Gen Con 2025 Day 1 — End of Day Round-up

Taylor Rioux
Aug 1
5 min read

Gen Con 2025 has just begun

The first day of Gen Con is in the books, and I’m pretty blown away. This is not only my first Gen Con, but my first major Con of any kind, so everything here feels so new to me in many respects. I have been so blown away by not just the games and merch on display, but all of the people running the booths as well. Everyone has been so generous with their time and cordial, it has made this much easier on me as a first-time press member at the event.

That said, I did see a ton of cool things today, so here’s a quick rundown of some of the things we had the opportunity to play, have demoed for us, or otherwise caught our eye.

Capstone Games

Sanctuary

This was the big demo for today. A really fun and interesting title where you are working on building an animal sanctuary, collecting points along the way. I have not played Ark Nova myself, but the team behind this title indicated that it is quite a bit more simple than that title.

That’s not to say it is in any way shallow. There are certainly a lot of avenues for strategy, and you can definitely feel the care the team behind it put into making it a smooth experience to play while retaining that sense of mechanical depth.

The image includes the tiles, board and pieces for the board game Sanctuary. All of the art is nature or animal themed, with building tiles featuring structures or people related to animal care.

Up or Down

I didn’t play this title at the con, but I received a copy to try out at home. Only one game played so far, and I can see where this would fit in for group settings or family gatherings. It’s a very simple game to pick up and play (something even the most novice players could figure out), while also taking a short amount of time to complete. I didn’t love it, but the simplicity does allow for a more broad audience to give it a spin.

Moose Games

MENAGERIE

The small demo I saw didn’t give me a great idea of the gameplay, but this title sees you collecting insects as part of a menagerie to collect points. You can actually play this one solo, so if you just want to look at some cool bugs, it might just be the perfect title for you. I was most impressed by the artwork on the cards, which feature these lovely renditions of the real-life insects the cards represent. They really are gorgeous, and wouldn’t be out of place on display in a picture frame at home, if not for the game’s iconography covering the cards.

Board game setup with insect cards, terrarium diagrams, and keys. A card features a portrait labeled "Christof Rollo." Game rules visible.

HELLO KITTY AND FRIENDS: REACH FOR THE STARS

I loved seeing this one in action. Moose Games already has some really great children’s titles that my son and I play, but this has risen to the top of my list as far as titles I want to bring home. Another simple title, REACH FOR THE STARS could be played with young children quite easily. Just roll the cute figurines and see if any of the ones on the board match the orientation of the images on your card. It also comes with a nice Hello Kitty holding purse for the game pieces, or for personal use.

Hello Kitty-themed board game setup on a white table with toy figures, cards, colorful numbers, and display sign reading $14.99 Reach for the Stars Game.

POPPY'S PLAYTIME: FACTORY FRENZY

Despite video games being our forte, I am not actually familiar with the Poppy’s Playtime series. However, the team behind the board game had a clear appreciation for the video game it was based upon. Obviously, Poppy’s Playtime is not the type of title you can just slap on a board game and have it translate easily, so it was really cool to see what they did to try and capture the essence of the video game and bring it to the table, complete with a Huggy Wuggy spinner figurine that chases players around

Cephalofair Games, Snapshot Games Inc., Arc Games

Frosthaven Digital

Another blindspot for me, but I’ve never played Gloomhaven on tabletop or digital, and I’ve never played Frosthaven, either. Getting the chance to play a demo of the digital title just prior to early access, I’m excited to see the full game in action. I had fun with the demo, but perhaps more importantly, I had a great chat with Isaac Childres (designer of Gloomhaven and Frosthaven) and got some insight into his journey and development process. This one is definitely on my radar going forward.

Nomnivore Games, Pixels Dice

Get Baked!

No true demo for this one due to shipping delays (a major throughline for many of the games, actually), but I got a quick rundown of the game and got to take a look at some of the art, as well as chat with the team about it. It looks fun, so I would keep an eye out for it when it finally drops. Also, the design aesthetic for the games here is really great. I mean, look at this cutie:

Pixels Dice

Perhaps the most singularly impressive thing I saw today, point-blank-period. I’m going to swing back to this one at a later date, but here’s the long and short of it. The dice that were shown to me could be illuminated with different colors, patterns, etc., and you could even customize the sounds played when rolling numbers on your die — all of which could be changed via an app on your phone. I think this is an excellent tool for accessibility, but is also great for kids or any other person who just wants to have a little more fun with the dice-rolling experience.

Plus One Exp

No actual play or true demos of any of these titles, but the premise of each was really interesting. I got a few quickstarts to work with, plus a more in-depth explanation of The Walls Will Swallow You and Hellwhalers, and I’d like to give each a look in earnest when I can get back home and play them in a group.

Open book on a colorful table with "The Hellwhale's Heart" and "Gambling & The Devil's Board" text. Nearby are a board with colored tokens.

Gundam

I’m really hoping I can get a better look at these later this weekend, and specifically see the Gundam Card Game in action, but just the main display was breathtaking in its own right. The cards have some truly phenomenal art, and I’m a big Gundam fan, so seeing them translated here was great. They also have some “Assemble Kits”, which are miniatures you put together as representative tokens of the cards in the card game (they don’t confer tangible benefits, they just look cool).

A giant mech with blue, red, and white coloration flies through space. The machine has glowing blue eyes.

And that’s it for day one! I want to reiterate that I remain overwhelmed not only by the craftsmanship and passion of the teams behind the games, but also their generosity and politeness in my visits. I saw so many cool things today, it's hard to wrap my head around it all, and every bit of interaction I had was a positive one. It feels almost surreal to see this many people in one place being so positive about a shared passion — especially at this specific moment in time. Here’s hoping the rest of the convention is just as fulfilling!