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

Project:  Danger Park

Designers:  Jono Naito, Ben Sobine

Artists:  Moy Shin Hung (Alienation, Runewars), Matt Paquette (Call to Adventure, Jurassic Parts, The Lost Worlds of Josh Kirby, Mystic Vale, Thunderstone Quest, Tiny Towns)

Publisher:  Story Machine Games

Genre/Mechanisms:  map addition, map deformation, modular board, moving multiple units, pieces as a map, stat check resolution, tile placement, variable setup

Player Count:  2-5

Solo Mode:  no

Complexity:  light

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “A light-weight map-building tabletop game about sabotage, fraud, and destruction. Players take turns placing rides in a collectively-built amusement park. Patrons are placed and move through the park based on ride exits, and each patron generates money for the different ride owners. Using the unique abilities of rides and park improvements, players move patrons, block exits, and most importantly, add danger in the form of vomit, pets, flooding, electrical failure, and more in order to influence die rolls. Insurance policies can be taken to benefit from certain poor outcomes, encouraging direct sabotage for profit. When the park finally closes due to poor quality, rides closing, or patron injury, the player with the most money wins.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $58

All-In (w/shipping):  $313, includes vanity rewards

Campaign Ends:  2/29

Game Ships:  Sep. 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 33%, with 24 days to go.

Project:  The Lost Worlds of Josh Kirby

Designer:  Jordan Nichols (We Need to Talk)

Artists:  Josh Kirby, Matt Paquette (Call to Adventure, Danger Park, Jurassic Parts, Mystic Vale, Thunderstone Quest, Tiny Towns)

Publisher:  BARD Games (Dubious Alliance Fantasy Card Trading Game, Fickle)

Genre/Mechanisms:  action event, area majority/influence, dice rolling, end game bonuses, once-per-game abilities, race, variable setup

Player Count:  2-5

Solo Mode:  no

Complexity:  medium-light

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “Featuring art never before published in games from Josh Kirby (famed sci-fi & fantasy artist whose credits include Tunnels & Trolls, Return of the Jedi, and Discworld) and a dice-based action selection system. Each turn, roll and allocate dice to Save or Conquer World cards in the center of the table — and optionally, activate renown powers or world powers. Saving or Conquering worlds will push your Morality track toward Savior or Tyrant. Your ever-changing morality affects which dice you can reroll, special powers you can access, and even endgame bonuses. Combine the powers of worlds you’ve claimed with your dice to enact sweeping change across the galaxy and rocket yourself to victory.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $57

All-In (w/shipping):  $108

Campaign Ends:  3/5

Game Ships:  Nov. 2020

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 102%, with 30 days to go.

Project:  The Runelords Board Game

Designer:  John J. D’Angelo, Shawn Engle

Artist:  John J. D’Angelo

Publisher:  Red Djinn Productions

Genre/Mechanisms:  action points, battle/campaign card driven, card drafting, card game, chaining, cooperative game, critical hits and failures, deck building, dice rolling, drafting, fighting, grid movement, line of sight, miniatures, storytelling, wargame

Player Count:  1-4

Solo Mode:  yes

Complexity:  medium-heavy

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “Based in the world of the best-selling fantasy series by author, David Farland, players choose from four dynamic runelords, each with their own reinforcement cards that have a physical presence on the battlefield (standees) and support cards with additional spells and abilities that are drawn and played from a hand during battle. Reinforcements are sent into hex-based combat with simple but robust tactical engagement, and win conditions based on the game mode chosen from the Battle Compendium before play. Sovereignty is a stage of play where players take the pre-built armies of their selected runelords and mash them into a deckbuilding, resource management engine. Then, after several rounds of play, players take the armies they’ve built onto the battlefield for a unique, more strategic gaming experience.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $84

All-In (w/shipping):  $84, same as above

Campaign Ends:  3/4

Game Ships:  June 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 9%, with 28 days to go.