24 Most Anticipated Games for Gen Con 24

Each summer, gaming fans descend on Indianapolis, IN for the biggest tabletop festival in America. Gen Con is the premiere event for publishers to release their latest board games to fans who are excited to play and purchase them. 

Here are some of the most anticipated board games being featured at Gen Con 2024. This article is broken down into two sections. First are 14 games the author is excited about. Following that are the top 10 games via fan vote on BoardGameGeek.com. Which game piques your interest the most? Leave a comment and let us know.

Fromage

A rather cheesy game, much like that joke. Are you Gouda enough to become a champion French cheesemaker? From the publisher:

You are a French cheesemaker in the early 20th century making, aging, and selling your artisanal cheeses. Become the most prestigious cheesemaker in all of France by running a highly successful creamery and crafting exceptional cheese.

Fromage is a simultaneous worker-placement game where players place Workers to make cheese and gather resources from the quadrant of the board facing them. Once all players have placed their Workers, the board rotates, aging any cheese that was made, and presenting each player with a new quadrant to place Workers into. Score Prestige Points by selling cheese to the four locations, and by efficiently managing and upgrading your creamery.

Get your slice of Fromage at booth 1109.

Skyrise

A game about visionaries building a city in the sky. From the publisher:

The Mayor has enlisted some of humanity's greatest visionaries to help build Skyrise: a magnificent city in the sky, dedicated to art, science, and beauty. But only one artisan can be remembered as the greatest!

Prove your genius by using a brilliant spatial auction system to win sites to build in, earning favor across Islands and factions, scoring secret and public objectives, courting mysterious Patrons, and building your own unique Wonder.

Skyrise tells an interactive story of a growing cityscape, hard decisions, scarce resources, and ever-rising stakes that will keep you enthralled until the final scores are revealed.

You can check out Skyrise at the Roxley booth 2663, or find it on Amazon.

Dungeon Kart

From the folks who brought you Boss Monster (a board game based on classic video games) comes a racing game, based on classic racing video games. From the publisher:

Race your way to victory with Dungeon Kart, an all-new game set in the world of Boss Monster. Dungeon Kart transforms the multiplayer mayhem of kart racing into a turn-based tactical tabletop experience. Play as one of the baddest Bosses around while using Spells to disrupt other racers, grab coins, and power yourself up! With a lot of skill and a little luck, you can cross the finish line first and show your opponents who’s Boss!

Take a lap over to the Brotherwise Games booth 339 to check out Dungeon Kart, or find it on Amazon. 

Burn the Fort

Looking for a game that depicts colonization in a different light than most board games? Burn the fort is for you. From the publisher:

Colonizers have built a military fortress and are waging a brutal invasion of your lands. Can you prevent their wagons from bringing supplies to the fort and burn it to the ground before the train reaches the Golden Spike?

In Burn the Fort, each player takes the role of a historic warrior fighting to stop colonial invasion of their lands. Players take turns gathering and playing cards, trading, battling wagons, and gathering fire tokens and the necessary arrowhead tokens to burn the fort.

Burn the Fort is a semi-cooperative game in which you'll face history in challenging and empowering ways.

If Burn the Fort lights your fire, you can find it at the Indigenous Action booth 2853.

Shut Up, Cat!

Some games hit a little close to home. With that in mind, check out Shut Up, Cat! From the publisher:

A push-your-luck game about getting a full night's sleep, despite that darn cat. Based on true events.

In this game, 2-4 players take turns rolling dice and then using the results to choose a span of numbered tiles to reveal. Each tile will either be a 'Z' or a 'Meow!' Score points for each Z, but if you hit any Meows you get nothing. Then, secretly put the tiles back, so only you know what tile is where! First player to forty Z's wins the game.

You can sink your claws into Shut Up, Cat! at Gravitic Games booth 2941.

Age of Comics: The Golden Years

What would it be like to run a comic book publishing company during the golden age of comics?  Age of Comics: The Golden Years explores this concept. From the publisher:

Age of Comics: The Golden Years is a medium light worker-placement board game where you play the role of a fictional comic book publishing house during the golden age of comics (circa 1938-56).

To become the top comic book publisher, you will need to build your fan base by hiring the right artists and writers, publishing comics, and sending your sales agents across Manhattan’s newsstands to grab the best sales orders.

Be transported to the Age of Comics at Lirius Games, booth 632.

Agemonia

Will you use your magical powers for good or evil? Agemonia presents you with opportunities for both. From the publisher:

Agemonia, an enchanted world brimming with magic, is experiencing its greatest upheaval. Earth tremors, tidal surges, electrical storms — the cataclysmic events are increasing and driving the mortal races to the brink of war. What could this have to do with the resurgence of mysterious, ancient devices? And what of the approaching darkness that reaches from beyond the shadowy gates of the Breach...?

Agemonia is a fully co-operative board game with challenging, moral choices, set in an expansive storyline for 1-4 players. Live your destiny, and become the mightiest of unlikely heroes — or even the most despicable of villains — in this unforgettable adventure!

Explore the world of Agemonia at booth 2763 or find it on Amazon.

Lords of Baseball

Take control of a baseball team in the early 20th century with Lords of Baseball. From the publisher: 

The new century is upon us, and the 20th Century promises to be something great for the game of baseball. Across the eastern half of the United States the national pastime is taking shape. The leagues are settling into traditional formats that will remain unchanged for decades.

You are an owner of one of the charter franchises, a leader with the money and vision to grow the game into its modern form. Invest wisely – it is not only the team on the field that matters, but also the stadium, media, and fans that can set you up for success! This is not a baseball game simulation; this is a game about building a baseball dynasty. Your business savvy and skills will win the day.

To find out if Lords of Baseball is a hit, stop by Mr. B Games at booth 2236.

Wandering Galaxy: A Crossroads Game

When you’re a freelancer with debts to pay, you’ll take some crazy jobs in space. From the publisher:

Explore space like never before in Wandering Galaxy, the newest addition to Plaid Hat's "Crossroads Game" universe.

In the game, players are members of a ragtag starship crew traversing the edge of charted space in search of fame and riches. Together the players command and control a ship as they set off on a world-jumping campaign, taking on jobs too dangerous (or too insane) for the average space traveler. Come aboard and fly across the galaxy to see whether your crew can make enough profit to pay off their ship and become masters of their own cosmic destiny!

Take the trip to the Plaid Hat Games booth 2221 to learn more.

Kelp: Shark vs Octopus

A 2-player game where shark and octopus face off. From the publisher:

Kelp is a two-player asymmetrical game that offers players a unique opportunity to delve into the natural world of Pyjama Sharks and Common Octopuses, set in a South African kelp forest.

As players take on the roles of these iconic sea creatures, they will discover that the gameplay mechanics closely mirror their real-life counterparts. Each has a unique path to victory. The Octopus, known for its cunning and adaptability, sneaks around the board by playing cards and managing their hidden and revealed blocks, channeling the creature's remarkable ability to camouflage and deceive. On the other hand, the Shark, embodying the ruthless and determined predator, patrols their territory and attempts to hunt down the elusive Octopus by rolling dice and using special abilities to mitigate their luck, showcasing the creature's natural instincts and predatory behavior. The game is a thrilling mix of deck-building and dice bag building, as well as hide and seek, bluffing, and manipulation.

You can get your tentacles on Kelp: Shark vs Octopus at Wonderbow Games booth.

Aerodome: Rising Horizons

An aerial dogfighting board game? Aerodome: Rising Horizons fits the bill. From the publisher:

In Aerodome, players select a pilot to represent them in the Aerodome, craft their Maneuver Hands from their collection, and challenge others in a game of one-on-one aerial combat. During their turn, players activate cards to move their ship around the board, engage with special attacks against their foes, and hope that their pilot has a trick or two up their sleeve to become the champion of the Aerodome.

Aerodome is a game of both chance and skill, expertly crafted as a quick to play, easy to learn, difficult to master gaming experience.

Fly over to Ephyrean Games, booth 560 to learn more, or find it on Amazon. 

Buffet Boss

Fill your plate with your favorite foods in this item stacking game. Just don’t lose your lunch. From the publisher:

Buffet Boss delivers up a delicious mix of light strategy and dexterity in this stacking game for the whole family. In Buffet Boss, pick your food from the buffet and gain points by stacking food onto your plate. But beware - the food with the tastiest point values are also the hardest to stack! Players will also have Character cards that give them bonus points for stacking specific types of food.

Buffet Boss also comes in many different modes to suit all diets - a solo/co-operative mode as well as a mode for kids aged 5 and up.

Fill up on Buffet Boss at Arcane Wonders, booth 629.

Mycelia

A beautiful game about fungus? In Mycelia, you compete to build your own fungi kingdom. From the publisher:

Mycelia is a dynamic game of tactics in a competition for space and resources to create your own mushroom kingdom. The game follows the life cycle of fungi, a journey of creation, expansion, death, and rebirth — in game terms, growing mushrooms to score points, sporing them to expand your mycelial network, and eventually seeing them decay to unlock special actions.

Mycelia incorporates beautiful and accurate botanical style illustrations with over 69 mushrooms that can be found in the wild.

If you’re a fungi (or gal), head to Burnt Island Games at booth 2004 to learn more about Mycelia.

Águeda: City of Umbrellas

Create beautiful street art with umbrellas in the city of Agueda Portugal. From the publisher:

Every summer, the town of Agueda Portugal transforms into a beautiful arts festival with colorful umbrellas hanging above the streets and decorated lamp posts, murals, and other art installations around this quaint city.

In "Agueda: City of Umbrellas", players will take on the role of festival artists decorating the city streets with their own colorful umbrellas to attract the most tourists to their streets. As an artist, you will need to balance the requests of the city, shops, and tourists to create the most stunning arrangement of umbrellas.

You can find Águeda: City of Umbrellas at 25th Century Games booth 1233 or on Amazon.

The Top 10

These are the top 10 most anticipated games as voted by members of the website BoardGameGeek.com. Excludes reissues and expansions.

10. Knitting Circle

Live out your dream of being a retired person who knits and spends time with cats. From the publisher: 

Knitting Circle is a stand-alone follow up to the hit spatial puzzle game Calico! In this gorgeous puzzly tile-laying game for the whole family, players are knitters competing to create the coziest, most beautiful assortment of garments. Rounds are simple - collect yarn from the central basket and knit it into garments while trying to get your color combinations and patterns just right! Earn victory points by completing garments, adding buttons, and fulfilling bonus scoring goals. Along the way, your furry feline friend can help you out by reaching their grabby paws into the bag to secure you the best yarn! With variable scoring goals, and dozens of unique template cards, each game of Knitting Circle brings a new spatial puzzle to your table!

Knitting Circle is purrfectly located at the Flatout Games booth #403.

9. Endeavor: Deep Sea

Explore the ocean depths and publish your findings. This game gets really deep. From the publisher:

Plunge into the modern era, where our planet's vast interconnected ocean scape is one of the last frontiers to discover and explore. Experience a deep new ever-changing adventure in this followup to the smash hit Endeavor: Age of Sail!

In Endeavor: Deep Sea, you head an independent research institute with the goal of developing sustainable projects and preserving the fragile balance of marine life. Throughout the game, you’ll recruit field experts and use their abilities to explore new locations, research dive sites, publish critical ecological papers, and launch conservation efforts.

Expand your expertise, develop your team, and learn as much as possible about the sea. The action your institute takes now, could mean a healthy ocean and a sustainable future for the planet.

Find Endeavor: Deep Sea at Burnt Island Games in booth 2004.

8. Cities

Can you create the best city for your population? Is it better than your competitors? Find out in Cities. From the publisher:

You've been tasked by the city council to put together a plan to transform a whole neighborhood in the city. You have the opportunity to build new housing, office buildings, parks, and leisure areas near the waterfront. It is in your hands to make the city a better place.

Cities is a city-building game in which you draft the best projects and arrange them in your own playing area. Designed by Steve Finn and Phil Walker Harding and illustrated by Jorge Tabanera, it allows games for groups of 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up, lasting about 40 minutes. With action and resource draft mechanisms, it will give you the opportunity to visit the cities of Sydney, Venice, New York, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro, Lisbon, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires. Can you design the most magnificent neighborhood?

If you are in the city of Indianapolis this week, you can find Cities at the Devir booth 2827. If you are not, you can find it soon at your local board game store.

7. Windmill Valley

A game about creating the best 19th century tulip farmer in the Netherlands. From the publisher:

It’s the late 19th century, and more than 9000 windmills dot the landscape of the Netherlands, some of them purpose-built to dry the lowlands, called polders. In the polders between these windmills are fields filled with colorful tulips—the flower that once was a part of the turbulent history of the first financial bubble but is now simply a quintessential part of the Dutch landscape, especially on the famous Bloemen Route (or “Flower Route”).

In Windmill Valley , a game inspired by the Bloemen Route, you and up to three players take on the role of tulip farmers and entrepreneurs. You will build and enhance your windmills, look for new tulip bulbs in foreign trades or among local vendors to buy and plant, and try to get an edge with hired help and lucrative contracts. Let your blooming fields make your competitors green with envy!

Blow into booth 2611 to check out Windmill Valley.

6. Let's Go! To Japan

Ever dream of planning that perfect trip to Japan? Now you can plan your perfect visit, and use it to defeat your competition. From the publisher:

In Let's Go! To Japan, you are a traveler planning, then experiencing your own dream vacation to Japan.

The game consists of thirteen rounds in which players draw activity cards illustrated by Japan-based artists and strategically place them in different days in their week-long itinerary. These can't-miss tourist attractions will have you bouncing between Tokyo and Kyoto as you try to puzzle out the optimal activities to maximize your experience while balancing your resources. The game ends with a final round in which you ultimately go on your planned trip, activating each of your cards in order along the way.

You can find Let's Go! To Japan in the AEG booth 403 or on Amazon.

5. SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Is there life beyond our planet? Will you be the first to find it? Find out in SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. From the publisher:

In SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, a eurogame for 1–4 players, you lead a scientific institution tasked with searching for traces of life beyond planet Earth. The game draws inspiration from current or emerging technologies and efforts in space exploration.

Players will explore nearby planets and their moons by launching probes from Earth while taking advantage of ever-shifting planetary positions. Decide whether to land on their surface to collect valuable samples, or stay in orbit for a broader survey. Additionally, by directing your telescopes to gaze into distant star systems, you may detect traces of alien signals or undiscovered exoplanets, and collect promising data to examine and study back home.

Finding traces of extraterrestrial life is only a matter of time—utilize the resources you have at your disposal strategically and you may well end up being the one to make the biggest scientific contribution towards advancing our understanding of alien life within our galaxy.

You won’t have to travel far to find SETI, just to the Czech Games booth in ICC room 235.

4. Tír na nÓg

Some believe there is a mystic Celtic Otherwolrd. Enter it in Tír na nÓg. From the publisher:

In the Irish myth cycles, the land of Tír na nÓg is the realm of the Otherworld, the place where the Fairies lived and heroes visited on quests. It was a place just outside the realm of man, off to the west, where there was no illness or death or time, but only happiness and beauty.

The golden path to Tír na nÓg is open once more, and the greatest Celtic storytellers have gathered for a once-in-a-lifetime journey. When they return, they'll bring with them tales of the creatures they met and the adventures they lived. Over time those stories will become a saga — and the most epic saga will live on forever.

Check out Tír na nÓg at the Grand Gamers Guild, booth 2838.

3. Galactic Cruise

Can you create the best luxury space cruise? From the publisher:

Hello, and welcome to Galactic Cruise. Here, we offer our guests something special: the comfort of a luxury cruise with the innovation of space travel. As the first company to offer extended-stay space vacations, we are excited to have you working for us! As a supervisor of this company, you’ll be expected to not only build these shuttles and satisfy our guests, but also to help the company thrive by enhancing our company network, inventing new technologies, and growing our workforce. We are a united company, and you’ll often find that what another supervisor does will make your job easier. Let me be clear, though, this is a competition. The supervisor who comes out on top will become CEO of the company.

Cruise on into Kinson Key Games at booth 632 to check it out.

2. Arcs

From the makers of the popular game Root comes a science fiction-based space opera. From the publisher:

Long ago, the Reach thrived. But our ancestors failed us, and I fear we’re no better. As we wrestle over the galaxy’s edge, can we break the cycle? Can we build something new?

Arcs is a sharp sci-fi strategy game for 2–4 players, set in a dark yet silly universe. Ready yourself for dramatic twists and turns as you launch into this galactic struggle.

Check out Arcs at Leder Games, booth 837.

1. Rock Hard: 1977

Live out your biggest rock-n-roll fantasies in the most anticipated game of Gen Con 2024. From the publisher:

It's 1977. You're an up-and-coming musician, dreaming of making it big with your band. Over the next few months you'll rehearse, play gigs, write songs, and promote your band. With careful planning and a little luck, you'll earn the most fame and become the best new artist of the year.

You can jam with Rock Hard: 1977 at the Devir booth, 2827. 

Which game are you most excited to see or play? Let us know in the comments. Also, check out our most anticipated games of Gen Con 23.