Tag Archives: gen con

Gen Con celebrates 20 years in Indianapolis by Breaking Attendance Records

Posted on by Leave a comment
Gen Con

The gamers are back post-pandemic as Gen Con, the largest and longest-running tabletop gaming convention in North America, hosted over 70,000 unique attendees at Gen Con Indy 2023. The event, held August 3-6 at the Indiana Convention Center (ICC) and Lucas Oil Stadium, features The Best Four Days in Gaming, providing fans with a complete gaming experience. Beyond breaking attendance records, Gen Con generated nearly $75 million in economic impact for restaurants, hotels, and other local businesses in Indianapolis in 2023.

Marking the 20th anniversary in Indianapolis, Gen Con is announcing it has officially extended its contract with the city through 2030.

Gen Con president David Hoppe said:

The Gen Con attendee experience is continually at the forefront of our decision-making. We are excited to announce that Gen Con will be extending its stay in Indianapolis through 2030. I am eager to see the continued growth and success that will come from our partnership with a city that has supported us over the last 20 years.

The scale of Gen Con is unmatched. This year the exhibit hall featured more than 570 game publishers and vendors, and attendees took part in over 20,000 ticketed events ranging from board games, card games, roleplaying games, comedy shows, live musical performances, seminars, the annual Costume Contest, Film Festival, and more. Concurrently with the in-person convention, over 700 virtual games and events were held through the convention’s Gen Con Online program.

Every year Gen Con partners with charities to raise funds and spotlight remarkable non-profit organizations. This year, attendees helped raise nearly $35,000 for Indy Reads and Game Pathways. Gen Con has raised over $425,000 for charity since 2003.

Gen Con will return to Indianapolis from August 1-4, 2024.

Gen Con 2023: Angry Chickens invade

Posted on by Leave a comment

Para Bellum Games, publisher of fantasy Mass Combat Miniature Wargame Conquest: The Last Argument of Kings and Skirmish ruleset Conquest: First Blood, is bringing its pecking CON exclusive at Gen Con 2023… and it’s like nothing you’ve seen before. Fans visiting Para Bellum booth 565 at Gen Con will be able to purchase the ANGRY CHICKEN exclusive box. Already a smashing hit during previous conventions, the Angry Chicken could not be missing from this year’s Gen Con – and it won’t be! With two exclusive miniatures of a Giant Angry Chicken (because obviously one is not enough) and a thematic Special Scenario Pack for a deadly First Blood battle, the Angry Chicken Con Exclusive is the thing no one knew needed – but must have!

Through the greedy, vile Biomancy of the Spire of Chikh-Ehn, this humble flightless avian has evolved from an inside joke at Para Bellum, into a Discord community meme, an emote, a fan-favorite T-Shirt and an exclusive release, only to become a Con Exclusive and the ultimate First Blood scenario for two forces of 600-800 points. With terrifying abilities like “BAWK!!!” “BAAAAAAWK!!!” and “BA-GAWWWWWWKK!!!”, the two armies will need not only to defeat their opponents, but also to survive this unkillable, bloodthirsty poultry, which rampages through the field, killing without discrimination. Only a handful of generals have been able to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve victory. Will you join their hallowed ranks?

A first for Conquest, Para Bellum is participating in the Gen Con Pin Bazaar with their exclusive Angry Chickens Pins! Available at booth 565, you can win one on the prize wheel, or get one free with a $99 purchase!

The Angry Chicken box will be at Gen Con (booth 565), at an SRP of $25.00 USD. If you are not at Gen Con, see Para Bellum next at the NOVA Open in DC!

Para Bellum Gen Con

Gen Con 2023: Deep Water Games is now Friendly Skeleton and announces Trash Talk

Posted on by Leave a comment

Deep Water Games, known for titles like MonsDRAWsity, Fantastic Factories, and 7 Summits, has announce its rebranding as Friendly Skeleton. This strategic move reflects the company’s commitment to bring a fresh, inviting, and fun approach to gaming experiences for players of all ages. Alongside the rebranding, Friendly Skeleton is excited to unveil its latest game, Trash Talk.

Trash Talk is a captivating party game that challenges players to communicate across species using trash as their medium. In this innovative and hilarious game, raccoons and possums come together to have a blast. Players must use prized treasures pulled from dumpsters, gutters, and maybe even a few “borrowed” from humans to master the art of cross-species communication and ensure everyone wins!

Trash Talk

Gen Con 2023: The Op Games Debuts Two New Strategy Games

Posted on by Leave a comment
The Perfect Wave

Usaopoly (The Op) is debuting two new strategy games, The Perfect Wave and Express Route, at Gen Con Indy 2023, the largest and longest-running gaming convention in North America taking place from August 3-6. During the convention, the more than 50,000 gamers and attendees will be among the first to preview, demo, and purchase limited copies of the newest games within The Op’s Booth #135.

Standing as the theme for The Op’s booth this year is the brand’s latest light strategy board game, The Perfect Wave. In the game, players work to “catch the perfect wave” as they collect Wave cards to construct a sequence, earning points for runs and sets of numbers, and play Trick cards to show off and score bonuses. Designed for 2-4 players, ages 8 and up, paddle out, plan the best combo of moves, and create the ultimate surfing memory! 

Express Route

Joining The Perfect Wave is The Op’s newest cooperative strategy game, Express Route, which allows players to be a part of the mail order revolution where ultramodern shipping technology is in their hands. Those playing the game will have to work together to stay ahead of incoming shipments, plan routes, upgrade equipment, and use specialist abilities to complete deliveries to eager home shoppers before demand spirals out of control. Designed for 1-4 players, ages 10 and up, the game is complete with 20 increasingly difficult scenarios to put players’ planning skills to the test.  

In addition to this year’s new titles, Gen Con 2023 will also mark the final stop on the eight-month run of The Op’s “Road to Gen Con” Disney Sorcerer’s Arena: Epic Alliances Championship and crown its “Most Powerful Battle Arena Summoner.” Inspired by the popular mobile game, Disney Sorcerer’s Arena: Epic Alliances lets players build teams from Disney and Pixar heroes and villains to compete in an expandable, learn-as-you-go battle arena game. To honor last year’s game launch, The Op kicked off the first of 12 regional tour stops across the nation in January where board game aficionados from near and far came together to battle it out and claim the number one spot. Semi-finalists will now meet again one last time at Gen Con for the “Final Faceoff” and a shot to walk away with $10,000.

Gen Con 2023: Must Do’s from AAW Games

Posted on by Leave a comment
AAW Games

Award winning game publisher AAW Games (Booth 575) has something for everyone at Gen Con 2023 in Indianapolis, IN.

AAW Games will be at Gen Con 2023: booth #575 / Games Room Lucas Oil Stadium 3-4/5-6,

Floor is Spiders by Claire Stricklin (run by the creator!)

Mini-Dungeon adventure for 4-5 characters of level 5
The demon Yx’larak is bound to the will of long-dead drow matrons.
The foul creature maintains its end of the bargain: grant the blessings of the Spider Queen to any that somehow prove themselves worthy.
However, Yx’larak won’t accept that it’s his fault nobody has survived the challenge. But the demon is patient. 

Specially equipped with a Gen Con exclusive Dynamic Dungeons moving battle map and pawns from our Rise of the Drow pawn set. A custom made soundtrack from Italian powerhouse Sonor Village.

Slumbering Titan by Bill Buchalter 

Mini-Dungeon adventure for 4-6 characters of level 8

In ancient times the gods placed titans to live among men and guard their kingdoms from primordial demonic hordes. As the demons were driven from the Material Plane, the titans stood guard over the rift locations to insure they did not return.

Now, a new rift has opened and a vanguard of lesser demons is spreading terror and suffering throughout the land.

Hand painted miniatures by Jonathan G. Nelson. Model scenery. Dynamic Dungeons moving battle map made special for Gen Con. Soundtrack custom made by Sonor Village from Italy.

Rise of the Drow: Darkness Arrives by Stephen Yeardley

You gather with your companions in the village of Rybalka for the ceremony of the Moonshard on the longest night of the year, but from the darkness an unknown foe attacks and threatens the ceremony.

One table (at random) gets a special experience with the digital display (map on flat TV). Using pawns from Rise of the Drow pawn collection. 

Rultmoork: Quagmire in the Great Clepsydra (Gen Con Exclusive!) by Thilo Graf

The players take on the roles of cultists in the Church of Still Waters as they explore the Great Clepsydra of Rultmoork and spread the heresy of stagnation. A prelude to our new Rultmoork adventure available now at the AAW Games booth

AAW games is offering exclusive deals, limited Gen Con exclusive merchandise and sneak peaks. Fans can get a $10 coupon off purchases at the AAW Games booth by texting “Join” to 833-407-6489 and joining the AAW Games Fan Club.

When joining the AAW Fan Club you are also automatically entered into the DAILY drawings that occur at 2pm at the show. Winners MUST be at the AAW Games booth to win! 

Daily prizes!

Day 1 = Rultmoork LE signed
Day 2 = Rise of the Drow signed
Day 3 = Survivalist Guide to Spelunking signed
Day 4 = Mini-Dungeon Tome signed

Gen Con 2023: Asmodee and Dark Horse team for statues, figures, art prints

Posted on by Leave a comment

Asmodee Entertainment has expanded of its partnership with sister company Dark Horse Comics to create quality licensed collectibles for three of Asmodee’s leading tabletop gaming properties. Using the beautiful artwork from the games, Dark Horse will produce limited edition premium statues, collectible figures, and fine art prints.

The first items are available to pre-order now exclusively from darkhorsedirect.com in limited quantities while stocks last. These include a map of Rokugan and a statue of Togashi Yokuni from Legend of the Five Rings which has been revealed for the first time at Gen Con this week, as well as an art print from Fantasy Flight Games’ Arkham Horror. As a pre-order bonus, consumers can benefit from a $25 discount when ordering the Togashi Yokuni Statue over the Gen Con weekend only. Twilight Imperium collectibles will be announced soon.

Gen Con 2023: Paizo announces Starfinder Second Edition

Posted on by Leave a comment
Starfinder

 As part of the company keynote presentation for Gen Con 2023, Paizo Inc. announced Starfinder Second Edition. The new edition will be published under the ORC License and implements the three-action economy, making it fully compatible with Pathfinder Second Edition and the Remaster Project.

The announcement featured a short panel with the Starfinder team – Thurston Hillman, Jenny Jarzabski, Dustin Knight, and Jessica Catalan. The roundtable discussion highlighted some key elements of the upcoming Starfinder Playtest and the new edition:

  • This is the most open playtest Paizo has ever launched, with deeper looks into the development process.
  • Pathfinder Second Edition and Starfinder Second Edition rulesets will be completely cross-compatible, allowing for cross-system porting of classes, creatures, and more — provided your GM allows it.
  • The first four classes announced for the Starfinder Playtest are:o   Mystic, represented by the iconic shirren mystic Chk Chk – son of the previous iconic mystic, Keskodai.o   Soldier, represented by the returning iconic vesk soldier Obozaya.o   Envoy, represented by the returning iconic human envoy Navasi.o   Solarion, represented by a new iconic pahtra solarian — also opening up the feline pahtra as a core ancestry for Starfinder Second Edition.
  • As part of the ‘open playtest’ model, the Starfinder team will be keeping players updated and involved with “Field Tests” — the first of which released today alongside the announcement at starfinderplaytest.como   Content for this first Field Test includes the Soldier Class (Levels 1-5), new equipment, and new creatures (the Computer Glitch Gremlin and Laser Wolf).

The Starfinder Playtest Rulebook will be available in summer 2024 as a softcover rulebook. As Starfinder Second Edition will be using the Pathfinder Second Edition ruleset, base system rules will not be a part of the playtest. Rather, the playtest will focus on the core elements of gameplay, including new classes, a scaling equipment system, new skills, and more.

Gen Con 2023: Ghost In the Shell Arise – Roleplaying Game, coming to Kickstarter in 2024

Posted on by Leave a comment
Ghost In the Shell Arise - Roleplaying Game

Mana Project Studio and Don’t Panic Games, licensed by Kodansha Ltd., are proud to introduce you Ghost in the Shell Arise – Role-Playing Game: an official tabletop role-playing game of one of the most beloved anime of all times! 

A NEW ORGANIZATION IS NEEDED
TO FIGHT NEW KINDS OF CRIME.
LIVE AS A SPECIALIST,
LEAD YOUR TEAM.
YOUR SHELL, YOUR GHOST.

The World Wars spurred rapid advancements in cyberbrain and cybernetic body (also called prosthetic) technology. Now, the year is 2027: the war is over, reconstruction well underway. Against the backdrop of a burgeoning military-industrial complex, a new organization is needed to fight new kinds of crime.

Ghost In the Shell Arise – Roleplaying Game is set in the earliest Ghost In the Shell timeline, before Section 9 was formed. You will play a group of mercenaries involved in investigative and military operations on behalf of private or government organizations.

The game will reach Kickstarter in 2024 and plan to hit shelves the following year. Its initial launch will feature English, French, and Italian languages.

Come and meet us at Gen Con 2023, at booth 2761.

Gen Con 2023: FanRoll Dice Celebrates its Brand Evolution

Posted on by Leave a comment
FanRoll

It’s been a busy year at FanRoll as the brand has quickly become the industry’s go-to brand within the tabletop gaming space. Announced in 2022, FanRoll entered the tabletop scene intending to partner with the best brands and explore ways to make tabletop gaming more interesting and exciting.

Heading into Gen Con 2023, FanRoll has announced a retail partnership with Paizo’s Pathfinder to launch a line of dice and accessories into retail this fall. The brand has also partnered with Catalyst Games to produce all of the dice for their record-setting BattleTech Kickstarter. Additionally, FanRoll has partnered with Kobold Press to support their Tome of Magic 2 Kickstarter and their upcoming Tales of the Valiant release.

While FanRoll is excited about external properties, the brand is also focused on delivering innovation to the marketplace. In the coming months, the brand will launch its new Shadow Light Black Light line and an LGBTQ+-focused line of products. The brand has announced that a portion of all proceeds from their LGBTQ+ products will go to the nonprofit group Tabletop Gaymers.

To commemorate Gen Con 2023, FanRoll created three exclusive offerings including a sharp-edge Genevieve Dragon inclusion set and a rainbow set of liquid core Elixir Dice. As a special promotion, the brand is giving away limited edition mini dice that spell out G-E-N-C-O-N with any Gen Con exclusive purchase. In addition to these exclusives, FanRoll will showcase its complete product portfolio, including the launch of a new line created to support the LGBTQ+ community. 

FanRoll will be at booth numbers 843, 2328, and 2600 at Gen Con, August 3-6 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. 

Gen Con 2023: Atomic Mass Games show off a new Marvel: Crisis Protocol starter set and more

Posted on by Leave a comment

During a live stream before Gen Con 2023 kicks off, Atomic Mass Games revealed more of what’s to come for Marvel: Crisis Protocol. After a bit of a quiet period, the game is getting a lot of releases including the long-rumored new core set.

Dubbed “Earth’s Mightiest Core Set,” the new starter set features new sculpts and cards, scenery, and more. There are 13 all-new miniatures, 26 terrain pieces, 6 new Crisis Cards featuring new scenarios, and 20 Team Tactic cards. Also included are dice, rulers, and more to play.

Like previous releases, many of the characters will look familiar with new sculpts and new cards. The game presents characters from throughout their comic history so no previous release becomes invalid, we just get different versions of the same characters. The set is up for pre-order for $149.99.

Also shown off is the Crisis Card Pack 2023 which features updates to 23 Crisis Cards including 10 updated Extract Mission Cards and 13 updated Secure Mission Cards. That will retail for $19.99.

There’s also a new movement and range tool pack which also retails for $19.99.

But, beyond the new starter set, what else is new?

Spider-Man is getting some love as 6 new sculpts were shown off.

There’s Gwenom and Ben Reily but will get even more people excited are Electro, Shocker, Vulture, and Sandman, making a Sinister Six faction very viable and surely coming to the table. It’s a group that’s been wanted for some time now and it looks like it’s finally coming.

Also revealed is a new tournament format called “Timeline Events.” Meant to take place over three days, players will create a Roster for each day. They will be given a specific set of Characters and Team Tactic Cards to build their Rosters from. They then will not be able to repeat the characters or Team Tactic cards across their rosters. Timeline events will also rotate out regularly creating new challenges and opportunities and a greater use of players’ skills (and wallet).

Marvel: Crisis Protocol Timeline Events
« Older Entries