The best four days in tabletop gaming in North America are at Gen Con. And whether you’re team Gen Con or Gen Can’t, there’s a ton of good stuff that comes out most years. Read on to see what has the Board Game Quest crew most excited to play, buy, or learn about this year in Indianapolis. If you’re going and see someone in a BGQ shirt, feel free to say hi.
The Most Anticipated Board Games of Gen Con 2025
Innsmouth Travel Guide
Chosen by Brian W.
Unfortunately, it appears that there will only be demos available and no physical copies of this game. It was targeted to be released in August 2025, but given that Arkham Travel Guide did not release in March 2025, I guess I will have to settle for demos for now. Innsmouth Travel Guide is a macabre roll & write that uses the En Route mechanic, where players roll dice, using them collectively and choosing which to use to draw routes and tourists on maps. There are five playable characters, each with unique abilities and scoring bonuses. You can all play the same character or separately for an asymmetric experience. Looking forward to trying this out, and hopefully I can drag a BGQ staffer or two to try it out with me.
1-4 Players • Ages 14+ • 30-40 minutes
Dirt & Dust
Chosen by James
Besides Western Legends Stories (which I backed) and Tea Witches (which I saw a peek of last Gen Con) the new to me game that stood out amongst the four hundred and change I glanced through on BGG’s list was Dirt and Dust. And that’s not just because it matches my car’s exterior. But it’s a deck-building and dice placement, making it seem like a Rallyman Dirt with slightly more control. The art looks great and I’m always up for a fun racing game with my son, and having unique drivers should give some nice relalya in bility. The game weight gives me some pause, but I’m sure it’ll be fine.
1-4 Players • Ages 14+ • 60-90 minutes
Phoenix New Horizon
Chosen by Victoria
Feeling bad about the state of the modern world? Try escaping with this science fiction post-nuclear fallout game promising the hope of reclaiming a more environmentally vibrant Earth. This medium-heavy Eurogame supposedly contains an innovative take on worker placement where your workers/commandos are upgraded in a tech-tree like fashion. Sounds pretty cool to me. The map portion of the board involves positive player interaction—I love that in a game. Plus, there’s only one, albeit scarce resource to manage, fuel, which sounds like a refreshingly streamlined design choice at a time when some recently released Eurogames contain 16+ unique resources (looking at you Skara Brae and Civolution!) These design elements, combined with the theming of a society that prizes eco-friendly technological advancements, seem like a blast.
1-4 Players • Ages 14+ • 60-120 minutes
18RoyalGorge: The Rails of Fremont County and the Royal Gorge Wars
Chosen by Bailey
It seems like every year there’s a new “beginner” 18xx title that is released in order to convert gamers into the sub-system of train games focused on route building and investing. Unfortunately, in my opinion, these “conversion” games often lack something that makes 18xx special in order to shrink the system into a more digestible title. However, 18RoyalGorge seems to be taking a different approach. Instead of simplifying the core mechanics of the game, there are fewer companies overall, making the game run much smoother. In addition, there are other private companies and smaller goings-on in the game that make the game function more like an economic Euro than a traditional 18xx title. To oversimplify the beauty of the design, it’s like 18xx and Brass: Birmingham had a baby and set it in 1870s Colorado. If you’ve always wanted to try one of those daunting 18xx titles, I think that 18RoyalGorge will be the entry point into the series.
2-4 Players • Ages 14+ • 120-180 minutes
Final Girl – Shriek
Chosen by Brian B
I love Final Girl! It is one of my favorite solo games. While I do own all three seasons, I have yet to play any of the Feature Films from season three. Will that stop me from acquiring more Final Girl? NOPE! So why am I so excited about this particular film? First of all, it takes place at a board game convention. How very meta! Second, it is based on Scream, one of my favorite horror movies. Third, cosplayers at the convention are dressed as the ten killers from the first two seasons of Final Girl, one of which is the actual killer, and each has their own mini included in the film. How do you deduce which one is the actual killer? A secret decoder panel (think Hostage Negotiator: Career, Nemesis, or, for those near my age, Password)! While everyone will be running for the new hotness, I will be more than satisfied with more Final Girl!
1 Player • Ages 14+ • 20-60 minutes
Zenith
Chosen by Jason
I’m a sucker for a pretty game, but learning it has some of my favorite mechanics forces me to take a closer look. Zenith is a space themed game with tug of war elements and smart card play all at my preferred 2 player count (although it also plays 4 apparently). Can it scratch a similar itch as Watergate did? Time will tell. To boot, it’s not expensive or oversized. Yes please.
2-4 Players • Ages 12+ • 25-35 minutes
Tag Team
Chosen by Tony
This two player game is an autobattler combined with deck building that is inspired by classic arcade fighting games. I can honestly say that is not a sentence I expected to write. But here we are. Normally, I’d be a bit skeptical about a game with such wild goals, but this is produced by the people that created the award winning Sky Team, which I love. And this one definitely looks unique, so I can’t wait to give this one a try.
2 Players • Ages 10+ • 10 minutes
Moon Bunny
Chosen by Michelle
After Steam Up, I’ve been chomping at the bit to see more from Hot Banana Games, and I’ve finally found some relief with the successful Kickstarter funding of Moon Bunny! The game is inspired by the designer’s love for bunnies and the folklore stories of the Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival), which includes activities like eating mooncakes and lighting lanterns. Most of the Moon Rabbit’s stories involve a moon goddess named Chang’e, whom the Moon Rabbit assists by pounding herbs to make the elixir of life, and this ties in with the game’s theme. Gorgeous illustrations combined with fascinating movement rules across the grid of the moon board, tile management, adorable mooncake components, promising solo mode, and variable scoring make this game one to watch this fall.
1-4 Players • Ages 14+ • 30-60 minutes
Botswana
Chosen by Brandon
The ebb and flow of the industry, coupled with turbulent times internationally, has left the offerings at GenCon (as of this writing) a little slim for my tastes. When uncertainty abounds, what do we as humans seek out? Comfort. Security. Reliability. And Dr. Reiner Knizia. Last year, 25th Century Games had an excellent selection of new and refreshed products, including the cute and silly Sausage Sizzle. This year, my eye is on their refresh of Knizia’s Botswana (originally Flinke Pinke and reprinted under several different names since then). Not familiar? Check out the illustration, the box cover, and the cute animal meeples. I’ll stake my claim on ol’ reliable, with a simple ruleset, quick playtime, and a sure-fire crowd-pleaser.
2-5 players | 20-30 min | Ages 7+
2-5 Players • Ages 7+ • 30-60 minutes
I C E: Second Edition
Chosen by Andrea
Going through the Gen Con preview to pick a single ’most anticipated’ is a tall order. Everything looks so good! I have learned some restraint (albeit unwillingly) and try not to purchase every new shiny that catches my eye. Having said that, there is one game at Gen Con that would have me elbowing people out of my way to lay claim to it. That would be I C E 2nd edition. This game turns the players into archaeologists in an icy landscape. Players literally dig for artifacts and unearth a lost civilization on a multi-layered board with removable tiles. Three layers to dig through. Collected artifacts add to your reputation and provide abilities once activated. These artifacts also let you score decrees and validate requests for end-game points.
1-5 Players • Ages 14+ • 90-120 minutes
Mystic Curling Club
Chosen by Emma
For about two weeks every four years, I become the U.S’s most enthusiastic curling fan. Witches and Dexterity games, however, I enjoy year-round. How can I pass up a combination of those three elements? This game is set to allow players to mimic curling by sliding dice down a 3-foot-long player board, using their witch character’s powers to manipulate the outcome. Dexterity games can be so hit or miss, relying entirely on how fun or finicky the play mechanics are, but the silly theme has me hooked for this one. I’m eager to see how it plays out.
2-4 Players • Ages 14+ • 10-30 minutes
Ahoy: Fang & Fortune/Rivals & Renegades
Chosen by Marcus
Back in 2023, I reviewed the original Ahoy. It was a fun asymmetric game, exploring a modular sea with anthropomorphic pirate factions (the Mollusk Union still makes me chuckle) in pursuit of treasure and glory (with a side of some good old naval combat). I felt that the game had some shortcomings when it came to games with 3 or 4 players. These expansions were on BackerKit a while ago, but finally got delivered recently, and copies will be available for sale at GenCon. They seem aimed at specifically answering my primary concerns. Fang & Fortune has new options to replace the original game’s Smugglers for players 3 and 4—a Leviathan and the Coral Cap Pirates—while Rivals & Renegades has replacement factions for 2-player games that can also be combined with the original’s factions for players 1 and 2 to do team games. It also has some mechanical innovations to the gameplay that look pretty interesting (the Leviathan’s meeples are different parts of one big creature, rather than an entire pirate fleet as most of the other factions, for example), I’m looking forward to getting a copy in hand.
2-4 Players • Ages 14+ • 45-75 minutes
Soda Jerk
Chosen by April
There are so many games I could put here, certainly plenty I want to try out or look at more closely, but when it comes down to which one I’m actually most excited about, I think it’s this little card game designed by Chris Yi. I adore the art style, and the gameplay looks simple and engaging. Players will alternate turns playing facedown cards to the different taps, either increasing or decreasing that tap’s value at the end of the round, or flipping cards faceup. The goal is to make your own hand of cards valuable while decreasing your opponent(s) score. It can be hard to judge these small card games; sometimes they’re just the right mix of sophisticated and snappy, other times they’re either too simplistic or bogged down with rules minutiae, but I’m hoping this one will be a hit for me.
2-4 Players • Ages 6+ • 15 minutes
No Loose Ends
Chosen by Jacob
No Loose Ends is a fresh update and wider release of trickmaster Taiki Shinzawa’s masterful trick-taker Shut The Books. I had the opportunity to play this new version at a recent game night, and the re-theme of “covering your tracks post-bank heist” is delightful. Players are dealt a hand of cards which feature four suits and numbers ranging from 1-15, with one suit acting as the trump. Then, in turn order, players reveal a faceup card, which acts as a bid to win one trick where one of these conditions is met: the faceup card matches the winning suit; the faceup card matches the led suit; the faceup card matches a number that was in the won trick. Players continue to reveal cards in front of them until they pass or max out at a bid of four tricks. Then the hand begins, and from there it’s a pretty straightforward must-follow trick-taker. Each time you win a trick, you must follow the aforementioned rules to cover one of your “loose ends” and evade arrest. Each loose end covered wins you two points, each trick you win that cannot cover a loose end loses you one point, as well as any uncovered tricks at the end of the round. I know there are a lot of variations on trick-takers out there these days, but this one feels like one I’ll be reaching for more than some of my other card games.
2-5 Players • Ages 12+ • 40 minutes
Tearable Quest
Chosen by Andrew
In Tearable Quest, players will try to gather weapons to defeat monsters… by tearing a piece of paper. Each round, a quest will be revealed showing the required weapons and monster icons needed. You’ll have to carefully tear from your sheet exactly those icons and no more to score some points. But beware: hidden treasures (yay!) or sneaky curses (boo!) may lurk on the reverse side of the paper, so best performed holding up to the light so you can see if there’s anything you need to look out for. Originally published in Tokyo Game Market in 2003, and from the designer who brought Make a Difference to Oink Games, I’m always in the market for offbeat gems at Gen Con. (Or you can just order this now from Allplay!)
1-5 Players • Ages 8+ • 10 minutes
