The annual celebration of all things gaming, PAX East, returned to Boston, MA this past weekend to bring gamers of any kind together. Not only is it a massive convention, but it’s its own unique community, which allows it to stand out from anything else like it.

PAX East has so much going on that it’s impossible to see it all, but I managed to experience quite a bit during my weekend there. Here are just some of my absolute favorite things from this year’s PAX East.

Video Games

It’s pretty hard to talk about PAX East without talking about the video games. The likes of PlayStation and XBox weren’t in attendance this year, but there were plenty of doozies. Illfonic’s upcoming Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game, based on the cult classic film from the 80s, was certainly a standout. It’s a solid asymmetrical team-based horror game, and I made a point of playing it twice so that I could experience the gameplay as a human and as a Killer Klown. I even got the chance to meet Charlie Chiodo, one of the filmmakers who created the original movie while at the booth. As a fan of the flick, it was especially exciting.

I’ve been loving this recent trend of classic-style side-scrolling beat ‘em ups. It’s worked well with Scott Pilgrim, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and others. This is no different with Toxic Crusaders. I haven’t watched the animated series, but I’ve seen and really like the original movie, so I was still interested in checking out the game. I’m glad I did, because it offers everything I’d want out of side-scrolling beat ‘em up, from the gameplay to the visuals. On top of how fun the game was, the people who I got to play alongside were a pleasure to play with.

Bandai Namco’s Sand Land had one of the longest wait times on the show floor, and it was for a rather short demo. That being said, the game seems really cool. The worldbuilding seems worth being invested in, and the combat is easy to pick-up and a lot of fun. I have never read the manga, but I’m ready to dive deeper into this world. Each combo I unleashed on foes was satisfying and the vehicles controlled well. The game was also playable in a giant replica tank from the game, which was also pretty cool.

Speaking of immersive gaming experiences, Fallen Aces is a must-play. From New Blood Interactive, the game is listed as a first-person shooter, but it’s much more than that. There’s a lot more first-person melee combat than I would have expected, which isn’t something typically seen. The Archer-like artstyle worked really well for the crime noir mobster world and story. They’re booth came with people dressed like old school mobsters to really drive the immersion home.

The Limited Run Games booth offered a handful of games. I got to play two of them: Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland, which played a lot like an updated version of Super Mario Bros. 2, and Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore, which was inspired by the CD-i Zelda games if they were actually made well. As a 90s Nicktoon fan, Rugrats was a must and loved every second of it I played. Arzette is really fun but is pretty tough in the difficulty department.

I’m not sure where in this post I’d include this, but the “video games” section works I suppose. Dunkin Donuts and Mountain Dew had two of the biggest booths this year, which was just plain bizarre. The Dunkin booth was actually pretty cool. The line was long, but they had a game they called “Dunkin Invaders” in which players threw dodgeballs at shapes on a screen to earn points. It was a rather fun time, and the fact that my wife and I played it in our It Takes Two cosplay made it feel like we were truly in It Takes Two. They also gave a lot of great prizes like Dunkin Donuts gift cards and enamel pins. The Mountain Dew booth was pretty lame, though. It was just waiting in line to spin a wheel and get a bottle of Mountain Dew. If booths like this continue to be at PAX East, they need to be more like Dunkin Donuts from this year.

What’s typically my favorite part of PAX East is discovering new indie games. The same can be said for this year’s event. The indie game that I took to the most was Beat Slayer, which is essentially Hades meets Hi-Fi Rush. I wanted to keep playing and had to forcefully pry myself away to check out other games. Other indie games that stood out to me were the multiplayer rhythm game Just Shapes & Beats, the adorable bullet hell roguelite Rightfully, Beary Arms, the wacky party game Belly Bumpers, the heartwarming platformer A Corgi’s Cozy Hike, and the action-packed narrative-driven space shooter Space Friends.

The PAX Rising Showcase always fascinates me. It’s a curated collection of indie games that are selected by the PAX team to be highlighted on the show floor because they believe they stand out in terms of gameplay, entertainment, or inventiveness. I only got the chance to play a couple of them this year. The one that caught my attention the most was the action-RPG Robots at Midnight. It’s a game that I cannot wait to play the finished product of. One that I did not play but felt invested in the world just by watching some of the gameplay was My Familiar. It seemed like an especially creative game with a unique visual style, and I look forward to actually getting my hands on it.

Tabletop Games

I wish I had the time at PAX East to check out more tabletop games, but the ones I did play or learn about are great. My wife and I demoed Earth Cows of Mass Destruction and loved it so much that we bought a copy, the optional playmat, and got the box signed by the developer. We also picked up a copy of Jason Anarchy Games’ Cheese Factory. I’m a massive fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, so Sonic Roll is high on my radar. The 30 minutes of waiting to play the demo followed by the 30 minutes of actually playing it made me shy away from playing it while at PAX East, but I got the run-down of it at the booth and it seems like a lot of fun.

Panels and Events

I try my best to go to at least one scheduled panel or event each day I’m at PAX East. The panel I was looking forward to the most leading up to the show was the Killer Klowns From Outer Space panel, and it absolutely delivered. The folks from Illfonic who are working on the game and the Chiodo Brothers who made the movie teamed up to talk about the legacy of the film as well as what fans can expect out of the upcoming game. It was both entertaining and informative.

The audience-guided improv RPG adventure known as The Sexy Battle Wizards was just as bonkers and hilarious as the name suggests. Having one of the adventurers transform into a noodle to fight John Cena was certainly a wild time.

The Friday night concerts were far from my favorite I’ve seen at PAX, but they were still enjoyable. Each musician was incredibly talented and their takes on popular video game music were all amazing. Hearing a live performance of the Super Smash Bros. Brawl version of “Bramble Blast” made my heart and my ears happy.

I was unable to see every round of the Omegathon, but I did see two of them. Pac-Man: Battle Royale was shockingly suspenseful and a ton of fun to watch with a cheering crowd. The final round, though, was especially riveting. When the final game (or games in this case) was revealed to be Windows Pinball and Minesweeper, the main theater could not contain its hype. What a hilarious way for the Omegathon to end. It was one of the best final rounds I’ve seen in my years of attending PAX, and such a fun way to close the convention for the year.

PAX XP

This was my first year actually taking part in the PAX XP challenges. When they first started it, it looked like a bunch of folks waiting in a long line just to scan something. It didn’t interest me. However, they shook things up a lot this year, and I really like the direction it’s gone in. It was more like a convention-wide scavenger hunt that felt like being in a video game. Many of the trophies also required a minigame to be played for some extra fun. It was like I was on a side quest while attending the convention. I hope to see it done in this style in the future.

Cosplay

Cosplay is a highlight of any convention, and PAX East is no different. I had a blast cosplaying with my wife for the three days we attended. On Friday, she went as a Stardew Valley farmer while I dressed as Shazam. For Saturday, we dressed as Cody and May from It Takes Two. We wore our Family DoubleDare costumes on Sunday. Perhaps the most fun aspect of cosplay is seeing what fellow convention-goers put together. Some of my favorite cosplays I saw throughout the weekend include Doug Dimmadome, a monkey from Ape Escape, the Traveler from Journey, a couple of Killer Klowns, a couple who dressed as Knuckles and Rouge from the Sonic games, the original Pink Power Ranger, and a rather large group of Pokémon-Mandalorian hybrids.

PAX East 2024 may have had slightly less on the show floor this year, but it was still a fantastic time filled with games and panels and topped off by an amazing community.

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