GenCon started out in the infancy of RPGs (role playing games) and has traditionally been THE place to buy, play, and learn about them ever since. Here’s what the “big names” are doing as well as some smaller titles and various tools and accessories for gaming.
It’s Indianapolis, and 60,000 people have come and gone, which must mean GenCon 2018 is finally over. Once again, I had the privilege to prowl the aisles in search of hidden gems (or the obvious ones that I somehow miss.) As a gamer with children (and a writer for GamerDad.com) I have a special place in my heart for games I can play with my kids. This year I’m also lumping in Party games to the mix for this post. Many Kid’s games would work as a party game, and vice versa. The following are some of the titles that grabbed my attention as I cruised the dealer hall. Some of the “official” kid’s games are not going to hold the attention of an adult, but a surprising number work well for a quick-playing game for grown-ups. The idea of a Party Game is fairly nebulous so I’m including games that have relatively simple rules, and work well with large groups (8 or more.)
As I mentioned yesterday, I only went to Gen Con for two days this year, instead opting to head home and host two game days so my friends and family could play what I bought. As of this afternoon, I’ve played all of the games I bought at Gen Con 2018!
This post is a quick one, in which I discuss the Geekbuzz list as it stands on the convention’s final day. Then I offer really quick thoughts about my favorite games from the convention, and conclude with a few superlatives. Continue reading
I only went to Gen Con for two days this year, instead opting to head home and host two game days so my friends and family could play what I bought. Rather than discussing the convention, this post primarily consists of mini-reviews of games I played today. For me, this is Gen Con from afar!
I did, however, drop the BGG Geekbuzz list below for those that are interested.
Day two at Gen Con has always been, at least for me, considerably more relaxed than the first day. I headed for the CMON booth early and grabbed Gizmos (for a buddy) and Railroad Ink, then did a final scan of the halls, meeting with old friends and checking for any games I missed. Then I headed back home to Missouri. My final Gen Con haul is pictured above.
As with my past coverage, I’m posting tonight (1) what’s hot, (2) what I played, and (3) a quick summary of news and general thoughts on the convention. Continue reading
Before you get confused, I was also confused that they had recycled last year’s stuff right by one of the main entrances. I guess GenCon50 was so awesome, they wanted us to re-live it again this year – as usual, I only have one day free for the con – so Thursday was my “best 7.5 hours of gaming” while taking in all the sights at GenCon 2018
Right off the bat, I had an interview with the designer of Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters, which was easily one of the best 2 Kids games in 2014. Brian poses here with the humongous sized board complete with the Creepy Cellar expansion. When I had left, no groups had yet defeated the expansion to win the coveted bronzed ghostie prize.
The first day of Gen Con 2018 is a wrap, and what a day it was. This year’s event marks the 51st anniversary of the convention, and though that distinction doesn’t have the shine of last year’s golden 50th, Gen Con this year feels considerably newsworthy, and I played several great games today.
As with my past coverage, I’m posting tonight (1) what’s hot, (2) what I played, and (3) general thoughts on the convention. Today was my only full day at Gen Con: I’ll be there in the morning, but only for a couple of hours. After that, I head back to Missouri, where a couple of dedicated game days await. But I’ll be playing and blogging about Gen Con games all weekend. Continue reading
The Draugr
Designer: Todd Sanders
Artist: Harry Clarke
Publisher: BGG
Players: 1
Ages: 10+
Playing Time: 20 minutes
Times Played: 6 (review copy provided by BGG)
OK, Google, what is a Draugr. Oh, so it’s like a Norwegian zombie?
Alright, let’s see what this is all about.
In The Draugr, your playing area is a 3×5 grid representing locations and townsfolk being draugred. These are dealt randomly, and a different one of the 6 Draugrs are assigned to each row. There’s a token representing you as you go to see different locations and persons to fight the draugrs, prevent corruption, and remove corruption. Continue reading
I’m at Gen Con from Wednesday to Friday this year, so I’m packing a lot into a short schedule. I’ll be doing nightly blogging featuring reviews of games that I enjoy, plus my normal routine of discussing what was hot at the convention.
Today’s post is a quick one, discussing which games seem like they will be in short supply when doors open at 10:00am tomorrow. I discuss the news from the convention. Plus, I’m doing one short review of Lost Cities Rivals, a hot game I had the chance to play before the convention started.
Full coverage starts tomorrow! Continue reading
Patrick Brennan: Game Snapshots – August 2018 (Part 1)
Patrick Brennan: Game Snapshots – August 2018 (Part 1)
When Emilie is not Lost… she can often be found playing Captain Wackelpudding over at Patrick’s!
Gloomhaven and Pandemic Legacy Season 2 continue apace, unfazed by any competition that new games might throw up. Spirit Island continues to hit the table – I’ve played all bar one of the powers now and we haven’t even started in on the adversaries yet. Winner, winner, chicken dinner. I’ve also been spending a bit of time playing a trick-taking game I’ve designed which seems to be going well. The beauty of such is that you can hit all your own buttons!
Meanwhile there’s been one real new-game high this month, but let’s start low and build up …
4 MONKEYS Continue reading →
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