Gen Con 2022: Polygon’s best board games are also the most chaotic

Gen Con 2022 felt like coming home to me. After nearly 20 years of his participation in the board game Super Bowl, I have made some very close friends that I enjoy seeing each year. Two years without renewing those relationships was just too long. After the vendor floor shut down this year, we weren’t interested in playing the latest Euro-style games, in-the-box campaigns, or big, sprawling Ameritrash strategy games. Simply put, the selection of new games on offer suited our needs perfectly.

In fact, I think the best game at this year’s Gen Con was the lightest and flimsiest you could imagine. But most of all, the best games of the year were chaotic – including titles that could be my own personal game on the show.

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

Psychic Pizza Delivery Man Goes to Ghost Town

Psychic Pizza Delivery Man Goes to Ghost Town is a hidden environment game for 3-5 players. Note that I didn’t say hidden moves. run away nun, last Friday, letter to whitechapelAlso specter opsThe game gives all players a large stacked grid and whiteboard markers. Your goal is to find and deliver pizza to people living in a ghost town. What kind of pizza does each house want? You won’t know until you find it and use your supernatural powers to guess where it belongs. The concept is as ridiculous as the name.In particular, if you accidentally stumble into a teleport space and find your own ZorkLike cartography again.

can buy Psychic Pizza Delivery Man Goes to Ghost Town Direct from board game table.com $39.00 Direct from the publisher.

Here’s a little rundown on the rest of the most chaotic new titles, presented in alphabetical order.

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

boop

The latest from Smirk & Laughter Games, boop Absolutely stunning Scott Brady designed little box game. Inside, you’ll find a Meeple collection of wooden cats and plush comforters. Flip the box inside out, place the comforter on top, and boo your opponents with the match-3 meets area control debacle.

boop It will be available soon.

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

cat in a box

cat in a box It’s a trick-taking card game—like Hearts, spade, EuchreWhen PinochlePlayers compete to collect sets of cards based on playing the best cards in a particular suit. The wrinkle is that all cards are black. A player calls out the suit he’s playing and marks the cards he’s played with unique tokens on his two-tier board. If for some reason you break the logic of the board you’re building (for example, you can’t play the color or number of the missing card), you’ll create a paradox and all the points you’ve earned so far. turn negative. An elaborate game of screwing your neighbors, but surprisingly fast and light.

cat in a box is now available directly from the publisher. $29.95.

Photo: Floodgate Games

kite

Open the board game and the first thing you throw away is the punch board. The second thing to throw away is the sand timer. The stress of that has never been fun in any game I’ve ever played — though kiteEach timer is different, some are 30 seconds, others 1 and a half minutes. Players take turns playing cards corresponding to timers and working together to try to keep all these “kites” in the air before the sand runs out. Again, an absolute mess, but also a great way to warm people up at the start of a long night of board games.

can be pre-ordered kite for now $20.

readyset bet

I was lucky enough to get a demo of the AEG readyset bet Ruel Gaviola told the gathered influencers that he consulted them about its design and contributed to the narration work for the companion app. Makes sense. It basically combines horse racing and roulette in a real-time game, adding another win condition in the form of stacks of cards. This way, your family who likes going to casinos and understands trifecta, math, etc. can compete on a relatively level playing field with those of us who like the game. ticket.

readyset bet will be $39.99will be available for purchase later this year.

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

reality shift

Academy Games is known for its mind-boggling historical simulations and strategy games. by Gunter Eickert Stellaris: Infinite Legacy We are making good progress.But the real head turner for me is reality shiftwhich is clearly TronThis time the truck moves using a cube that rotates and pivots along its axis. You’re not alive until turn 4, when you’ve derezzed your opponent and sent him back to the starting line. There is a deluxe edition and optional rules for full Mario Kart fun with shells, bananas, and more.

reality shift Only sold at this year’s Gen Con, the deluxe set was $65. Expect to have the chance to buy one soon.