Our Top 3 Games From GEN CON 2018 You Should Consider Purchasing
Gen Con 2018, one of the world's largest Tabletop gaming conventions has come and gone, and as always, we had a blast covering the event. For those who love Tabletop who were unable to attend, here's our top 3 games we played that we think you should definitely consider purchasing for an upcoming game night:
Die Quacksalber Von Quedlinburg
Die Quacksalber von Quedlinburg (or The Quacksalber of Quedlinburg in its English release this October) was this year's winner of the Kennerspiel, but unlike past Kennerspiel winners, this one is fairly easy to pick up and play. Each player is a snake oil salesman at the market in Quedlinburg and your goal each round is to score the highest amount of points possible mixing your fake potion.
Each player does this with their cauldron board in front of them, and blindly draws ingredients from their bag in order to constuct their potions each round. The object each round is to get the highest number on their cauldron as possible without "busting," which is what happens when your combined white flower tokens value over 7. Players then take their point totals and purchase new ingredients to go into their bag for the next round, and score victory points on the main board towards victory.
There's more to it than that, but honestly, nothing that can't be taught in the course of a practice round. I also love the fact that everyone can resolve their phases at the same time, which means no one is ever just twiddling their thumbs during gameplay. Check out the video above for more details, and be on the lookout for this one from North Star Games later this year for about $59.99.
Catan: Rise Of The Incas
I know, I know, you've played Catan before, but have you played Catan now that Asmodee is running the show? The company's Game of Thrones edition and the twists it presented had me curious about Catan: Rise of the Incans, and I was not let down.
There are a few variant rules in this version of Catan, although the most interesting one has to be declining civilizations. Every four victory points you acquire, your civilizations go into decline. You'll still be able to collect resources from them in the meantime, but if an opposing player builds a road up to your settlement, they can effectively capture and replace your territory with their own and you'll lose it.
This change really fixes a big problem I've always had with Catan, which is poor placement. Gone are the days where you got the unlucky draw and now you're stuck in a territory with limited rolls. This feature allows you to swipe that prime spot from a competitor, and keeps the tension high as players civilizations will all go into decline at different points in the game. It also gives some incentive to keep an enemy close, as you'll always want to be a couple roads away for that opportunity to steal.
If that sounds exciting check out the video above and be on the lookout for this one later this year.
Most Wanted
North Star Games gets another entry on the list this year, with a simplified Poker-style game that allows for a lot of fun. Most Wanted takes the traditional Poker game and removes Flush's and Straights, and also allows players to play a hand they're more confident they'll win. For example, you may not have the best hand at the table, but choosing the "Duel" scenario will allow you to single out one player in a contest for the highest card in your hand. Each victory moves you further up the board, and each loss can propel you down further unless you got the cash to maintain your position.
Far and away this was the most fun I had playing a game at Gen Con this year, and my only regret was I couldn't hog the demo booth longer to play a few more rounds. This one is out October 1st and is the best value on the list at $34.99. It's also a simple enough game that most children can play along, which is always a plus.
Were you at Gen Con this year? Were there any games you found entertaining that didn't make the list? Share it in the comments below!
