Every summer for the past few years, when the Arizona heat is often at its most brutal, I take a week off work to attend Consimworld in Tempe. The laid-back convention has consistently been one of my favorite cons, a weeklong event where you’ve seemingly got all the time in the world to play anything from a historical game to a trick-taker. This year CSW was held on July 12-20, 2024. 

Saturday, July 13

My first day at Consimworld was that Saturday, and I taught a 3P game of White Castle to buddies Mark and Dan Bullock, who was in town for the con. I’ve been playing this game a lot for the past few months.

I really enjoy White Castle, and we all decided to play the game again now that everyone knew what the rules were.

The filler game of this convention, and a delightful gem of a game overall, is Cat in the Box. It’s a trick-taking game where you declare the suit as you play it. Each game is such a clever puzzle where you try not to cause a paradox by being unable to play a card because someone else had already claimed it on a previous turn. 

We then played another trick-taking game, Joraku. I really like how this trick-taking game incorporates area control with a map, with each section of the map changing value as the game progresses. By the end, soldiers are making their way toward Kyoto, the highest-value sector at the end. It’s a neat small-box game.

Sunday, July 14

We started the day with After Pablo, a unique game dealing with the aftermath of Pablo Escobar’s death. Yes, that Pablo Escobar. The Mexican and Colombian cartels are trying to gain control of the drug market and smuggle the illegal white powder into America. There’s area control, market manipulation and hand management, as smuggling the goods across the border requires certain cards that match the mode of transportation available at the checkpoint. You also want to avoid going to jail, as your cubes will get caught up on the “jail track.” Best to find that lawyer to get you out sooner than later! Such a weird game, and I mean that in the best possible way!

We then had lunch at our usual Mexican food spot across the street: Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. The margaritas are pretty nice.

Next up was a game of Pax Pamir. This is one of the games we play at every Consimworld, and there is something so chill about playing a game you’ve played before, especially when you win on the last turn because the last Dominance Check is worth double the points. 

We then played Dan Bullock’s new prototype: Fruit. I played this game at Circle DC and each play of it has been memorable! Fruit is about United Fruit’s banana trade and its economic and political effects on Latin America during a period of 50 years in the early 1900s. We played this game twice during this year’s CSW. I really enjoy having secret priorities and trying to sus out who has a stake in which country, all while trying to keep countries afloat or not, so that they can possibly complete their national objectives. “There’s always grievances in the banana stand,” they say! 

Sunday night was the opening reception, as well as a raffle for all the conventiongoers! I did not win anything though. John Krantz, founder of the convention, likes to update us about the state of the con and other news.

Monday, July 15

We started Monday with another convention classic: Maria! This 3P game based on the War of Austrian Succession, and, even though I feel like it was my best showing in the game as France and Bavaria, we still lost in turn 7 to Prussia, Saxony and the Pragmatic Army.

We then played Dynasty: The Era of Five Dynasties. Players spend action points to expand their military, build armies, collect taxes and play event cards. Ultimately, they are trying to overthrow the emperor, who has a different set of actions for the game. 

Lastly, we played another convention favorite: Dominant Species Marine. I like how you’re limited to taking action spots underneath ones you’ve already taken, so timing is critical in the game, unless you gain a special pawn because you have a majority. Such a good game, but dang, it’s hard to stay alive and dominant in the ocean! 

Tuesday, July 16

Our first game of the day was a demo of VUCA Simulations’ new game: New Cold War. They had a gorgeous prototype at the con of a world map.The game is a card-driven game about the global geopolitical events from 1989-2019. Players are one of the four world powers: Russia, China, U.S. and EU, and you get three cards each round to play, with objective goals you can score during each round. The world powers are somewhat aligned, but ultimately, it’s each world power for themselves. I completed two objective cards so I was able to win on the 8th turn. Go, EU!

I then successfully took a game off my Shelf of Opportunity. My husband owns Fate of the Elder Gods, but I had never played it before. Dan and Cory both thought there was a really interesting mechanism in the game, the one where bad things could occur if an opponent did a specific thing at a very specific time. The game is set in the Cthulhu world, and you’re a cultist trying to summon a Great Old One by collecting spell cards and traveling to locations on the altar board. It’s a neat system playing matching spell cards to go to the location you want to activate and place your cultists. The game comes with lots of colorful minis, too! 

The last game of the day was Crisis: 1914. I was super excited to play this game, which just came out. In June 28, 1914, the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, Sophie Duchess of Hohenberg, plunged Europe into a diplomatic crisis that turned into a war that engulfed the world. Players are using their diplomatic pressure to score prestige, and most importantly, prevent WWI from happening. Crisis: 1914 is a card-driven tableau-builder for 1 to 5 players. The game is so incredibly tense in its card play, yet accessible at about a two-hour run time. 

Tuesday night was a treat as the guys and I went to UnderTow in Phoenix. It’s a dark immersive bar that’s Tiki themed like you’re sitting in a cargo hold of an old-world ship, complete with all kinds of sounds: a creaky boat, rain and thunder, and the occasional cannon explosion. I liked how the portholes made it seem like you’re sailing the seven seas!

The drink menu, which was printed in this fun old-time pirate-ship map, offered all types of artistically crafted libations. I made reservations a month prior, and each reservation is a 90-minute seating. What a fun night out! 

Wednesday, July 17

Wednesday morning started with another playtest of Fruit. And then we played Let’s Make a Bus Route. I love this game and have played it often already ever since buying it from Japan in June. It’s a roll and write where you’re completing bus routes on the same map as everyone else. You score points for picking up commuters and tourists, as well as elderly passengers, and taking them to see what they want to see. But if you circle back onto a street that someone’s already marked, you’re creating traffic. It’s fine to create traffic but don’t be the person who creates the most traffic, as that’ll be negative points at the end.  

I then taught a game of Dune: Imperium with the Rise of Ix expansion. Dune: Imperium is such a perfect game, and even though there are a few expansions of the game, I like Ix the best. I love having those airships out, and it doesn’t overly complicate the game like the most recent expansion of it does, in my opinion. Don’t at me, people! 

We then ended the day with another game of Let’s Make a Bus Route and Cat in the Box, which is most definitely the filler MVP of the convention. 

Thursday, July 18

On Thursday, I had time just for one game: Red Dust Rebellion, which should be released at the end of the year. You all know I love me some COIN, and this latest COIN is set on Mars! How cool is that?! There’s even a haboob chit, which is another name for a dust storm, something us Arizonans are very well acquainted with, that occur on Mars.

Red Dust Rebellion tells the story of the Martian revolts of the 2250’s and the rise of Martian nationalism. The four factions are Martian Government, the Corporations, the Red Dust Movement, and the Church of the Reclaimer. As with other COINS, some of the factions are semi-allied, but the Church of the Reclaimer plays completely different than any other faction I’ve encountered. The Church of the Reclaimer can actually spend its hand of cards to skip the line to take a turn! I also learned about the Aldrin Cycler, because it really does take that long to ship supplies from Earth to Mars, a neat mechanism that the Corporations, which are Earth-controlled, must contend with. I’m so looking forward to this game!

And that was the last game I played at Consimworld this year. I enjoy everything about Consimworld – the length of it, the convenience of the con in relation to walk-able restaurants and transportation, and just the overall chill vibe of it. It’s what keeps me coming back every year to hang out with friends and play games. And maybe next year will be the year I’ll try a Monster Game!