Top 10 Games Gen Con 2018

Here we go! Gen Con 2018, the biggest weekend in Board gaming* is about to begin! Now the big release cycle will begin in earnest, starting with some of the big titles on show here. This is my traditional Top 10 list of exciting titles to put at the top of your shopping/demoing list, or to keep an eye out for in the coming months.

*in the US which is, apparently, all that matters

Special Mentions

Not every interesting game can make the list and, since this is my list and I’m based in Europe, some games will have been available to me that much earlier than the US. That means I’m no longer anticipating them! But I still think you should keep an eye out for them. That’s what this special mentions section is for.

Holding On

I wasn’t 100% sold on Holding On after my first play but it left me very curious to see where they go with the story. Keep Billy alive long enough for him to finally tell his story and pass away in peace.

The Mind

The exceptional The Mind is finally getting an American release courtesy of Pandasaurus Games. I love this totally unique cooperative game, and it needs to be experienced.

Warsaw: City of Ruins

I knew Warsaw under it’s European release name of Capital and it is an excellent drafting/tile laying game, with some real thematic depth and nuance.

High Rise

A new Euro city builder game from Gil Hova, designer of The Networks. Only in prototype form right now but I’m very interested to find out more.

Jetpack Joyride

A chaotic race/puzzle game in which players grab and position polyomino tiles to form a path through a series of boards covered in obstacles and opportunities. Silly, but cleverly re-implementing the app game it is named for.

Century: Eastern Wonders

Already owning a copy of this means it’s not really anticipated anymore for me, but definitely needs a mention. In my (early) opinion this is deeper and more interesting than its older sibling Spice Road.

10 – Endeavor: Age of Sail

Now, I don’t usually pick out new editions of older games, as Endeavor: Age of Sail is. But in this case, I’m a Kickstarter backer, so pretty damn excited to see it come out. Endeavor is a classical Euro game of expansion, sailing out from Europe to new worlds and new opportunities, setting up trade and industry. All in a beautiful new edition.

Find Endeavor at Burnt Island Games booth, #1805.

9 – Museum

That belongs in a museum! That’s a phrase you get to shout over 300 times at this game, featuring a borderline criminal collection of unique Vincent Dutrait artworks. Not that the art is the only reason it made it on the list. Set collection might not be the most immediately exciting sounding of mechanics, buts it’s the intriguingly thematic interactive mechanics that are present here that has me interested.

Find Museum at Luma Games booth, #2960.

8 – Welcome To…

The roll and write genre has exploded in popularity in recent years thanks primarily to some enthusiastic voices on social media which is also where this game has caught my attention. Broadly viewed as a great addition to the family (technically it’s a draw a card and write but that’s much of a muchness) this could also be a great entry point. I just wish they had bothered to finish the name…

Check out Welcome To… at Deep Water Games, #272.

7 – Trade on the Tigris

Ludology (podcast) fans will know this as “Trading in the Mediterranean” the original hosts’ long running design project showing there is life in this most notoriously bland of Euro themes. What really catches my eye here, aside from the designers, is how the design explodes the interaction between trade, culture and religion, and how those later too are inevitably influenced and changed by the first.

Find Trade on the Tigris at Tasty Minstrel Games, #1337.

6 – Founders of Gloomhaven

I played Founders of Gloomhaven (yes, that Gloomhaven) a long old while ago in advanced prototype form and it was a very interesting Euro game. Meaty. Crunchy. Other eating related adjectives. Construct the city of Gloomhaven, primarily by controlling the right mix of resources in the right places at the right times. Tougher than a Savvas’ abs but all the more interesting for it. Very interested in playing this some more now it’s in the wild.

Founders of Gloomhaven will be on sale at Cephalofair Games, #250.

5 – Detective

I got to try the first scenario of Detective at the UKGE and it was a great experience. Very reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, and that’s no bad thing at all. Especially when it branches out into app assisted play and a full campaign structure. Compare fingerprint evidence, lookup characters in the police database, and research background online. Detective brings your detecting into the 21st Century.

Investigate Detective at Portal Games booth, #1850.

4 – Forbidden Sky

Far more catchy than its original title “No Fly Zone”, Forbidden Sky is a new title in the Forbidden line of co-ops from Matt Leacock. Forbidden Island was a relatively simple re-imagining of Pandemic, Forbidden Desert upped the complexity, originality, and challenge, so I’m very interested to see what new twists have been brought to this solid formula.

Catch a flight at Gamewright, booth #2100.

3 – Nyctophobia

Put this one up for most innovative game of the con! Of the year even! Nyctophobia, fear of the dark, is a horror game of escaping an axe murderer in which players are literally in the dark. Players wear blindfolds, and must attempt to navigate their playing pieces through a maze like board made of solid plastic 3D pieces that they must figure out and explore through touch alone. Meanwhile, one other player can see all and is chasing their characters through the maze. So. Friggin. Cool.

Hunt down Nyctophobia at Pandasauras Games, booth #3047.

2 – Root

Root is the COIN game for people who like wonderfully illustrated cute woodland animals instead of intense historical men. Not familiar with COINs? That’s just fine: they are war games of powerful governments fighting cunning guerrilla forces, but here both streamlined and simplified for a wider audience by an expert in the genre and the team behind Vast, all but guaranteeing some great asymmetric play.

Root will be growing from Leder Games booth, #3043.

1 – Rise of Queensdale

Are you a fan of legacy games? I know I am. Are you a fan of Marcus and Inka Brand (Village, Rajas of the Ganges, Exit, Word Slam and yes that is an impressive mix)? I know I am! So when you combine both of those things into a big box Euro game that even comes with a tiny plunger for removing tiles from the board? You get a game that sits right at the top of my Gen Con hit list!

Queensdale rises from Alea at booth #2113.

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Are you going to Gen Con? What games are you excited for!? Leave a comment!