Obligatory 2017 Gen Con Post Part VI: Top 5 Games Being Demoed But Not For Purchase

Alright!  I’ve trucked along with my Gen Con 2017 posts and now we’ve come to the final post (maybe) which will take a look at my top 5 anticipated games that are being demoed at the convention but won’t be available for purchase yet.  Some of these games are really interesting to me and I’m looking forward to trying them out while I’m at Gen Con.  Before I tackle this list feel free to check out my previous five posts in the series at the links below.

Gen Con 2017 Post Part I: Top 5 Game Expansions

Gen Con 2017 Post Part II: Top 5 Reprints/Re-implementations

Gen Con 2017 Post Part III: Honorable Mentions

Gen Con 2017 Post Part IV: Top 10 List (Games 6-10)

Gen Con 2017 Post Part V: Top 10 List (Games 1-5)

Alright, now that we’re all caught up we can go ahead and move on to the list of games.  Again, these are my top 5 anticipated demo games that aren’t available to purchase.  Sit back, relax, and read on and thanks for taking the time to take a look!

#5 – Farlight (Game Salute)

Farlight is an auction/bidding, tile placement and resource management designed by Nick Sibicky and published by Game Salute.  The game puts players in the role of a corporation that is setting out into the galaxy to explore, colonize and gain resources from other planets that they come across.  The players will start each turn by bidding on different modules for their ships and on different missions and will then take the pieces and build them into a spacecraft that can complete said mission.  This game just looks like a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to trying it out as a demo while I’m at Gen Con.

#4 – Alien Artifacts (Portal Games)

Alien Artifacts is a 4X, card drafting, multi-use card game designed by Marcin Senior Ropka and Viola Kijowska and published by Portal Games.  This game puts players in the role of an interplanetary faction that is sending out vessels to research and expand their power into the further reaches of the galaxy.  Players will get three cards to start a turn and then have to check on how to spend them.  There are two different resources on each of these cards but the players are only allowed to choose one to use.  They need to make hard decision which will allow them to build large, powerful starships, develop technology, discover planets and complete trades with other planets.  This game looks like a bunch of fun as it seems to shorten and streamline the usual 4X gameplay and creates a smooth looking card game with it.  This is definitely high on my list of games to demo while at Gen Con.

#3 – Dinosaur Island (Pandasaurus Games)

Dinosaur Island is a worker placement, set collection, tile placement game designed by Jonathan Gilmour and Brian Lewis and published by Pandasaurus Games.  The game puts the players in the role of scientists and developers on an island that is being created as an amusement park with living dinosaurs.  If this sounds like a terrible idea then you would be correct!  And you’ve probably watched Jurassic Park as well!  Okay, back to the game.  Players will be using tile placement to build different exhibits and rides in the park in order to get the most visitors and create the most exciting park.  To do this, players will use the worker placement parks to gather DNA and create these different dinosaurs and then place them into the different enclosures.  The problems come in a later phase when the dinosaurs can escape and start eating the visitors.  Make sure to tighten security or else your park will be overrun and the visitors eaten.  I think this game looks great and really want to try it out!

#2 – Fallout (Fantasy Flight Games)

Fallout is a co-operative, hand management, exploration game designed by Andrew Fischer and Nathan Hajek and published by Fantasy Flight Games.  This game puts the players into the role of a survivor in the IP of the popular video game series, Fallout.  The survivors are put into the middle of a post-apocalyptic wasteland with little knowledge of what is ahead and a sole objective to keep them going in the beginning.  They’ll have to use card play and dice rolling in order to explore the map, defeat enemies and grow the skills of their character if they are to win.  As the players advance the game they’ll have more objectives to complete and of different varieties.  I absolutely love this video game series; it is one of my favorites, so when I heard about this release it jumped way up my list.  I am really hoping that they have a demo of this game (even if it is a short one) at Gen Con because I’d love to try it out!

#1 – Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 (Z-Man Games)

Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 is a co-operative, set collection, hand management game designed by Matt Leacock and Rob Daviau and published by Z-Man Games.  This game puts players into the role of a character 71 years after a massive plague ravages the world.  They are living out on the sea in floating stations where the lasting vestiges of society are fighting to keep open a network of the largest cities in the world.  Unfortunately many of the cities that are farthest away from the safe havens are falling out of contact.  The players will each take a survivor and bring supplies to these cities and go off to explore the world and see what has become of those missing areas.  I absolutely adored Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 and I can’t wait to try Season 2!  I like how the story seems to be a continuation but it seems that new people could jump straight in because they are stand alone.  I can’t wait for this title, it will definitely be an amazing experience just like its predecessor.

Other demos of note:

- Cerebria: The Inside World (Mindclash Games)

- Founders of Gloomhaven (Cephalophair Games)

- Legends of Sleepy Hollow (Greater Than Games/Dice Hate Me Games)

- Massive Darkness (CMON)

- Merlin (Queen Games)

- Riverboat (Lookout Games/Mayfair Games)

Alright, there is the list of my top 5 games that are being demoed but not for sale at Gen Con.  There is at least a couple on here that I’d buy sight unseen due to the pedigree and many more that I’d need to hear more about.  So that is (possibly) the end of my Gen Con series.  I may come back after the convention and do one last post about what I did/saw there but I’m not quite sure yet.  Thanks so much for taking the time to look through these 6 posts.  They have been a blast making and I am really looking forward to the games on these lists.  Until next time, game on!

Obligatory 2017 Gen Con Post Part V: Top 10 List (Games 1-5)

So here we are…the list of my top 5 anticipated games that are available for purchase at Gen Con 2017.  These games are not only on my list but most of them are pre-ordered and I can’t wait to get my hands on them!  There isn’t much more I can really go on about in the intro so feel free to check out my previous four Gen Con posts at the links I’ve provided below.

Gen Con 2017 Post Part I: Top 5 Game Expansions

               

Gen Con 2017 Post Part II: Top 5 Reprints/Re-implementations

Gen Con 2017 Post Part III: Honorable Mentions

Gen Con 2017 Post Part IV: Top 10 List (Games 6-10)

Alright, are you all caught up?  Well then let’s go ahead and move on to the good part!  Again, these are the top games that I’m interested in that are coming out later this week at Gen Con 50 and I think they all look great!  Here we go.  Enjoy your read!

#5 – Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Card Game (Renegade Game Studios)

Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Card Game is a deck building game designed by Keith Baker and published by Renegade Game Studios.  This game puts the players in the role of a character from the comic of the same name as they are trying to “grow up” and prepare for their finest hour.  Each player will get a unique deck of cards that is based upon the character that they’ve chosen.  These characters are completely asymmetrical as they use different styles and different icons effectively are the players are building their unique decks.  The game uses double sided cards which double as a way to solve your problems with work and empathy or as a way to embrace the crazy violence.  You will score points as you try to defeat the different evil ex’s in the game.  This game is based on what is probably my favorite comic of all times and I can’t wait to try the game out!

#4 – Wasteland Express Delivery Service (Pandasaurus Games)

Wasteland Express Delivery Service is an action point allowance, dice rolling, pick-up and deliver game designed by Jonathan Gilmour, Ben Pinchback and Matt Riddle and published by Pandasaurus Games.  The game put players in the role of a driver in a post-apocalyptic wasteland driving around in the mayhem and insanity of the burned world.  I love that the characters are basically glorified UPS men as they are rolling around in huge, armor and weaponized trucks attempting to deliver their goods to different outposts.  The players will use a movement allowance to traverse the land and then use different actions to interact with the board, enemies and other players as you’re trying to deliver the goods that you’re carrying.  This game just looks better and better every time I see another preview or video up.  I am really looking forward to getting my hands on this game and hope to have it shortly after the convention.

#3 – Spirit Island (Greater Than Games/Fabled Nexus)

Spirit Island is a co-operative, card drafting, hand management game designed by R. Eric Reuss and published by Greater Than Games’ imprint, Fabled Nexus.  This game puts players in the role of a spirit that is on an island.  This island is being invaded by humans who are starting to explore the land and build cities and it is the spirit’s goal to drive them off the island.  The players have a starting hand of four cards and a small amount of energy to use in the beginning but can build up their powers with different and better cards and can get more energy throughout the game.  They are building up to be able to cause a great amount of fear in the invaders and hopefully drive them off so the spirits may have their island back.  This game looks amazing and I’ve been looking forward to it for some time.  Now it will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine!

#2 – Whistle Stop (Bézier Games, Inc.)

Whistle Stop is a route building, tile placement, and pick-up-and-deliver game designed by Scott Caputo and published by Bèzier Games, Inc.  This game has players taking on the role of a small railroad company that is attempting to create their network of rails across the country.  The players will each take a tile during their turn and place it along the growing network of tracks and will then be able to gain stock, gain cargo, deliver goods and continue the board’s network of tracks.  The players will want to optimize their actions in order to gain goods and deliver them efficiently, gain coal for actions and obtain stock to get points.  They also will want to reach the other side with their trains as much as possible to gain bonuses and endgame points.  This game has been on my radar for some time and I’m glad it is finally releasing as the game looks to be an easy-to-teach game with many different decisions.  These are often games that I really like!

#1 – Ex Libris (Renegade Game Studios)

Ex Libris is a worker placement, card drafting and set collection game designed by Adam P. McIver and published by Renegade Game Studios.  This game puts players in the role of a book collector that is attempting to get their collection in order so that they can impress and inspector that is coming around to judge and determine who the next Grand Librarian will be.  It is set in a fantasy theme where you can gain classic fantasy-trope assistants such as a goblin, witch, gelatinous cube and much more!  The players will use worker placement to take actions which will change throughout the game and then place their books on shelves in the best order that they can.  This game has such an amazing theme that I had to put it on the list and as more information has come out it moved higher and higher on the list and is now my top game!  I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

Well, there you have it, my top 5 anticipated games of Gen Con 2017.  I already have Spirit Island and Wasteland Express Delivery Service pre-ordered and hope that they will arrive soon.  I’m also planning on picking up at least Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Card Game and maybe another while I’m there.  I can’t wait to be able to finally check out the convention and making these lists is making me more excited.  Come on back tomorrow when I’ll have my final (maybe) post which will take a look at my 5 most anticipated games that are unavailable for purchase at the time of the convention.  Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to read this!  Until next time, game on!

Obligatory 2017 Gen Con Post Part I: Top 5 Game Expansions

Woo hoo!  It’s a week away from Gen Con 2017!  This is one of my favorite times of the year as this marks some of the major releases of the year along with Essen Spiel which comes later in the year.  This year’s Gen Con is especially exciting for me because it marks the first boardgaming convention that I’ve ever gone to as I’m getting to go for a couple of days!  I will be heading in and spending Friday and Saturday at the convention along with my buddy Josh.  It’s going to be a blast!  I take most of my information about the releases happening at Gen Con (and Essen Spiel in the fall) from W. Eric Martin’s incredible yearly geeklist over on the BoardGameGeek website.  This year he has even created a different kind of list and turned it into a geek preview which streamlines the process and makes it much more usable.  So make sure to check out the list at https://www.boardgamegeek.com/geekpreview/1/gen-con-50-preview and check out all of the cool releases and demos at Gen Con 2017.  So this post is going to be my first in a series of 6 (or maybe 7 this year) posts that will focus on games at Gen Con this year.  This particular post will look at my top 5 anticipations among the game expansion releases at the convention.  I always like to let everyone know that these are expansions for purchase making their “official” debut at Gen Con and there is always the chance that something won’t show up due to issues unforeseen and there is always the chance that something else is a surprise that I didn’t know about!  So continue reading to check out what I’m looking forward to at Gen Con 2017!

Honorable Mention – Sentinels of the Multiverse: OblivAeon (Greater Than Games/Sentinel Comics)

OblivAeon is a large expansion to the 2011 Greater Than Games/Sentinel Comics hit, Sentinels of the Multiverse by designers Christopher Badell, Paul Bender and Adam Rebottaro.  OblivAeon is also designed by Badell, Bender and Rebottaro and was slated to release earlier this year but will likely release closer to the end of the year.  Sentinels of the Multiverse is a card game with heavy hand management elements where you are taking your assymetrical decks of cards which represent a superhero and attempting to defeat a specific villain before they knock out all of your characters.  This has been a hit and is one of my favorite games of all times!  This expansion is adding a TON of new content to the already huge amount of content already in the game.  Now the heroes will be facing off against OblivAeon and his minions in order to save the world…as usual of course.  This is somewhat cheating because I know from updates in the Kickstarter that it isn’t going to be ready for the convention.  I just put it as my honorable mention because it is still on the geek preview as “for sale” and also because I am so excited for the inevitable release later this year.

#5 – Millennium Blades: Professionals: Mini-Expansion #6 (Level 99 Games)

Professionals: Mini-Expansion #6 is a small expansion to the 2016 Level 99 game, Millennium Blades by designer D. Brad Talton.  This expansion is also designed by Talton and is slated to release at Gen Con.  Millennium Blades is a card-drafting, hand-management game where you are actually playing a simulation of a collectable card game.  This game is quite amazing and I wish we had tons of time in order to give this game even more plays!  I love taking one of the characters and really using their power in order to craft an amazing deck to take into the tournament against my opponent.  My wife and I really enjoy this one and we hope to be able to teach it to our friends soon.  This particular expansion is just a small deck of cards that will include some more characters that the players can use during their matches.  I think that more cards really work with this expansion as they just add to the overall replayability to an already highly replayable game.

#4 – Spirit Island: Branch & Claw (Greater Than Games/Fabled Nexus)

Branch & Claw is an expansion to the 2017 game, Spirit Island by R. Eric Ruess.  This expansion is also by designer, Ruess and is slated to release at Gen Con 2017 along with the base game.  Spirit Island is a 2017 release that is only now just being shipped off to backers and going to different retailers.  It is a cooperative game with levels of hand management and an action point allowance systems where the players will have turns to use their god to wreak havoc on the invaders of the land in order to cause then to leave the area and completely take over the island for the spirits.  I was able to procure a copy of this game and the expansion and really look forward to being able to play them and I think the expansion looks great as well!  This expansion adds a couple new spirits to use and a couple new mechanisms along with a new adversary.

#3 – Valeria: Card Kingdoms: Flames & Frost (Daily Magic Games)

Flames & Frost is an expansion to the 2016 game, Valeria: Card Kingdoms by Isaias Vallejo.  The expansion is also designed by Isaias and is slated to come out at Gen Con 2017 and I am pumped for it!  Valeria: Card Kingdoms is what I’d call a Machi Koro killer.  This game has dice which the players will roll and everyone gets resources which they will in turn order be able to either hire citizens from an offer, attack and destroy monsters or buy different buildings.  This game is such a simple idea with some absolutely amazing art and it just a total blast whenever we play it!  This expansion basically just adds more citizens and monsters to the mix and I’m okay with that.  I don’t think the game really needs anything other than more variability and this expansion will do that.

#2 – Champions of Midgard: Valhalla & The Dark Mountains (Grey Fox Games)

Valhalla and The Dark Mountains are two different expansions to the 2016 hit, Champions of Midgard by Ole Steiness.  These expansions were also designed by Ole Steiness and have already been delivered to Kickstarter backers and retailers while the “official” debut is Gen Con 2017.  Champions of Midgard is primarily a worker placement game where the players will be obtaining different colored dice that represent different types of Viking warriors, from swordsmen to axemen and so on.  The players will use their dice to defeat monsters and go hunting while also obtaining resources to pay for their voyages.  This game and so fun and the expansions appear to make it an amazing game!  Valhalla gives players the option of going a different route of victory.  As the warrior dice die the players will get different tokens which in turn they can pay to get things from the Valhalla board thus making the game even less luck based with the mitigation of bad rolls.  The Dark Mountains bring in a new board with different monsters and three new types of dice.  I am so pumped for these expansions and hope to have them in my hands very soon!

#1 – Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn: The Laws of Lions & The Song of Soaksend (Plaid Hat Games)

The Laws of Lions and The Song of Soaksend are two new deluxe expansions for the 2016 expandable card game, Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn by Isaac Vega.  The expansions are also designed by Vega and are slated to come out at this year’s Gen Con.  Ashes is an absolutely amazing head-to-head card game where each player takes a Phoenixborn and either their pre-constructed deck or build one around the character.  The players will actually roll ten dice of different colors which will become the manna that they use to bring out units or cast spells during the round.  Each player will take a turn and then the next player will follow up with their action and this will continue each round until both players pass with no other actions they want/can take.  This game is in my top 5 games of all time and thus I will voraciously eat up any expansion that comes out.  Both of these expansions really look interesting because they are bringing two new colors of dice to the mix and that will just add more interest and variability to an already amazing game.  I can’t wait to try these decks out!

Alright, there you have it!  These are the 5 expansions (plus one honorable mention) that really caught my eye while going through this year’s list and most of them I will probably have on my shelf this time next year!  Please feel free to let me know if there are any interesting expansions that I have missed.  Thanks so much for reading and keep your eye on the blog as I’ll be continuing my Gen Con 2017 posts with my reissues list coming next.  Until next time, game on!