Gamers, dice rollers and cosplayers (costume players) lined up at the PAX Prime 2014 this Labor Day weekend at the Washington State Convention Center, located in Downtown Seattle.

Tens of thousands of video game enthusiasts from across the world attended the Penny Arcade Expo, a series of festivals held in Seattle, Boston, Melbourne, and San Antonio celebrating games and gaming culture. From video game companies showcasing their latest products to live concerts and tournaments, PAX Prime incorporates everything a fan would want to see and do in the world of video games.

What separates this from many other trade shows, such as the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is the emphasis on public participation, where consumers finally get to try hands-on the products they are eager to buy. So while not many new announcements are made within the industry, gamers in attendance simply want to play.

Nintendo’s booth throughout the weekend was the most perpetually crowded, with adults and children alike waiting feverishly in line to play their flagship series, “Super Smash Bros.,” on their next-gen console, the Wii U.

Big publishers and developers such as Sony and Microsoft, or Activision and Ubisoft, were also showcasing their newest titles, many of which will be released this fall. Highly anticipated games such as Microsoft’s “Halo: The Master Chief Collection,” or Sony exclusive “Bloodborne” were playable on the show floor, garnering long lines that wrapped around several booths.

PAX also brings a huge emphasis on independent developers, smaller teams of passionate individuals who are bringing unique gameplay challenges and perspectives to the industry.

“It’s about survival, we all need to survive,” said Polish game designer Pawl Miechowski of his indie game, “This War of Mine.”

Unlike many conventional blockbuster franchises like the “Call of Duty” or “Battlefield” series, which show a very black and white dichotomy of war in those games, Miechowski and his team at Poland-based 11 Bit Studios want to focus more on the outliers of any given war, like those who are on the sidelines, trying to survive along the destruction and chaos.

Based on a fictional war and with no hint of political commentary, Miechowski says this was done intentionally to avoiding commenting on current events or satirizing a certain political issue.

“It’s apolitical because the point is to show that we are all people…we all have the same needs,” said Miechowski.

The largest event at PAX Prime was by far the League of Legends North America Regional Championship Series, where three teams will move on to the world championship bracket; first place winners win one million dollars.

League of Legends, also known as “LOL” is a highly popular, free-to-play PC game. Developer Riot Games disclosed in January that 27 million players play the game daily, worldwide. Its popularity is now reflective in its sponsors this year, Coke and American Express.

The Championship Series had giant monitors, commentators and multi-camera shots to showcase the intensity that this game can bring. The line for the finals wrapped around the entire convention, with people eagerly trying to catch a glimpse.

PAX Prime is an all-encompassing event, blending fans and industry leaders into an amalgamation of all things nerdy.