(or here’s a list of what launched yesterday that might deserve a closer look)

Project: Anastyr

Designer: Philippe Ville

Artists: Carlos Amaral, Georges Clarenko (Batman: Gotham City Chronicles, Conan, Mythic Battles: Pantheon, The Others), David Demaret (Batman: Gotham City Chronicles, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, Mythic Battles: Pantheon), Justin Gerard (Ascension: Dreamscape, Asgard’s Chosen, Empire Express), Paolo Parente (Conan, Magic: The Gathering, Mythic Battles: Pantheon, The Others), Wayne Reynolds (Dungeon Twister, Dungeons & Dragons: Castle Ravenloft Board Game, Magic: The Gathering), Daniel Zrom (OrcQuest)

Publisher: Mythic Games (Mythic Battles: Pantheon, Super Fantasy Brawl, Time of Legends: Joan of Arc)

Genre/Mechanisms: adventure, card play conflict resolution, cooperative game, dice, dice rolling, fantasy, map addition, miniatures, variable player powers

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “A cooperative board game with miniatures. Each player takes on the role of a powerful hero, and your team of heroes embarks on an incredible odyssey through a world where they will face hordes of enemies and monsters, wizards and warlords, all very different depending on the environment in which they live. Each hero has their own equipment and fighting style that will each evolve during the course of their journey; all hoping to be powerful enough to face the ultimate threat at the end of this epic, adventure-filled campaign. During their quest, heroes will ride a variety of mounts (horses, raptors, saber-toothed tigers and other exotic creatures) that will give them special advantages, and their combat skills and ability to coordinate with their companions will be tested constantly.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $167

All-In (w/shipping): $197

Campaign Ends: 5/6

Game Ships: July 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 180% with 15 days to go.

Project: Assault on Doomrock: Ultimate Edition (on Gamefound)

Designer: Tom Stasiak (Assault on Doomrock, Crisis at Steamfall)

Artist: Bartosz Pławecki (Assault on Doomrock, Crisis at Steamfall)

Publisher: Beautiful Disaster Games (Assault on Doomrock, Crisis at Steamfall)

Genre/Mechanisms: adventure, cooperative game, dice, dice rolling, events, xploration, fantasy, fighting, re-rolling and locking

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “A three-act fantasy adventure campaign featuring exploration and combat, now with v4.0 rules, numerous enhancements and improvements, integrated expansions and twice the amount of content released for the game previously. While exploration is focused on creating meaningful decisions with impactful results, combat in Doomrock is highly tactical and aims to be fair by introducing a minimum amount of output randomness and rewarding experienced play; all while giving a hardcore challenge.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $105

All-In (w/shipping): $204

Campaign Ends: 5/10

Game Ships: Feb. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 305% with 19 days to go.

Project: Autobahn

Designers: Fabio Lopiano (Calimala, Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road, Ragusa), Nestore Mangone (Darwin’s Journey, Masters of Renaissance: Lorenzo il Magnifico: The Card Game, Newton)

Artist: Javier González Cava (Caverna: The Cave Farmers, Cooper Island, Watson & Holmes)

Publisher: Alley Cat Games (Chocolate Factory, Dice Hospital, Paper Dungeons: A Dungeon Scrawler Game)

Genre/Mechanisms: economic, hand management, industry / manufacturing, network and route building, pick-up and deliver, solo / solitaire game, tech trees / tech tracks, transportation

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: heavy

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “An economic strategy game about the building of the German motorway system over three periods of time spanning from the end of World War II to the present day. The cards in your hand allows you to take actions on one of the 7 main Autobahns. You’ll need to plan carefully and time your actions perfectly if you want to make the most of your hand before you need to collect your cards back. Plan ahead to optimize your efficiency: each contribution you make builds your reputation and gains you access to new departments and scoring opportunities that better align with your chosen path to victory. At the end of the second period (in 1990), the Unification opens up opportunities to further extend the network into the eastern part of the country. As a director within the Bundes Autobahn Organisation, you are responsible for managing and developing the German Federal Highway System. ​Aside from building roads, you’ll also be responsible for facilitating the transport of goods to neighbouring countries and constructing petrol stations to benefit from this new traffic. As you contribute to the development of the network, you gain seats at the administration boards of each highway, and they will increase your budget at the start of each period. Over the course of the game, your board members will eventually advance to more prestigious seats within the Bundesautobahn building, which instead will provide victory points at the end of the game.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $71

All-In (w/shipping): $79

Campaign Ends: 5/10

Game Ships: Nov. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 527% with 20 days to go.

Project: Bedeville Carnival (on Gamefound)

Designers: Alicja Bator, Paweł Zygar, Wojciech Wons, Bartłomiej Zielonka

Artist: Paulina Opak

Publisher: Loodo Ninja

Genre/Mechanisms: action / event, end game bonuses, hidden victory points, horror, humor, modular board, push your luck, zombies

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “As corpses from the nearby graveyard, you will visit the crazy attractions of the theme park. It doesn’t matter when and how you ended up in this burial ground. Each night an eerie force makes you wake up from the eternal slumber and feel alive again. Each night you will discover new attractions and collect Souvenirs before getting grabbed by the grave digger’s mean cat, Fleabag. But beware– Mr. Carl can catch you anytime and chase you back to the cemetery. The game is played in consecutive player turns. Each player has the goal of collecting the most Joy Markers and Souvenirs sold in the local Booths. By visiting more and more Attractions and performing Actions from the Attractions you will attempt to outsmart your graveyard friends. By using Actions in a smart way you will attempt to hold your position on a specific Attraction, and be able to buy Souvenirs on the following turn. At the end of each turn, a player draws one Trickster’s token from the bag and checks what destiny has for them in-store. Attractions generate Noise Markers. The more Noise, the bigger the chance that the Attractions will make the grave keeper arrive and chase the player’s character back to the graveyard. When all Souvenirs end up being sold to the players – the game concludes. The player who has collected the most victory points for Joy Markers and Souvenirs is the winner.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $53

All-In (w/shipping): $53, same as above

Campaign Ends: 5/8

Game Ships: Sep. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 249% with 17 days to go.

Project: Broken and Beautiful

Designer: Patrick Rauland (Fry Thief)

Artist: Shirley Gong (Thrive)

Publisher: Left Justified Studio

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, open drafting, set collection

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “‘Kintsugi’ is the Japanese art of using golden lacquer to repair broken pottery. In Broken and Beautiful, players draft cards like bowls, cups, and tea jars to create high-scoring sets. As some pieces inevitably break, players must judiciously repair what has been shattered. Whole pottery is valuable. Broken dishes are worthless. That which has broken and been repaired is uniquely precious.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $26

All-In (w/shipping): $46

Campaign Ends: 5/20

Game Ships: Feb. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 110% with 29 days to go.

Project: Castles by the Sea

Designers: Jon Benjamin, Michael Xuereb (Clonk!)

Artist: Marby Kwong

Publisher: Brotherwise Games (Call to Adventure, Overboss: A Boss Monster Adventure, Unearth)

Genre/Mechanisms: abstract strategy, city building, fantasy, grid coverage, layering, modular board, square grid, three dimensional movement, variable set-up

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “A puzzly sandcastle-building game for 2-4 players. As a group of tiny folk called ‘shorelings,’ your goal is to build and populate a seaside kingdom. Each turn, you’ll place blocks and meeples on the map to earn victory points. The core gameplay is similar to abstract strategy games like Santorini, in that players must optimize three-dimensional placement on a shared grid. Hazards are the only source of randomness in the game, and even those depend on player choices. Each turn, you must choose your placement carefully, optimizing your score while interfering with your opponents’ plans. The game ends after a set number of turns. Few castles will remain standing after a final onslaught of hazards, but the the kingdom with the most sand dollars can claim victory.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $26

All-In (w/shipping): $46

Campaign Ends: 5/5

Game Ships: Feb. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 160% with 15 days to go.

Project: Explorers of the Woodlands

Designer: Geoffrey Wood

Artist: Jiahui Eva Gao (Arkeis, Draftosaurus, Kingdom Run)

Publisher: From the Woods Studios

Genre/Mechanisms: cooperative game, dice, dice rolling, fantasy, scenario / mission / campaign game, solo / solitaire game, tile placement, variable player powers

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A forest-themed cooperative dice game & dungeon crawler, combining tile placement, exploration, rolling dice and bashing monsters, with a fast-paced classic game mode and a campaign mode. In classic game mode, players explore a forest of over 20 tiles. At the end of each forest, a boss spawns and the players have to defeat it to win the game. During the Exploration phase, each player adds one tile to the Forest, making it bigger. During the Adventure phase, each player activates their character in turn order. The active player rolls 4 hero dice and places them on their hero board to select the actions that can be performed for the turn. Depending on the dice results, players move, take special actions, and activate unique abilities. Loot cards acquired while killing monsters or found in the forest during events also help the heroes to reach their goal.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $46

All-In (w/shipping): $46, same as above

Campaign Ends: 5/10

Game Ships: Apr. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 153% with 19 days to go.

Project: Glitch Squad

Designers: Mary Flanagan (Mechanica, Monarch, Visitor in Blackwood Grove), Max Seidman (Mechanica, Monarch, Visitor in Blackwood Grove)

Artist: Ann-Sophie De Steur (Mechanica)

Publisher: Resonym (Mechanica, Monarch, Visitor in Blackwood Grove)

Genre/Mechanisms: animals, communication limits, party game, real-time, team-based game, word game

Player Count: 4-8

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “The forensic scientists of the Glitch Squad have each been assigned a crime scene to analyze. Unfortunately, the office cat Glitch has accidentally changed the password to all of the evidence lockers. Each round, you write 3 clues to help one of your teammates guess a piece of evidence related to the crime: location, weapon, occupation, or hobby. Unfortunately, Glitch the cat messes up these clues. Acting as the meddlesome cat, your opponent gets to erase one of the clues, and write in a ‘Glitched’ clue to stump your ally. Can you guess the evidence from the clues, knowing one of them is glitched? If so, you reveal the next letter in the password to your evidence locker! If not, the opponent who glitched your clues gets the next letter in their password. The first team to guess all of their passwords wins!”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $31

All-In (w/shipping): $31, same as above

Campaign Ends: 5/20

Game Ships: June 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 53% with 29 days to go.

Project: Lawyer Up: Season 2 (on Gamefound)

Designers: Samuel Bailey (Forbidden Stars, Lawyer Up), Mike Gnade (Lawyer Up, Maximum Apocalypse, Set a Watch)

Artists: Vincent Christiaens, Sean Simmons, Matt Zeilinger (Android: Netrunner, Lawyer Up, Rune Age)

Publisher: Rock Manor Games (Lawyer Up, Maximum Apocalypse, Set a Watch)

Genre/Mechanisms: 2 player only games, area majority / influence, card game, open drafting, pattern building, set collection

Player Count: 1-2

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “Return to the courtroom with new cases for Lawyer Up. Investigate a conspiracy and discover the real killer in our noir inspired Private Eye case, fight over assets in our high profile celebrity divorce case, and navigate the secrets of the con men and women of our 1980s Casino Heist case. Each of these new cases introduces new mechanics that make each new case fresh. New and experienced players have never had so many witnesses to depose!

In Lawyer Up, a two-player asymmetrical card game, players take on the roles of attorneys facing off against each other in a courtroom case. One player takes on the role of the prosecution and the other takes on the role of defense. Each case has its own unique mechanisms and story from Murder to Racketeering. Lawyer Up is a game of arguments, influence and strategies. Players start with Discovery, where they will go through all the evidence of the case and draft what they think is important for them to win. Then Players will take turns calling and questioning witnesses – building arguments by chaining together cards with the same symbols and earning influence. Attorneys then spend their influence to sway the biases of the jury to their side of the argument.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $42

All-In (w/shipping): $128

Campaign Ends: 5/12

Game Ships: Mar. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 247% with 21 days to go.

Project: Market Works

Designer: Aryan Rana

Artist: Felix Ortega

Publisher: Market Works Finance

Genre/Mechanisms: abstract game, card game, economic, educational, income, investment, stock holding

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Learn how to make money in-game and in real life. The objective of the game is to use your money strategically and take advantage of investment opportunities to maximize your money so you can handle expenses, while also managing your debt. The game subconsciously teaches players a lot about finance so they become familiar with principle concepts. The first person with $50,000 and no debt wins, if 2 people reach the goal during the same turn, the player with more money wins. You lose and are out of the game if you run out of money or can’t pay back your debt (bankrupt); the last player standing wins. If you lose money, give it to the bank (ex. someone plays a ‘Bear’); if you gain money, take it from the bank (ex. someone plays a ‘Bull’). Anytime during your turn, you can choose to invest however much money you own into the stock market. When you invest money, set it on the table face up, this money will be returned when the next yellow card is played (your investment is locked up until there is a Market card played). To end your turn you must draw from the Action deck. You have the possibility of drawing a Market card, Action card, or Expense card. Market cards (yellow) determine the return on your investments. Action cards (blue) can be used to directly benefit you or sabotage opponents (ex. “Rob” allows you to steal an opponent’s card). Expense cards (red) force you to pay the bank the specified sum on the card as soon as drawn. Expenses can only be paid with savings (money that isn’t invested).”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $31

All-In (w/shipping): $31, same as above

Campaign Ends: 5/19

Game Ships: Oct. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 38% with 28 days to go.

Project: Phraya (on Gamefound)

Designer: Alberto Millán (Journey to the Center of the Earth, Paradox University, Sherlock: Entre tumbas)

Artist: Michael Menzel (Dominion, Dominion: Intrigue, My City, Shogun, Stone Age)

Publisher: DMZ Games (Rent a Hero, Sail to India, Vampire: The Masquerade – Heritage)

Genre/Mechanisms: action retrieval, area majority / influence, commodity speculation, contracts, economic, end game bonuses, hand management, movement points, nautical, open drafting, ownership, pick-up and deliver, pool building, transportation, variable set-up

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Set in the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand, the century-old floating market swarms with merchants moving from one stall to another in their own boats. Water markets were centers of economic activity, and now you can relive the experience of one of those ancient merchants. Phraya is a commodity-speculation, pick-up-and-deliver game in which players trade from stall to stall while trying to get the best prices, make offerings in the temples to win Buddha’s favor, buy their own stalls to do business, and even approach the king’s barge.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $67

All-In (w/shipping): $71

Campaign Ends: 5/9

Game Ships: Sep. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 62% with 18 days to go.

Project: Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies (on Gamefound)

Designer: Ryan Laukat (Above and Below, Empires of the Void II, Near and Far, Roam, Sleeping Gods)

Artist: Ryan Laukat (Above and Below, Dominion, Dominion: Intrigue, Near and Far, Sleeping Gods)

Publisher: Red Raven Games (Above and Below, Empires of the Void II, Near and Far, Roam, Sleeping Gods)

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, adventure, exploration, deck building, fantasy, mythology, narrative choice / paragraph, push your luck, solo / solitaire game

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: heavy

Risk: low

Summary: “A standalone sequel set in the world of Sleeping Gods. As in the original game, you and your friends trek through a vast landscape as you read branching storylines and meet vivid characters, but in this game you interact with the atlas on a deeper level — camping, exploring, overcoming obstacles, and searching for lost relics. The new action system allows you even greater agency while you travel and explore. In addition to the exploration and quest system from the original game, Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies features a fresh spin on combat. Players now build a combat deck from which they draw a varied hand of cards to play, making each combat encounter a fresh and dynamic puzzle. Although Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies builds on story elements in the first game, you do not need to play Sleeping Gods to enjoy this sequel. The game features new characters and storylines, explaining concepts from the original game as you encounter them. Return to the world of Sleeping Gods and experience a thrilling tale that hinges on your choices in a truly open-world experience.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $101

All-In (w/shipping): $349, includes all of the previously-published Sleeping Gods material

Campaign Ends: 5/11

Game Ships: Aug. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 2233% with 20 days to go.

Project: Space Lion (on Gamefound)

Designer: Chris Solis (Temporal Odyssey, Terrene Odyssey)

Artists: Andres Blanco, Jessica Solis, Alex Tantraz [OuKinoSama]

Publisher: Solis Game Studio (Frenemy Pastry Party, Pocket Paragons)

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, hand management, science fiction, wargame

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Take command of one of four asymmetric armies in a huge battle and deploy your units strategically and carefully. You can’t possibly win all the fights on the battlefield. Choose which battles to resolve in which order but weigh in on how it may affect your units and other battles. In Space Lion, you are managing an army of 7 cards. Each round, you will decide where to deploy cards to battle. Use your battle effects with careful timing to win the battle in as many lanes as possible. The player with the highest Strength in a lane wins, causing damage to the towers or bases of other players connected to that lane. Destroy all enemy bases to win. Choose between 4 different asymmetrical armies each with their own unique systems and concerns on the battlefield. Then choose a hero for your army. Each army has 7 heroes to choose from which warp your strategy even further.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $52

All-In (w/shipping): $52

Campaign Ends: 5/19

Game Ships: Dec. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 13% with 29 days to go.

Project: Tug-of-Warriors!

Designers: Erik Flesher, Eric Wright

Artists: Erik Flesher, Eric Wright

Publisher: Plastic Hand Games

Genre/Mechanisms: 2 player only games, card game, deck construction, end game bonuses, hand management, humor, print & play, tug of war

Player Count: 2

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “In a cartoony post-Apocalyptic setting, the remaining survivors now seek new kinds of entertainment. In this case, a simple game of Tug-of-War over a pit of radioactive waste. Through strength, strategy, and cunning, lead your squad of thugs, bruisers, freaks, oddballs and other misfits in an all-out battle against your rival. Defeat them, and become the greatest Tug-of-Warriors the End of the World has ever seen. After hand selecting a team of Warriors to pull for either, each player will then try to defeat their opponent through a combination of strength and cunning (and a little luck). The game is a series of rounds, with each player’s Warriors going head-to-head. Every round, players choose then place one Warrior card on their side of the Rope until they fill each of their five open Rope positions. Once a player has filled all five of their Rope positions, they ‘substitute’ in new Warriors each round by placing them on top of their existing Warriors, with only the top Warrior at each position being ‘active.’ Unlike a traditional tug-of-war contest, where the winning team is simply the stronger pullers, in Tug-of-Warriors!, the team who accumulates the most overall points wins the game.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $30

All-In (w/shipping): $30, same as above

Campaign Ends: 5/19

Game Ships: Dec. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 30% with 28 days to go.