Tag Archives: gen con

Gen Con 2025: Dirt & Dust releases with a Rally Championship and Play with the Designer sessions

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Dirt & Dust

Dirt & Dust, a strategic rally game where deck-building and dice placement decide who conquers the course, will debut at Gen Con 2025, with the first copies available for sale, demos at Ares Games and Albi booths, and special activities: the Gen Con Rally Championship and three Play with the Designer – Petr Čáslava. 

The Dirt & Dust: Gen Con Rally Championship is a board game rally tournament to celebrate the launch of the game, competing head-to-head with other players. It will run along the four days of the show – every two hours, up to four players will launch onto a specially designed test track, crafted exclusively for this unique Gen Con event. Albi’s demo team will explain all the rules and get players fully race-ready.

Dirt & Dust is a medium-complexity board game for experienced players who enjoy taking risks. A single race takes around 90 minutes. Players will be able to follow race results online through an app — and who won’t be happy with its time, can come back and try again. Every driver will get a foil card as a reward for taking part in the championship, and every day Albi will award the first three drivers with its games, such as Karak, Karak II, Atol, and Rail Line, alongside Dirt & Dust merchandise items, and a winner’s trophy.

For more information and to join the Gen Con Rally Championship, check the tournament events at Gen Con website.

At Ares Games’ booth (#229), Dirt & Dust will be in demo all the time and the first copies of the game will be available for sale – in a limited quantity shipped specially for the show. Each copy purchased at Gen Con will include the promo pack Alternative Ghost Drivers, with two alternative cards for solo play.

Players will also have the chance to meet the game designer Petr Čáslava, to play the game and get copies signed, in three “Play with the Designer” sessions – Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, from 1:30 to 3:00 PM.

Gen Con 2025: Cryptozoic Brings Food Fight: Reheated for a Limited Early Release

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Your favorite foods are back for war… and you can get an early taste at Gen Con! Food Fight: Reheated hits stores in October, but Cryptozoic Entertainment will have limited quantities at Booth #801 starting July 31 (while supplies last).

In this reimagined version of the classic card game, you’ll draft hilarious food Troops and Supports into your army and deploy them onto fresh Battlefields. Who will be the most cunning, the most savage, the most… yummy?!

Food Fight: Reheated

Gen Con 2025: Kosmos Brings the Heat with Dice Words, EXIT: Catan, and More

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Dice Words

Kosmos returns to Gen Con with an exciting lineup of premieres and highly anticipated releases. The company is pulling out all the stops for the global debut of Dice Words, a fast-paced, dice-rolling word game, with an after-hours launch party on Friday night. Attendees can also snag an all-new, con-exclusive mini expansion for The Gang, as well as the latest EXIT title, Adventures on Catan. These games and more will be available at the Kosmos booth, #259, from July 31 to August 3.

The year’s Gen Con release, Dice Words, marks a milestone as the first tabletop game fully developed by the company’s U.S.-based team. 

To celebrate its world premiere at Gen Con, Kosmos will host a launch party for Dice Words where people can learn and play the game, meet the designer, and win all sorts of cool prizes. For details and to sign up for the party, attendees are encouraged to visit the event’s page on Gen Con’s website, www.gencon.com/events.  

Additionally, gamers who were blown away by last year’s cooperative poker hit, The Gang, can look forward to a brand-new mini expansion, made especially for Gen Con. Attendees will receive The Gang: Mini Expansion 2 – Tools of the Trade free with any purchase at the Kosmos booth (while supplies last).

More highlights include:

  • Masters of Crime: Mosquito: The newest addition to this crime-solving (and crime-committing) storytelling series makes its North American debut at Gen Con. 
  • Australis: Winner of two 2025 UK Games Expo Awards: People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice (Best Dice Game). Navigate the East Australian Current in this vibrant dice-drafting strategy game where players feed fish, grow coral, and guide sea turtles through a rich underwater ecosystem. Smart decisions and tactical risk-taking will determine who thrives in the shifting currents.
  • The Crew: Family Adventure – Marooned in Paradise: From the creators of the award-winning The Crew series comes a cooperative, story-driven adventure perfect for families. Stranded on a desert island, players work together – without speaking – to complete 35 linked missions using simple trick-taking mechanics, a game board, tokens, and evolving objectives that make every round count.

Of course, the Kosmos booth would not be complete without the latest in its award-winning EXIT: The Game series of at-home escape room games. All five 2025 additions – including EXIT: Adventures on Catan, in which the worlds of EXIT and Klaus Teuber’s wildly popular board game CATAN collide in a captivating escape room adventure – will be for sale in the booth, along with over 30 previous EXIT releases and EXIT Advent calendars.

All games in the Kosmos booth, #259, are 10% off at the show, while supplies last. Fans can also take advantage of this discount all weekend long on the Thames & Kosmos website using promo code GENCON2025 at checkout.

Gen Con 2025: FanRoll reveals this year’s exclusives!

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FanRoll is back with another batch of limited edition Gen Con exclusives. After selling out quickly last year, they are once again offering a free set of mini dice (that spell G-E-N-C-O-N) with purchase of any Gen Con exclusive!

Fanroll will be at booths 415, 1838 and 2802. Here is a look at the one-of-a-kind items for the year!

The Eye of Genevieve Liquid Core Dice Set

The Eye of Genevieve liquid core dice set features a mesmerizing moving eyeball suspended within each die, creating an otherworldly focal point every roll.

$75 for a set of 7 dice and a collectors’ case.

The Eye of Genevieve Liquid Core Dice Set

Black Light Dice Tray

A folding tray with a hidden twist – built-in black lights! Perfect for showcasing your reactive dice at the table or in your display case. The tray folds flat for travel and storage, and works with our FREE glow-in-the-dark mini sets.

$25

Black Light Dice Tray

Metal D20 Blind Packs: The Hunt for Gold

The thrill of the unknown awaits in our Gen Con metal D20 blind packs. Each solid zinc D20 delivers satisfying weight and durability to your most critical rolls. But here’s where things get interesting – hunt down the rare Golden D20 and claim your prize: a free Eye of Genevieve liquid core dice set (a $75 value).​ Find the Antique Gold D20, and you’ll win a free mega acrylic D20.

$20 per pack.

Metal D20 Blind Packs: The Hunt for Gold

Sharp Edge Black Dragon Inclusion Dice Set

Dragons have found their way into every die of this exclusive Gen Con set. Each handcrafted, sharp-edged die contains a highly detailed black dragon inclusion.  $50 for a full set of sharp edge dice.

Sharp Edge Black Dragon Inclusion Dice Set

Free Mini Gen Con Dice Set with Every Purchase

Every FanRoll Gen Con purchase includes a free black light reactive mini dice set, where the highest side of each die spells out G-E-N-C-O-N. (While Supplies Last!)

Free Mini Gen Con Dice Set with Every Purchase

Gen Con 2025: Modiphius Announces Two Upcoming Board Games for DOOM

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Modiphius Entertainment has announced that it is developing board games based on the classic video game DOOM.

Coming to Kickstarter later this year, Modiphius will offer backers two editions of the board game: DOOM | Arena Board Game, based on the original DOOM (1993) video game, and the DOOM: The Dark Ages | Arena Board Game, based on the latest critically acclaimed title in the franchise, DOOM: The Dark Ages. Both games will use the same ruleset, and the campaign will include a variety of expansions covering enemies found in both games, including an Atlan mech and the Mecha Dragon.

DOOM | Arena Board Game and DOOM: The Dark Ages | Arena Board Game will offer a quick-to-learn competitive game, where players face off as either the DOOM Slayer or the demonic hordes and rip and tear across a variety of battlefields. Featuring a host of devastating weapons and monstrous demons drawn directly from the seminal series, players will battle across three rounds with increasing stakes, decorating the hex-based arena with their opponent’s gibs!

Modiphius will be offering demos of early versions of the miniatures board games at this year’s Gen Con and QuakeCon. The final version of both board games will be available at a later date. 

DOOM: The Dark Ages | Arena Board Game

Gen Con 2025: Ares Games presents Tedoku, a new Roll-and-Write Puzzle Game

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Tedoku

Tedoku, a clever Roll, Flip, and Write game for any number of players, will be presented as preview at Gen Con Indy 2025. Due to release at Spiel Essen 2025 (October 23-26), the game combines the logical satisfaction of Sudoku with the spatial challenges of polyomino puzzles, and it can be played solo or as a group, as players only need a pencil and their own sheet.

Players have a sheet with a 9×9 grid, and over 20 rounds they fill it accordingly with their dice rolls and card draws. At the start of each round, one card is flipped and the Tedoku die is rolled. The card designates a grid zone – a row, column, or 3×3 sector – while the die shows which polyomino shape must be drawn. Rotate, mirror, and fill the grid better than everybody else for the ultimate score – or challenge yourself with a solo game.

Designed by Sandro Blasich, Tedoku is a fast and rewarding game of logic, geometry, and careful planning. All players use the same inputs, placing the shape so that at least a part of it touches the indicated area. After 20 turns, they score points for completed rows, columns, and sectors. The highest score wins, with ties broken by the fewest empty squares.

Tedoku will be present for the first time at Gen Con. Visit Ares Games’ booth (#229) to check out the game and all other new and upcoming releases.

Gen Con 2025: Jam out on the tabletop with Jerry Garcia’s Cosmic Journey

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Jerry Garcia’s Cosmic Journey

For decades, Jerry Garcia’s art and music have opened the door to fun, magic, and memories. Now, Twogether Studios and The Jerry Garcia Family invite you to roll the dice and push your luck with Jerry Garcia’s Cosmic Journey, a new game infused with Jerry’s vibrant artwork and spirit.

Game designers Jenn Ellis and Keith Baker—known for games like Illimat with The Decemberists, Eberron for Dungeons & Dragons, Gloom, and Cool Cool Cool—created a game that they could imagine Jerry bringing to a game night. A dice game that can be played almost anywhere, with people of all ages—and that has folksy roots, a touch of Americana and a trickster spirit. Players press their luck rolling dice to be the highest roller, and win by being the first to leave all their Bummers behind. It’s easy to learn and play, and includes variant rulesets to keep players on their toes.

Twogether Studios will be previewing Jerry Garcia’s Cosmic Journey this week at booth #939 at Gen Con 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Sign up at Twogetherstudios.com for early access to preorder launching the first week in September!

Gen Con 2025: Cephalofair Games announces New Mercenary Character Packs for Gloomhaven, Jaws of the Lion, and Frosthaven

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Cephalofair Games has launched a new product line, Mercenary Character Packs, that are compatible with Gloomhaven, Jaws of the Lion, and Frosthaven. They’ll first be released at Gen Con 2025 and can also be pre-ordered directly from Cephalofair.

Gloomhaven Mercenary Character Packs

For the first time ever, players of Cephalofair’s largest campaign board games can step into the roles of legendary Gloomhaven narrative characters like never before. These Mercenary Packs offer unique new playable classes and modular gameplay content, each inspired by one of Cephalofair’s most popular titles released to date. Mix and match your favorite Gloomhaven characters and campaigns today!

Each Mercenary Pack contains:

  • Miniature(s)
  • Character Mat
  • Character Sheets
  • Class Ability Deck
  • Player Tokens & Punchboard(s)
  • Advanced Class Modifier Deck
  • Solo/Spotlight Scenario
  • Item Reward
  • Storage Tuckboxes
Gloomhaven Mercenary Character Packs

The characters include:

  • Hail, Irritable Enchanter: Gloomhaven’s perpetually annoyed and reclusive enchanter, lets you turn her irritation into resolve, releasing just a fraction of her immense power.
  • Anaphi, Fallen Lion: Mindthief and former member of Jaws of the Lion, Anaphi is ready to aid you and your allies, wielding augments and summoning Gloomhaven’s most unsavory pests.
  • Satha, Mayor of Frosthaven: Leader of the infamous outpost to the North, Satha will command your allies to action, instill confidence in your party, and stand between your friends and their demise.
  • Cassandra, Forgotten Diviner: Inspired by Gloomhaven: Forgotten Circles (out of print), Cassandra creates rifts across the planes to hamper your foes, while using divination to predict the future of your party and its enemies. Featuring brand new design, development, and artwork, Gloomhaven: Forgotten Circles lives on spiritually through this new mercenary.

There’s a $5 Discount on the Gloomhaven Mercenary 4-Pack Bundle through Aug 31st at Cephalofair.com and will be delivered around September 2025. You can find them at Gen Con at booth #1643.

Gloomhaven: Mercenary Packs is a project originally conceptualized by the Cephalofair Team with inspiration from its community members and their constant passion for expanding Gloomhaven lore, making custom classes, designing unique campaigns, and more. Cephalofair similarly wanted to provide some additional and more modular pieces of content that could be integrated across any of their mid-to-large size campaign games and thought no better place to start than with some new mercenary classes. And not just any mercenary classes, but legendary characters found throughout Gloomhaven lore that they could bring to life in new and exciting ways and depict in artwork and gameplay for the first time.

Design began loosely in 2023 and completed 2024 but was put on hold for an intended 2026 release to follow fulfillment of Cephalofair’s outstanding Backerkit projects (Gloomhaven RPG; Miniatures of Gloomhaven), the project has been expedited instead for a Q3 2025 release amidst industry-wide destabilization brought on by current U.S. tariff policy on international manufacturing.

With smaller production requirements and faster production timelines, these SKUs in part represent a more agile project by Cephalofair, who is committed to finding ways to provide its community with exciting new ways to engage with the Gloomhaven product lines, while continuing to secure and fulfill its commitments to its backers on outstanding larger game productions.

Gen Con 2025: Renegade Game Studios teases G.I. JOE Heroscape with Two First Looks

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Currently, Renegade Game Studios is running a crowdfunding campaign for RISK G.I. JOE: Special Missions. As a special update, the company has released a first look at the upcoming G.I. JOE/Heroscape crossover.

We now have turnarounds of Duke and Cobra Commander for the game which will be released in the first quarter of 2026.

For those going to Gen Con, Renegade has teased an extra sneak peek at their booth #1619.

Gen Con 2025: Academy Games Freedom: The Underground Railroad expansion, Chronicles of Bravery

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Chronicles of Bravery

Expand your journey through history with ‘Chronicles of Bravery’, the exciting upcoming expansion for the award-winning game Freedom: The Underground Railroad from Academy Games.

This expansion allows players to delve into seven compelling Chronicles, each based on the true stories of courageous men and women who risked everything to seek freedom and help end the institution of slavery. These inspiring tales unfold across all three of the game’s Eras, with Narrative Cards guiding your goals and needs to successfully complete their perilous journeys to freedom.

Sign up to play Chronicles of Bravery EVENTS taught and run by Brian Mayer, the game’s designer:

Thursday, July 31, 2025

5 pm: https://www.gencon.com/events/299854
8 pm: https://www.gencon.com/events/299855

Friday, August 1, 2025

5 pm: https://www.gencon.com/events/299856
8 pm: https://www.gencon.com/events/299857

Saturday, August 2, 2025

3 pm: https://www.gencon.com/events/299858

Brian Mayer will also be teaching and running Chronicles of Bravery games at our Gen Con Booth #2801, every morning at 10am. The number of players are limited to 4 each game in order of sign up. SIGN UP HERE

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