Bringing Sylvan Tactics to GenCon: Our First Exposure Playtest Hall Debut
After months of design, playtesting, art direction, and mentorship, we're excited to finally bring Sylvan Tactics to GenCon 2025 as part of the First Exposure Playtest Hall (FEPH)! If you're attending the con, this is your chance to be among the first to try out our tactical card-battling chess game with near-final components and full rules.
We’ll be running four official sessions at FEPH:
Thursday July 31st, 10am–12pm
Thursday July 31st, 8pm–10pm
Friday August 1st, 10am–12pm
Friday August 1st, 8pm–10pm
At each session, we’ll be able to seat six players across three simultaneous 1v1 matches, so show up early if you want a guaranteed seat! You’ll need a GenCon ticket for FEPH to participate.
A Peek at the Prototype
Each prototype deck you’ll be playing with includes nearly half of the final illustrations from our incredible artist, Taisija Kalinina. Her hand-illustrated woodland warriors bring the game’s forested battlegrounds to life. The rest of the cards still feature placeholder art, but we think you’ll get a good sense of where things are headed visually.
The final art for the Sigil resource cards
Three prototype decks are ready to go!
We’ll also have an exclusive mini-poster available (see below) for anyone who stops by our table, whether you play or just want to check out the game. And if you see someone walking around the convention center in a Sylvan Tactics t-shirt, that’s one of us. Come say hi! We’ll have postcards and business cards on hand for anyone interested in following the game’s progress or learning more.
Mentorship and Momentum
In the lead-up to GenCon, we’ve also been fortunate to participate in the Unpub Tabletop Mentorship Program. Through it, we were matched with Jeremy Geenen of Sophisticated Cerberus Games, whose guidance has been instrumental in refining the player experience, preparing for feedback, and navigating the next steps for Sylvan Tactics after GenCon.
Come Play With Us!
Whether you're into strategic positioning, clever card combos, or just love watching woodland creatures outmaneuver each other in battle, we’d love for you to experience Sylvan Tactics firsthand. The FEPH is one of the best places to give feedback and help shape the future of indie games—and your input means a lot.
See you at the table!
