Gen Con 2014 has begun! If you’re lucky enough to be attending, those of us who aren’t able to go would love to hear about your expereinces!
What’s the coolest game you’ve seen and/or played? What games are making it to your wish list? What games got you to pull out your wallet and make a purchase and why?
Thanks, beltmatt. Red doesn’t really sound like my kind of game, but I’ll keep my eye out for it just the same.
@Paladin Congrats on winning Pandemic survival! I wanted to enter but chickened out…I’m not a very competitive person so it would have drove my wife nuts as she is. What did you get for winning?
@grysqrl Red was pretty interesting. It was a card game where the requirements for winning changes every turn, like Fluxx but less crazy. Each color has a value (red being the highest) and each card has a number value (1-7)and a rule (changes the winning condition). So one rule change might be, lowest card wins (so a 1 would win). Or it might be highest card wins (7 would win), if there is a tie you go with the color code. Each turn you may play a card in front of you and/or a card to change the rules. You need to play at least one card and you must be winning on your turn or you are eliminated.
It was a fun game, I would have picked it up but it was sold out by the time I got to it. They are also sold out on their website. I think there were only 49 cards. 7 different suits (color) numbered 1-7. So not much to it.
How was Red? I didn’t know about it going in and I never got a chance to check it out.
This was my first Gen Con and HOLY SHNIKEYS. It was incredible. Played and demoed a poop-ton of games that I’m not going to list, but will brag about one:
Won the first ever Pandemic Survival tournament with my best friend. We were literally shaking when I dropped the four red cards to cure the last disease, when it came down to us, one other team, and two turns worth of player deck left in the game.
Red
Heroes Wanted
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Giant Zombie 15
Flapjacks and Sasquatches (tournament)
King of Tokyo (tournament)
Dragon Slayer
Coconuts
Evolution
and many many more…
I played a lot of games that have been out for a while (but are new for me) and a few new ones:
–Wok Star: decent real-time co-op about running a restaurant
–Damage Report: real-time co-op set on a spaceship that has come under attack (or met with some other kind of calamity – I haven’t read all of the scenarios yet)
–Betrayal at the House on the Hill: a co-op until it isn’t; combines every b-horror story into one game; explore the creepy house until one of you is revealed as a traitor (even the traitor doesn’t know in advance) and then try to complete a secret objective depending on which side you are on
–Innovation: recent Carl Chudyk game; it’s decent, but doesn’t hold a candle to Glory to Rome
–Impulse: another Carl Chudyk game; I didn’t like it as much, but it might just have been a bad demo
–Legends of Andor: the game was probably too complex to be properly shown in the fairly quick demo that I had; I would check it out again
–Shadowrift: deck-building co-op game where you have to defend a village being overrun by monsters; seems like it could cool, but the demo was terrible
–Spirit Island: Greater than Games’ next co-op project. I got to demo it and it was amazing! Imagine a wild island, sparsely populated by natives and then colonists arrive and basically drop Settlers of Catan on the island. You are natural spirits that inhabit the island and must work together to repel the colonists. This game wins GenCon.
Played:
Run, Fight, or Die
Legendary deckbuilding game
Legend of the Five Rings
Sail to India (best game I purchased at the con)
Trains
Seventh Hero
Say Bye to the Villains
Mai-Star
Cash and Guns!
Kemet (part of a game, was exhausted while playing)
I’m so happy to hear about the success of Heroes Wanted at Gen Con. Apparently someone even rushed in and stole a copy first thing Thursday morning; lame yes, but also a compliment…in a weird way. I can’t wait till my copy comes in the next week or so. Did anyone else back this? If you did, you should also request it be added to the new games list.
P.S. IMPERIAL ASSAULT!!!!!!
Best new games I played were Sunrise City (Game Salute – fun with layering tiles), FlashPoint: Fire Rescue (fun!), and I also got the designer demo of Five Tribes which seems to be a great game. I purchased several things on my wish list: Trains, Candamir: The First Settlers (scored for $18 in consignment store), Race for the Galaxy, and Agricola: All Creatures Great & Small (have not played this, but always looking for 2-players & love the animal theme/pieces). Best deal I wish I hadn’t passed up was AEG’s Tempest: Canalis for $20, but there’s always next year!
@Akden Imperial Assault? Finally the Han, Boba, and Lando team-up movie in Descent style! *so much drool* 🙂
@The BGdot GenConners (aka The Blessed)
Wishing you (and your loot) a safe journey home 🙂
I demoed Imperial Assault today. Descent meets Star Wars with awesome miniatures and a campaign/story mode! I cannot wait for this game to be released (it’s expected first quarter of 2015).
Long day yesterday spent mostly playing in the Doomtown tournament. Feels good to be playing it again. Got to play in Cool Mini or Not’s midnight Zombicide scenario with 10 players!
I was able to pick up one of the last Saturday copies of Five Tribes and got another play of it in. It’s a heckuva fun game and my sleeper hit of the con!
Going to roam the exhibit hall some more today and try to see stuff I haven’t yet seen and see if there are any last day bargains to be had.
Day 3: Picked up Abyss, got Bruno to sign at Days of Wonder booth, then got 5 Tribes and got Bruno to sign at Asmodee booth. 🙂 Got King of NY! Surprisingly more fun than original. Played Castles of the Mad King Gotfried (somewhat similar pieces as Suburbia) and it was likely our favorite unreleased game though Aquasphere looks wonderful, too. Got plastic inserts for Euphoria & Terra Mystica. Got Mayfair knight of Catan & grabbed Walnut Grove. Played at charity auction getting more for the library. Tired! Tomorrow will be a short day before hitting the road. Tons of werewolf & 2 rooms/boom games going on in the hallways still as I type.
So a quick Gen Con update: Yesterday, I had a great time playing Hull Breach (went and bought it), Star Realms, and Heroscape, followed by the AEG Big Board Game Night. During AEG’s event, I played some Smash Up with the new Monster Smash expansion, several games of Lost Legacy, and Valley of the Kings, which is is a cool little Egyptian-themed deckbuilder with some neat ideas. Came away with copies of Doomtown: Reloaded, Sail to India, Monster Smash and a couple of other things in the swag box.
I went back to AEG and played another game of Valley of the Kings today with the designer before deciding to pick it up. I also demoed a little card-drafting game called In the city: Origins, followed by a Dice Masters tournament. Tomorrow, I’ll roam the dealer hall some more and hopefully try out Imperial Assault!
@The Blessed Keep those updates coming! *vicarious completionist rage* 🙂 Sounds like everyone is having a blast!!!!
@Chopper Dan May you Rock the Ghostrock!
@Kaleb WOW! That is one heck of a two days (And a pretty amazing pre-honeymoon! (which you could probably pay off putting Tragedy Looper on Ebay from what I hear :)) *Firefly Blue Suns jealousy* Definitely crack open the shrink of DoW (reports from NegCon say Hai-ly Recommended). Sorry you missed King of New York! 🙁 And thanks for Promo Patrol *hug*
Note to self: Add Kingsport Festival to Wish List.
Picked up Doomtown, Dead of Winter, Panamax, Diamonds, Ca$h n Guns 2nd Edition, and Imperial Settlers all on the first day. Whew!
Got to demo both of Bruno Cathala’s new games Abyss and Five Tribes today. Abyss is very beautiful and good gameplay. However Five Tribes is AMAZING! Even got the Five Tribes demo from Bruno himself!
Now I have to build a deck for tomorrow’s Doomtown tournament:D
Hey gang, having a blast here and thought I’d check in (though sleep is now at a premium). Got, learned, and played a ton of good games.
Day 1: got DoW, Firefly Blue Suns, Camel Up, Istanbul, Samuai Spirit, Sheriff of Nottingham, Tragedy Looper, & Kingsport Festival. Played Five Tribes, but they’re sold out. Gorgeous & good game, but concerned about analysis paralysis on your turn. Met the designer on Day 2. Was taught Morano by Lookout Games, arriving at Essen – love the new mechanic with gondolas! Joined friends selling Discount Salmon (Tabletop Deathmatch winners), and saw other friend’s prototype for this year’s competition. Fortunate that Spielbound volunteers are doing so well with their designed games!
Day 2: Missed King of New York (again). Got Antoine’s autograph on sold out Samurai Spirit. Played Kingsport Festival (great combo of Kingsburg & Lovecraft). Played Gold Ahoy & Camel Up. Both are fun family games. Camel Up sold out. The pyramid/dice “toy” was very original & fun. Played Spin Monkeys for lots of laughs. Searched for FFP promos for Hai. Watched Temporum, Subdivision, Castles, The Witcher, Unita, & XFiles being played. Learned Istanbul. Stuffed self. Drooled at Armada but avoided temptation long enough to let it sell out.
Night!
@Akden – Keep the updates coming so the rest of us can game vicariously through you. Sounds like you’re having a great time. 🙂
@Akden Sounds like a blast of a day! Glad you are having fun. 🙂
What was your faction? Jungles Elves? Did they have any Summoner Wars: Alliance action going on? (And of course, report back on the AEG Game Night 🙂 Oh and track down Paladin and give him a Hai Hug! )