Gen Con ’17 Preview, Part 1

Gen Con is on the horizon. I have once again picked out games releasing at the convention that I am excited for in two parts! In no particular order…

Custom Heroes

This is a new trick taking game from AEG. The really cool part of this game is all the cards are made up of AEG’s clear cards. At points in the game, players get to add other cards to the clear cards changing their value or adding a special power. This change persists round to round creating new dynamics and adding in different mechanics. I am always in for a new trick taker!

Smash Up: Big in Japan

The next expansion for Smash Up! I love Smash Up and have most of the expansions. I am always looking for more factions to add to the big box. This expansion definitely plays on many Japanese stereotypes, but maybe I am so starved for representation, I am all about this. This expansion includes rip off factions for Power Rangers, Sailor Moon, Pokemon, and Godzilla. Absolutely awesome.

Seikatsu

This looks like a puzzley abstract game. However, it looks absolutely beautiful! As soon as I saw the artwork on the box, I knew I had to check it out. This has a neat scoring mechanism where players score only from their perspective. Oh and the theme about flowers and birds is really cute.

Codenames Duet

Did I need two player Codenames? Probably not. But when this was announced, I was very intrigued. The original Codenames came with a two player variant and it was okay. I think this newly developed system will wok much better for two. Plus you can mix all of the codenames stuff together! A whole new stack of words… totally worth it.

Chemistry Flux

Flux has been an okay game for me. With the right group and the right set, the random chaotic ever-changing ruleset can be very fun! Now, Flux is moving into the education realm with Math Flux and the new release this year, Chemistry Flux. This is a cool concept because instead of trying to get random items in front of you to win the game, players now have to complete formulas according to the rules. A neat twist on a popular game!

Legendary Creatures

Card Drafting. Action Selection. Cool Creatures. What could I ask more? Legendary Creatures pits players as students at a school going through trials to impress their teachers. A little generic in theme I know, but nonetheless, I am excited to give it a go. The artwork and components looks great!

First Martians

I feel like I have been waiting for this game for a really long time! First Martians is the sequel to Robinson Crusoe, which is a fantastic cooperative adventure game that is extremely hard! This sequel takes us to Mars as we are a part of the first colony to settle on the planet. The game was suppose to come out last year but the designer wanted to make sure the game was ‘perfect!’

Atlas: Encanted Lands

First off, any game with artwork from Beth Sobel gets my attention. Atlas is no different. From the diverse representation to the unique theme in the card game, this seems like a slam dunk. The game is a deduction style game and the players must uncover the magical world that awaits them.

Ex Libris

This is my most anticipated game of the year. First the theme: players are magical librarians competing for the position for Grand Librarian. Second the mechanics: drafting and worker placement. Literally, it combines everything I love. Books, drafting games, worker placement games, and the fantasy genre. I have extremely high expectations and I think Renegade Games will live up to that expectation.

Raiders of the North Sea

I have played Raiders of the North Sea a handful of times and it was one of my big surprises last year. It has a clever worker placement mechanism where you place one worker, do the action, then pull a worker and do that second action. I don’t really care about the theme, but it’s a fun worker placement game that is getting reprinted by a bigger publisher.

Spirit Island

I WANT TO PLAY THIS GAME RIGHT NOW! Okay y’all. This is a cooperative game where players are spirits helping indigenous peoples fight off colonists. With all the games about colonization, this one takes the opposite side and one that is not talked about. I love the theme and I cannot wait to immerse myself in what should be a pretty thinky cooperative experience.

Indulgence

An old trick-taking game! If you know me, I love pretty much any game that involves trick-taking or ladder climbing. Indulgence is an older game remade by the company Restoration Games. This one seems to have a pretty neat wagering mechanism. I really enjoy games where you have to bet or predict what you will take over the course of the game based on your opening hand. Looking forward to checking this one out.

Between Two Cities: Capitals

This is the expansion to the tile drafting and laying game, Between Two Cities. According to the coverage I have seen about the expansion this adds two main aspects to the game. The first are terrain maps which pushes players to further plan ahead and around barriers such as lakes and mountains. The other aspect is a new building type which scores points based on adjacent building types. The base game is fast and a lot of fun and I expect the expansion to spice up the game!

Asking for Trobils

Like Raiders of the North Sea, Asking for Trobils is an older worker placement game that has a lighter weight to it. And one that I enjoy very much! This is that distinctive game with stark graphic design and uses a ton of orange. I am very happy to see this game back in print because it is one of the best family style worker placements.