Cryptozoic hit the ground running in 2009 when they took over the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, injecting new life into the property, and their booth at this year’s Gen Con was proof that they haven’t stopped to take a breath.

First up is Food Fight. I had a chance to sit down and give this game a spin, and enjoyed it so thoroughly that I purchased it directly after. In Food Fight you command an army of anthropomorphic food, battling meal by meal for Victory Points. Certain troops give you benefits at certain meals, such as Dinner Rolls which are considerably more effective at dinner as opposed to breakfast, and there are instant effects such as Ketchup Mechanic and Medic Mustard for last-second buffs to your troops. Also included are powerful ‘mascot’ cards such as CrunChe Taco, the food version of Che Guevara, which can quickly swing a battle in your favor. The game is quick to learn and easy to play, and the card art and flavor text will have you giggling like a child even on subsequent plays. Food Fight is appropriate for any age, although there were a few bonus cards that came with the game such as Humping Dumpty and Aunt Butterface that you might want to keep out of the main deck unless you’re only playing with adults. They also have an Iphone version of the game in beta right now, expected to release this fall. Food Fight may also be developed for other phone platforms, depending on the success of the Apple release.

Next up was the Penny Arcade deckbuilding game Penny Arcade : Gamers vs. Evil. Deckbuilding, for those of you not familiar with it, is a game mechanic in which there are several piles of cards laid out in the play field, and your goal is to use resource cards to purchase other cards and build your deck, ultimately gaining enough points to win. It’s all about resource management and strategic card purchasing. Deckbuilding as a game type has hit the scene big since the success of the game Dominion, and several games we saw at Gen Con are using that as a model (including one where your 'deck' consist entirely of anime-style maids... I managed to escape Gen Con without purchasing that particular game, but I suspect it is only a matter of time). Penny Arcade : Gamers vs. Evil follows suit, so to speak, but in an entirely Penny Arcade fashion. Included are Sorcelators, Werewolves in top hats, the Cardboard Tube Samurai, and other mainstays of the PA universe, including my favorite card, Touching Weiners. Each player chooses a different character to play as, each having a unique ability, which is a very cool twist on the deckbuilding game style. There are ‘boss’ cards, which are really just expensive victory point cards, but obtaining one will give you a random ‘loot’ card upon purchase. I had wished for there to be a little more to the boss fights, even something as simple as a die roll for combat, but the random loot is an interesting angle. For the Penny Arcade fan, this game will be endless enjoyment, but for the uninitiated the cards will likely just seem bizarre and incongruous. That wouldn’t make the gameplay less enjoyable for them, surely, but most of the jokes would fly over their heads. Penny Arcade : Gamers vs. Evil will release this week, the first boxes being available at PAX.

Cryptozoic has also inked a deal with AMC to release products based on their popular series Walking Dead, which tells the story of an eclectic group of people fighting for survival in a post-zombie-apocalypse world. First up is the Walking Dead Trading Cards, a must-have for any fan of the show. The first card series, releasing this fall, will feature 72 cards covering the first season, and includes autographs and memorabilia from the show. Also coming this fall is the Walking Dead Board Game, in which you take control of one of the characters in the show, and must decide whether you will work together against the undead threat, or just try to save yourself.

And last but not least, the gem in Cryptozoic's crown, the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. Following up the successful War of the Elements expansion comes another Worldbreaker set, Twilight of the Dragons. This set introduces two new dragonflights, Black and Twilight, as well as new loot cards containing cosmetic upgrades for your online World of Warcraft character. Cryptozoic has also released Class Starter decks, enabling newer players to select pre-made decks of the race and class they choose, and all for only $10.99. The starter decks also contain a booster deck to introduce newer players to the concept of deckbuilding, as well as special unique heros only found in the Class Starter Decks. If you have friends interested in the WoW TCG, this is the perfect way to get them started.

More information on these items can be found at Cryptozoic's site, here.

Roboguzu.com will have more information and reviews of these products as they release.