If you’ve ever strolled through the halls of Gen Con, you know the energy is like no other. Thousands of gamers, collectors, and curious wanderers pack into the convention center, all buzzing with the same question: what’s the new thing I’ll fall in love with this year?
Gen Con has always been more than just a marketplace for board games—it’s a snapshot of where the hobby is heading. And if next year’s lineup is any sign, 2025 is shaping up to be a mix of nostalgia, big swings, and plenty of charm. Among the reveals already turning heads: Flintlock!, Squirrel Away, Satchel Quest, Dragonarium, and the grand return of Champions of Midgard.
Let’s dive into what’s coming, because there’s a little something for everyone.
Flintlock! – Pirates, but not the way you remember them
Publisher: Snowbright Studio
Style: Strategy with thematic flair
Pirate games have been around forever, but Flintlock! is out to shake things up. Instead of endless dice chucking, you’ll get a blend of deck-building strategy and exploration on modular maps. You’re not just sailing aimlessly, either—you’re scheming as smugglers and privateers, juggling diplomacy, tactical battles, and exploration.
The clever twist? Conflict isn’t resolved by dice rolls at all, but through tense, card-driven duels. It promises the thrill of a standoff without the randomness that often sinks pirate games. The only warning sign: if your group loves to poke around every corner of a map, matches could run long. Still, it feels like the designers are chasing a modern successor to Merchants & Marauders—but sleeker, sharper, and built around cards.
Squirrel Away – Cozy gaming with plenty of nuts
Publisher: 25th Century Games
Style: Tile-laying / resource management
Not every Gen Con release needs to be a brain-burner. Sometimes, the best games are the ones you can pull out with your family on a quiet evening. Squirrel Away seems to slot right into that space.
You play as adorable squirrels prepping for the long winter, stashing nuts and making the most of the forest. Mechanically, it’s a puzzle of placing tiles and managing resources, wrapped in artwork that looks like it was lifted straight from a children’s storybook.
Fast setup? Check.
Rules you can teach in five minutes? Check.
The only drawback is that heavier strategy fans might find it too light. But for families, it could end up filling the same niche that Calico and Cascadia nailed: accessible, beautiful, and easy to love.
Satchel Quest – A dungeon crawler with jokes in its pocket
Publisher: Rollacrit
Style: RPG-inspired humor game
We’ve all played dungeon crawlers, but what happens if you shift the spotlight away from mighty heroes and onto…their backpacks? That’s the gag at the heart of Satchel Quest, a tongue-in-cheek board game that parodies the roleplaying genre while still paying homage to it.
You’re not swinging swords or casting fireballs—you’re the satchels, bumbling through comical challenges on card-driven adventures. It’s self-aware, meta-humor territory, perfect for players who love TTRPGs but aren’t afraid to laugh at them.
It’ll hit best as a light party-style experience, especially with a table full of RPG fans. The only question: will the humor stay funny after repeated plays, or is it more of a “play it for the laughs” kind of title?
Dragonarium – A euro game dressed in dragon scales
Publisher: Cosmodrome Games
Style: Auction / area control
For anyone whose heart beats faster at the words “tight euro strategy,” Dragonarium is worth circling. Picture this: a board filled with majestic dragons, and players locked in ruthless bidding wars and area control contests to claim dominance.
On paper, it sounds like the child of Chinatown and Cyclades: simple mechanics, sharp decisions, high tension. Add in some gorgeous visuals, and you can see why it’s already catching eyes. The only challenge? The euro market is crowded, and standing out in that field isn’t easy. But if the art and mechanics click, this could be the strategy darling of the convention.
Champions of Midgard – The Vikings are back
Publisher: Grey Fox Games
Style: Worker placement / dice combat
Some games leave their mark so deeply that a decade later, people are still talking about them. Champions of Midgard, first released in 2015, was one of those hits—a Viking-themed worker placement game that mixed strategic choices with dice-driven monster battles.
Now, it’s back. At Gen Con 2025, Grey Fox Games is rolling out a deluxe re-release, likely with polished artwork, upgraded pieces, and maybe even bundled expansions. Fans are already speculating, but the consensus is clear: whether you played back in 2015 or are discovering it fresh, this is the edition to watch.
The bigger picture
So what does 2025’s lineup tell us? It’s a snapshot of what makes board gaming so irresistibly diverse right now:
- Genre reinventions: Flintlock! and Satchel Quest show designers are still finding fresh twists on familiar tropes.
- Family-friendly heartwarmers: With Squirrel Away, publishers aren’t forgetting the power of cozy, approachable games.
- Strategy eye-candy: Dragonarium proves that euros can be both elegant and beautiful.
- Old favorites, made new: Champions of Midgard reminds us that good design doesn’t get old—it just gets a shiny new edition.
Quick Questions Everyone’s Asking
- Most kid-friendly? Squirrel Away takes it without question.
- Will Champions of Midgard change its rules? Probably not. Expect prettier components, not an overhaul.
- Biggest “buzz” game for hobbyists? All signs point to Flintlock!—pirates done in a modern strategic style are too tempting to ignore.
So, here’s the real question: come Gen Con 2025, will you be chasing dragons, raiding with Vikings, cracking jokes in dungeons, hoarding nuts for winter—or plotting as a pirate at sea?