Gen Con 2022 felt like coming home to me. After nearly two decades of board gaming attending the Super Bowl, I’ve developed some very close friends that I enjoy seeing each year. Two years to go by without renewing those relationships was totally too long. This year, after the vendor floor closed, we weren’t interested in playing the latest Euro-style game, or a campaign in a box, or a big, giant Ameritrash strategy game. We just wanted to have a lark, and the selection of new games on offer was well suited to our needs.
In fact, I think the coolest games at Gen Con this year were the lightest, most trivial things you can imagine. But more than anything, this year’s best games were chaotic—including the title of what might be my own personal game of the show.
Photo: Charlie Hall / Polygon
Photo: Charlie Hall / Polygon
Psychic Pizza Deliverers Go To The Ghost Town
Psychic Pizza Deliverers Go To The Ghost Town Is a hidden environment game for 3-5 players. Note that I didn’t say hidden movement – say like nun on the run, last Friday, letter to whitechapeleither spec Ops, In this game, each player is given a large laminated grid and a dry-erase marker. The goal is to uncover and deliver pizza to the people living in Ghost Town. What kind of pizza does every household want? You won’t know until you find the pizza, and then use your psychic powers to divinity where it is. The concept is just as batshit as the name – especially when you accidentally stumble upon a teleport space and have to start making your own. Zork-Like making a map again.
you can afford Psychic Pizza Deliverers Go To The Ghost Town Board Game Tables.com for $39.00 directly from the publisher.
Here’s a rundown of the rest of the most chaotic new titles, presented alphabetically.
After his successful crowdfunding campaign, Mental Pizza Deliverers Put your money where it matters – in the adorable Ghost Maples. Photo: Charlie Hall / Polygon
boop
Latest from Smirk and Laughter Games, boop is a Scott Brady-designed small-box game that’s absolutely charming. Inside you’ll find a collection of wooden cat meeples and a plush comforter. Turn inside the box, put the comforter on top, and proceed to pounce on your opponents in a match-three-meets-area-control fiasco.
boop available soon.
Photo: Charlie Hall / Polygon
cat in the box
cat in the box A rookie is a card game – like heart, kumquat leaves, UKAnd pinocle, Players compete to collect sets of cards based on playing the highest card in a given suit. The wrinkle is that all cards are black. Players say the suit they are playing, then mark the card played on the double-layer board with a unique token. If for any reason you break the logic of the board you’re building—for example, by being unable to play a missing card color or number—you create a contradiction and all the points you’ve made so far. to be negative. It’s an elaborate game of screw-your-neighbor, but also surprisingly fast and light.
cat in the box Now available direct from the publisher for $29.95.
Photo: Floodgate Games
Kites
The first thing I throw at when I open a board game is the punchboard. The other thing I throw in is a sand timer, if any. The tension of that thing has made absolutely no fun in any game I’ve played – except Kites, Each of the different timers is different, with some that are at 30 seconds, others at a minute and a half. Players take turns playing cards that correspond to timers, trying to keep all these “kites” in the air before their sand runs out. Again, complete chaos – but also a great way to warm people up at the start of a long night of board gaming.
you can pre-order Kites Now for $20.
ready set bet
I was lucky to get a demo of AEG ready set bet by none other than Ruel Gaviola, who told the assembled influencers that he both consulted on the design and contributed voiceover work for the companion app. He described it as “a party game for board gamers”, which makes perfect sense. Basically, it takes horse racing and roulette, mixes them in a real-time game, and then adds some optional win conditions in the form of a pile of cards. That way members of your family who enjoy going to casinos, and understand things like trifecta bets and… well, math… can compete with those of us on a relatively level playing field. who like to play ticket to Ride,
ready set bet $39.99, and is expected to be available for purchase later this year.
Photo: Charlie Hall / Polygon
Reality Shift
Academy Games is known for its premier historical simulation and strategy games. I am pleased to report that Günter Eckert’s Stellaris: Infinite Legacy Coming well. but was the real head-turner for me Reality Shiftwhich is clearly inspired by the iconic light cycle racing tron, It’s just that this time the track revolves around, with the cubes spinning and spinning along their axes. You haven’t survived until you’ve made four turns and crashed it straight to the back, eluding your opponent and sending them back to the starting line. There’s a deluxe edition as well as optional rules for going full Mario Kart with shells, bananas, and more.
Reality Shift It was only on sale at Gen Con this year, with the deluxe set coming in for $65. Hope to get a chance to buy it soon.
