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Panels are always a great way to really enjoy and experience cons. If they're run well or if they have a lot of discussion going on it can be pretty nice. For instance, I once went to a panel about the Legend of Zelda, it was early in the morning and not too complex, just a bunch of people talking about various things about the series. Being a big fan of the series, it was cool to meet people who also really liked it and discuss things with them.
Don't be afraid to ask people for pictures and chat with them too, especially if they're cosplaying something you like. You could talk about their cosplay, you could talk about the series, just some nice small talk.
If you can, get a hotel room. Knowing you can return to it at any time means you can feel a little more at ease when doing late night activities, and some panels and events can go on until past midnight or so. I don't know much about room parties though, but that's a thing as well.
If you're cosplaying, you'll most likely have people come up to you to get your photo. I wouldn't suggest doing the really popular things if you're hoping for this (Attack on Titan, Kill la Kill) since there will most likely be a lot of other cosplayers doing the same, but just do your best anyway and you're bound to get at least one person to get your photo. It's just a nice feeling. It helps to have props too since you can pose with the props and people can admire them too.
Since you're into video games, look for video game events. There's got to be some. At one con I went to, there was a big room full of games set up for multiplayer games, so I just joined a match of Super Smash Bros with a bunch of strangers and had a great time. If you've got a 3DS, you could StreetPass.
Overall, think about what cons have to offer that you can't really get anywhere else. You can hang out with your friends any time, and though you should hang out with them at cons too, you should enjoy what you can do at cons that you can't normally.
