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

Project: 1,000 Year Beard

Designer: D.D. O’Brien

Artist: Lachlan Bourne

Publisher: D.D. O’Brien

Genre/Mechanisms: 2 player, hand management, pattern building, take that

Player Count: 1-2

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: high

Summary: A light hand management beard where 2 players compete to grow their dwarf’s beard the longest.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $22

All-In (w/shipping): $45

Campaign Ends: 9/3

Game Ships: Dec. 2019

Funding Status: Currently at 33%, with 19 days to go.

Project: After the Empire

Designers: Evan Halbert, Ryan Mauk

Artists: n/a

Publisher: Grey Fox Games (Champions of Midgard, Deception: Murder in Hong Kong, Mythos Tales)

Genre/Mechanisms: economic, fighting, miniature, resource management, worker placement, tower defense

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: medium-low

Summary: A tower defense game with large plastic castles played over several seasons and utilizing resource management and worker placement mechanics.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $95

All-In (w/shipping): $95, same as above

Campaign Ends: 9/5

Game Ships: May 2020

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 178%, with 22 days to go.

Project: Cosmic Run: Express

Designer: Steve Finn (Biblios, Herbaceous, Sunset Over Water)

Artists: Sebastian Koziner (Cosmic Run: Rapid Fire, Dice Hospital, Heroes of Terrinoth), Rocio Ongenovich (The Little Flower Shop, Mutant Crops, The Primary), Lawrence van der Merwe (Biblios Dice, Cosmic Run, The Institute for Magical Arts)

Publisher: Dr. Finn’s Games (Biblios, Herbaceous, Sunset Over Water)

Genre/Mechanisms: 2 player, area control, simultaneous action selection

Player Count: 1-2

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: A light, quick 25-card standalone game set in Steve Finn’s Cosmic Run universe.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $4, only includes the Regeneration Planet Pack

All-In (w/shipping): $60, includes the KS Edition of Cosmic Run: Regneration, Cosmic Run: Rapid Fire, and 3 other promo card packs

Campaign Ends: 8/23

Game Ships: Dec. 2019

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 194%, with 8 days to go.

Project: Dawn & Demons

Designers: Thorbjorn Christensen (Rise of the Necromancers), Christoffer Kyst (Rise of the Necromancers)

Artist: Jonas Springborg (Dead Zone, Kings of War, Rise of the Necromancers)

Publisher: Sore Loser Games (Rise of the Necromancers)

Genre/Mechanisms: area control, cooperative play, dice rolling, variable player powers

Player Count: 1-5

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: Dawn & Demons should probably be listed as Rise of the Necromancers: Dawn & Demons, but that’s not how it’s officially listed on the Kickstarter, so I’m following suit. In any case, Dawn & Demons is an expansion to the Rise of the Necromancers base game, can be played solo or co-op, while gameplay revolves around strategy and character development in a fantasy-horror setting featuring zombies.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $45

All-In (w/shipping): $99

Campaign Ends: 9/13

Game Ships: July 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 62%, with 30 days to go.

Project: Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom Third Printing

Designers: Sean Aaberg (Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom), Eric Radey (Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom)

Artists: Sean Aaberg (Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom), Eric Radey (Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom)

Publisher: Goblinko (Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom)

Genre/Mechanisms: cooperative play, dice rolling, miniatures, role playing

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: heavy

Risk: medium-high

Summary: A third printing of Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom, a dungeon crawler set in a world of Weird Fantasy inspired by the sensibilities of punk rock and alternative comic art.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $43

All-In (w/shipping): $550, add-ons include lots of pewter miniatures and a bundle of 9 supplemental books

Campaign Ends: 8/28

Game Ships: Jan 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 92%, with 13 days to go.

Project: MatchBreaker

Designer: Bill Northcott

Artist: Bill Northcott

Publisher: Candy Burger Games

Genre/Mechanisms: action point allowance system, bluffing, deduction, hand management, memory, party game, take that

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: high

Summary: A light, quick-playing card game where players compete to win dates with Contestants by matching card icons. Watch out for the Red Flags!

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $25

All-In (w/shipping): $39

Campaign Ends: 9/12

Game Ships: Nov. 2019

Funding Status: Currently at 16%, with 28 days to go.

Project: Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels

Designer: Jonathan Phillips-Bradford (Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay)

Artist: Heath Foley (Dead Zone, Kings of War, Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay)

Publisher: Panda Cult Games, LLC (Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay)

Genre/Mechanisms: action point allowance system, dice rolling, miniatures, modular board, take that

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: high

Summary: A board game adaptation of video game hit Shovel Knight, a competitive, side-scrolling dungeon crawler.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $65

All-In (w/shipping): $95

Campaign Ends: 9/7

Game Ships: Sep. 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 62%, with 23 days to go.