PAX Unplugged 2024 Preview! | 20 Games I want to try, buy, spy and rely!

[@ryanbanwart5547]

Hey Jenna! Thanks for taking the time to teach the pottery game today and for taking a picture with my wife, Tasha and I. I appreciate your channel very much as it is one of my go to channels for game research. I hope you enjoyed the Con and found some of the great games you were looking for!

[@MS32816]

Let’s go to Japan is beautiful on the table and a great puzzle too - worth the buy.

[@GV14982]

I'm so excited for PAX Unplugged! Philly doesn't get too many cool conventions, but this is the best one by far.

[@TheBoardGameGarden]

SAME! So excited for the games, the food and the wonderful people. :)

[@GamingtheOtter]

I will be there as well! See you there soon! Happy Birthday! ❤

[@ordinarycheesewizard]

Having a library card so you have access to audiobooks and tons of other books for free is always my starting advice for getting into reading! I find if I'm doing laundry or something boring, I do pay attention to an audiobook. Have fun at PAX!

[@michelle_nolan]

Loved the Learn and Play! It was chill and I didn’t know you before, but not a subscriber! Missed the win by 1 point. Enjoyed the game too.

[@marcelineleiman4330]

Hey Jenna! Have you considered trying to read on an ereader? I found the buy-in of an electronic really helped me focus on reading. I also love how there’s no distractions on the devices-no texts, emails, etc. Plus the screen and lighting make it much easier to read for longer periods of time and under any light conditions. If you’re comfortable reading on your phone, chances are an ereader can be helpful for you. I’ve also heard people read on iPads to get back into reading but that’s not my preferred way.

[@Oaklestat]

Happy birthday 🎉

[@TheBoardGameGarden]

Thank you so much! It's of course on Wednesday, the day I am driving to Philly. LOL

[@sierra391]

Very excited for my first PAXU this weekend! It would be great to meet you. I’ll try to attend your demo on Sunday with friends. 😊

[@stefkortchak3012]

Very excited to make it out to PAXU - sadly I’ll be having shifts in the miniature department from 1-7pm each of the days, so I won’t be able to make it to your learn and play session. But I also plan to wander throughout so hopefully we run into each other!

[@Artistree6958]

Happy, Happy Birthday to you! Cheers!

[@darrenneely8613]

Happy Birthday!! Hope to say hi at PAXU. I’m going for the first time to be part of the Indie Games Night Market Saturday at 7pm. It’s a pop-up event for creators selling small batch games organized by Daniel Newman.

[@ajcrosby87]

Thanks for all of the great recommendations. I hope to see you there again this year!

[@brianmaphar9685]

Hi Jenna! Happy Birthday!! And double congratulations, with also reaching the 30k subs! Wish you much fun at PAX Unplugged, celebrating your day. I'm looking forward to your VLOG of this event and wonder what games you (can) actually buy, that are now on your try, buy, spy list.

[@5strokeBrain]

Happy Birthday! See you at PAXU

[@moneybee517]

Happy birthday! Hoping to say hi at PAX. Will be my first time attending. Feeling nervous!

[@grahamtnash79]

Happy Birthday Jenna! I love your Mythic Mischief sweater btw :)

[@floydandtotoro]

I think for me, reading a fun little romance always helps like Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage or Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez or have you tried Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldere? and like someone else said, audio books might work great for you - I love listening to Emily Henry’s audio books from the library (Libby app). ALSO… an extension from planning - I love recording my TBRs and monthly stats and things in a reading journal, gives you the same fun sticker journaling feel :) and def motivates me to read more so I can track things hehe xoxo

[@katieheartsgames]

Happy Sagittarius Season, Jenna! Some ideas for reading (if you do really wanna get into it - 2025 resolution?): 1) small daily goal like 15 minutes or 1 chapter; 2) annotate with hughlighter or sticky notes - I keep a separate notebook for my favourite YA book quotes, but I highlight self-help books when a passage inspires me (taking notes helps me stay focused/gives me an extra purpose); 3) ask Jamie from FTM for book recommendations to get you started - I have a feeling you two would have similar tastes.

[@jamesbrazeal3847]

Great exciting list

[@jordanw2741]

One day I will hit up a convention you're at.. I'm terms of recommendation for getting back into reading, I think it honestly just comes down to the book you're reading. And knowing what you're craving can change. For example, I love fantasy and Brandon Sanderson. But recently I've been unable to get engaged in either. Made a switch to mythology and horror books, and I've been devouring them. Just have to be patient and not force it. That being said, nothing wrong with just not reading. When I'm depressed, reading is a no go for me, so I know that it's something to look forward to when I come out the other side. This is just my experience, and obviously your experience can totally differ.

[@TheBoardGameGarden]

YES!! :) And thank you Jordan! I do think it is just a matter of finding books that genuinely interest me. In general I just have such a hard time letting myself relax fully and do something "unproductive". I need to get better with that.

[@TheLobbyOfHobbies]

Great list! I did a livestream last night with Amanda Panda and I will say the Come Sail Away made my list as well!

[@lmm831611]

Happy birthday! I will be at PAXU this year!

[@JonTripp115]

Thanks for the recos. Maybe I'll run into you at PAX!

[@meeplesoverpeoples]

I started making myself read a chapter a day and after a few months it started feeling like I loved and looked forward to reading again. Also audiobooks!!! And Freida McFadden books, the Housemaid.. where you just can’t put it down and need to know what happens!!

[@ncreson]

I actually just played Fromage last night and it was a lot of fun. I ended up doing really well and winning by getting a lot of cheese into the area majority (map) quarter of the board.

[@Ian-R-Wilz]

I almost backed Reef & Ruins but didn’t pull the trigger in the end. Love Ley’s Go! To Japan, River Valley Glassworks, and Cities. Still have to Fromage to the table.

[@TouristAarchie]

Happy Birthday ❤🎉 I love your eyebrows 😊😊

[@TrueBGReviews]

Remember Our Trip is so fun! Such a cute game.

[@jasonhuszar9533]

If you want to get into reading I suggest maybe trying choose your own adventure books/stories; that way it will keep you engaged in the story. If you check your app store on your computer or phone they should have a couple you could try.

[@tabletalkreviews]

Logic & Lore is amazing. Reef & Ruins was a fun roll & write. I streamed solo play on TikTok, but look forward to trying it with other players.

[@jadetapson90]

We have really enjoyed kavango, its pretty simple to learn and can have a varied levels of strategy. I bought the retail version as there wasn't much in the deluxe that made the difference for the price for me. The deluxe has better card storage and wooden tokens.

[@gurnblanston2848]

I'm sad that we won't be at Pax this year. It's such an awesome convention! I hope you have a great time! Any chance you'll be at LevelUp Retreat at the end of January?

[@the_nerdy_sole]

Really great list! Just put one together and we have overlap of Tea Garden and so many other (tea garden, I mean come on! 😂) haven’t heard of the book game from Alex, def checking that out!!

[@allison_wanders]

Ooh, I hope you get to see Kavango! I backed it for the art/theme but it has become a surprise favorite 😊 The pass drafting and simultaneous play makes it very fluid but also adds fun interaction that other nature tableau builders don't really have. For what it's worth, the deluxe components make setup before and between rounds so easy and the quality of those components really elevates the whole thing. It iiisss a table hog though 🙊

[@gamesbymondo]

can't wait!

[@musicmann692000]

Thanks to this video, I’ll be trying to meet ya and learn this game. Pottery is something that resinates with my family! Do you know the booth or location for the demo? Can we buy it on site?

[@TheMiguel42]

Have you tried a game called Seize the Bean? I love Cafe Baras and Seize the bean feels like a bigger version of that. Definitely my favourite coffee game.

[@shockwavemasta]

Remember Our Trip is great!

[@our_cozynook]

Advice on reading, audio books might help? ☺️

[@mollyjohnson6816]

Animal Kingdoms is so good.

[@stacie_everdell]

To a Martian, YOU are the alien….just sayin’.

[@TheMiguel42]

Have you tried a game called Seize the Bean? I love Cafe Baras and Seize the bean feels like a bigger version of that. Definitely my favourite coffee game.