Registration will open in May and will stay open until all spots are filled. Registration fee is $600 + $110/night (at our discounted group rate) at Allerton Park & Retreat Center. Meals for the full duration of the retreat are included in the cost of registration.
Allerton Park and Retreat Center is accessible by car or train from Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. Allerton is a 1,500-acre estate with gardens, woodlands, trails, and historic architecture. Participants will have exclusive access to the site, offering a beautiful and expansive backdrop for experimentation, rest, and play. Although you are not required to stay at Allerton, you are highly encouraged to, as lodging nearby is scarce.
Check out this handy-dandy travel guide!
Worlds in Play takes place Aug 4-8, 2025:
- Arrivals on Aug 4. Designed to be a soft landing day with rolling arrivals — Casual check-in and lunch 1-3pm; Sessions 3-6pm; Dinner; Field Trip to Champaign-Urbana Adventures in Time and Space.
- Aug 5 & 6: Full days of programming — Breakfast; Sessions 10:30am-1pm; Lunch; Sessions 2-7:30pm; Dinner; Late Night Session.
- Aug 7: Breakfast; Sessions 10:30am-1pm; Lunch; Sessions 2:30-4pm.
- Aug 7 Evening: Gathering with invited guests from the Chambana community, featuring special offerings by artists and a social hour.
- Aug 8: Goodbye breakfast on the morning.
The schedule will be released in waves leading up to the gathering. Expect a wide variety of participatory playtesting formats, designed by each artist and supported by the producers. In addition to the planned sessions, there will be open programming slots (”Spaghetti Sessions”) for spontaneous experiments.
There will always be at least two or more sessions happening at once. You’re invited to choose your own adventure: build a path through the gathering that reflects your curiosities. There will also be plenty of informal moments to connect or spark collaboration. You are always welcome to step away to recharge for any duration of time.
For early arrivals (arriving before the 4th) or late departures (leaving after the 8th), please book your stay directly with Allerton Park and Retreat Center.
Most likely! While some sessions may have capacity limits, the abundance of programming and choose-your-own-adventure structure means there’s always something engaging to jump into. There will be no advance sign-ups for sessions, but there may be on-site, in-person sign-ups for certain sessions with limited capacity.
Yes. Meals will include vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. If you have additional dietary needs, please let us know in advance via the registration form.
We are committed to making Worlds in Play as accessible as possible. Please reach out to producers, Jake (jakepin@gmail.com) or Scarlett (scarlett@scarlett.kim), with any questions, and we will do our best to accommodate. Learn more about Allerton Park and Retreat Center’s diversity, inclusion, and access efforts here, including information about Park accessibility and power chair rentals.
back to the top