Thousands of gamers filled Indianapolis for Gen Con 2023, where dazzling new board games, gripping RPGs, and fresh Magic: The Gathering releases shared the spotlight with a shocking felony theft that rattled the convention floor.
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Sep 5, 2023
Nicole Carpenter
Gen Con Magic: The Gathering card thieves charged with felony theft
At Gen Con 2023 in Indianapolis, two men from Pastimes Comics Games face felony theft charges after allegedly stealing high-value Magic: The Gathering cards. Security footage captured them pocketing sealed booster boxes and rare singles worth thousands, then fleeing the booth. Authorities recovered some items from their vehicle, leading to arrests that cast a shadow over the convention’s highlights in board games, RPGs, and trading card events. The case highlights ongoing security challenges at major gaming gatherings.
Two men who allegedly stole $300,000 worth of Magic: The Gathering cards from an Illinois retailer setting up at tabletop convention Gen Con have been charged with felony theft, according to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office in Indianapolis.
Thomas Dunbar and Andrew Giaume, who created a game called Castle Assault, have been charged with felony theft for their parts in the alleged theft of the Magic: The Gathering Cards from retailer and tournament organizer Pastimes Comics & Games. Should Dunbar and Giaume be found guilty, they face one to six years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. The prosecutor’s office said the charges come after an investigation that spanned both Indiana and New York, where Dunbar and Giaume reside.
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Aug 15, 2023
Chase Carter
Daggerheart, the Critical Role publisher’s answer to D&D, feels indistinct
Daggerheart, published by Critical Role, arrives as a direct response to Dungeons & Dragons with its card-driven mechanics and narrative focus. Players draw from decks to shape actions and outcomes, aiming for streamlined combat and character growth. Yet it blends familiar tropes-elves, dwarves, magic systems-without bold twists that set it apart from D&D clones. The result feels like a polished variant rather than a fresh take, leaving attendees at Gen Con 2023 wanting more distinction amid the RPG crowd.
Darrington Press owes its position in the tabletop industry to the ubiquitous popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, the tabletop role-playing game equivalent to delivery pizza – inoffensive, widely available, and reliable in a pinch. Of late, the company behind actual play phenomenon Critical Role has tried to move beyond slinging cheap pies by releasing a tidy range of board games and, most recently, the cinematic-minded, magical-noir tabletop role-playing game Candela Obscura.
Its latest venture, Spenser Starke’s high fantasy RPG Daggerheart, walks back this exploration to offer a RPG that tastes very familiar to D&D with your eyes closed. AELGAMES grabbed an early look at Gen Con last week, spying the fresh ingredients and techniques Starke employs to construct a very simple pitch: D&D players deserve better pizza.
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Aug 14, 2023
Charlie Hall
D&D’s worst book needs an update, and that’s an opportunity for creators of all stripes
Dungeons & Dragons has plenty of beloved titles, but one book still lingers as a clunky misfire that deserves another chance. Its uneven rules and awkward storytelling ideas frustrate players more than they inspire them. Yet, this shortcoming could spark real creativity-writers, designers, and fans can reimagine its flaws as building blocks for something stronger. With fresh design tools and a community eager for innovation, an update could transform a notorious misstep into a creative playground for new talent.
Currently in my home there are six copies of the Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition Player’s Handbook – one for me, one for my 13-year-old daughter, and four for the other kids that we play with from time to time. But there’s only one copy of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. In fact, after the first readthrough, that book has seen hardly any use in the Hall household at all. That’s likely to change in 2024, because the DMG is getting a dramatic facelift.
D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast has been talking about revised versions of its three core rulebooks for a long time now. The length of that promotional period is due, in part, to its ambitious slate of playtests that have already garnered nearly 500,000 written responses. Good feedback is hard to find, and when you’re getting it in volume it’s hard to make use of. Of course, the duration is also because Wizards sort of bungled the original announcement and spent a good chunk of 2023 clarifying its intent. But the D&D publisher appears genuinely motivated to make the books better – easier for players to find what they’re looking for, with richer guidance for every skill level. And the book that clearly needs the most work is the DMG, a fact that was made clear during a private press event in Seattle earlier this year.
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Aug 10, 2023
Charlie Hall
The Metal Gear Solid board game commits a cardinal sin and gets away with it
The Metal Gear Solid board game dares to break a long-standing rule of stealth adventures by making players talk-constantly. Instead of silent infiltration, the table buzzes with debate, coordination, and jokes as teammates plan out their moves against a clever enemy system. This chatter could have ruined the tension that defines the series, but instead, it builds suspense in a new way, making every whispered decision feel like part of the mission.
When creating a board game based on a video game, the absolute worst thing you can do, in my opinion, is to directly port it to the tabletop. The resulting analog adaptations that I’ve played over the years have all been invariably tedious and dull. If I wanted a direct dose of the source material, I’d rather just turn on my PC or game console and plop down on the couch. So it was with great trepidation that I sat down to a demo of Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game at this year’s Gen Con. Turns out my long-held opinion on video game adaptations doesn’t apply here. CMON’s latest effort is both very close to the original and extremely well done.
In Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game from one to four players make their way through a 14-mission narrative campaign. Playable characters include Solid Snake, Meryl, Gray Fox, and Otacon. The moment-to-moment action, skillfully designed by Specter Ops creator Emerson Matsuuchi, directly mirrors the action of the beloved third-person action game. You will sneak through the hallways of secret military installations and knock out unsuspecting guards, all while making your way toward the inevitable objective.
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Aug 9, 2023
Charlie Hall
Star Wars: Unlimited TCG feels quick and punchy, like a great Star Wars video game
Star Wars: Unlimited TCG delivers fast-paced turns and explosive combat that echo the thrill of a polished Star Wars video game. Players chain quick actions, deploy characters with cinematic flair, and resolve battles in minutes, keeping matches brisk without sacrificing strategic depth. Its streamlined rules and aggressive play reward bold moves, turning every duel into a high-stakes skirmish straight out of the saga’s action sequences.
Hot on the heels of the launch of Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game comes Star Wars: Unlimited, one of Fantasy Flight Games’ biggest titles for 2024. AELGAMES had a chance to play the game ahead of its release at this year’s Gen Con, and what we found is a punchy little TCG with great potential. In fact, it reminds me a lot of modern Star Wars video games.
We’ve been spoiled of late for great Star Wars video games. From the impeccable spaceflight simulation of Star Wars: Squadrons to the robust multiplayer FPS action of Star Wars: Battlefront 2 to the action role-playing universe of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor, it’s been a pretty great decade for fans of the Force. All those games have one thing in common – they’re approachable for players who might be new to these games’ respective genres. They also all provide a good balance between challenging high-level gameplay and fan service. Seen in that light, Unlimited seems destined to fit right in.
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Aug 9, 2023
Charlie Hall
D&D’s next iteration needs to keep things simple, too
Dungeons & Dragons has thrived for decades because its rules invite creativity rather than overwhelm it. As Wizards of the Coast explores the next version, simplicity should remain the guiding principle. Streamlined systems help both new players and dungeon masters stay focused on storytelling instead of dense mechanics. Keeping the game accessible ensures that rolling dice and sharing adventures remain the heart of the experience, not the charts and modifiers behind them.
One of the main reasons that players stick with Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition is because publisher Wizards of the Coast is always trying new things – new locations and new kinds of adventures, to be sure, but also new character classes, spells, and magical items. Along with that evolution comes a natural growth in the game’s complexity. Characters of the Artificer class, for instance, released in 2019, can craft their own magic items pretty much overnight. In addition to being able to hold their own in combat, they can also cast spells, make magical hand grenades, and design small mechanical creatures to do their bidding. That makes the Artificer a lot more challenging to run than the stock Fighter in the original Player’s Handbook (2014).
As the wildly popular tabletop role-playing game eases into its 50th anniversary next year, game design architect Jeremy Crawford and his team are neck-deep in a revised version of the 5th edition rules. Part of the challenge, he told AELGAMES, is knowing when to lean into that complexity. But it’s equally important to know when to hold back.
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Aug 9, 2023
Nicole Carpenter
Local retailer had $300,000 worth of Magic: The Gathering cards stolen at Gen Con
Thieves struck a local retailer at Gen Con 2023, stealing about $300,000 worth of Magic: The Gathering cards from a display area. The incident happened during setup hours at the Indiana Convention Center, prompting police involvement and community concern. Pastimes Comics & Games, a well-known Midwest retailer, confirmed the loss and worked with convention staff to review footage and security measures. The theft sparked conversations among attendees about collector security and the high market value of rare trading cards.
Thieves took off with “upwards of $300,000” worth of Magic: The Gathering cards days before the start of major tabletop convention Gen Con, according to Indianapolis police. Two unidentified men walked off the Indiana Convention Center floor in Indianapolis, where Gen Con was held, with a pallet full of boxes. Pastimes Comics & Games manager Zack Reiter told AELGAMES the cards were Magic: The Gathering cards.
Pastimes Comics & Games is both a retailer and a tabletop tournament organizer. Despite the theft, the company hosted events throughout the convention, which took place from Aug. 3 to Aug. 6. The cards were stolen before Gen Con began, when exhibitors were setting up for the event. Police, in a Facebook post asking for help identifying the duo, said the two men “acquired a pallet jack” before taking a pallet full of plastic-wrapped boxes. The alleged thieves walked off with the cards, which have not been located.
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Aug 8, 2023
Dan Arndt
Cosmoctopus board game tackles cosmic horror without invoking Lovecraft
Cosmoctopus transforms cosmic terror into playful strategy, inviting players to guide cultists seeking favor from a many-tentacled entity. Instead of relying on Lovecraftian lore, it draws charm from surreal humor, bright artwork, and accessible mechanics. The result is a family-friendly mix of whimsy and weirdness that captures the thrill of encountering the unknown without the heavy baggage of traditional horror.
One of the biggest launches at this year’s Gen Con is not the sort of game you’d normally expect to be as celebrated as it is: Cosmoctopus. Designed by Henry Audubon, the creator of the hit board game Parks, it’ll be released widely on Aug. 18. AELGAMES had a chance to play the game in advance of this year’s Gen Con in Indianapolis, and we found it to be a surprisingly cuddly take on cosmic horror.
The game centers around the worship of the titular Cosmoctopus, an eldritch deity from beyond the stars whose tentacles reach through the inky darkness of space to touch those he deems worthy. Each player is a follower of the Great Inky One trying to prove their devotion to him through their works on Earth. You’ll gather cursed artifacts, read the forbidden scriptures, listen to his dark whispers, and study the sky itself in order to make the world ready for his return. The winner is the first follower to pull all eight of his tentacles through the nebula and into our world.
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Aug 7, 2023
Charlie Theel
Call of Duty: The Board Game brings FPS excitement to Gen Con
Transforming one of gaming’s biggest shooter franchises into tabletop form, Call of Duty: The Board Game drew huge attention at Gen Con 2023. Players coordinated tactical maneuvers on modular maps, using cards and dice to recreate the tension and precision of FPS combat. The demo showcased quick, strategic rounds where positioning and timing mirrored the intensity of the video game series, earning strong reactions from both longtime Call of Duty fans and board game enthusiasts.
I’ll admit it: I was skeptical about Call of Duty: The Board Game. First person shooters rely on twitch reflexes and heart-pounding action in an attempt to capture the electricity of armed conflict. Board games, on the other hand, rely on careful planning and measured activity. The two formats are fundamentally at odds. But after playing in a demo of the upcoming Call of Duty board game from Arcane Wonders, I can say that much of my apprehension has fallen away.
Set up to play on the table, Call of Duty: The Board Game features a central map depicting the battlefield as well as miniatures representing each player. You take on the role of highly trained operators from the video game series, such as Shepherd or Ghost, and compete in a head-to-head match. The goal is to move your soldier around the map and secure the central control point while also trying to kill your foe. When gunfights do break out they are swift and deadly, with the loser being killed outright. Yes, gone, ready to respawn next round. Meanwhile, the operator that domed their opponent is free to run around, possibly capturing control points or securing a more favorable position.
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Aug 7, 2023
Charlie Hall
Disney Lorcana launch brings out the worst in Gen Con attendees, with reported shoving and verbal abuse
Crowds at the Disney Lorcana launch overwhelmed Gen Con’s convention floor, leading to tense scenes as fans rushed to limited stock. Attendees reported shoving, shouting, and security stepping in to manage frustrated lines. The chaos underscored the intense demand for the collectible card game, with some accusing buyers of hoarding for resale. Organizers and Ravensburger later issued statements aiming to calm the situation and assure players that more product would arrive in coming months.
The launch of Disney Lorcana at this year’s Gen Con convention in Indianapolis was marred by chaos, as long lines and poor crowd management led to alleged unsafe conditions for attendees on the first day of the event. Many social media users reported pushing, shoving, and verbal confrontations with other fans. While things ran more smoothly on the second, third, and fourth days of the con, both Gen Con and publisher Ravensburger clearly could have done more from the outset.
The formal launch of Disney Lorcana, a novel trading card game akin to Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon Trading Card Game, isn’t until Aug. 18, when it arrives in retail stores and with online vendors. But a special pre-sale, including starter decks and other accessories, was promised beginning Aug. 3 at this year’s Gen Con. Ultimately thousands showed up, with historically long lines that wrapped around the massive Indiana Convention Center by the end of the week. But the situation inside the ICC was fraught on the first day of the convention, and it seems both Ravensburger and Gen Con staff manning the doors were largely unprepared for what occurred when the convention opened.
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Aug 5, 2023
Cass Marshall
Fallout, Final Fantasy, and Assassin’s Creed are coming to Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering is expanding its Universes Beyond lineup with new sets inspired by Fallout, Final Fantasy, and Assassin’s Creed. Each crossover brings fresh mechanics and artwork that capture the essence of these popular franchises. Fallout adds post-apocalyptic themes and survival elements, Final Fantasy brings iconic characters and spells from its long-running saga, and Assassin’s Creed introduces stealth-driven tactics and historical intrigue. These collaborations continue Magic’s trend of blending beloved cultural icons with strategic deck-building gameplay.
Magic: The Gathering is nearly 30 years old, which is an auspicious anniversary. On Saturday, Wizards of the Coast announced new Universes Beyond collaborations, which bring other iconic IPs into the collectible card game.
Fallout, the post-apocalyptic RPG property from Bethesda Game Studios, will be showing up in the Magic: The Gathering. A set of Commander Decks will be released in March 2024, with each deck representing a wasteland faction like the Brotherhood of Steel or the Enclave. We can also expect to see Assassin’s Creed show up in Magic: The Gathering, which is a franchise with a rich library of heroes and historical settings to pull from.
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Aug 5, 2023
Alice Jovanée
You can already buy Gen Con’s Ennie-winning RPGs
Several of the role-playing games honored at the 2023 ENNIE Awards are already available for purchase, both online and at major hobby retailers. Fans can grab acclaimed titles like Vaesen: Mythic Britain & Ireland, Coyote & Crow, and Mothership 1E to experience the creativity that stood out at Gen Con. These releases highlight a strong year for independent publishers and storytellers who continue to push tabletop gaming in fresh directions.
Every year at Gen Con, fans choose the best tabletop RPGs and other products in show. There are several categories, with Ennie Award winners being picked based on excellence in art direction, design mechanics, writing, and more.
If you want to see what all the fuss is about with these new titles, you might like to know that some of the best games showcased at Gen Con 2023 are available to purchase today.
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Aug 5, 2023
Charlie Hall
Blade Runner RPG publisher Free League wins big at Gen Con’s Ennie Awards for 2023
Swedish publisher Free League Publishing earned major recognition at the 2023 Ennie Awards during Gen Con, taking home several honors for its Blade Runner role-playing game. The visually striking and narratively rich RPG impressed judges and fans alike with its atmospheric design, immersive storytelling, and faithful adaptation of the classic sci-fi universe. Free League’s success underscored its growing influence in tabletop gaming, solidifying its reputation for creating cinematic, story-driven experiences.
Free League Publishing won big in this year’s Ennie Awards, Gen Con’s biggest awards program. The Swedish publisher pulled in Gold awards for three of its marquee tabletop role-playing game lines, including Vaesen, Blade Runner, and Ruins of Symbaroum. Meanwhile the Ennies also showered praise on journalist Linda Codega for their work in covering Dungeons & Dragons’s OGL fiasco in January. The Gold award for best game went to Fabula Ultima – Core Rulebook.
Both the coveted product of the year award and the best setting award were given to Vaesen RPG – Mythic Britain & Ireland, an expansion for Vaesen – Nordic Horror Roleplaying. The line was originally based on the work of Swedish illustrator and author Johan Egerkrans, but has expanded in recent years to include adventures based on the folklore and myths of other countries. It’s marked with lavish illustration and high production values, including luxurious paper stock and artfully designed cover treatments. It’s available both physically and digitally, online at retailers such as Amazon, and at friendly local game stores around the world.
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Aug 4, 2023
Charlie Hall
Following the success of the Undaunted series, General Orders storms into Gen Con
General Orders builds on the acclaim of the Undaunted series with a bold shift into tactical territory, drawing crowds at Gen Con with its deep strategy and compact design. Players engage in intense board control and resource management, balancing quick choices with long-term planning. Its clean mechanics and tight playtime impressed series fans and newcomers alike, marking it as one of the standout wargames of the convention.
David Thompson is a rising star in the world of board gaming. Together with his design partner, Trevor Benjamin, he’s helped bring the popular Undaunted series of World War II-themed strategy games to life. Beginning with Undaunted: Normandy in 2019, the duo has cleverly merged modern board game mechanics like deck building with themes most commonly found in classic hex-based wargames. Now the pair is at it again with General Orders: World War II, an elegant game with a tiny footprint that has the potential to be another bestselling hit. AELGAMES caught up with Thompson prior to this year’s Gen Con, where the public will see General Orders for the first time.
“I don’t play a lot of games for pleasure,” admits Thompson, whose work in military intelligence takes up a lot of his professional time. The Air Force veteran said he’s spent time at the Defense Intelligence Agency in the past, but he remains coy about the specifics of his current role with the U.S. Department of Defense. Regardless, he’s a busy guy.
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Aug 4, 2023
De’Angelo Epps
Guilty Gear’s board game perfectly translates virtual fighters to tabletop
Arc System Works’ Guilty Gear board game brings the high-speed clashes of its fighting series to tabletop form with surprising precision. Each fighter’s unique mechanics and flashy abilities are recreated through card-driven duels that capture the rhythm and tension of the video games. Tactical positioning, burst management, and reactive combos turn every match into a quick, mind-reading contest between players. Even without a controller, it feels unmistakably like Guilty Gear.
I never imagined that Guilty Gear’s iconic pre-battle bark, “Heaven or hell? Duel one! Let’s rock!” would show up anywhere but in a video game. But now I’ve found myself saying it out loud whenever I start a match of Guilty Gear Strive: The Board Game. Adapting video games to the tabletop isn’t new, but the way it’s done here translates the fighting game into something I never thought possible.
Developer Level 99 gave AELGAMES an exclusive sneak peek at the in-development game using a special demo deck, featuring fighters Sol Badguy and Ky Kiske. That same deck is available for free, while supplies last, on Level 99’s website. It even comes with a commemorative coin engraved with “heaven” on one side, “hell” on the other. The set will also be available for attendees at this year’s Evo 2023.
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Aug 3, 2023
Charlie Hall
Betrayal at House on the Hill’s next expansion sets Santa loose with horrid holiday haunts
Betrayal at House on the Hill’s next expansion unleashes Santa as a twisted holiday terror, filling the haunted mansion with gruesome yuletide horrors. Players face off against the jolly old elf turned malevolent force, complete with killer elves, possessed presents, and blood-soaked snowmen that stalk the halls. Revealed at Gen Con 2023, this pack twists festive cheer into nightmare fuel, promising fresh betrayers and scenarios for fans craving seasonal dread.
Classic B-movie horror game Betrayal at House on the Hill is getting a wild, holiday-themed expansion this fall. Wynter’s Tale, unveiled Thursday from the floor of the annual Gen Con tabletop gaming convention, reinvents Santa Claus as a jolly, murderous old elf with five thematic haunts, new miniatures, and more.
“We did a lot of research into a lot of the old folklore of the holidays, different cultures and different communities all over the world that kind of infused their own storytelling [into the holiday season],” Chris Nadeau, senior director and product development lead at Avalon Hill, said in an interview with AELGAMES. “Then we made our own unique little spin on the holidays with the same idea of you’re going to be these playable characters that you can’t normally be in the core game.”
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Aug 3, 2023
Charlie Theel
Oink Games’ colorful collection of small-box board games wows at this year’s Gen Con
Oink Games drew huge crowds at Gen Con with its striking line of compact, beautifully designed titles that pack surprising depth into small boxes. Highlights like Scout, A Fake Artist Goes to New York, and Deep Sea Adventure captured players with quick rules, clever twists, and eye-catching minimalist art. The publisher’s booth stood out for its mix of accessibility and creativity, proving that great design doesn’t need a large footprint to make a strong impression.
In an industry dominated by American and European companies with massive, big-box campaign and strategy board games, Oink Games stands apart. The Japanese publisher is best known for pursuing an uncommon philosophy: small boxes with a striking art style. As modern board games seem to get more complicated every day, Oink remains dedicated to its diminutive product line that seeks attention through eye-catching design and word-of-mouth advertising.
Oink’s first real North American hit came from 2014’s delightful Deep Sea Adventure, a game about pushing the limits of a diver’s oxygen tank while scooping up sunken treasure. This success brought attention to a deep back catalog, with titles such as A Fake Artist Goes to New York and Insider picking up steam among English-speaking audiences. Now Oink is an established brand, and it’s looking to take the next step with four new releases available at this year’s Gen Con.
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Aug 3, 2023
Charlie Hall
Eve Online gets an epic 4X board game, and the miniatures look incredible
Fans of Eve Online will soon pilot fleets across the tabletop thanks to a new 4X strategy board game that captures the tension and scale of the classic MMO. Presented at Gen Con 2023, the game features detailed starship miniatures that bring New Eden’s power struggles to life, with factions vying for control through diplomacy, exploration, and large-scale combat. The quality of the components and the scope of its mechanics make it a standout addition for strategy enthusiasts and longtime Eve veterans alike.
Eve Online, the famously complex spacefaring MMO, is being adapted into a board game. Iceland-based CCP Games has partnered with Titan Forge, a publisher known for its catalog of extraordinary miniatures, to bring Eve The Board Gameto Kickstarter this fall. AELGAMES has your first look at the project – and its potent fleet of pint-sized plastic starships.
At its core, Eve Online is a 4X game. The 4X acronym stands for the genre’s four classic objectives: to explore the unknown, expand your empire, exploit the most resources, and ultimately to exterminate all opposition. While the 4X genre has long been popular on PC, it’s also been incredibly popular in board gaming. Titles such as Twilight Imperium, Eclipse, and Tiny Epic Kingdoms stand proud among the competition. There is even another high-profile 4X video game crossover currently in the works, with Paradox’s 4X game Stellaris currently being adapted by Academy Games.
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Aug 2, 2023
Charlie Hall
Cyberpunk Red: Combat Zone outdoes Necromunda with a badass boxed set
Cyberpunk Red: Combat Zone delivers a fast, brutal skirmish experience that feels more kinetic than Necromunda, backed by clever mechanics and sharp presentation. Its boxed set is loaded-miniatures, terrain, and slick rulebooks that make jumping into battle quick and satisfying. The neon-soaked theme pairs perfectly with its tactical gameplay, giving players gritty street fights filled with attitude and cinematic flair.
Cyberpunk Red: Combat Zone is the real deal, a miniatures skirmish game with a modest price tag that delivers a meaty experience right out of the box. Developer and publisher Monster Fight Club has a potential hit on its hands, especially if it catches on with fans of Cyberpunk 2077. The game is shipping to its crowdfunding backers right now, and pre-orders are currently open for the retail release later this year. Here’s what we found inside an early preview copy.
Combat Zone is based on the same source material as CD Projekt Red’s own blockbuster multiplatform hit, R. Talsorian Games’ Cyberpunk tabletop role-playing universe. First published in the 1980s, Cyberpunk 2020 was later rebooted with Cyberpunk Red, the analog prequel to Cyberpunk 2077. So while the action technically takes place about 30 years before the events of the video game, many of the factions, weapons, and tropes will immediately be familiar to fans of V and Johnny Silverhand.
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Packed halls and buzzing tables defined Gen Con 2023, where players flocked to try the newest hits in board games, RPGs, and card decks. Titles like Lorcana and Arcs drew massive attention, while Magic: The Gathering events at Pastimes Comics & Games kept fans competing late into the night. Amid the excitement, a high-profile felony theft incident added unexpected tension to the Indianapolis gathering, making this convention one of the most talked-about in recent memory.
- Maybe Doom: The Dark Ages didn’t need mechs and dragons after all
- The Last of Us writers break down the season 2 ending and 4 other big changes
- Magic: The Gathering’s Final Fantasy set is bringing tears to the table with an FF14 card
- A definitive ranking of Tom Cruise’s 26 best action movies
- Rick and Morty’s phone-charger dystopia was inspired by a Dan Harmon Valentine’s Day gift
Which new RPGs debuted at Gen Con 2023
Several new RPGs debuted or received major playtests and previews at Gen Con 2023 in Indianapolis, generating significant excitement among attendees. Key highlights included Critical Role’s Daggerheart and Candela Obscura from Darrington Press.
Daggerheart
Daggerheart, a fantasy RPG from Critical Role’s Darrington Press, made its first public appearance with hands-on playtests. It features a narrative-driven system with d12 mechanics and dual-sided character cards, positioning it as a potential replacement for D&D in their campaigns.
Candela Obscura
Candela Obscura, Darrington Press’s horror RPG, also debuted with demos, building on its streamed actual-play success. The game emphasizes perilous investigations in a gaslamp-fantasy world using a “ptalus” dice pool system.
Other Debuts
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Tales of the Valiant from Kobold Press held its first open playtest, offering a crunchier alternative to D&D 5e with updated mechanics post-Kickstarter.
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The Adventure Time RPG from Renegade Game Studios launched with demos, adapting the show’s whimsical world into a lightweight RPG system.
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Dragonbane from Free League Publishing saw its physical starter set debut, praised for elegant rules and unique races like duck folk.
Which publishers released new RPGs at Gen Con 2023
Several publishers brought new RPGs or major debuts to Gen Con 2023 in Indianapolis, focusing on playtests, previews, and early releases that shaped the event’s RPG buzz. Darrington Press led with high-profile launches, while others offered fresh systems.
Darrington Press
Darrington Press, tied to Critical Role, debuted Daggerheart (fantasy RPG with d12 mechanics) and Candela Obscura (horror investigation game) through hands-on demos, marking their first major Gen Con presence.
Kobold Press
Kobold Press ran the first open playtest for Tales of the Valiant, a crunchy D&D 5e alternative building on their successful Kickstarter.
Free League Publishing
Free League Publishing showcased Dragonbane’s physical starter set pre-release, a streamlined fantasy RPG emphasizing quick play and unique races, with full launch shortly after.
Renegade Game Studios
Renegade Game Studios demoed the Adventure Time RPG, adapting the animated series into a lightweight, whimsical tabletop system.
