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

Project: Ascension Tactics: The Deckbuilding Miniatures Game

Designers: Justin Gary (Ascension: Deckbuilding Game, Ascension: Return of the Fallen, Ascension: Storm of Souls, Shards of Infinity), Ryan Sutherland

Artists: not credited

Publisher: Stone Blade Entertainment (Ascension: Deckbuilding Game, Ascension: Return of the Fallen, Ascension: Storm of Souls, Shards of Infinity)

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, card drafting, deck building, hand management, miniatures

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: Brings tactical miniatures game play to the Ascension deck-building universe.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $124

All-In (w/shipping): $339, includes extras

Campaign Ends: 8/6

Game Ships: Aug. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 192%, with 28 days to go.

Project: Dead Reckoning

Designer: John D. Clair (Ecos: First Continent, Mystic Vale, Space Base)

Artist: Ian O’Toole (Age of Steam, Black Angel, CO2: Second Chance, Escape Plan, The Gallerist, Lisboa, Nemo’s War Second Edition, On Mars, Pipeline, Stockpile, Vinhos Deluxe Edition)

Publisher: Alderac Entertainment Group (Automobiles, Cat Lady, Guildhall, Istanbul, Istanbul: The Dice Game, Love Letter, Love Letter: Batman, Love Letter Premium, Mystic Vale, Point Salad, Smash Up, Smash Up: Awesome Level 9000, Smash Up: It’s Your Fault, Smash Up: Monster Smash, Smash Up: Pretty Pretty Smash Smash, Smash Up: Science Fiction Double Feature, Space Base, Thunderstone, Thunderstone Advance: Towers of Ruin, Thunderstone: Dragonspire, Thunderstone Quest, Tiny Towns, Trains, Trains: Rising Sun, Valley of the Kings, War Chest)

Genre/Mechanisms: area majority/influence, area movement, cube tower, deck building, exploration, modular board, solo/solitaire game, territory building

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: heavy

Risk: low

Summary: “A game of exploration, piracy, and influence based in a Caribbean-esque setting. Each player commands a ship and crew and seeks to amass the greatest fortune. They do this through pirating, trading, treasure hunting, and (importantly) capturing and maintaining control over the uninhabited but resource-rich islands of the region.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $92

All-In (w/shipping): $132, include extras

Campaign Ends: 7/31

Game Ships: May 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 617%, with 22 days to go.

Project: The Fall of the King (Ventura Battle System)

Designers: Aldo Ghetti, Gianluca Raccagni

Artists: Alan D’Amico (Kepler-3042, Whitehall Mystery, Wendake), Ilaria Ambrosini, Maichol Quinto (Kingsport Festival, Mage Wars Arena, Ventura), Demis Savini (Garibaldi: The Escape, Kingsport Festival, Ventura)

Publisher: Top Hat Games

Genre/Mechanisms: 2 players, dice rolling, measured movement, moving multiple units, simultaion, turn order: auction, wargame

Player Count: 2

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “The first chapter of the Ventura Battle System, a tactical wargame for 2 players to recreate the battle of Fossalta in 1249.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $48

All-In (w/shipping): $48, same as above

Campaign Ends: 7/24

Game Ships: Oct. 2020

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 127%, with 15 days to go.

Project: Fate Quest

Designer: Mitchell Bell

Artist: Marc J. Palm

Publisher: Mitchell Bell

Genre/Mechanisms: dice rolling, storytelling

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Take on the role of an archetypal hero beset with a quest from the gods. How you choose to react will become the stuff of legends. In three acts, you will encounter mythical characters and locations that you and your friends collaboratively weave into an epic tale. As you create your story, your characters will help each other advance their abilities and gain boons to achieve the final goal.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $52

All-In (w/shipping): $52, same as above

Campaign Ends: 8/6

Game Ships: Apr. 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 24%, with 29 days to go.

Project: Feudal Endeavor

Designer: Andrew Zimdahl

Artists: Alyssa Fernandez, Jared Sanford (Into the Black: Boarding Party)

Publisher: I Will Never Grow Up Gaming (Into the Black: Boarding Party)

Genre/Mechanisms: auction/bidding, economic, grid coverage, set collection, simultaneous action selection, tile placement

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Build an impressive fiefdom in the era of Catherine the Great. A game of hidden bidding, tableau building, and simultaneous actions.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $46

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

Campaign Ends: 8/7

Game Ships: Feb. 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 23%, with 29 days to go.

Project: Not Alone: Sanctuary

Designer: Ghislain Masson (Not Alone)

Artist: Sebastien Caiveau (Menara, Not Alone, When I Dream)

Publisher: Geek Attitude Games (Crisis, Kitchen Rush, Not Alone)

Genre/Mechanisms: action queue, bluffing, card game, deck building, deduction, expansion, hand management, one versus many, simultaneous action selection, team-based game

Player Count: 2-7

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “An asymmetrical card game in which one player (the Creature) plays against the stranded explorers (the Hunted). The new expansion adds a few elements to the base game, such as a Sanctuary location that gets more powerful the more that you visit it, but which also requires more effort to reach. The creature also gains the ability to mutate. Rescue survivors & fortify your base quickly!”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $33

All-In (w/shipping): $69, also include the base game & previous expansion

Campaign Ends: 7/17

Game Ships: Jan. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 147%, with 8 days to go.

Project: The Original Sherlock Holmes and His Baker Street Irregulars

Designer: Michael McClure

Artists: Alexey Sarambaev, Anna Sushchenko, Galih Triyunanto

Publisher: Baskerville Productions

Genre/Mechanisms: card drafting, set collection

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Dive into the world of Sherlock Holmes in this easy-to-learn, quick-to-play, competitive, currency-based, card-drafting game. With the Baker Street Irregulars at your disposal, visit locations, gather witnesses, and inspect artifacts in order to make the key arrests. Manage your BSI wisely to earn end-of-round bonuses and improve your chances of victory.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $50

All-In (w/shipping): $50, same as above

Campaign Ends: 7/25

Game Ships: Nov. 2020

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 242%, with 16 days to go.

Project: Perseverance: Castaway Chronicles

Designers: Richard Amann (Anachrony, Cerebria: The Inside World, Trickerion: Legends of Illusion), Thomas Vande Ginste (Dragonsgate College, Yedo, Yedo: Deluxe Master Set), Anthony Howgego (Rush M.D., Sarah’s Vision), Viktor Peter (Anachrony, Cerebria: The Inside World, Trickerion: Legends of Illusion), Wolf Plancke (Dragonsgate College, Yedo, Yedo: Deluxe Master Set), David Turczi (Anachrony, Cerebria: The Inside World, Kitchen Rush)

Artists: Tamas Baranya, Villo Farkas (Anachrony, Cerebria: The Inside World, Trickerion: Legends of Illusion), Marton Gyula Kiss (Anachrony), Josh T. MacDowell (Forge War, Gloomhaven, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion)

Publisher: Mindclash Games (Anachrony, Cerebria: The Inside World, Trickerion: Legends of Illusion)

Genre/Mechanisms: area majority/influence, city building, dice rolling, exploration, miniatures, scenario/mission/campaign game, tile placement, worker placement, worker placement with dice workers

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: heavy

Risk: low

Summary: “Perseverance: Castaway Chronicles introduces the first two episodes in a series of euro-style dice-drafting/dice-placement strategy games. The saga will ultimately consist of four episodes, telling the story of a group of survivors becoming a mighty civilization on a hostile island. As each episode features unique characteristics and a different game feel, they are playable as standalone medium/heavy games but also as a continuous campaign. The theme and story unfolds through evolving game mechanisms across the episodes, also making the rules easier to learn. In the campaign mode, the outcome of each episode influences the next, but the game has no legacy elements and no hidden rules; the whole storyline is infinitely replayable.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $115

All-In (w/shipping): $160, includes extras & dinosaur miniatures

Campaign Ends: 7/28

Game Ships: Sep. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 516%, with 19 days to go.

Project: Relics of Rajavihara

Designer: Joe Slack (King of Indecision)

Artist: Tristam Rossin (Cosmic Colonies, Rune, Tranquility)

Publisher: Crazy Like a Box

Genre/Mechanisms: adventure, area movement, campaign/battle card driven, grid movement, move through deck, puzzle, slide/push, solo/solitaire game, square grid, three dimensional movement

Player Count: 1

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “A puzzly solo adventure game with a 50-level campaign and replayable solo challenges.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $42

All-In (w/shipping): $50

Campaign Ends: 7/31

Game Ships: Dec. 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 36%, with 23 days to go.

Project: Riot Quest: Wintertime Wasteland

Designer: Matt Wilson (Monsterpocalypse, Warmachine, Warmachine Prime Mk II)

Artist: Irek Zielinski (Batman: Gotham City Chronicles, Time of Legends: Joan of Arc, Reichbusters: Project Vril)

Publisher: Privateer Press (Level 7 [Omega Protocol], Warmachine, Warmachine Prime Mk II)

Genre/Mechanisms: dice rolling, fighting, grid movement, miniatures, variable player powers

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “In Riot Quest, players assemble a crew of 5–10 Heroes and an equal number of Riot Gear cards to compete with up to three other players in a chaotic battle to score treasure and rack up victory points in an Arena. Each round, players alternate taking turns by activating one of their Heroes to perform various actions, such as running around the Arena, attacking Enemies, or raiding Treasure Chests. This starter is fully compatible with all previous Riot Quest releases and kicks off a brand new block of post-apocalyptic, winter-themed models and expansions for the game.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $55

All-In (w/shipping): $250, also includes extras & vanity rewards

Campaign Ends: 7/23

Game Ships: Dec. 2020

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 217%, with 15 days to go.

Project: Shadow Kingdoms of Valeria

Designer: Stan Kordonskiy (Dice Hospital, Lockup: A Roll Player Tale, Rurik: Dawn of Kiev)

Artist: Mihajlo Dimitrievski (Architects of the West Kingdom, Explorers of the North Sea, Paladins of the West Kingdom, Raiders of the North Sea, Valeria: Card Kingdoms)

Publisher: Daily Magic Games (Quests of Valeria, Valeria: Card Kingdoms, Villages of Valeria)

Genre/Mechanisms: dice, pool building, solo/solitaire game, worker placement

Player Count: 1-5

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: low

Summary: “An engine-building game where you’ll draft Troop dice to complete battle plans, hire Champions to fire up your engine, and level-up your Warden’s abilities to pull off amazing combos.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $64

All-In (w/shipping): $64, same as above

Campaign Ends: 7/31

Game Ships: May 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 156%, with 22 days to go.

Project: Surrealist Dinner Party

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

Artists: Spring Yu (Mechanica), Virginia Mori

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

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, end game bonuses, set collection

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “A family strategy game featuring famous figures from the Surrealism art movement. On your turn, bring new guests to the party, serve food and drink, or have guests socialize with their neighbors at the table. Each guest also has a unique ability, so pay careful attention to who is sitting next to whom! Of course you want to make all the guests you’ve invited happy, but if you can arrange for your opponents’ guests to start a little drama, that’s okay too.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $33

All-In (w/shipping): $33, same as above

Campaign Ends: 8/4

Game Ships: Nov. 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 53%, with 26 days to go.

Project: Tokyo Series: Expansions!

Designer: Jordan Draper (Import/Export, MegaCity: Oceania, Tokyo Metro)

Artist: Jordan Draper (Import/Export, Tokyo Metro, Tokyo Tsukiji Market)

Publisher: Jordan Draper Games (Import/Export, Tokyo Metro, Tokyo Tsukiji Market)

Genre/Mechanisms: action queue, area majority/influence, auction/bidding, betting & bluffing, economic, expansion, grid movement, multiple maps, network & route building, point to point movement, simulation, stock holding, team-based game, territory building, time track, turn order: auction, worker placement (Osaka Metro Expansion); auction/budding, auction: sealed bid, bluffing, commodity speculation, economic, expansion, miniatures, modular board, negotiation, simulation, stock holding, trading, variable setup (Tokyo Tsujiki Expansion)

Player Count: 1-5 (Osaka Metro Expansion); 2-6 (Tokyo Tsujiki Expansion)

Solo Mode: yes (Osaka Metro Expansion); no (Tokyo Tsujiki Expansion)

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “In Tokyo Metro, players take on the role of private investors looking to build up stations across Tokyo, speculate on train lines, and comprise a shared network to benefit multiple parties. The core of the game is built around worker placement. Osaka Metro Expansion builds on the original unique system design of Tokyo Metro, with a brand new map and set of action cards that can be used for a quicker game.”

“In Tokyo Tsukiji Market, players run a fishing company. Through the purchase of fishing licenses, they may take fishing actions to fish and put their catch for sale at a price they choose, which other players may purchase on their turn. The core gameplay centers on an open player-driven economy, with central markets that have limited resources, trading, and unique rules. Each game uses only a fraction of the included game markets, adding endless replayability. Tokyo Tsukiji Expansion adds new fish markets, ships, and renting opportunities to the acclaimed open economic simulator in the Tsukiji fish market of Tokyo.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $40, includes one of the 2 new expansions

All-In (w/shipping): $150, includes both new expansions and both base games

Campaign Ends: 7/29

Game Ships: Feb. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 365%, with 20 days to go.

Project: Trench Club

Designer: Phillip K. Berger

Artist: Phillip K. Berger

Publisher: PKB Games (Honey Wars, Tricky Tides)

Genre/Mechanisms: dice rolling, miniatures, wargame

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: heavy

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Trench Club is a complex strategy game in which, in addition to attack strength and armor of the troops, their tactical setup, combat experience, damage and terrain have a decisive influence on the outcome of the battle. Since each unit brings its own strengths, you must cleverly assemble your army to win the victory over your opponents.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $67

All-In (w/shipping): $294, includes extras & vanity rewards

Campaign Ends: 8/6

Game Ships: Jan. 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 39%, with 28 days to go.