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

Project: The Art of Boxing Clever

Designer: Rob D Terrell

Artists: not credited

Publisher: The Curious Bear Games Company

Genre/Mechanisms: 2 players, bluffing, card game, card play conflict resolution, hand manage ment, simulation, sports

Player Count: 2

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “The Art of Boxing Clever simulates almost all aspects of the real-life boxing match into a highly specific and player controlled, intense decision-making match experience. Aspects recreated in the board game include the stance and style of the boxers; boxer initiative, 10 attributes of the selected boxer; head/body area target selection; punch type selection, defense move selection; damage resistance attributes, increasing damage tracking; judge scoring, knockdown count sequence. In essence this unrivaled boxing game mechanism creates the feel of the real ebb and flow of a typical boxing match and the unpredictability of ‘one punch can make all the difference.’ The goal is to out-think and outmaneuver your opponent to consistently inflict damage by exploiting their weaknesses, whilst protecting your own. Damage is realized by the depletion of the opponent’s card hand until either the hand is completely depleted, or a KO or TKO is achieved through a visible damage tracking system.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $93

All-In (w/shipping): $134

Campaign Ends: 8/8

Game Ships: Feb. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 10% with 33 days to go.

Project: Hexasperation (Founders Edition)

Designer: Phillip Webb

Artist: Phillip Webb

Publisher: Maldax Game Design

Genre/Mechanisms: 2 players, abstract strategy, connections, hexagon grid, memory, pattern building

Player Count: 2

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Each player takes turns until one of them makes a connection from one home tile to a matching colored tile on the opposite side. When a connection is made, the home tiles and all the tiles that made up that connection are removed from the play area. Connection tiles are placed in the empty positions on the playmat in turn, starting with the player who made the connection. If another connection is made during this time then the home tiles and connecting tiles are removed and the tile replacement continues. Once all the tiles are replaced play continues. The winner is the first player to remove all four sets of their home tiles.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $50

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

Campaign Ends: 8/2

Game Ships: Nov. 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 39% with 26 days to go.

Project: Ice Floes & Foes

Designers: Kees Meis (The Great Tour: European Cities, Kumbu: Dubbelzijdig Kaartspel), Dennis Merkx (The Great Tour: European Cities, Kumbu: Dubbelzijdig Kaartspel)

Artist: Thijs Rozema

Publisher: Keep Exploring Games (The Dutch East Indies, Scuba, Tour Operator)

Genre/Mechanisms: action/dexterity, animals, children’s game, nautical, racing, slide/push

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “Players try and save the seals and whales from the fishing boats and hunters. Shove ice floes onto the board, and aim to get the fishing boats and hunters to fall off the board on the other side. Be careful not to shove the seals and whales off the board, though.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $38

All-In (w/shipping): $74

Campaign Ends: 7/29

Game Ships: Jan. 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 31% with 22 days to go.

Project: Pulp Invasion X2

Designer: Todd Sanders (IUNU, The Maiden in the Forest, Mr. Cabbagehead’s Garden)

Artist: Todd Sanders (Mr. Cabbagehead’s Garden, Small City, Trick of the Rails)

Publisher: AVStudioGames (Clinic: Deluxe Edition, Small City, Tramways)

Genre/Mechanisms: 2 players, card game, deck building, dice, dice rolling, expansion, exploration, push your luck, science fiction, solo/solitaire game

Player Count: 1-2

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “Sending down landing teams aids in your search for the Super Weapons to prevent the Cosmic Hegemony from their nefarious plans. Beware though of 3 new Vassal aliens who have joined the Hegemony to rule the galaxy. The Pulp Invasion X2 expansion adds new exploration cards, new captains, a new crew die, and a helpful landing team. For this expansion there are 2 new Captain cards that use the new Landing Crew die, 3 new Alien Vassals that affect game play while in the various Hegemony sectors. 2 new Planets to explore and 2 additional Super Weapons with new actions. Additionally there are 8 new exploration cards, which change game replay-ability since you only deal a subset during the game. Most have beneficial actions and allow for greater player strategy.

Pulp Invasion is a solo game with a 2 player PvP option (this option is in the X1 expansion). The game uses a bag builder mechanic to add and remove dice from a bag. Cards are played to explore various sectors of space and 5 custom dice are used for combat situations.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $18

All-In (w/shipping): $58

Campaign Ends: 8/4

Game Ships: Dec. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 201% with 29 days to go.

Project: Slaughterville Director’s Cut

Designer: Christopher Brown (Slaughterville)

Artists: Christopher Brown, George Rubio (District-Z, Slaughterville)

Publisher: Laughing Rogue

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, adventure, cooperative game, dice rolling, horror

Player Count: 1-6

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “In Slaughterville, take on the role of one of 28 characters, build a modular town, and choose a Villain to face off against. Each Villain affects the way that the game plays, coming with their own win conditions and rules modifications to make the game thematic and fun.

In Slaughterville Director’s Cut, the Villains, Characters, and Locations have been updated to be more in line with our new faster and deadlier style. It is a re-imagining of Slaughterville and can use all components from either/both of the previous editions of the game. For example, the Serial Killer will leave clues at each Location, the Slasher will hunt more, and so on. Characters receive a facelift and Locations a needed boost.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $115

All-In (w/shipping): $115, same as above

Campaign Ends: 8/1

Game Ships: Aug. 2021

Funding Status: Currently at 89% with 25 days to go.