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

Project: Pilfering Pandas

Designers: Janice Turner (Assembly, Sensor Ghosts), Stu Turner (Assembly, Sensor Ghosts)

Artist: Gianfranco Giordano

Publisher: Wren Games (Assembly, Sensor Ghosts)

Genre/Mechanisms: animals, card game, communication limits, cooperative game, hand management, puzzle, set collection, solo/solitaire game

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Pilfering Pandas is a reinvention of a classic card game but we’ve made a huge number of changes, not least creating a cooperative and solo mode. Pilfering Pandas is the third game from Wren Games who aim to bring back gaming to busy people. Pilfering Pandas therefore has a short playtime, but we maintain depth of decisions and intuitive gameplay to give a game with some bite. Pilfering Pandas has similarities to Rummy as you are making number sets and runs but it also has this really interesting discard pile mechanism and this was the thing that we most wanted to bring to modern-day gaming. The Hideout is where you ‘discard’ a card but unlike traditional discard piles, the Hideout is not a pile, it’s a spread of cards visible to all players and, for a fee, you can pick up as many cards as you want from it and make huge plays of sets in a single turn (there’s only a hand limit in solo games). Players must collect sets and trade them with the Meerkats to earn points to increase their chance of escaping from the zoo. However, they must always stay at least one step ahead of the zookeeper so they don’t get caught by playing and picking up cards wisely and efficiently.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $41

All-In (w/shipping): $72

Campaign Ends: 6/16

Game Ships: Mar. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 93% with 27 days to go.

Project: Reincardnated

Designer: Taylor Doolittle

Artist: Charli Vince

Publisher: Doolittle Gaming

Genre/Mechanisms: card drafting, card game, hidden victory points, once per game abilities, take that

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “In Reincardnated each player starts the game as a ‘Starter Being’ which is one of ten plants in the game. Players are then given a hidden ‘Life Purpose’ card which relays goals and being types players should try to incarnate through game play. During game play, players take turn incarnating one of 54 unique beings which create each players ‘Life Line’. By incarnating beings, players gain ‘Karma’ cards. These ‘Karma’ cards allow players to impact their own ‘Life Lines’ and their opponents such as killing/reviving beings, forcing unexpected incarnations and viewing ‘Life Purposes’ to better strategize. When a player incarnates the ‘Human Form’, game play comes to an end. From here players reveal their unique ‘Life Purpose’ cards and add up their scores. Highest score wins.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $29

All-In (w/shipping): $46

Campaign Ends: 6/18

Game Ships: Dec. 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 70% with 28 days to go.

Project: Sheep in Disguise

Designers: Emily Hogan, Ledger Gibbs

Artist: Sam Pratt

Publisher: Emily Hogan, Ledger Gibbs

Genre/Mechanisms: animals, card game, card drafting, hand management, take that

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “In a world full of predators, only the most clever of prey can survive. Unfortunately, sheep aren’t exactly known for being clever. So, in an effort to preserve all things fluffy, the Wizards and I present to you: Sheep in Disguise. Unfortunately, the disguises worked a bit too well… and we lost the sheep. This sudden shortage of sheep caused an economic collapse and the gold standard was quickly replaced by sheep. Those with sheep became powerful shepherds, and those without them become barely recognizable goblins. Yuck. Now, everyone is scouring the globe to locate and collect the sheep by any means necessary. So, buckle your belts and tuck in your underbite. It’s about to get weird. Play Action cards by placing them in the Discard and following the instructions on the card. There is no limit to the amount of Action cards played per turn. Players can also trade with the Field once per turn. The Field is made of 3 face-up cards in the middle of the table that are laid out at the start of the game. The Field will constantly change as players interact with it by using Action cards and trading. Playing Actions and trading does not have to occur in any specific order. When there’s nothing more you’d like to do, draw a card to end your turn.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $28

All-In (w/shipping): $73

Campaign Ends: 6/18

Game Ships: Mar. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 243% with 28 days to go.