The web is filled with Gencon previews as we walk in the shadow of the best for days of gaming. Dozens of games will be released, demoed, and previewed at convention, so while I won’t be commenting on every title that is getting a reveal there, I thought I would point out some of the games I am excited about. While I haven’t played any of these yet, I think that they are worth looking into when they become available in a store near you.
Doomtown: Reloaded
Doomtown: Reloaded is a card game inspired by the Deadlands rpgs. It’s a weird west tale filled with cowboys, magic, and strange technologies. This expandable card game involves taking a 52 card deck from one of four factions for control of Gomorra, California. Shootouts break out all the time, but only the fastest and best shots will take control of this troubled town.
Why I’m Excited:
I’m trying to hold back some of my excitement for this game, as a lot of the early reviews say it has a sharp learning curve. However, folks who remembered the original Doomtown rave about it and are excited about this new version. The idea that turn order is determined by who has the best poker hand forces the player to balance playing powerful cards with keeping them in hand in order to go first in the next turn. This game also allows for some deep strategy in an interesting setting.
Sheriff of Nottingham
Sheriff of Nottingham flew under our radar for a while. I had never heard of it, or its predecessor Robin Hood, until shortly before the folks at the Dice Tower declared it was one of their “essentials.” I was pleased to discover more about this interesting mixture of bluffing and deduction. Will you reap the rewards of smuggling contraband into the city markets, or will you be turned aside by the watchful eyes of the Sheriff? Only time will tell.
Why I’m Excited:
I’ve played a lot of bluffing games. I’ve played a lot of deduction games. Sheriff of Nottingham appears to give the players both the opportunity to try and sneak their cards through as merchants trying to sell contraband for piles of points, as well as the opportunity to alternate playing the Sheriff. The back and forth seems like it would make for a great dynamic between the players.
Abyss
The Lord
of the Sea has passed away – leaving a vacuum in power behind him. Who will rise up to wield enough influence to take the seat and be in control of world beneath the waves? This game involves strategy, timing, and sacrifice to develop each player’s pool of influence and win the game. Do you take the card you don’t need to ensure the person behind you will have to pay more for his? Can you grab up the most lords of the Abyssal peoples to bring ultimate victory? There is only one Lord of the Abyss – are you up for it?
Why I’m Excited:
The artwork and components to this game are phenomenal. From the gorgeous looking cards down to the tokens used to represent the currency, there isn’t anything about this game that doesn’t catch the eye. As far as the mechanics, it seems like the game itself is fairly straight forward to learn. At the same time, there is a depth of play comes from learning when to grab what card and recruit which abyss lord. I’m a sucker for games that are quick to learn, slow to master, and this looks like it works well in that role.
King of New York
The kaiju are back and are looking to grab the Broadway spotlight. This follow-up game to King of Tokyo takes the dice rolling action to the bright lights of New York City with some interesting new features. Players can occupy different districts of city as they dodge military attacks and destroy buildings to seek to gain victory points and attack their fellow monsters on the road to victory – or seek points in a different way through fame.
Why I’m Excited:
I love King of Tokyo. I love the dice, the theme, and – mostly – I love the time I have playing with friends. The idea of adding new features to the game and allowing the city itself to play a more integral role in the gameplay makes me excited to try this new title.
Dead of Winter
The folks at Plaid Hat Games have done it again. Right when you think the world didn’t need another zombie apocalypse themed game, this one comes along and says there’s more this theme can offer. Dead of Winter is the first of Plaid Hat’s Crossroads games. A key feature of this game is the meta-cooperative nature of it, wherein all players are working together for a common victory condition, but true victory is obtained through the pursuit of the player’s personal goals. Fear the cold. Fear the zombies. Fear each other.
Why I’m Excited:
It’s Plaid Hat, okay? If you listen to our podcast, you’ll have heard me declare my love of all the games that this company makes. This includes my coveted “Best game of 2013” title in the form of City of Remnants. This game looks amazing, and while I won’t be adding it to my personal collection due to the theme – I’m still including it in my list of games to watch because there will be others in the Crossroads series. I’m very interested in what other themes might be incorporated into it.
D&D 5th Edition PHB
While I wanted to focus on the board and card games that were being revealed at this year’s event – I couldn’t NOT talk about the fifth edition D&D Player’s Handbook. This will be used to expand on the basic rules that Wizards of the Coast have released for free. This will give more options for players who want to explore the world in regards to race and class combinations.
Why I’m Excited:
Not to belabor the point, but I went from utter indifference to frenzied excitement about how the new edition of D&D turned out. I’m really looking forward to playing in it. If you want to know why I’m excited about this particular title – I have two words for you.
Dwarf Bard … [drops mic]
There are a lot of other games, expansions, and RPG reveals that I could go into, but these are just a few of the things I’m most excited about. If you are going to be at Gencon this year, I’ll be talking to folks at booth 160 about gaming, God, and what InnRoads is all about with the Geekpreacher and folks from Fans for Christ and the Christian Gamers Guild. Be sure to come out and see us.
If you have a title that you can’t wait to see more about, leave a message in the comments and let us know why you can’t wait to see it.