There are moments that live up to decades of anticipation, and then there are moments that somehow manage to exceed it. My first full day at Gen Con was one of those days.
For years I had dreamed of walking the halls of the convention I first discovered through those old advertisements tucked into the back of Dragon Magazine. Yesterday, I finally got to spend an entire day doing what Gen Con does best: playing great games, discovering new ones, and meeting wonderful people who share the same passion for tabletop gaming.
Mutant Mayhem with Mutant Crawl Classics
We kicked off the morning with Mutant Crawl Classics, running the adventure Evading the Post-Humans, expertly GM’d by Glen Livesay.
If you’re not familiar with it, Mutant Crawl Classics is published by Goodman Games and is essentially the post-apocalyptic sibling to Dungeon Crawl Classics. While DCC embraces sword-and-sorcery fantasy inspired by Appendix N literature, MCC takes those same wonderfully unpredictable mechanics and throws them thousands of years into Earth’s future. Civilization has collapsed, ancient technology is indistinguishable from magic, mutations abound, and adventurers explore the ruins of the “Ancients” while trying to survive bizarre creatures, malfunctioning technology, and the mysteries of a forgotten world.
If you’ve ever loved classics like Gamma World or Metamorphosis Alpha, you’ll immediately feel at home. Those games have always held a special place in my heart, so MCC was right up my alley.
My character was a Manimal—a mutated hybrid of human and polar bear. Naturally, I named him Goomy Bür.
Goomy Bür was… unusual.
He possessed gelatinous flesh that could ooze and stretch, pseudopod-like limbs that could extend to impossible lengths, and a granite-hard carapace that made him incredibly resilient. He was equal parts terrifying and ridiculous, which is exactly how a Mutant Crawl Classics character should be.
Jenn played a wonderfully overpowered mutant who could emit microwave radiation and teleport around the battlefield, leading to plenty of memorable moments throughout the adventure.
Our mission was to uncover the mystery surrounding an ancient library before the mysterious Post-Humans could raid it. Once we located it, we had to change an old transponder code so the facility would masquerade as an abandoned observatory instead of a priceless repository of knowledge.
It was exactly the kind of wonderfully weird science-fantasy adventure I had hoped for.
Even better, we shared the table with some fantastic new friends: Noelle, Marvin, Barb, and David. One of the best parts of convention gaming is sitting down with complete strangers and, four hours later, feeling like you’ve been gaming together for years.
A Look at Munchkin Second Edition
Next we headed over to the Steve Jackson Games demo area to try the upcoming second edition of Munchkin.
Jenn and I have played Munchkin together for years, so we were both excited to see what had changed.
The updates were thoughtful rather than revolutionary. Players now use actual coins to track the gold they collect and spend when buying levels, which makes managing treasure much easier. Monster cards also present rewards much more clearly, reducing the need to constantly double-check the fine print.
Several mechanical tweaks—particularly around “Listen at the Door” and “Loot the Room”—help streamline play and keep the game moving. It still feels unmistakably like Munchkin, just a little smoother and faster.
Naturally, Jenn spent much of the game employing her usual arsenal of underhanded tricks to prevent anyone else from winning.
In the end, however, I managed to help another player score the winning level… which also gave me the victory.
Sometimes teamwork really does make the dream work.
The Legendary Exhibit Hall
After gaming, we finally spent some time wandering the exhibit hall.
Nothing had prepared me for its sheer size.
Calling it “big” doesn’t do it justice. It feels like an entire city devoted to tabletop gaming. Everywhere you look there’s another publisher, another independent creator, another miniature company, another dice maker, another artist, another game you’ve never heard of but suddenly desperately want to own.
We stopped by the Steve Jackson Games booth, where we learned about their new Kickstarter project, The 7-Part Pact. It looks incredibly intriguing, and I’m planning to back it as soon as I get home.
At Looney Labs, I picked up a fresh copy of Martian Chess, one of my favorite abstract strategy games.
I also couldn’t resist buying a beautiful cloth gaming mat from Archon Games. I’ve admired their artwork for quite a while, and seeing it in person only confirmed how impressive their products are.
Of course, this was only a tiny fraction of the exhibit hall. I suspect it’ll take several more trips before I’ve even seen everything once.
Ending the Day with Community
The perfect ending to the day came at an evening social hosted by the Tabletop Gaymers organization.
We found ourselves at a lively table filled with Gaymers and allies, where we spent the evening laughing through a wonderfully chaotic game of Cards Against Humanity.
Along the way we met Ryan, Alex, Eric, Ember, and Alexa, all of whom made the evening even more memorable.
One of the things I’ve appreciated most about Gen Con so far is just how welcoming the community has been. Whether you’re a lifelong gamer, someone trying a system for the first time, or simply looking for people who share your interests, there seems to be a place for everyone here.
Organizations like Tabletop Gaymers remind me that tabletop gaming isn’t just about rulebooks, dice, and miniatures.
It’s about people.
It’s about finding your table.
Looking Ahead
By the time we finally made it back to the hotel, my feet were exhausted, my backpack was a little heavier, and my wallet was a little lighter.
But my enthusiasm?
That somehow kept growing.
One day into Gen Con, and I’ve already played bizarre post-apocalyptic mutants, explored the newest version of one of my favorite card games, wandered the largest gaming marketplace I’ve ever seen, and made a whole table full of new friends.
If this is only Day One, I honestly can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.