The annual Gen Con gaming convention is less than two weeks away and we can hardly wait. As usual, there are tons and tons of games being released at the convention this year. While there are many games the BGQ crew can’t wait to get their grubby hands on, there are a few we are exceptionally keen on trying. This list is by no means exhaustive, but here are the ones each of us (who are going to the convention at least) are most interested in.
Tony: Sanctum (Demo Only)
Czech Games Edition (Room 237 – second floor):
So a board game themed around one of my favorite video games of all time (Diablo) also designed by Filip Neduk? Yes please! Filip Neduk was the designer for the excellent first person shooter board game Adrenaline, so I’ve been excited to try this one since the first teaser trailer was released. Publisher CGE will have this one on hand for demos only, but I’m excited to try out this competitive dungeon crawler.
Brian W: Return to Dark Tower (Demo Only)
Restoration Games (Booth 355):
This is pure nostalgia for me mainly because I loved and logged hundreds of hours playing the original 1981 electronic version of Dark Tower. The Return to Dark Tower is being marketed as a sequel and uses similar mechanics as the original ’81 version. Also, it’s supposed to have a tech upgrade from the clunky electronic tower and will have a paired interface that I’m guessing is an app. I can’t wait to see it and demo this updated classic.
Andrew: Watergate (For Sale)
Capstone Games (Booth 457)
Watergate from designer Matthias Cramer is a 2-player game driven by multi-use cards. It has the feel of the much heavier and much longer Twilight Struggle without needing to set aside three hours. I was fortunate enough to be able to play it at Origins and look forward to playing it again.
Andrew: King’s Dilemma (For Sale)
Horrible Games (Booth 3052)
I can’t just limit myself to one pick. The King’s Dilemma from Horrible Games is a competitive legacy game with branching storylines as players vie for control of the kingdom. I haven’t seen much about the mechanisms but the description sounds a bit like a legacy version of Game of Thrones and I’m definitely going to go check it out.
Alex: Era: Medieval Age (For Sale)
Eggertspiele (Booth 3027)
Before the current roll-and-write craze, there was Roll Through The Ages, a classic that combined a neat resource tracking board with throwing some of the heaviest wooden dice around, all in the hopes of building your civilization. The sequel to this game is shaping up to be Era: Medieval Age, also designed by Matt Leacock. Instead of rolling dice and writing out your city plan, you actually get to build them on a pegboard grid, allowing you to see your city to come to life right on the table! Just from the pictures alone, I think this one looks like a winner. Definitely a must-see for me at the convention.
AMJ: Meeple Party (For Sale)
Ninth Level Games (Booth 2612)
Ninth Level’s Schrodinger’s Cat was the first game I reviewed for BGQ. While I was talking to designer Heather O’Neil at the first Pax Unplugged, she mentioned the next game she had in the pipeline – one about taking pictures during a party. Loved the concept and art, and can’t wait to get it to the table. I’m super jazzed to see Meeple Party come to fruition!
Brian B: Cloudspire (For Sale)
Chip Theory Games (Booth 2719)
I love Too Many Bones, the breakout hit from Chip Theory Games, but was unsure about backing the Cloudspire Kickstarter. It’s a strategy game heavily influenced by the tower defense and MOBA genre, that looks to have the same excellent production values that Too Many Bones did. I’m looking forward to going to Gen Con to demo it and would not hesitate to buy it if it impresses me.
Tony: Startropolis (For Sale)
Petersen Games (Booth 1261)
This one is totally self-serving, but I have to at least give a plug for my first game. Startropolis is a game I co-designed (with Jeff Petersen) and is making its debut at Gen Con this year. It’s an economic game where you competitively build a space station using 3D plastic pieces. The goal, of course, is to earn the most money by the end of the game. I’m super excited to finally get a copy of the game after many years of playing with a rough prototype. If you are going to the convention, pop on over to the Petersen Games booth and check it out, or ping me and I’ll give you a demo!
