Bringing my daughter this year and while she expressed some interest in TD, I was unable to secure tickets. It would be awesome if there was somewhere she could get a peek at the sets (not go in or see solutions or anything) just so she could see a little taste of what it was like.
Is there any such "observation" area in TD, or is it completely closed off for ticketed runs?
I believe you can visit the tavern outside, but there isn't much to see.
You can also show up with generics to try to jump into a slot if there is availability.
Finally, you may also want to check the True Dungeon forum for groups looking for players to join them.
____________________________________________________ Alec Usticke, Unofficial Gen Con Indy Facebook Discussion Group
I did TD for the first time last year. I did not see anyplace for people to observe the players as they went through the dungeon.
Like austicke said, there might be chance to get in on a run with generics but I don't think it would be very high. Best bet would be Saturday or Sunday morning.
I say morning because I overslept on my Saturday run and barely made it onto the setup room.
Sunday morning would be a terrible time to try, actually. True Dungeon is only Thursday-Saturday this year, since Lucas Oil Stadium won't give them enough time to both open the dungeon *and* tear it down on Sunday.
They extended the hours on the days they are open to keep the total number of tickets available constant, though.
If you're by yourself and willing to join any run just to check it out, the odds of being able to get in are actually pretty good--the problem is that you need $62 worth of generic tickets to do it, and you might not be willing to tie up that much cash in generics.
Buy generics and show up, the True Dungeon folks do everything they can to get you in. I have not had tickets many years and I have always gotten in, including all four runs last year.
I also brought my daughter a few years ago (she was 10 at the time). We had tickets that year. My daughter was one of the only people in our group that was able to consistently "hit" the monsters and saved us when we needed someone with small hands to help out with some of the physical tasks.
Just saw this post under the Events section: http://www.gencon.com/forums/23-events-2017/topics/12798-truedungeon-thursday-9-38am-4-spots-available
There is a true dungeon 101 event a couple times during the con. They might have pictures from previous runs
Even though you can't get in to watch people actually playing, If it's anything like years past, I think it would be worth it to walk over there if you have the time, or are near the area, just to take a look at the "tavern" area. I think it gives a pretty good idea of the overall quality of the sets, and the overall dark, foreboding feeling and "vibe" of the actual game rooms. [Hint: It's really pretty cool, IMO!]
There is the storyscape area which is basically the entryway to get to the coaching rooms. It is dark and dressed up a bit, but there is not a ton to see. I wouldn't make a special trip for it, but if you happen to be in Lucas Oil, you can certainly make a quick walk through that area without a ticket. You can't see the rest of the dungeon without tickets though.
That said, people WILL return tickets onsite starting Wednesday. If you are flexible about times, keep checking the Gen Con events site and you might be able to snatch up some tickets that have been returned.
Good luck!