PAX Unplugged - Day 2
- Tyler Lance
- 2 minutes ago
- 5 min read
So, you are still intrigued after the first two days of my time at PAX Unplugged? Let's not waste any time and get into what Day 2 of the convention brought for me!
Day 2
Don't get me wrong, there were some games purchased on day 2 of PAX, but this day was set aside for playing a lot of games! The large group of us had our typical routine of grabbing breakfast down at the Home2 Suites while we tried to outline our plan of attack for the day.
We eventually made it over to the convention, where there was some wandering throughout the vendor hall, but we quickly moved to the First Look room. This is the area of the convention that has its own floor, and there were so many games that haven't even come out yet that are bound to be hits once they either release or make it to the States. Some of those games include:
Ada's Dream (Already out and is REALLY good)
Baghdad: The City of Peace (Just got my Kickstarter copy and can't wait to play it)
And many more!
One of those 'more' games included Battle of the Divas, which is a 2-player duel-style game. In The Battle of the Divas, players assume the roles of Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi in their operatic supremacy battle. Throughout the game, each player will perform great operas, gain fame, and experience key moments of their career in a timeline that will shape their legacy. Chris, from Tabletop Express, and I learned this unique 2-player and there is a lot of depth to the strategy. The cards you play can change everything, whether it is in your favor or potentially blocking the other player. The big challenge of the game is that once five operas have been performed, the game ends, and you count up the points from the various areas of the board. There is an expansion for this, but it was not available for us to play at the time. I've grown more into 2-player only games, and Battle of the Divas is one that I would definitely like to try again!
In-Flight Report - Fantasy Flight Games
After we finished this learn, Chris and I made our way over to the In-Flight Report brought to folks by Fantasy Flight Games. I am a HUGE Marvel Champions fan, and this will be a must for me every year now that PAX is the home for the annual report by FFG.
The part I was looking forward to the most at the In-Flight Report was what they had to say about the state of the game that is Marvel Champions. There has been some uncertainty and frustrations throughout the community in 2025 regarding hero packs and expansions going forward, but those questions weren't answered fully, unfortunately. The positives that were addressed within the talk about Marvel Champions included the following:
Wonder Man and Hercules Hero Packs coming Spring 2026
Fear No Evil Campaign box coming Summer 2026
Jessica Jones and Luke Cage Hero Packs coming Summer 2026
Shadowland scenario pack coming Fall 2026
Elektra and Iron Fist Hero Packs coming Winter 2026
The fans of Marvel Champions were super excited for the Fear No Evil campaign box, as that will bring a hero that many have been looking forward to for years, Daredevil. There are high hopes for what Daredevil will be, but that only puts more pressure on the FFG team to live up to those expectations with Daredevil in the MC world.
Now, FFG didn't only talk about Marvel Champions as they reviewed the plan for Arkham Horror, Star Wars Unlimited, Cthulhu: Death May Die, Zombicide, and their upcoming Kickstarter potential for properties that they own.
If you are interested in updates regarding other FFG properties, dive further into their news section to see the latest updates on products coming to you in the near future!
The Rest of Day 2
After the In-Flight Report ended, I raced over to the top floor of the convention center to get to the open gaming area to get in a play of Dune Imperium: Uprising with 6 players! I've played the original version, Dune Imperium, plenty of times, but nothing to this nature with the Dune Imperium games. This 6-player version of Dune Imperium: Uprising was played with folks from the Board Games Hot Takes Podcast. I want to say that it is always great to meet folks throughout different communities after interacting with them over time.
Back to the game, though, as this beast took nearly 4 hours to play. Playing Dune Imperium: Uprising as a co-op version made it more strategic than I had ever imagined it would be. You weren't just debating when to have your troops available, but also strategically working with folks on your team to make sure you weren't blocking them from gaining easy victory points as well. If you haven't tried playing with this unique co-op mode, get that group coordinated as soon as possible! I will be requesting this be played again at 6p with how great an experience it was playing the updated/new version of Dune Imperium.
Though this game took quite a bit of time to complete, I made my way over to the Indie Games Night Market that allows Indie designers to bring their games to life. I was able to snag this unique title, Venusian Vegas, that a designer, Chris Prime, within the Board Games Hot Takes Discord brought to PAX Unplugged. I need to play it a couple of more times before I truly give my feedback on it, but I was excited to meet him and get a game that really caught my attention. I encourage you to check it out to learn more about it and see if it is something that would be a perfect fit for your group.
The night was upon me, though, and this began the marathon of games that ended up going from 7 PM all the way to 2 AM. The list of games included the following:
Trust me when I say that I was not only mentally, but also physically exhausted after my third day out in Philly. I wouldn't have had it any other way, as it was great being able to play plenty of different games that were released in 2025 and/or games that I've never played before.
This may have been the last full day of board gaming at PAX Unplugged, but the memories made didn't end here. Stay tuned for the final day of PAX Unplugged, Day 3, coming soon here!
Miss my first couple days of PAX Unplugged? Check out my experience and stories here!
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