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

Project:  Ark: Awakening

Designer:  Zharko Lozanoski

Artist:  Nicoleta Stavarache (Doppelgänger, Dungeon Alliance, Lifeform)

Publisher:  Skyport Games

Genre/Mechanisms:  area majority/influence, exploration, variable player powers, worker placement

Player Count:  1-4

Solo Mode:  yes

Complexity:  medium-heavy

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “A hybrid worker placement / area control game, with exploration elements, engine building, asymmetric factions, and modular board.  The goal of the game is to unravel the reason why your alien faction is on the Ark and then activate specific parts of the Ark in order to achieve your mission.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $52

All-In (w/shipping):  $66

Campaign Ends:  3/26

Game Ships:  Nov. 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 96%, with 29 days to go.

Project:  By Stealth and Sea

Designers:  Nicola Saggini, David Thompson (Pavlov’s House, Undaunted: Normandy, War Chest)

Artist:  David Thompson (Allegiance, Castle Itter, Pavlov’s House)

Publisher:  Dan Verssen Games (Hornet Leader: Carrier Air Operations, Thunderbolt Apache Leader, Warfighter: The Tactical Special Forces Card Game)

Genre/Mechanisms:  action points, cooperative game, dice rolling, grid movement, hexagon grid, multiple maps, nautical, scenario/mission/campaign game, solo/solitaire game, wargame

Player Count:  1-3

Solo Mode:  yes

Complexity:  medium-light

Risk:  medium-high

Summary:  “A solitaire or cooperative game that takes place during the Battle of the Mediterranean in World War II. By Stealth and Sea’s campaign system features all nine key historic manned torpedo attacks by the Decima Flottiglia MAS against the Royal Navy. During the campaign, you can advance your technology and train your frogmen, but the Royal Navy responds to successful attacks by improving their defenses.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $70

All-In (w/shipping):  $70, same as above

Campaign Ends:  3/18

Game Ships:  July 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 60%, with 21 days to go.

Project:  Cleopatra Against the Gods

Designer:  Ruben Rolon

Artists:  ChristianAC, Raul Maldonado, Sol Devia

Publisher:  Inefable Games

Genre/Mechanisms:  campaign/battle card driven, civilization, dice, dice rolling, hand management, miniatures, modular board, player elimination, simultaneous action selection, team-based game, variable player powers, wargame

Player Count:  2-4

Solo Mode:  no

Complexity:  medium-light

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “An Egyptian-themed skirmish game where players have control over two Deities of the Ancient World. Each God comes with unique abilities, special powers and a deck of preconstructed attack cards, allowing strategy and playability to increase by combining two or more Deity decks of the same faction.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $130

All-In (w/shipping):  $130, same as above

Campaign Ends:  3/31

Game Ships:  July 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 9%, with 34 days to go.

Project:  Endogenesis: Beyond

Designer: David Goh (The Award Winning Game, Endogensis)

Artists:  David Goh (The Award Winning Game, Endogensis), Yang Shao Xuan (Endogensis)

Publisher:  David Goh (Endogensis)

Genre/Mechanisms:  action points, card drafting, card game, fighting, hand management

Player Count:  1-5

Solo Mode:  yes

Complexity:  medium-light

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “A competitive, arena-styled card game set in a chaotic alien universe whose guardians have turned on each other, vying for ultimate godhood. Featuring strategic free-for-all combat, Endogenesis can be enjoyed competitively, cooperatively, or via solo play. Take on the role of a cosmic spirit with access to otherworldly realms. Collect skills from the Realm of Knowledge to customize your character with different powers, and upgrade them with Shards that you earn by defeating your enemies.”

Base Pledge (w/ free shipping):  $32

All-In (w/ free shipping):  $74

Campaign Ends:  3/24

Game Ships:  Feb. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 257%, with 26 days to go.

Project:  Heroes of Tenefyr: The Second Curse

Designer:  Pepijn van Loon (Heroes of Tenefyr)

Artists:  Frank Attmannspacher (Heroes of Tenefyr), Manolis Frangi (27th Passenger: A Hunt on Rails, Barrage Battle, Duel Bots Duel Pack: Crystal Spear), Emancel Melo (Heroes of Tenefyr), Jimmy Nijs (Defection, Heroes of Tenefyr)

Publisher:  Broken Mill (Heroes of Tenefyr)

Genre/Mechanisms:  cooperative game, deck building, push your luck, variable player powers, variable setup

Player Count:  1-4

Solo Mode:  yes

Complexity:  medium-light

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “The Second Curse adds new heroes, new bosses and a lot more variety to Heroes of Tenefyr. Most of the new heroes are a bit less conventional than the original heroes, offering new unique ways to battle your enemies and work together.”

“Heroes of Tenefyr is a fully cooperative deck-building game for 1 to 4 players. You represent one of the four heroes and start out inexperienced, but with a unique skill card. As you fight your way through dungeons filled with evil creatures, you’ll gain loot in the form of cards that are added to your starting deck. Clear a dungeon of monsters and you will be rewarded by the villagers.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $27

All-In (w/shipping):  $47

Campaign Ends:  3/11

Game Ships:  Nov. 2020

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 245%, with 14 days to go.

Project:  Hunker

Designer:  Aaron Franco

Artist:  Elizabeth Jancewicz

Publisher:  Aaron Franco

Genre/Mechanisms:  action points, grid movement, hand management, modular board, pick-up and deliver, push your luck, tile placement

Player Count:  2-4

Solo Mode:  no

Complexity:  medium-light

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “In this lighthearted strategy game, take on the role of Squirrel, Bear, Rabbit, or Fox at the tail-end of summer.  Optimize your actions each turn and explore, build shelters, forage for food to stash away, and hunker down before bad weather strikes. As winter approaches, you’ll even direct the falling snow via impassable Snow Tiles, transforming the lush forest to a wintry snowscape. All the while, strengthen your friendships to earn powerful bonuses. ”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $52

All-In (w/shipping):  $503, includes vanity rewards

Campaign Ends:  3/24

Game Ships:  Feb. 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 13%, with 27 days to go.

Project:  Knight Tales

Designer: Stefan Tizar Hansson

Artist:  Dominik Mayer (Concordia, Concordia: Venus, Hadara)

Publisher:  Voodoo Games (Isles of Terror, Karnivore Koala, Xibalba)

Genre/Mechanisms:  card game, cooperative game, dice rolling, end game bonuses, miniatures, semi-cooperative game, set collection, solo/solitaire game, tower defense

Player Count:  1-4

Solo Mode:  yes

Complexity:  medium-light

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “In Knight Tales, 1-4 players stand against hordes of monsters and must cooperatively or semi-cooperatively defend a remote village for three days and three nights. Knight Tales is a mix of character-building, set-collection, tower defence with a puzzly twist, and the possibility to fulfill daily quests and gain renown.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $71

All-In (w/shipping):  $103

Campaign Ends:  3/19

Game Ships:  Jan. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; Currently at 103%, with 22 days to go.

Project:  The Last Bottle of Rum

Designer: Quentin Vernet

Artist:  Baptiste Michard

Publisher:  Lord Raccoon Games

Genre/Mechanisms:  action points, exploration, dice rolling, hand management, hexagon grid, modular board, pick-up and deliver, push your luck, take that, variable player powers

Player Count:  2-5

Solo Mode:  no

Complexity:  light

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “A pirate-themed board game where you play as a pirate looking to trade his treasures for the very last bottle of rum of the archipelago. Prepare to explore uncharted waters, plunder your enemies, and avoid the Kraken!”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $56

All-In (w/shipping):  $56, same as above

Campaign Ends:  3/19

Game Ships:  Nov. 2020

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 115%, with 22 days to go.

Project:  Nightlancer

Designer:  Joseph Norris

Artist:  Manolis Frangidis (27th Passenger: A Hunt on Rails, Dungeon Alliance, Heroes of Tenefyr)

Publisher:  Adversity Games

Genre/Mechanisms:  deck building, dice rolling, hand management, role playing, take that, variable player powers

Player Count:  1-4

Solo Mode:  yes

Complexity:  heavy

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “A competitive cyberpunk game set in the unique dystopian future of 2099. Each player must guide their Nightlancer through a hazardous underworld career, intent on securing their future before society collapses around them.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $56

All-In (w/shipping):  $1294, includes vanity rewards

Campaign Ends:  3/27

Game Ships:  Dec. 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 90%, with 30 days to go.

Project:  Public Market

Designers: Molly Johnson (Point Salad, Truffle Shuffle), Robert Melvin (Point Salad, Truffle Shuffle), Shawn Stankewich (Point Salad, Truffle Shuffle)

Artists:  Beth Sobel (Arboretum, Between Two Cities, Herbaceous, Lanterns: The Harvest Festival, Snow Tails, Viticulture, Viticulture Essential Edition, Wingspan World’s Fair 1893), Jason Washburn (King’s Champion, Vinyl, Winterborne)

Publisher:  Talon Strikes Studios (House of Borgia, Vinyl, Winterborne)

Genre/Mechanisms:  auction/bidding, drafting, tile placement

Player Count:  2-5

Solo Mode:  no

Complexity:  medium-light

Risk:  medium-high

Summary:  “Public Market is a tile drafting and tile-laying game set in the Pacific Northwest. Players will venture out on to the open waters of the Pacific, haul in fresh fish (represented as polyominoes), and carefully pack the fish into an ice chest (ideally around the crabs and ice cubes already present). Once the player feels comfortable with the amount of fish in their ice chest, they head to the market to fulfill contracts to outsell their competition and build their reputation up with the local canneries.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $40

All-In (w/shipping):  $250, include vanity rewards

Campaign Ends:  3/20

Game Ships:  Feb. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 130%, with 22 days to go.

Project:  Reforge Worlds

Designer: Stephen Royka (Reforge)

Artist:  Sam Donez (Reforge)

Publisher:  Secret Boss Games (Reforge)

Genre/Mechanisms:  card game, dice, dice rolling, player elimination, role playing

Player Count:  2-6

Solo Mode:  no

Complexity:  light

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “Take Reforge to new worlds with the first expansion pack to the sword crafting, battle royale card game. This pack introduces d12 blades, along with new game-changing gadgets.”

“In Reforge, 2-6 players battle it out battle royale style in a race to craft the strongest weapon! Players play the role of a warrior that must combine different grips, guards, and blades to create a fantastical weapon.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $24

All-In (w/shipping):  $307, includes vanity rewards

Campaign Ends:  3/29

Game Ships:  June 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 26%, with 31 days to go.

Project:  Radiant: Offline Battle Arena Champion Edition

Designer:  Jack Murray (Radiant: Offline Battle Arena)

Artists:  Gong Studios (Aeon’s End, Radiant: Offline Battle Arena, Tiny Towns), Monztre (Android: Netrunner – Earth’s Scion, The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game – A Storm on Cobas Haven, Radiant: Offline Battle Arena), Evan Surya Nugraha (Radiant: Offline Battle Arena)

Publisher:  Heel Turn Games (Radiant: Offline Battle Arena)

Genre/Mechanisms:  2 players, card drafting, card game, fighting

Player Count:  2

Solo Mode:  no

Complexity:  medium-light

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “ROBA is a fast-paced tactical game for two players, a MOBA-inspired strategy card game where heroes and legends clash to claim the ultimate prize.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $41

All-In (w/shipping):  $243, includes 4 playmats & foil cards

Campaign Ends:  3/20

Game Ships:  Nov. 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 57%, with 23 days to go.

Project:  Ruins: Death Binder

Designer:  Marek Vogelsinger

Artist:  Martin Sobr (The Glorious Fall)

Publisher:  Heavy Punch Games

Genre/Mechanisms:  2 players, campaign/battle card driven, card drafting, card game, cooperative game, deck building, fighting, hand management, horror, push your luck, solo/solitaire game, storytelling

Player Count:  1-2

Solo Mode:  yes

Complexity:  medium-light

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “Ruins: Death Binder incorporates unique deck deconstruction or ‘leak’ mechanics. This is a survival game, and managing a dwindling supply of resources is key. The gameplay is asymmetric, making it difficult for the players to stand on equal ground against the trials ahead, but with perseverance, strategy and a bit of luck, victory can be achieved. ”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $59

All-In (w/shipping):  $59, same as above

Campaign Ends:  3/24

Game Ships:  Feb. 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 49%, with 25 days to go.

Project:  Stormsunder: Heirs of Ruin

Designer: Robert McConnell (Partition, Wild Assent)

Artist:  n/a (credit your artists, people!)

Publisher:  Robert McConnell (Partition, Wild Assent)

Genre/Mechanisms:  action points, deck building, dice, dice rolling, fighting, grid movement, hand management, miniatures, modular board, role playing

Player Count:  1-4

Solo Mode:  yes

Complexity:  medium-light

Risk:  HIGH

Summary:  “A solo/cooperative RPG board game where players decide the flow of the story. Featuring an in-depth character progression, deck building, and a fast-paced combat system.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $188

All-In (w/shipping):  $518

Campaign Ends:  3/5

Game Ships:  Mar. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 387%, with 8 days to go.

Project:  Tumble Town

Designer:  Kevin Russ (Calico)

Artists:  Katy Grierson (Animal Kingdoms, Colossal Cave: The Board Game, Incubation), Katie Khau (Fire in the Library, Mental Blocks, My Little Scythe), Kevin Russ

Publisher:  Weird Giraffe Games (Dreams of Tomorrow, Fire in the Library, Stellar Leap)

Genre/Mechanisms:  city-building, dice, dice rolling, end game bonuses, pattern building, puzzle, set collection, variable player powers

Player Count:  1-4

Solo Mode:  yes

Complexity:  medium-heavy

Risk:  medium-high

Summary:  “Build the best tiny town in the West in this town and engine building game for 1-4 players that plays in about 45 minutes.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping):  $38

All-In (w/shipping):  $259

Campaign Ends:  3/26

Game Ships:  Apr. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 124%, with 29 days to go.