The Best Board Games of GenCon 50
I spent the last weekend attending GenCon's 50th anniversary in Indianapolis. There, I learned about friendship and how to play a bunch of different board games. Seeing as I've already written an in-depth guide to friendship, I'm contractually obligated to now write about the other thing.
So here are, without a doubt, the best board games I played at GenCon, in no particular order.
Bob Ross: Art of Chill
If you ever wanted a game that simulated painting with your friends alongside Bob Ross, then this is for you. In typical Bob Ross fashion, the game isn't about who can finish the most paintings. Instead, players collaborate on the same painting and score points, racing until a player reaches "chill," in which they perfectly align their chakras and shed their mortal shell to achieve total oneness with the universe. Presumably, this wins them the game.
2-4 painters. 10 of 10, would paint again.
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First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet
A board game with a highly modular board and a paired mobile app, First Martians has players working together to survive the harsh environment of Mars while enduring one crisis after another. The app is a core component of the game, along with colored cubes, figures of Mars rovers, and a plethora of cards and dice.
1-4 players. 10 of 10, would play again.
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Firefly Adventures: Brigands & Browncoats
Based on the TV series that was so good that Fox canceled it after one season, this is essentially a miniatures game with a heavy dose of Firefly flavoring. Players take on the roles of characters from the show and cooperatively carry out jobs, which inevitably leads to hacking, bribery, shootouts, and other misbehavin'. The turn order mechanics are very interesting, and the differences between slow and fast actions form a key part of the game's strategy.
1-5 players. 10 of 10, would play again.
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The Captain is Dead
While the core game came out in 2014, the latest expansion to The Captain is Dead, titled Episode 3 - Lockdown, came out this year. This is a cooperative board game where, like so many others, players take on various roles to accomplish an objective. The difference here is that you get to be a janitor. A space janitor. In space.
1-7 players. 10 of 10, would play again.
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Dungeon Fantasy
Not technically a board game, but Steve Jackson Games is putting out a boxed set of its Dungeon Fantasy tabletop RPG. As the title may suggest, the game downplays roleplaying elements like talking to NPCs and uncovering the DM's convoluted plot, and instead focuses on dungeons, monsters, and loot. It's meant to be playable out of the box, with five books, some cardboard figures, maps, and dice -- everything you need to fulfill your wildest dungeon-related fantasies.
2-∞ players. 10 of 10, would play again.
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Viral
A board game where players take on the roles of viruses infecting a human body. They compete with each other in a race to "go viral," becoming the next great internet meme and reaping all the Reddit karma.
2-5 players. 10 of 10, would upvote again.
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Klondike Rush
A game in which the core strategic elements focus around careful investment and strategic token placement, players race to consume as many ice cream sandwiches as they can while performing more and more elaborate and absurd tasks to acquire said ice cream sandwiches.
2-5 players. 10 of 10, would play again.
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The Grizzled
It is World War I, and you are a bear.
2-5 players. 10 of 10, would play again.
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Dynamite Nurse
I'm gonna be perfectly honest: I didn't really pay attention to the rules while this game was being demonstrated. I was distracted.
3-5 players. 10 of 10, would stare again.
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Evolution
When an asteroid carrying extraterrestrial life crashes into Earth, it's up to a group of scientists to save the planet from an ever-adapting alien threat. Starring David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, and Julianne Moore.
2-6 players. 10 of 10, would watch again.
So here are, without a doubt, the best board games I played at GenCon, in no particular order.
Bob Ross: Art of Chill
 |
| Wondrous water, almighty mountains, and happy little trees |
If you ever wanted a game that simulated painting with your friends alongside Bob Ross, then this is for you. In typical Bob Ross fashion, the game isn't about who can finish the most paintings. Instead, players collaborate on the same painting and score points, racing until a player reaches "chill," in which they perfectly align their chakras and shed their mortal shell to achieve total oneness with the universe. Presumably, this wins them the game.
2-4 painters. 10 of 10, would paint again.
------
First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet
 |
| Better components than a certain other board game about Mars |
A board game with a highly modular board and a paired mobile app, First Martians has players working together to survive the harsh environment of Mars while enduring one crisis after another. The app is a core component of the game, along with colored cubes, figures of Mars rovers, and a plethora of cards and dice.
1-4 players. 10 of 10, would play again.
------
Firefly Adventures: Brigands & Browncoats
 |
| The series is over, but the franchise |
Based on the TV series that was so good that Fox canceled it after one season, this is essentially a miniatures game with a heavy dose of Firefly flavoring. Players take on the roles of characters from the show and cooperatively carry out jobs, which inevitably leads to hacking, bribery, shootouts, and other misbehavin'. The turn order mechanics are very interesting, and the differences between slow and fast actions form a key part of the game's strategy.
1-5 players. 10 of 10, would play again.
------
The Captain is Dead
 |
| Both title and statement of fact |
While the core game came out in 2014, the latest expansion to The Captain is Dead, titled Episode 3 - Lockdown, came out this year. This is a cooperative board game where, like so many others, players take on various roles to accomplish an objective. The difference here is that you get to be a janitor. A space janitor. In space.
1-7 players. 10 of 10, would play again.
------
Dungeon Fantasy
 |
| Trufax: Hexes are better than squares. |
Not technically a board game, but Steve Jackson Games is putting out a boxed set of its Dungeon Fantasy tabletop RPG. As the title may suggest, the game downplays roleplaying elements like talking to NPCs and uncovering the DM's convoluted plot, and instead focuses on dungeons, monsters, and loot. It's meant to be playable out of the box, with five books, some cardboard figures, maps, and dice -- everything you need to fulfill your wildest dungeon-related fantasies.
2-∞ players. 10 of 10, would play again.
------
Viral
 |
| This board is accurate to its source material. |
A board game where players take on the roles of viruses infecting a human body. They compete with each other in a race to "go viral," becoming the next great internet meme and reaping all the Reddit karma.
2-5 players. 10 of 10, would upvote again.
------
Klondike Rush
 |
| What would you do? |
A game in which the core strategic elements focus around careful investment and strategic token placement, players race to consume as many ice cream sandwiches as they can while performing more and more elaborate and absurd tasks to acquire said ice cream sandwiches.
2-5 players. 10 of 10, would play again.
------
The Grizzled
 |
| The Grizzled |
It is World War I, and you are a bear.
2-5 players. 10 of 10, would play again.
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Dynamite Nurse
 |
| Something is certainly exploding... |
I'm gonna be perfectly honest: I didn't really pay attention to the rules while this game was being demonstrated. I was distracted.
3-5 players. 10 of 10, would stare again.
------
Evolution
 |
| Mother nature at its most fabulous |
When an asteroid carrying extraterrestrial life crashes into Earth, it's up to a group of scientists to save the planet from an ever-adapting alien threat. Starring David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, and Julianne Moore.
2-6 players. 10 of 10, would watch again.
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