Rob's top under the Radar games and company's of Gen Con 2026

0:00 And be sure to check out Trading Card Market, the very best in sports cards, trading cards, trading card supplies, LEGOs, and so much more. tradingcardmarket.com, the best in all your gaming needs. Hey everybody, it's your old pal Rob. Hope you are all well. Well, guess what? Gen Con is just around the corner. And uh yeah, I ain't going. Nope. It's been a couple of few years since I've been there. But but my dear friends, a lot of you are being told, "Oh, go check out this booth, that booth, this booth." And you know, with all the hot games. That's real easy to do, but I'm going to tell you some of the ones that I really think that you should check out that may not that may be a little underrated. And we're going to start with Plaid Hat Games.

0:53 Go to their booth. And I'm going to give you a game that completely shocked me. The new uh Ashes Ascendancy is out, okay? Number one. And you're going to want to check this out. It has a fantastic solo game built into it. And uh there are plenty of cards which I'm looking forward to opening and doing that. But the game that caught me off guard when it when that game came in was a game that me and my kids are playing the heck out of it. I don't know if I if you're going to see the video for it before this or after this, but I'm telling you, go to their booth and check out a game called Super Auto Pets Card Battle. We have been playing this non-stop.

1:39 It is one of the best games I I've played this year, and we are just having fun. It's easy for a 5-year-old to learn, a 7-year-old to learn. The animals have different powers. You have to make a battle deck, and the way you put down your deck is the way you have to play your cards against your opponent. Whoever is the last person standing in that battle will win a trophy for that round. Whoever gets the most trophies after seven rounds, uh six rounds, excuse me, wins the game. Um there is a big Kickstarter box, which I would love to get my hands on, and they'll probably have it at Plaid Hat Games, but I'm telling you, this is one of those games that you're definitely going to want to check out. Head over to Shadowborne Games.

2:26 Uh Shadowborne Games is killing it. Uh they have been doing a fantastic fantastic job. Uh and um uh Oathsworn um has been a monster for sure for them. But, my [clears throat] dear friends, they also have a game that is coming out, which I want to tell you about, and I want to make sure I get the name out. It's Avalon. And Avalon looks fantastic. Um it's a game that that um uh you know, is a little outside the dungeon crawl universe, but I'm telling you right now with the the components and the heart and the soul that Shadowborne puts in, you're going to want to check this out. And I know I've got it coming in very soon, but head over to Shadowborne Games. They are going to be there, and they'll probably have some on hand, and you're definitely going to want to check it out. Another game that you're going to want to check out, uh and a booth that you're going to want to stop by, is a very popular man.

3:32 Uh first of all, he's got Duel of the Medlocks coming out, and then that's uh Stonemaier Games. But, the game that I'm really enjoying, and my grandkids and I are enjoying, is Wingspan Pocket. Um now, I know you're going to see the video for this beforehand. This is very very very good, and we've been this all real lot. It has just everything that you can possibly want and more. And I'm telling you it's a ton, ton, ton of fun, for sure. Uh another company that I think you should definitely check out, okay, and has been killing it, is Bandai. Uh Bandai, um my wife and I went to the Florida Mall.

4:20 And uh we had a chance to uh go there and they had uh the traveling Gundam um studio. And the Gundam miniature game looks fantastic. And I'm going to tell you another thing. The Gundam card game is absolutely fantastic. As a matter of fact, I believe I've got uh some of it here, uh if I can find it. Uh no, I don't. But uh definitely check out that uh Bandai uh Gundam card game, uh Phantom War. As a matter of fact, they're just coming out with another set. And this game has been a lot of fun. One Piece, which is a fantastic card game from them, uh which just is absolutely glorious, um that I highly, highly suggest. Um Bandai's been killing it. But that miniature Gundam game, which is supposed to be out in October, but they're giving they're doing a thing, I believe at the booth, where you can get these two starter sets with the card game built into it. Uh and it's going to give you exclusive models for the miniature game.

5:36 So definitely, definitely check that out. I'm telling you, you won't be disappointed. Another company that you're going to want to check out is Everything Epic Games. Stop by and and see my good friend Chris. Secrets of the Lost Tomb 10th anniversary edition is coming out very very soon. I believe he'll have a couple prototypes there. Hopefully, maybe he'll have some for sale. I can't tell you. I don't know. I'm not going. But, you're going to want to check this out because the work that he has put into this 10th anniversary edition with new art and everything else that you can imagine. Well, there goes the card game that I had. Um you're going to be absolutely blown away. And I really think these five companies and some honorable man mentions, Flying Frog always has a fantastic booth even though even though they don't have a big new project that that'll be there, I don't believe.

6:40 But, they always have some rare stuff for for Shadows of the Brimstone there that you can get. And if you are a Shadows of the Brimstone player, you're going to want to go get this. Now, on the negative side, one company that you should stop off and see is Academy Games. Okay? I would stop off and see Academy Games and find out if you are a backer of Stellaris what happened and where's it going because they're talking about hiring people to to work their booths and do all this stuff. And maybe they're just going to have you know, a shadow of a thing, but I think people deserve to know what happened. I've reached out to them several different times trying to find out what happened to Stellaris.

7:29 And you know, to give them a chance to say their side of the story. And it seems there is zero coming from their camp, from their website, or anything else. But, they're sure plugging all their other games. So, it it it's kind of suspicious. It's not very healthy. Uh if they just come out and say, "Hey, we're having a tough time." People would wait and would be okay with it. But, the radio silence is disturbing. So, go by and see Academy Games and say hi to them as well. Now, there's going to be so many booths and so many wonderful uh different things that you can check out at Gen Con. Definitely check them out. You won't be disappointed and have a great time. And go check out the places I've told you. These are very, very good booths that you're going to discover and find some fantastic things.

8:23 Uh another booth I'm going to suggest is uh the Dragon Dice booth. And my god, I forgot the name of the company. But, go check out Dragon Dice, which is alive and kicking. And it is a game that I have been enjoying. And they set up and they have all kinds of rare dice and stuff like that. And they have their two-player starter kits. Make sure you check them out. They are wonderful. And tell tell them your old pal Rob sent you, for sure. Okay? And check them out. Say hello to them. Tell them I sent you. And and pick yourself up a starter of of Dragon Dice. It's a game that you will fall in love with and have a great, great time. So, those are some of the underrated companies and and games that you're going to want to check out at the fantastic Gen Con 2026.

9:17 Make sure you go check it out. Make sure you have a good time. Stay safe. Don't get too close to people and get sick with that that that that disease that's going around. You don't want to be sick the entire time at Gen Con. So, stay safe. Until next time, it's your old pal Rob. We'll see See soon, everybody. And thanks for watching the video. Be sure to head over to Trading Card Market where you'll get the best in sports cards, trading cards, trading card supplies, LEGOs, and more. Trading Card Market .com