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

Project: Argent Saga Trading Card Game

Designers: Jeff Jones, Rob Hebert, Ian Spiegel-Blum

Artist: John Kimmel (Battle for Sularia)

Publisher: Alter Reality Games 

Genre/Mechanisms: 2 players, card selection, hand management, take that, trading card game

Player Count: 2

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: medium-high

Summary: A new trading card game published by one of the larger U.S. trading card game retail shops, Alter Reality Games, located in Ohio and host to a Circuit Series of cash tournaments.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $75

All-In (w/shipping): $1100, include vanity rewards

Campaign Ends: 7/12

Game Ships: Sep. 2019

Funding Status: Currently at 56%, with 28 days to go.

Project: Ignite: A Game of Crazy Combos and Epic Explosions!

Designers: Bobby Butchko, Kyle Calip, Alyssa Gahagan, Justin Golden, Vincent Nagoshi, Peter Nguyen, Evan Rank

Artist: Thien Nguyen

Publisher: Ignite Cards

Genre/Mechanisms: dice rolling, hand management, partnerships, party game

Player Count: 2-8

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: high

Summary: A self-contained card battler set in the world of Magus, themed around Forges and ‘Bots, that can be expanded into a party game with multiple sets.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $30

All-In (w/shipping): $1025, include vanity rewards

Campaign Ends: 8/1

Game Ships: Oct. 2019

Funding Status: Currently at 3%, with 59 days to go.

Project: Turbulences

Designer: Samy Maronnier, Thomas Planete

Artists: Thomas Planete, Clement de Ruyter

Publisher: Thomas Planete 

Genre/Mechanisms: pick up & deliver

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: high

Summary: A bespoke pick up & deliver production only available to residents of France, Switzerland, and the EU; as a local pick-up from Thomas Planete’s workshop in Caen, France; or as a local pickup at PEL 2020, BGF 2020, or FIJ 2021. And while this game is not available to be shipped to the United States, the artistry and production are so impressive I felt the need to profile it here. In fact, pledges have surpassed the campaign’s initial funding goals so quickly that Thomas Planete has added in a “second wave” level of pledges to be delivered in December 2020 (after only 24 hours, the campaign is already at $87K, or almost 13x their initial $6.8K target). Considering how busy this may keep Planete, we may not see a U.S. focused (or included) campaign for some time. On the other hand, considering how popular this Kickstarter has been, and how attractive Planete’s hand-made, self-produced games are, I wouldn’t be surprised if he expands his workshop and hires more staff (as mentioned in the campaign text), and we see more from him in the future.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $67

All-In (w/shipping): $112

Campaign Ends: 7/3

Game Ships: June 2020

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 1278%, with 20 days to go.