Last day at Essen– today the halls were noticeably quieter even in the morning. I had a great day though! First up was a look at Ashes & Amber, a Kickstarter game published, designed and illustrated by David Falla de Acebo – … Continue reading →

…My first day without appointments, and a chance to play more games and wander round the smaller publishers too…here’s what I found. The day started off with a play of Cardia Tide and Storm, the new standalone expansion for Duel … Continue reading →

Essen Friday was as busy as yesterday and by now I am used to once again the Essen shuffle through the aisles and the huge number of small steps taken – I think I walked 5 miles today! Anyway, not … Continue reading →

As always, it was great to be back in Essen, which is even bigger this year, occupying the entirety of Halls 1-8. Apparently sold out for the weekend despite the increased capacity, the crowds were certainly there and there was … Continue reading →

  OK, so much for trying to post every day – to be honest, there’s just not enough time in the day here! If you’ve never been, the show is simply a giant firehose of game information – everywhere you … Continue reading →

So officially, the Wednesday at Essen is the setup day. But it’s also really the first actual day for the press. One of the highlights of the show every year is the annual new games exhibition, and this year it … Continue reading →

This is part 3 of my recap of the Renegade Games virtual “convention” (RenegadeCon) and the new information they revealed about the next wave of armies and terrain (due to be released in the first half of 2027). I will … Continue reading →

Well, I’ve had a few days to travel around Germany prior to SPIEL, and I’ve had a grand time seeing old castles, beautiful vistas, and yummy plates filled with meat and potatoes.  We have taken full advantage of the Deutschland … Continue reading →

After looking back at my Gen Con experience each year, I also like to look back at my Gen Con writing. This year there were 24 posts covering about 61 publishers and something close to 150 different games or expansions … Continue reading →

It’s been a crazy fall and so the Gen Con articles have been pretty strung out, but with Essen basically already around the corner, I thought it necessary to chuck one final post over the finish line. Allplay is really … Continue reading →

I love checking out the Leder Games offerings as they often dive deep into asymmetric play. When done well, it gives the game a bunch of replay value as you want to see how each new side works. Done poorly, … Continue reading →

Yes, we’re (thankfully) nearing the end of my Gen Con G(J)ournal, probably just a few posts left. While I find myself in the main hall more often than not, I enjoy it when I get to hop out to smaller … Continue reading →

This is part 2 of my recap Renegade Games virtual “convention” (RenegadeCon) and the new information they revealed about the next wave of armies and terrain (due to be released in the first half of 2027). If you’re a real … Continue reading →

Well, fellow fans of Heroscaper (and those who are weirdly fascinated by my obsession with this crazy miniatures combat system), it’s time once again to recap Renegade Games virtual “convention” (RenegadeCon) and the new information they revealed about the next … Continue reading →

There was an active crowd at Wacky Wizard Games (the Wise Wizard Games nom-de-plume for their lightweight titles) around the Caution Signs sequel, More Fun Ahead, a complete version with new cards. Push Push Penguin has been out for awhile but … Continue reading →

  Well, I just got done with a weekend full of new games at the local CapCon2.  This is an event run by Capstone Games – which just happens to be headquartered in my hometown.  It’s a wonderful event, free … Continue reading →

I enjoy the Tiny Epic line of games published by Gamelyn games. Now owned by Tycoon Games, I was excited to see more of my favorite in the line, Tiny Epic Dungeons. Tiny Epic Dungeons Adventures keeps the same lightweight … Continue reading →

There’s still more to talk about in the gaming hall. It really is a big mix of trading card game, miniatures, and boardgames from big and small publishers.   A new publisher, Resurrection Games, had a very nice setup showing … Continue reading →

While the main dealer hall can’t be beat for concentrated gaming information, the adjacent gaming hall is a great place to stop in and play games. Some publishers rent space to provide an area for a full playthrough of their … Continue reading →

Sometimes I’m lucky enough to give a game a good demo, as I did with Cephalofair’s card drafting Mercenaries Wanted. Of course, having played the original game I didn’t necessarily need to take the new Buttons & Bugs expansions for … Continue reading →