GenCon 2021, continued
Since my original monster post got rejected for being too long...
Partial Playthroughs
OK Boomer! (Goliath)
Alex: Basic trivia game in which the young people have to answer questions that old people are more likely to know, and vice versa. It’s a cute concept, but most of the questions weren’t particularly clever. We got a few good ones, but the rest ranged from “duh” to stuff that nobody knows. No thanks, I’m good.
Kat: I concur with what Alex said. The questions were very mixed and I found myself struggling to explain terms I thought I knew well. Guess I’m not a Millenial after all, hooray! No thanks, I’m good.
Unsolved Case Files (Goliath)
Alex: Mystery game in which the team is given a set of evidence, and needs to crack the case. The materials are excellent, and encourage a lot of teamwork. However, the solution boiled down to an “Encyclopedia Brown”style brain teaser rather than a more complex analysis. That said, maybe that’s just the demo. Interested, show me more.
Kat: I concur with Alex: more clues would make this more interesting, but it was a nice bite-sized game that did take some brain power to figure out! Would love to see the full thing. Interested, show me more.
Emergency Broadcast (Bicycle Games)
Alex: We got a quick demo from the designer, who seemed very nice and genuine. The game involves tile placement with hidden goals, with the main “hook” being that the tiles eventually stack (or get flooded), creating a 3D playing field. Not quite my type of game, but the 3D concept was well-executed, and so I’d be interested in seeing how a more complete experience feels. Interested, show me more.
Kat: There aren’t a lot of 3-D style games out there, so this was a nice palette cleanse from the traditional games. Simple to figure out, but with multiple goals at stake, it sets the stage for more intense rounds. Props to the creator, congratulations! Interested, show me more.
Demonstration (saw, but did not play)
Arch Ravels (XYZ Game Labs)
Kat: Okay, this one is just delightful. I didn’t get to do a playthrough, but the booth had everything laid out and it was love at first sight. Appealing to gamer crafters, this one had amazing advertising (a knitted advertisement outside one of the entrances, and possibly knitted/crocheted yarn rainbows around the planters outside the main entrance to the convention center) and a simple, yet challenging mechanic. Craft more than everyone else, and take on fun projects like an Infinity Scarf (think Thanos…) or House Scarves, and various other nerdy references. But watch out for that cat who might get in your yarn basket! Even though I didn’t play this one, I was instantly drawn to it and this makes it a surprise I’m sold!
Parks (Keymaster Games)
Alex: Seemed like a good conversation peace, since all the parks are real-life US National Parks that you may have visited and loved. The game itself seemed like a decent resource collection game (similar to Devir’s La Vina, if anyone knows that one), but I only got a brief demo. Interested, show me more.
Million Dollar Script (Portal Games)
Kat: This one jumped out to me, which surprised me since Alex is the movie nerd. The thought of an improv fest such as this game brought to mind visions of game nights to remember, and I thought, I’m sold! The game is pretty simply laid out and it’s up to the players to come up with the rest. The concept is simple, but the game itself is more complicated than the demo made it out to be, so I look forward to playing it!
Creature Feature (Trick or Treat Games)
Alex: I liked the theme, but the game seemed very simplistic. No thanks, I’m good.
Kat: I’m actually very intrigued by the selection of games (maybe I’m just a sucker for all things Halloween, but anyway…) I would love to see what this company comes up with and look forward to seeing them at future cons! Interested, show me more!
Castle Party (Devir Games)
Kat: We missed the chance to demo this, but it is akin to “Kombo Klash” in that you have to put the guests at the Monster Party together on the board according to their families. The artwork is delightful and the concept speaks to my Halloween loving soul. Interested, tell me more.
The Alpha (Bicycle Games)
Alex: This seemed like a pretty-good resource-gathering game that asks you to balance risks and rewards. In particular, I liked a mechanic that forced competing players into the classic “prisoner’s dilemma.” If we hadn’t already picked other games to buy, I might have given this one a (semi) blind buy. Interested, show me more.
Kat: I concur. The design looks really nice and there are just enough elements to keep it engaging and not drag on too long. Interested, show me more.
Anomaly (Starling Games)
Alex: We only got a very brief demo, so all I can say is that the artwork is intriguing and the concept (hidden players trying to find each other on the board) sounds pretty tricky. Interested, show me more.
Good Puppers! (Asmadi Games)
Kat: Again with the good dogs! This one appeals to dog and cat lovers (spoiler alert, there are absolutely no meows in disguise in this game! None!) with warm, charming art and a simple game mechanic. Bury as many bones as you can while gathering your group of puppers to win the game! And remember, there are no meows in disguise anywhere masquerading as Best Puppers. How pre-paw-sterous. Interested, tell me more.