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

Project: Call of Madness

Designers: Szymon Maliński (Paranormal Detectives), Bartłomiej Zielonka

Artist: Radoslaw Jaszczuk (Era of Tribes, Glory: A Game of Knights, Sigismundus Augustus: Dei gratia rex Poloniae)

Publisher: Czacha Games (The Bird Told Me to Do It, Gremlins Inc)

Genre/Mechanisms: cthulhu mythos, deck building, fantasy, fighting, hand management, horror, mythology, novel-based, sudden death ending, take that, tower defense

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “In this tower defense game you play as the priests of the Cthulhu cults who are trying to summon this Great Ancient One. However, it will not be so simple, because apart from the investigators themselves, you are also disturbed by other cults that strive for the same as you. Players sacrifice their cultists to gain the powers of the Ancient Ones, and to obtain their blessing. Each investigator is possessed by madness that strengthens his abilities. By defeating an investigator, players gain its essence, which in turn allows them to strengthen their actions. Fight, sacrifice cultists and destroy enemies, so that you have the honor of summoning the most famous god of works of Lovecraft, H. P. Lovecraft.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $67

All-In (w/shipping): $67, same as above

Campaign Ends: 1/25

Game Ships: Aug. 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 34% with 12 days to go.

Project: Epic Seven Arise: The Board Game

Designers: Jessie Huen, Chris Turner

Artists: Jenny Tai, Ar Siu

Publisher: Farside Games Entertainment

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, action/event, adventure, card drafting, cooperative game, fantasy, miniatures, role playing, video game theme

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “The tabletop adaptation of the popular mobile game, officially licensed by Smilegate Megaport. The game has multiple chapters, each of them with a similar structure including a main plot and side quests. If any hero dies during the round, it will have penalty but they can revive in the next round. As long as one of you is still alive, you still have a chance to win and get the highest score to be the ultimate winner in the team.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $118

All-In (w/shipping): $143

Campaign Ends: 2/1

Game Ships: Feb. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 331% with 19 days to go.

Project: Fallen Land 2nd Edition Big Box & Descendants Expansion

Designers: Sean Cahill, Jon Lonngren

Artist: Aaron J. Riley (Booty), Warren Ripley

Publisher: Fallen Dominion Studios, LLC

Genre/Mechanisms: adventure, area movement, card game, dice rolling, economic, political, post-apocalyptic, science fiction, trading, variable player powers

Player Count: 1-6

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: heavy

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Fallen Land is set in the ruinous aftermath of post-apocalyptic America. Featuring sandbox-style game play, it combines the elements of a strategy board game with card building and role playing. Driven by macabre stories of a world gone mad, players must adapt to the ever-changing variables: the cards, stories, interactions, and other threats.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $57

All-In (w/shipping): $204

Campaign Ends: 2/5

Game Ships: Aug. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 145% with 23 days to go.

Project: Herobane

Designers: Sam Burley, Eli Shiffrin

Artist: Sam Burley

Publisher: Scale Bird Games

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, dice

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Purchase rooms to improve your dungeon, collect more and more resources to hire exquisite minions, and challenge daring heroes to grow your infamy in this competitive PVE game.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $49

All-In (w/shipping): $49, same as above

Campaign Ends: 2/11

Game Ships: Oct. 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 8% with 28 days to go.

Project: Pingyao: First Chinese Banks

Designer: Wu Shuang

Artist: not credited

Publisher: Jing Studio (Yin Yang)

Genre/Mechanisms: dice, dice rolling, economic, pick-up and deliver, worker placement, worker placement with dice workers

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “An economic dice-as-workers placement game in which players assume the role of famous Jin Merchants in the Qing Dynasty. During the blossoming age of banking, players will expand from Pingyao city to open agencies across China, offering remittance services to businessmen in order to earn profits. The goal of the game is to build up money over 8 rounds, and be the wealthiest player by the end.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $70

All-In (w/shipping): $139

Campaign Ends: 2/11

Game Ships: Sep. 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 61% with 29 days to go.