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

Project: Buru

Designer: Stephen Wren, Alex Flagg, Taran Lewis Kratz (Helionox: The Last Sunset)

Artists: Enggar Adirasa (Mistfall, Shadowrift, Simurgh), Dann May (Black Orchestra, Everdell, Nothing Personal)

Publisher: Crafty Games (Dollars to Donuts, Mistborn: House War)

Genre/Mechanisms: action drafting, auction/bidding, contracts, economic, end game bonuses, exploration, medieval, solo/solitaire game, turn order: claim action, worker placement

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “You and your fellow nobles have recently arrived at the remote island of Buru, eager to earn your place in history. Here, you will dispatch your parties to the island to explore, trade, and pay your respects as you compete to win the over Buru’s residents, and ultimately the favor of the King himself. Over 5 game rounds, you and your fellow players will secretly deploy Explorers to the 4 different regions of the island in order to gather resources, recruit Islanders, set them to tasks, and to pay tribute to the spirits revered there. The object of the game is to win the islanders’ Esteem (victory points). You can earn Esteem in many ways, primarily by paying tribute, but also by pleasing Elders, tasking local Nobles, fulfilling the king’s Decrees, and for holding a totem when any player pays tribute to that spirit.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $69

All-In (w/shipping): $159

Campaign Ends: 6/14

Game Ships: June 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 196% with 27 days to go.