
I don’t know if it’s me getting older, but tiny icons and text seem to be getting more common, and I am not a fan. The game board area is smaller than I would have thought. I watched about 5 minutes of gameplay, and it seemed like pretty standard resource conversion stuff, which is certainly alright with me. This is the kind of high-stakes, high-concept idea that can make a game truly memorable. As I understand it there are two different…phases(?) to the geography, and at any point a player can shift to the other area, never returning. This one has an intriguing pitch: a heavy-ish game centered around a single central decision each person can make. I expect it’ll be a pleasant experience, but hopefully more than that. I think there’s a bit of exploration, a bit of push-your-luck, and I might have seen some bag building. Still, there are so many hits that each new release ought to be given notice.ĭeep Blue is another attractive game from them about diving for treasure in the ocean. Days of Wonder always piques my interest because they so consistently deliver a quality product, even if the games themselves can be a bit hit and miss. The new Days of Wonder game sat innocuously at the front of the expo hall. Take the money and go wild with it! Deep Blue But I want to see what he can do when he truly tries to innovate on his game system. I would have probably done the same thing.
Games unplugged free#
Is this something to complain about? Gloomhaven is one of the best games I’ve ever played, but what’s to compel me to buy this new content when I can just play the Gloomhaven campaign over again with different choices? Or peruse all of the free stories and scenarios that have been released? I’m sure Isaac felt a lot of pressure to cash in even more on his hit game before momentum died down. It looks the same as Gloomhaven but with a bit more snow in the art. I’m sure the folks at Broken Token are very excited.


What more is there to say? It’s more Gloomhaven in a Gloomhaven-sized box. It’s the first thing you saw entering the convention center: modest but unmistakable posters for the Gloomhaven sequel that’s sure to sell like hotcakes. I also made sure to set aside most of my time for simply enjoying the convention–wandering the expo hall without an agenda, playing a MtG draft or two, and hanging out with friends. I’ve burned out on publisher meetings before and it’s no fun.

Publishers out there: if I’m talking to you it’s because I really do think your games might be great.īefore the convention I was contacted by a number of publishers, and I made sure to be very selective in who I responded to. I’d rather my interactions be wholly genuine and my interest be sincere. I find the idea of networking for its own sake unpleasant, to say the least, and I don’t want to acquire games just for the sake of acquiring them. I think some see conventions like PAX as purely a networking opportunity, establishing contact with publishers, getting their name out, and trying to snag a bunch of review copies. How does one overcome the paradox of choice and actually play things? As someone covering the event, how do I not overwhelm myself with too many games to see and meetings to take? Everywhere you look there’s a game you haven’t seen before, calling you.
