Gen Con 2013

Gen Con 2013

Section: 

GenCon seems to have a better content/fluff ratio than it's had in a long while, with even large publishers moving their playing spaces out of the main hall to make more room. We did what we could to check everything out, but ... perhaps I should note how thoroughly ruined some of us were after DrunkQuest on Thursday night. The whole four-day period (longer for press and industry folk) was honestly both exhilarating and thoroughly exhausting.

Perhaps we should have reached out beforehand to more folks in the crowd. I might add here that the convention hit almost 49,000 unique visitors (almost 160,000 bodies through turnstyles over the course of the full show). It went pretty well.

While we did sit down in front of a microphone to talk some about what we'd seen on the floor (more on that later), we also put together a list on BoardGameGeek of our favorites from this past weekend. Feel free to take a peek, and let us know what you think!

Comments

Good timing! I was going to place a board game order in the next few days since Amazon failed to get me the Lords of Waterdeep expansion I'd pre-ordered.

Bioshock: Infinite- Do you know if this plays well with 4? It's very rare we have a get-together where 2 player games get played.

Coup- I love Resistance and Resistance: Avalon, but is this different enough to be worth buying?

Goblins, Inc.- I was thinking of finally getting Galaxy Trucker, but might I be better off getting this instead?

Anyone know the release date for the Bioshock board game? I have it on pre-order but there doesn't seem to be a solid release date listed anyware

Poppinfresh wrote:

Good timing! I was going to place a board game order in the next few days since Amazon failed to get me the Lords of Waterdeep expansion I'd pre-ordered.

Bioshock: Infinite- Do you know if this plays well with 4? It's very rare we have a get-together where 2 player games get played.

For what it's worth, Wizards also has a team working on an iOS Waterdeep.

We played Infinite with four players originally, and I think it might do an even better job of the fractured politics of Columbia, in that players need to communicate with their faction mates in order to get things done. Also note that the blues can both move the Songbird on their turn (as the reds can both move the airship). The game can be a little
slow to take off, but that's mostly due to player inexperience with the rules — the first couple turns are sort of setting up strategies for the mid and late game, and that sort of requires an understanding of what those later stages act like. Do yourself a favor and go through all the victory cards beforehand, at least.

Coup- I love Resistance and Resistance: Avalon, but is this different enough to be worth buying?

I'd say it's about halfway between Resistance and Love Letter (the darling of the last RabbitCon).

Goblins, Inc.- I was thinking of finally getting Galaxy Trucker, but might I be better off getting this instead?

With re-skins, there are often a couple minor improvements and theme-based tweaks. I think Goblins, Inc. mostly changes the solitaire feel that can happen in second half of Trucker, but I didn't get enough time with the game to confirm that, or confirm that The Big Expansion (Trucker's expansion) doesn't already deal with that. I'll ask around with the crew.

faide wrote:

Anyone know the release date for the Bioshock board game? I have it on pre-order but there doesn't seem to be a solid release date listed anyware

It's available from Plaid Hat's website. Unfortunately, the pre-order discount of $60 is over.

This is the kind of thing that is excellent to post to the Gamers With Jobs Guild at BGG.

Minarchist wrote:

This is the kind of thing that is excellent to post to the Gamers With Jobs Guild at BGG. ;)

How do I internet?

wordsmythe wrote:
faide wrote:

Anyone know the release date for the Bioshock board game? I have it on pre-order but there doesn't seem to be a solid release date listed anyware

It's available from Plaid Hat's website. Unfortunately, the pre-order discount of $60 is over.

I noticed that, but I ordered it from miniature market where it was only $60. It's still listed as pre-order there so I was just curious when they would release to stores. Can't seem to find much info anywhere on a date though.

I guess I should've checked miniature market, looks like Bioshock has now been released. Hoping it ships soon

Thanks for swinging by to see me at the SlugFest Games/Red Dragon Inn booth! It took me a few moments to process; I was in demo-mode and didn't expect to have anyone I knew come by It was definitely a great con: lots of good people, great new games, and awesome events going on 24 hours.

I hope I'll see you at future conventions! And of course, if there's ever anything I can do out in California to help the podcast and the community, I am always pleased to be part of GwJ.

I read about GenCon breaking attendance records (again), and you mentioned how busy it was in the podcast. I know it's totally subjective, but did it feel TOO big at all this year? For example, do you spend more time negotiation crowds and lines than you do playing games / shopping / visiting with friends?

I think it's great that it's grown into such an event, but there's a tipping point for me when it's no longer worth the hassle and expense.

Sway wrote:

I read about GenCon breaking attendance records (again), and you mentioned how busy it was in the podcast. I know it's totally subjective, but did it feel TOO big at all this year? For example, do you spend more time negotiation crowds and lines than you do playing games / shopping / visiting with friends?

I think it's great that it's grown into such an event, but there's a tipping point for me when it's no longer worth the hassle and expense.

There were a couple aisles that I went around, but I generally didn't find myself having to squish through crowds at all. I think the big guns expanding their play areas into places off the main convention hall floor helped a lot in that respect.

wordsmythe wrote:

For what it's worth, Wizards also has a team working on an iOS Waterdeep.

Oh, nice! I hadn't heard about this. Any word on whether it will be available on both iPhone and iPad, or will it be iPad-only? (Hoping for the former, since I am still iPad-bereft.)

WolverineJon wrote:
wordsmythe wrote:

For what it's worth, Wizards also has a team working on an iOS Waterdeep.

Oh, nice! I hadn't heard about this. Any word on whether it will be available on both iPhone and iPad, or will it be iPad-only? (Hoping for the former, since I am still iPad-bereft.)

They only spoke briefly about it at the presentation McChuck and I saw at GenCon, but it seemed like it would have a hard time fitting in the iPhone's screen.

Thanks, wordsmythe. That does make sense, since there does tend to be a lot going on on the Waterdeep gameboard, particularly also considering each player's quest cards which aren't even on the board.

I'll just keep saving for an iPad.