PAX East Features: Cyberpunk TCG and God Save Birmingham

With PAX East in full swing and me wandering the halls in style as Johnny Silverhand, it is always interesting to see the enjoyment and positive vibes from everyone. Not only was I stopped for pictures numerous times, but I also had to stop many cosplayers to take their picture or simply let them know their outfit was breathtaking.

I passed a Mandalorian-Moogle hybrid, a couple of Space Marines, a Joker from Persona 5, and many more. This year at PAX East, cosplay was in full force, supported by a large Cosplay Village for meetups and a free photo studio for professional-quality shots.

Of course, there are always more games to check out. A truly great surprise was seeing the Cyberpunk TCG, which is currently destroying records on Kickstarter. The dark, difficult, and complex medieval zombie survival game God Save Birmingham was also a standout. I took the opportunity to dive deep into both, and both were unique experiences in very different ways.

Preview: The Record-Breaking Cyberpunk Trading Card Game

Full disclosure: I am a backer of this game on Kickstarter, and what a campaign it has been. With time still left, it has already become the most funded game in the history of Kickstarter. I’ve been excited about this title since before the launch, and I had no idea they would be demoing it at PAX East.

Luckily, as I was wandering by as Johnny Silverhand, I spotted the booth and “geeked out” with the exhibitors. It was a bit surreal but awesome playing the Cyberpunk TCG as Johnny himself.

Gameplay & The “Eddie” Economy

The Cyberpunk TCG (by WeirdCo) is a fast-paced, resource-heavy strategy game where players compete to dominate Night City by securing high-value “Gigs.” The game perfectly captures the setting’s “style over substance” mantra, forcing players to balance a long-term economy against the immediate need for survival.

• The Win Condition: You win by beginning your turn with 6 or more Gig Dice in your area.
• The Eddie System: Cards are played using Eddies (currency). In a unique twist, any card in your hand can be “spent” (turned sideways) to act as 1 Eddie. This creates constant tension: do you use a card for its powerful ability or sacrifice it to fund your board?
• The Roster: Players deploy a mix of generic Units and high-powered Legends (like V, Jackie Welles and of course, Johnny Silverhand) to build their presence on the street.

Risk vs. Reward: The Legends Area

A turn consists of three phases: Ready, Play and Attack. Combat is a simple Power comparison, but the real depth lies in the Legends Area. Legends start face-down and randomized; you must pay 2 Eddies to “call” them forward. Because you don’t know who you’re getting, it’s a calculated gamble that provides passive buffs and timing triggers that can swing a game in your favor.

This may sound complex, but once the play starts it is actually a really cool ebb and flow between opponents. As the goal is to have 6 Gig dice in your zone as your round starts the strategy of protecting your dice and stealing from your opponent becomes very dynamic during play.

The demo was a little too short to get to an endgame result, but it did give me a great idea of the flow of the Cyberpunk TCG and that got me even more excited that I backed the campaign. As mentioned they have already broken records for the most funded game in history and it is for good reason.

The main game itself is amazing, with striking card designs and a full play experience at the lowest reward tier, but the stretch goals have been insane. Enhancements to the beta kit (a constantly growing pool of extras to certain backer tiers), free cards, enhanced rare cards for all, better dice included and much more.

This is a truly amazing TCG WeirdCo has designed and adding the depth of the Cyberpunk Universe just makes it nearly a compulsive experience as a collector. I was lucky enough to get an Alpha Kit of the TCG from the developer and of course I had to do an unboxing of it in full Johnny Silverhand mode.

Check out the Kickstarter for the best way to get in on this game, but don’t worry the Cyberpunk TCG will be available at gamin stores everywhere when it releases late 2026.

Preview: God Save Birmingham – A Brutal Medieval Apocalypse

God Save Birmingham is a brutal, physics-based open-world survival game that transports players to a 14th-century Birmingham during the height of the Black Death. Unlike typical zombie titles, this “medieval apocalypse” focuses on historical authenticity, pitting you against the reanimated townsfolk of a city already ravaged by plague.

Methodical Survival Mechanics

The gameplay emphasizes environmental interaction and stamina management. Because you are an ordinary civilian, direct confrontation is often a death sentence. Players are encouraged to:

Physics-Driven Combat: Every swing of a wooden staff or hammer feels heavy and consequential.

Scavenge: Search for dwindling resources, water, and clothing.

Use the Environment: Trip enemies over furniture or barricade doors to stay out of reach.

The “Suicide Run” Experience

In my case, the run was anything but a victory. I started by finding rudimentary clothes and a weapon, but after tumbling into a lower floor, I was quickly surrounded. I can appreciate the care developer Ocean Drive Studio, Inc. is putting into the realism of fatigue, decay, and hunger, but for me, the difficulty drained some of the fun.

Stumbling and sick, I found the limited resources made it nearly impossible to heal. I eventually resorted to a suicide run just to end the playthrough. While it felt too harsh for my taste, the crowd at PAX East was clearly enjoying the challenge. I hope the team continues to tweak the structure as they head toward Steam Early Access.