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

Project: Cultistorm

Designer: Sandor Szucs

Artist: Blanka Sore

Publisher: Purple Meeple Games

Genre/Mechanisms: cooperative play, deck building, dice rolling, hand management, role playing, set collection, variable player powers

Player Count: 1-5

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: high

Summary: A Lovecraftian narrative & exploration game with miniatures, lots of card play, up to 14 different expansions, an illustrated script book, short story collection, and soundtrack album.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $86

All-In (w/shipping): $166

Campaign Ends: 5/21

Game Ships: May 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 70%, with 20 days to go.

Project: Eschaton: The Unholy Reprinting

Designers: Petras Vaznelis (Eschaton, Nexus Infernum), Adam Watts (Eschaton, Kill Ball, Shindig Machine)

Artists: Tracey Burnham (Deathfear, Eschaton), Diha (Eschaton, Nexus Infernum), Adam Watts (Eschaton, Kill Ball, Shindig Machine)

Publisher: Archon Games (Eschaton, Nexus Infernum)

Genre/Mechanisms: area control, card drafting, deck building, hand management

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: A cult-themed deck builder and area control game with heavily thematic black & white art.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $71

All-In (w/shipping): $311

Campaign Ends: 5/30

Game Ships: Aug. 2019

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 120%, with 29 days to go.

Project: Hostage Negotiator: Career

Designer: A.J. Porfirio (The Big Score, Hostage Negotiator, Hostage Negotiator: Crime Wave)

Artists: Rick Hershey (Hostage Negotiator, Hostage Negotiator: Crime Wave, Process: Evolution of Technology), Ivan Pushkov (Hostage Negotiator: Crime Wave)

Publisher: Van Ryder Games (Hostage Negotiator, Hostage Negotiator: Crime Wave, Saloon Tycoon)

Genre/Mechanisms: card drafting, dice rolling, hand management, solo game

Player Count: 1

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: Expansion for solo-play-only “hand builder” Hostage Negotiatior, where the player uses various card tactics in a battle of wits against an array of hostage takers.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $50

All-In (w/shipping): $166

Campaign Ends: 5/17

Game Ships: March 2020

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 200%, with 16 days to go.

Project: The Island of El Dorado: Revenge Expansion

Designer: Daniel Aronson (The Island of El Dorado, Taco Fight!)

Artist: Helen Zhu (The Island of El Dorado, Skulk Hollow, Spy Club, Sunset Over Water)

Publisher: El Dorado Games (The Island of El Dorado, Taco Fight!)

Genre/Mechanisms: action/movement programming, area control, cooperative play, dice rolling, hand management, modular board, partnerships, roll & move, tile placement, trading, worker placement

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: A variety of mechanics abound in this light, well-produced area control game where players vye for control of four shrines. The Revenge of El Dorado adds in a new asymmetric faction called The Guardian of El Dorado with the power to summon beasts, giants, and “natural” disasters; expanded player boards; a fully cooperative mode; and alternative objectives.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $55

All-In (w/shipping): $125

Campaign Ends: 5/26

Game Ships: March 2020

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 290%, with 25 days to go.

Project: Runika and the Six-sided Spellbooks

Designer: Shannon Kelly (Lucidity: Six-Sided Nightmares, Unstable)

Artist: Tyler Johnson (Centershaft: Fallen Elements, Ghostel, Lucidity: Six-Sided Nightmares)

Publisher: Fox Tale Games (Lucidity: Six-Sided Nightmares, Tempest: Shards of the Gods)

Genre/Mechanisms: dice drafting, dice rolling, pattern building, pattern recognition, tile placement, worker placement

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: Players draft and roll dice, then slot them as runes into the puzzle on their rotating player boards to score their rune cards and gain various rune powers.

Base Pledge: $49 plus shipping

All-In: $49 plus shipping, same as above

Campaign Ends: 5/23

Game Ships: March 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 46%, with 22 days to go.