herring0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.2%Kotaku: 1.0%Bandwagon0.0%This article: 4.6%Zack Kotzer: 7.3%Kotaku: 5.1%Appeal to Emotion4.6%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 1.1%Kotaku: 0.8%Begging the Question0.0%This article: 4.9%Zack Kotzer: 2.2%Kotaku: 2.2%Post Hoc (False Cause)4.9%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.0%Kotaku: 0.2%Tu Quoque0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.4%Kotaku: 0.6%Burden of Proof0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.8%Kotaku: 0.1%Appeal to Nature0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.0%Kotaku: 0.4%Composition/Division0.0%This article: 12.7%Zack Kotzer: 2.4%Kotaku: 3.8%Anecdotal12.7%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.1%Kotaku: 0.1%No True Scotsman0.0%This article: 6.2%Zack Kotzer: 1.6%Kotaku: 1.9%Ambiguity (Equivocation)6.2%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.0%Kotaku: 0.0%Gambler’s Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.1%Kotaku: 0.1%Middle Ground0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.0%Kotaku: 0.4%Personal Incredulity0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.2%Kotaku: 0.1%Special Pleading0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.3%Kotaku: 0.1%Genetic Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 1.3%Kotaku: 2.5%Unattributed Quote0.0%This article: 3.5%Zack Kotzer: 1.9%Kotaku: 1.6%Quote-first Misdirection3.5%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 16.3%Kotaku: 13.9%Biased Writer Voice0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 1.9%Kotaku: 1.9%Indoctrination0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 3.2%Kotaku: 0.6%Politically Left Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 0.5%Kotaku: 0.1%Politically Right Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Zack Kotzer: 1.7%Kotaku: 2.9%Attempt to Sell a Product or S…0.0%

370 words analyzed.

Speakers

3speakers14%attributed speech318writer words
Selected voice

Gavin Sheehan

100%flagged-word coverage
27 attributed words52% of attributed speech70% writer coverage
0%2.5%5.0%Quote-first Misdirection-4.1 ptsWriter: 4.1%Gavin Sheehan: 0.0%0.0%

Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.

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Analysis

Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.