Hello, Adventure-Raisers! This week, I wanted to just wrap up the GenCon 2024 series by just pointing out, Session 28: GenCon is Still Fun for Us! In short, I want to tell you a bit about the games in my and Orin’s haul.
1) Compile – Check It Out Here
Easily the most fun game of the haul games we’ve played thus far. Easily not the least kid-friendly, haha, but still not one that I’d play with Little Dragon around. Compile is a mini-deck game that unveiled at the Con this year. The premise is that of the 20 mini decks in the set, you can pick 3 to build your team for that round. Only 2 players, so it’s perfect for Orin and I after Little Green Dragon conks out. Or, I could see it being used to settle sibling disputes, honestly, much the same way as chess or checkers could be used. It’s the kind of strategy game that forces you to play against the opponent as well as their deck, and that suits us just fine. As a gamer, this is a 5 out of 5 dragon wings for me. As a mom, unfortunately it’ll be a while before a typical child could pick this up. I’m going with 3/5.
2) No Thank You Evil – Check It Out Here
No Thank You Evil is a rule-lite RPG system that grows in complexity with the players. Honestly, I won’t say too much about this one today because I am sure that LGD, Orin, and I will actually be playing it in the future, but I want this franchise to stick around so I’m going to hype up the basics. Players find themselves isekai’d into the magical and wonderous land of Storia, a place where just about anything a child can think of is possible. In the demo we ran with our friends, I was a wizard that made animal companions out of bubbles. We also had a robotic ninja and a toddler in a cow costume, for reference. You can play at Triangle Level, Square Level, or Circle Level. Each level adds a layer of customization to your character build, and thus your rules get more complicated. And the best part is that since this system is actually rules-lite, the different character sheets can still all interact, making this a system that the whole family can enjoy on a Friday night, spur of the moment. As a gamer and mom, I can assure you that 4 30-year-olds LOVED it, and it’s 5 dragon wings out of 5.
3) Looot – Check It Out Here
In short, if you like Catan but want to try a different flavor, you’ll like this one, too. But honestly, if you play with more cutthroat friends (excuse me, “competitive”, lol) then it’s hard to multitask this game. It’s a very fun game, but I would certainly say that you need all 4 players and you need peace a quiet. So you’ll need to restrict play time to nap time. or wait for a babysitter. As a gamer, 5/5; as a mom, 2/5.
4) Nekojima – Check It Out Here
Hahahahahahahaha, do NOT try to play this one with a toddler nearby. It’s a game that depends on your ability to stack things up tall, and it’s already hard to do without a little dragon nearby. That said, if you have a friend with lower hand-eye coordination than you, and a wobbly kitchen table – and we did – then I assure you this is your game. Gamer score 5/5 dragon wings. Mom score is 1/5.
5) Betrayal Legacy – Check It Out Here
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Yes…. ok… we got one…. please don’t come looking for us…. we already opened it… please don’t be mad…
First session was great, I promise I’ll tell you about it next week!
For now, gamer score is 10/5. Mom score is -100/5 (just based on content and the amount of swearing that happens at the table, haha).
Ok, so, honestly, this post feels like I’m just grasping for some geek cred at this point so I’m ready to wrap up…. We did get some other games and swag; you can check out my X feed for some more beat-by-beat GenCon 2024 recap. I hope you’re all having a great summer (how is it moving so fast???), and please let me know about the games you’re playing! Remember, you’re not on this journey alone!
