Gen Con, the largest and longest-running tabletop convention in North America, kicks off on July 30 in Indianapolis. The center of the event is the Exhibit Hall where vendors from around the world will be showing off their latest products. While free demos are available throughout the weekend, many products sell out almost immediately as shoppers line up for the first chance to buy games that won’t be widely available for months.
If you’re in Indianapolis and planning your first stop, here’s where you can find 10 of the hottest games of the year — including some much-anticipated tie-ins with Star Trek and The Lord of the Rings. If you’re not attending or miss out, we’ve also added preorder links to make your shopping a little easier.
1
Abroad
Looking for inspiration for your next vacation? Abroad, the latest strategy game from Landmarks designers Rodrigo Rego and Danilo Valente, tasks players with making the most of a four-week trip to Europe by collecting postcards, picking up tips from locals, and crossing experiences off their bucket lists. A huge deck of 240 cards representing locations across the continent provides a high level of replayability while leaving you dreaming of visiting Czech breweries and touring seaside forts in Croatia.
Find it at booth 419 or preorder at Portal Games
2
Ants
One of the best board games I played at Spiel Essen 2025, Ants is making its North American debut at Gen Con. The highly satisfying engine-building game has players compete to develop the most successful colony by gathering resources, picking up cards they can use to build combos to make their actions more efficient, and raising specialized ants to fight other insects and explore new territory. While you don’t directly war with your rivals, you have to pay very close attention to how well they’re doing so you know when to pivot from growing your anthill to grabbing the points required to win the game.
Find it at booth 611 or preorder at Capstone Games
3
Container
After raising more than $1 million on Kickstarter, Allplay’s updated version of the out-of-print classic 2007 game is finally available. The price of the goods you buy and sell is set by the other players, creating a cutthroat experience as everyone tries to assess what their opponents are willing to spend and what products they should be producing to suit the in-game economy. New components and artwork improve the experience, but the real fun comes from trying to outmaneuver and undercut your friends.
Find it at booth 2119 or preorder at Allplay
Read Full Article At Source
