Point of Origin
Some tee up this convention as the prologue to Gen Con, not just because of time proximity (about a month apart), but because it sparks early excitement for what’s to come. Historically, Origins hasn’t been the convention for big releases, but some argue that it’s where you build the hype so the buzz is ready by Gen Con.
This was my first time attending Origins, celebrating 50 years of game fair goodness, and the convention didn’t disappoint. In the famous words of Justin Bell, Origins is “baby’s first gaming convention.”
In a tumultuous year of uncertainty and uncharted waters, there’s been a lot of chatter about the quality and attendance of gaming conventions. The obvious topic of tariffs was the elephant in the room, but talking with publishers and attendees, it rarely came up. The love and excitement for board gaming (as it should be) took center stage, drowning out the head chatter.
Though I’m sure the erratic economic landscape heavily influenced buying behavior, it was exciting to still see folks wheeling wagons full of games off to their new homes.
According to ICV2, attendance has steadily grown in recent years (2024 saw a 9% lift to around 17,700) but remains under pre-pandemic levels. Early conversations with organizers were optimistic, claiming that initial numbers from this past weekend could hit as high as 21,000. If that holds, it’s fair to say Origins is BACK—or maybe it never left at all?
That’s Not a Hat
When I attend conventions, I’m usually wearing multiple hats. While I was there as media for Meeple Mountain, I was also rocking a Conhorde hat; a small but mighty staffing company that connects publishers with talented booth workers to help with the heavy lift of convention booths.
This year, I worked with Capstone Games, debuting Galileo Galeli, the newest game from famed SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence designer Tomáš Holek. Raising Chicago also premiered, adding a one-two punch of excitement for attendees. Capstone had three demo tables at their booth, strategically located at the front entrance. I watched in awe as people ran to sign up for a demo slot.
For those who couldn’t get in, many hung around eagerly watching the games, even forming small crowds. Both titles helped make Capstone one of the more popular booths this year, and the buzz will no doubt continue into Gen Con. Stay tuned Meeple Mountain reviews of both titles soon!
COMPLETELY UNHINGED!
One of the booths I was most excited for was Bezier Games. I absolutely love Rebel Princess, the game that converted me from a trick-taking hater to a trick-taking lover. Ever since its Gen Con debut back in 2024, it’s been my go-to light/filler game. I nearly always carry it when I travel.
So when I heard there was MORE content for Rebel Princess? Say no more! Happily Never After is the expansion I’ve been waiting for, introducing new powers and round cards to make the game even sweeter.
Xylotar also debuted its Unhinged expansion. Not only does it conclude the story of famous polar bear musician Bobby McColdsnap, but it adds two mini-expansions: off-key notes and player powers. I even had a chance to chat with the designer, Chris, who was as nice as can be. He described the joy of creating the game and was thrilled with the warm reception it’s received.
The game even includes a concert ticket with the date/location of Origins 2025, a really neat touch!
I also sat down with Jay from Bezier. Aside from his role in marketing, he runs Cardboard East, a channel that covers exotic games from Asia. I immediately complimented the genius marketing behind Zombie Princess. For those unfamiliar, it’s a spinoff of Rebel Princess that uses Spades instead of Hearts as the core mechanic. Announced on April Fool’s Day, it sparked disbelief and desire.
I got to play a few hands, and let me tell you—it’s going to be great.
Jay and I also talked about the “state of the world” when it comes to conventions. When I asked how he felt about the current atmosphere, he said, “This may sound weird, but look up at the ceiling.”
He pointed out the lack of overhead banners and flashy signage that normally fill the airspace. Marketing budgets are being cut, and the impact is noticeable. Even the display cases in the hallways were mostly empty.
Since I hadn’t attended Origins before, I didn’t have a frame of reference, but I could tell something was missing. The halls just didn’t have the same visual pop. Is this a preview of Gen Con’s atmosphere too? We’ll find out soon enough.
Jay and I also discussed The Game Makers, a new and exciting project unlike anything the industry has really seen. It’s a Euro-style game about making board games, and the juiciest part? All the games within the game are real-life titles.
When I asked how hard it was to get so many publishers on board (pun fully intended), Jay said most were excited to join in, but some initially gave the cold shoulder. Once the buzz built, a few of those cold shoulders warmed up.
He also shared a funny story about licensing. After securing approval for the box art, someone asked, “What about the box side art?” That sent him back to get fresh approvals from everyone all over again. I’m really excited for this one. It feels like a project with limitless expansion.
Direct from Japan
Jacek Mackiewicz, the head of Global Development for Jelly Jelly Games, ran a small booth nestled among larger publishers, but it caught my eye. Why? All the games were in Japanese.
This was Jelly Jelly’s first U.S. convention. Understandably, they were nervous about how things would go. Jacek explained that their goal is to introduce Western audiences to the richness of Japanese board games. In Japan, the indie game scene is huge, and many titles never make it across the ocean.
Jelly Jelly also offers an online service to translate Japanese games. Buy any Japanese title, and they’ll work with the designer to provide English rules as a free PDF. It’s all part of their mission to bring Japanese gaming to a broader audience.
I asked about the tariff concerns, and he laughed. “All our titles came over in suitcases,” he said. “So we could only sell as many as we could carry.”
Still, they made a big impact, especially with Yubibo, a party game that’s basically finger-Twister. Up to eight players must cooperatively hold sticks between their fingers. We gave it a go, and it led to lots of laughs and strategic contortions.
Each player draws a card revealing a color and finger combo that must be connected with another player using a stick while using only one hand each. To up the chaos, the game includes six fluffy colored balls that must be balanced atop the sticks.
I’m sure passersby thought we were nuts—yelling about fingers and balls. But the game is deceptively challenging and great for team-building or just bonding over the absurdity.
Easy Like Sunday Morning
We all yearn for nostalgia, and Sunday Games taps right into that. Sunday Club is a unique spin on gaming: a monthly subscription that mails out a newspaper full of games and puzzles. No news, no noise.
Inspired by NYT Games, it’s meant to be a cozy Sunday morning activity paired with a hot coffee (or tea) and a sharp pencil. Each issue features a unique theme and a variety of clever challenges. The creators hope it brings back the joy of getting something fun in the mail.
Life is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
25th Century Games had a buzzing booth this year, showcasing new titles like Big Sur and Wine Cellar. I chatted with Wine Cellar designer Andrew Stiles, whom I also game with back in Chicago occasionally.
Wine Cellar is his passion project, inspired by his love of wine and gaming. Featuring gorgeous art by Vincent Dutrait, the wine-bidding game was a hit, with copies selling out at the convention.
I asked Andrew, “When does the ‘aha!’ moment hit for players?” He told me it’s when they realize the [wine] values shift based on where it is on the timeline.
He’s working on a few new titles, including another project with Dutrait. “It’s taking a little longer,” he said, “but you can’t rush beautiful art.” It’s always a pleasure running into Andrew at cons.
Fair Fare
While I didn’t get to attend many events, there was plenty of fun outside the Vendor Hall. From giant Diplomacy and real-life dungeon crawls to LARPing (live action role playing) tournaments, Origins had something for everyone.
If you closed your eyes, you’d hear laughter and excited chatter everywhere. It made me even more hyped for Gen Con, right around the corner.
I even ran into the raid boss for Worn Wanderers. Dennis from Cleromancy Games explained the premise of a wearable pin trading and battling game designed for conventions. Characters are worn on lanyards as pins with health markers. Run into someone else with them on, and it’s game on! Dennis played the role of the convention’s raid boss, and if you defeated him, you earned a special collectible pin as a prize. Stay tuned for my deep dive behind Worn Wanderers!
It’s hard to condense all the amazing games I saw and demoed, but here’s a short list (in no particular order):
- Pillars of Heracles (Tamás Oláh, Grand Gamers Guild)
- Hercules and the 12 Labors (Tyler J. Brown, Envy Born Games)
- Townsfolk Tussle (Louis/Mayer/Rusk, Panic Roll)
- Cretaceous Rails (Ann Journey, Spielcraft Games)
- The Last Command (Ty McDonald, Sentient Games)
- Nanatoridori (Toshiki Arao, KTBG)
If you’ve never been to a gaming convention and find Gen Con a little intimidating, check out Origins. It offers the same high-quality fun without the massive crowds. It never felt “packed,” and I hardly saw any queues (except maybe for the restroom).\
Many designers were in their booths and super approachable. You could chat, learn, and get behind-the-scenes insights. There was positivity and passion everywhere you looked.
However, there were some aspects of Origins that weren’t as successful. I spoke with a few different publishers, and some expressed frustration with the demo table setup. Publishers without booths often had demo games set up in the gaming hall, which is located in the same room as the vendor hall—just divided by a large partition down the middle.
Origins’ table numbering system featured large banners at the front of the hall to indicate the column (2300, 2400, etc.), but individual tables and rows were only marked with small number signs. The further back you went into the open gaming area, the harder it was to see those banners all the way at the front. Publishers reported that attendees were frequently late due to trouble finding the exact numbered table.
There were also reports of mismatched setups—for instance, a single table being assigned for a ten-person event—and GMs often had to shuffle between tables for back-to-back games. Much of this chaos led to fewer exposure opportunities for those without booths. I even heard from one publisher who had been promised an endcap booth, only to arrive and find themselves stuck in the middle of the floor, resulting in an awkward and frustrating setup.
Though this was my first time at Origins, I was told that this level of disorganization has been a recurring theme year after year. Even while celebrating 50 years, it seems there’s still a lot the convention can work on.
My only grief? Rodney Smith of Watch It Played fame visited our booth, and I completely missed him because I was deep into a teach of Pagan: The Fate of Roanoke. Ah, well, there’s always next year.
If you attend in the future and see me, please say hi. Let’s roll some dice together!
See you next year!
Add Comment