Gen Con 2025: New expansions and the return of Hacienda
Gen Con 2025 has brought with it a number of exciting news in the world of board games. Among the major previews was the release by French publisher Bombyx of the Sea Salt & Paper: Extra Pepper expansion, which is the second expansion pack for Bruno Cathala and Théo Rivière’s card game, Sea Salt & Paper.
Details about Sea Salt & Paper: Extra Pepper
To play this expansion, participants must shuffle twelve event cards and reveal one at the beginning of each turn. The cards can change the end-of-turn conditions, such as raising the score needed to finish the round or granting bonuses for collecting certain card combinations. At the end of the round, the player with the highest or lowest score, depending on the symbol on the event card, acquires this card, which will take effect in subsequent rounds.
Publisher Pandasaurus Games plans to make Sea Salt & Paper: Extra Pepper available in November 2025.
Expansion for Pixies
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Another interesting new development is the Flower Power expansion for the card game Pixies, designed by Johannes Goupy. This expansion increases the maximum number of players to six and introduces new scoring conditions and tags that make game choices more complex. Many cards now feature two colors, making it easier to build color blocks in the 3×3 display.
As with Extra Pepper, Flower Power was launched in Europe in mid-2025, with an expected U.S. release in November 2025.
Other Pandasaurus games
During Gen Con 2025, Pandasaurus also unveiled Tricky Kids, a grappling game in which players choose the values of their cards. Also shown was Gatsby, a two-player game by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc. Both games are expected in stores in October 2025.
The Return of Hacienda
Pandasaurus also demonstrated the new edition of Hacienda, an original game by Wolfgang Kramer with Daryl Andrews as co-designer. This new version departs from the traditional theme of animal management with an emphasis on restoring an ecosystem. Game elements have been updated with wooden components and a modular game board that adapts to the number of players.
Interestingly, there is no money in this edition; all actions are now card-based. Game duration is estimated at 20 to 30 minutes, a significant change from previous editions that took 60 to 90 minutes. Pandasaurus plans to release Hacienda in the first quarter of 2026, with the understanding that release dates may change due to external factors such as tariffs on imports.
Final remarks on Gen Con 2025
During the show, I also noticed Ultra PRO’s curious booth, which, despite the size of the space, featured few products. This booth was mainly used for corporate meetings, while the rest of the offerings were available in another, more crowded booth where game materials could be found.
Finally, I had a chance to attend the costume parade, an annual event I had always overlooked. This time, I was able to appreciate the creativity and effort of the participants, adding a touch of color and vibrancy to the atmosphere of the fair.
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