This post is dedicated to 21 special games that will begin BoardGameGeek.con as

THE HOT GAMES.

BGG KNOWS HOTNESS

Of course, BGG and its site is no stranger to “Hotness” as a rank, and so it’s fitting that at this con in Grapevine Texas, a month or so after all the Essen releases, some gamers specifically come to explore the latest and greatest games with buzz. What makes it truly special is how BGG handles these games.

If you’ve seen the BGG booth at other conventions during the year, they maintain a ranked system whereby users can log in and vote for games they like, and a projection screen shows you a countdown to #1, as it fluctuates throughout the con. At BGG.con, it’s even more special, as the top 25 games or so get special treatment and are fully laid out, ready to play on tabletops, with volunteers that know the games and can help as many people as possible experience them. The projection screen is still there in the hotel hallway, and it’s a fun way to see the hotness over time.

The neatest part to me, is that as games are played – they either hold up or they don’t, and the number of tables they occupy can grow or shrink, and new titles can sometimes even break into the hotness during the con. It’s truly fascinating to watch. For example, a couple years ago, Machi Koro started with one table, but I noticed that by the end, it was on several tables, truly reaching a high heat in interest.

LEAGUE HOTNESS

Before I announce the 21 games that will begin the hot games section at BGG.CON 2016, I want to give a special shout out to a few League members who are associated with 2 of these. It’s fantastic to see these games in there – congrats Luke Laurie and Tom Jolly for Manhattan Project: Energy Empire in the hotness. Also, cheers to Seth Jaffee and TMG, for their part in bringing Oracle of Delphi to the US, also in the hotness. Congrats to all the publishers, designers of any of this hotness!

THE STARTING LIST

Here are the first 21 games. In the comments, tell us – how many have you played? How many do you want to try? And if you’re at BGG, chime in later with how many you tried at the con! Which one will be on top at the end??

Happy hotness gaming!