The Hungry Gamer's GenCon 2026 Preview

0:00 Oo, that looks tasty. Welcome folks to the Hungry Gamer is back with my first ever con preview video. Now, I don't Well, I've never done one of these before, but the big kind of trade show style conventions have so many booths, so many places to go, and so much cool stuff to check out. I thought I would share my top things I think you should check out at Gen Con. Kind of my don't misses. I'm also going to wrap up with the things that I personally am going to do my best to make sure I do not leave Gen Con without. And I actually have a little bit of a surprise I'm going to throw in at the very end of the video. So, the last thing I'll say before I jump in is this year I was not granted a media badge, which means I have not gotten all of the emails from all the publishers about kind of what they have. So, there's definitely going to be things because of that that I just am not aware is going to be released at Gen Con or might be at Gen Con, things like that. Everything that I'm talking about are from publishers that I have existing relationships with.

1:14 So, I'm already on their email list and things like that. And that's how I know that these games are coming out, going to be available. So, take that for what you will. And additionally, Gray Fox Games was kind enough to provide me with an exhibitor badge this year. So, that is kind of how I'll be making the rounds at Gen Con. Again, take that for what you will. Anyhow, jumping right in. I'm going to start out with three boos that I think you should visit specifically early because they're going to have potentially a very limited number of something that I think is really special. Now, before I even go into it, obviously all the boos are limited what they have, but these first three are if they're going to have stuff at all because customs is a thing and customs is a nightmare. So, it's always possible it won't arrive, but if they're there, and we're hoping these are ones that there's going to be a very limited amount for sale. So, jumping right in, I'm going to start with Dead Alive Games, which is booth 2766.

2:18 They got lots of fun stuff to pick up, but I'm specifically going to highlight here, they are hoping to, again, assuming it clears customs, they're hoping to have maybe 50 copies of the Lunar Rush expansion innovations available for purchase. Now, you can buy Lunar Rush there. So, if you don't have it, go buy Lunar Rush and then get there early and maybe get a copy of this expansion because this expansion is amazing. It's It takes each of the different colors and makes them a completely asymmetric faction. I'm a big fan of it. A little more disclosure, my brother's a designer, but I've been pretty clear about that in all my videos. But anyhow, come check it out. Get a copy of Lunar Rush. Get there early and maybe get an expansion. And you can also actually get it signed by Skippy. He will be there. And they're giving away a cool promo card that I actually helped create for Lunar Rush.

3:10 So very excited about that. So, Dead Alive Games Lunar Rush Expansion booth 2766. That's the first one that I'm going to highlight. The second one I'm going to highlight is Devious Weasel Games. Again, lots of great stuff on sale at the Devious Weasel booth, but I am highlighting today Witches of Willowspur. This is Jenna Fely's new game. It is a co-op hard as heck game. I have a video that I have recently released about it. Really challenging, really tough, really fun, and there might be about a hundred copies available for purchase at Gen Con. So, you're going to want to get there early for that as well. And that's going to be at booth 1541, The Witches of Willowspur. Also, some other great stuff there. But, if you're looking for a hard co-op game that's got a little bit of a different theme, definitely recommend checking that one out. The third booth that I'm going to say go to is the aforementioned Grayfox Games. Gray Fox Games is going to have demos of Vampire Survivor and maybe we are crossing our fingers they're going to have a limited number of copies that you can purchase.

4:27 Again, we're talking international shipping. We're talking customs. We're talking all those things, but we're hoping that there's going to be some there. I got to test this out on TTS during the campaign. It's pretty darn good of a crisis management survival game. Kind of got that bullet hell vibe going for it. Some really clever stuff. I had a really good time with it. At the very least, go play a demo of this thing. And if they have those copies, you're going to want to pick one up. This is a game that I've said multiple times is the type of game that if I went to a booth and I did a demo of this, I would buy it right away. So, this is a great game to pick up at a con. I think again, fingers crossed it's going to be there. No guarantee, but we are hoping. Now, moving into booths that are just going to have their normal limited supply because you can only bring so much stuff. I'm going to start out with my good friends over at Slugfest Games.

5:16 That's going to be booth 1329. They always got great promos every single con. Always great promos if you're a fan of Red Dragon in. So, definitely check those out. But, I'm going to say one, go pick up a copy of Battle for Greyport. Now, I'm picking a battle for Greport because I think it's underappreciated, but more it is a box that is in a size that is easy for you to get home from the convention cuz if you're flying, we all know how space work. So, I'm going to highlight that one though. They got lots of fun stuff there. And also, if you're familiar with Red Dragon in this year, they have some Pooky plushes that you will be able to buy. First time Pooky plushes. That is booth 1329, Slugfest Games. Next, I'm going to say my good friends over at Patterson Games at booth 1755, uh, Dave Beck has told me that they, yes, will definitely have new copies.

6:12 Well, new copies are all new copies, but copies of the new expansion for Distilled. I don't know if they're going to have the big box as well, but they will definitely have copies of the new expansion. I love Distilled and the new expansion. One, it it expands the game obviously, but it gives some cool things that are going on and at the very least, it makes it to where the market cycles more. It just is a real improvement across the board. A very good expansion. I'm really excited to get my copy. I haven't gotten a shipping notice yet, so I don't know when it's going to show up, but I'm very excited about it. Booth 1755. Pick up a copy of Distilled and the expansion. They got other great games, too. Do a demo of the new Ringo. I haven't played it, but wait, but I'm pretty sure you'll be able to demo it at Gen Con. My next recommendation is go check out Fireside Games at booth 2228.

7:02 And Fireside Games, I don't know them very well, but they have some really fun stuff. I was a big fan of Ham Helling last year. If you're into a co-op game, it's got card crafting. That's thing where you actually layer cards on top of each other. It's quick, it's easy, good co-op fun. I really enjoy that one. And they actually have one of my oldest games in my collection. I actually won it at a convention many, many, many, many, many years ago before I was really into board games. That is Castle Panic. Castle Panic is a great co-op game. Wonderful if you got kids or people you're just starting to get into the idea of playing co-ops. They have this beautiful brand new version. I got the old version. There's one or two expansions I don't have and I might try to go pick up myself if it works with the old version I have. I don't know. I got to check it out. But Fireside Games seem like lovely, lovely people. They got some new co-op game that's out.

7:56 They're even doing some kind of tournament. Well, maybe that recommends it's not that kind of suggest it's not co-op, but they got a new game they're highlighting and some cool stuff over fireside games. I definitely recommend checking them out. Next, we have Red Raven Games at booth 230. And what And there's two things here that I'm suggesting you go check out. Three things here I'm suggesting you check out. One, I love Above and Below Haunted. If they have them there for sale, definitely pick up one of those. But the two things I wanted to highlight is one, I highly recommend you go check out and demo Song of Silverth at Red Raven Games because that is a really cool game. I got to preview that a while ago and it wasn't nearly complete yet, but does some really cool stuff with story and card play and how you succeed at different things and you can choose to fight or you can choose to talk. But to recognize that talking is often just as complex and dangerous as fighting.

8:54 very clever game. But what pushes it over the top is they're going to have a tub of metal coins and you can go and buy just a scoop. Now, we've all seen a cons you can just fill up a jug with dice at a dice thing, but I've never seen it with coins. I love that. I'm going to go check it out. I don't know if I'm going to do it because it's going to be heavy, but I'm tempted and I love the idea. So check. So go check out Song of Silverth if you're into co-op games, you're familiar with Ryan Lockett's work and get a scoop of coins if that's your thing. And so my second to last one here is at Good Games Publishing and that is at booth 2543.

9:41 And they actually have two titles that I am very, very excited about. The first I actually have right here because I just put up a video and that is Skyward Republic. And this is an I cut you choose game that is just so good. It is so so good. If you are into tableau building and this kind of I cut you choose idea is kind of interesting to you, go do a demo and you're going to leave with one of these copies. This is a Gen Con release for them. So definitely check that one out. And then I also and then I also got to play when I was in Sydney with Kim, the publisher, I actually got to play Jogi, which is another Gen Con release for them. And I'm hoping to actually go home with a copy of this also. I think I'm going to I think I'm going to get a review copy of it while I'm there, but if not, I'll probably buy one. I probably shouldn't say that because then they'll be like, "Well, he's just going to buy one." But Joi, this is your running your own anime studio. It is in the same vein as Age of Comics and those kinds of games where you're running your own comic book store or publisher I should say. To me, this one seems like it does it better. It does some really cool stuff. You're kind of playing on what are the trends in anime at that specific time and you're hiring new staff and doing all these things and it's just really clever the way the shared worker placement spots are going to go, how those work. And I'm really high on this one. very very high on it. So, and so Joi and Skyward Republic are two that I definitely

11:12 definitely highly recommend as games that I've played recently and should be checked out over at Good Games Publishing. Next, we have Cardboard Alchemy, which definitely come to the booth cuz I'm actually going to be there from 12 to 2 on Friday of the convention just helping out, working the booth a little bit, doing some gigantic Flamecraft DS that they have. When I say gigantic, I mean like each tile is going to be like this big. So, I'm going to be there just to help now for a couple hours. But, you can get a demo of their new game, Whisperwood. And I actually have a copy of it right over there. I'll be working on a video in the next couple weeks. But, Whisperwood, and you can do a demo of that at the Game Trays booth, which is booth 2733. So, go check out a demo of their new upcoming game, Whisperwood. It's a competitive Euro bag builder. Cool stuff that's going on in there. And then also I highly recommend going over to the allplay booth which is 2119 and that's where you can buy a copy of Flamecraft DS. Flamecraft DS is fantastic. It is a great con purchase.

12:16 Travels easily. And then while you're there, you're going to look at all the very portable allplay games. You can go pick up one of those, too, because there's a lot of great ones there. I'll just throw out a couple off the top of my head that I think are definitely worth checking out. You got four players and you like trick takers. Lunar is a great one. There is Torch Lit is another really cool one I've played recently. They got so many games there. Just check them out. Small ones. So 2119, get a copy of Flamecraft DS and something from All Play. And then also go to 2733 for a demo of Whisper Wood. And then come find me from 12 to 2 on Friday at the Cardboard Alchemy booth and I can play some Flamecraft Duels with you. Now, those are my highlights of the booze. I'm like, these are ones you definitely got to check out. For everybody that I didn't highlight, I'm sorry. I just didn't know what you had going that I thought would really hit with the people who watch my channel. So, moving into the stuff that I personally want to make sure I don't leave Gen Con without. I'm going to get in there as quick as I can.

13:21 I'm going buy these things. That is my plan. Now, a lot of the stuff that I talked about earlier, I already have a copy or I'm getting a copy. So, that's why I'm not talking about these things here, but there are one, two, three, four, five things that I do not want to leave without. The first one is I got to get over to Thunderworks Games and get myself a copy of Flip Tunes season 2. I got to try it at RageCon and we need one in our lives. and Don needs one in his life. So, I'm getting some copies of Flip Tune season 2. The next one is from Kids Table Board Games, KTBG, and that is Layers. I got to check out Layars at Breakout Con a couple years ago, and I was really engaged with it. I really liked it. I was bummed I couldn't manage to find a way to cover it. And this is a really cool head-to-head two-player game. And I am told that in the new printing they added a lot of stuff that was initially just a extra expansion that you had to buy into the core box which makes it really feel like a complete experience. So I'm absolutely going to haul my butt over there and pick up a copy of Layers as quickly as I can. Next is an older game. It's not old, a couple years old. And an expansion that is widely available, but every game store I've been in lately does not have it. I even checked three stores when I was in Australia just

14:51 like, you know what, maybe you guys have it. And that is from Pandasaurus Games. The game's Far Away, and it's the first expansion, People from Below. I have not been able to find one. And so, I am not leaving Gen Con without a Far Away People from Below expansion. I have the other one, but not this one. Next, I already mentioned Slugfest Games, but I'm not leaving without a Pookie Plushie. I am not leaving without a Pookie Plushie and whatever promo cards they got. I'm getting over there early, and I'm picking those up. And then the last thing for me is back at Dead Alive Games. I'm not leaving without maybe a couple of those Lunar Rush promo cards. I think it's hilarious the one that we put together this year. And I don't actually have one. So, first thing I'm doing is I'm going yoink and I'm taking one. And then the last thing that I am not going to leave Gen Con without getting is from Capstone Games the expansion to Tea Garden. I don't know how to pronounce this one, so I'm not going to make a fool of myself more than I already have or usually do, but I really like Tea Garden. I think it's a very clever game. There's a solo mode, I understand, in this expansion, and so I have to have it. I have to get it. I'm sure I could have gotten it somewhere else before this moment, but I'm going to Gen Con and I'm coming home with a copy of this expansion. So, those are the things right now that I'm like, I can't leave without. I'm sure I'm going to leave with some review copies of

16:22 stuff and I'm sure I'm going to see some other stuff that I'm going to buy on the way, but these are my must buys. Then the last thing that I'm going to say is I already mentioned that I'm going to be spending some time at the Cardboard Alchemy booth just helping out a little bit, but when I'm not at the booth, they have been kind enough to offer me a bunch of Flamecraft promo cards. And I'll be posting in the Flamecraft fan group on Facebook throughout the every day of Gen Con. Anytime I'm going to be somewhere for 10, 15 minutes, I'll post a picture in the groups of this is where I am for the next 15 minutes or so. If you come find me and you say, "I'm hungry for promos," I will give you a promo card of your choice. Now, the only place it's not going to work is when I'm actually helping work at the Cardboard Alchemy booth because that's too easy.

17:12 So, there you have it, folks. This is my first Gen Con preview video. I will most likely, if this goes over well, do one for Packs Unplugged in December. I'm excited for Gen Con and I'm excited to get my toys and I'm excited for you all to get Gen Con and get your toys. Let me know down in the comments what are some other things that you think I should make sure that I'm checking out while I am at Gen Con. As always, if you found this video useful, please like, subscribe, share, maybe become a channel member. As always, thank you so much for watching. Have a wonderful, wonderful day.