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

Project: Ambal Tournament: Foundation

Designer: Bernardo Bittencourt

Artist: Vincent Van Hoof (Dreary Hamlet)

Publisher: Salt Ring Games

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, collectible components, deck building, deck construction, fantasy, fighting, hand management, take that

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Welcome to the Ambal Tournament! Participants from the spiritual land of Ambal gather in this friendly competition, promoting the development of knowledge and combat techniques. If the past taught anything to the human capitals, was that they should be prepared to defend themselves from the powerful spirits living in this world. Master the great Schools of Knowledge and their unique powers, competing in diverse and exciting duels to earn a spot amongst the elite group of fighters ready to defend Ambal.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $43

All-In (w/shipping): $43, same as above

Campaign Ends: 10/5

Game Ships: Oct. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 93% with 19 days to go.

Project: Beware of Bears

Designer: Amanda Naqvi

Artist: Amanda Naqvi

Publisher: Boss Dog Games

Genre/Mechanisms: adventure, card game, hand management, humor, party game

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A fast-paced card game where players fight to sabotage and eliminate each other while watching out for bears. Defeat your friends and make your path to victory before you end up in a bear’s stomach. The more you progress through the game, the crazier it gets with lava, evil squirrels, yummy donuts, and best of all, scary bears. Players draw cards and try to escape the forest. The first one who escapes wins.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $26

All-In (w/shipping): $57

Campaign Ends: 10/21

Game Ships: Dec. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 1549% with 36 days to go.

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Project: Bridge City Poker

Designer: Lee Gianou

Artists: Shea Satterlee, Caleb Sohigian

Publisher: Portland Game Collective

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, follow, hand management, ladder climbing, melding and splaying, move through deck, push your luck, team-based game, trick-taking, variable set-up

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Players compete to get rid of the cards in their hands (or ‘shed’) by playing different sets of cards (or ‘melds’) over a series of tricks before the deck runs out. Players will have to manage their ever-growing hands with game-breaking power cards. At the end of a round, players will burn a bridge (or ‘suit’) of choice completely from their hands. Finally, all players will score points based on their remaining cards and, after a set number of rounds, lowest score wins.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $29

All-In (w/shipping): $37

Campaign Ends: 10/11

Game Ships: May 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 133% with 25 days to go.

Project: Cycles

Designers: Catherine Croft, Jon Nardolilli

Artists: Orville Paynter, Marco Quiroz, Tyler van Vierssen

Publisher: Catlilli Games

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, children’s game, educational, hand management, set collection

Player Count: 2-5

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Explore the life sciences with Cycles, a biology-based card game targeted for children ages 8+! Players build sets of 13 life cycles, each with its own special power. On each turn you can start or steal a cycle from another player – winner is the first person with three completed cycles.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $26

All-In (w/shipping): $31

Campaign Ends: 10/14

Game Ships: Apr. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 41% with 28 days to go.

Project: Dog Park

Designers: Jack Hazell, Lottie Hazell

Artists: Holly Exley, Kate Avery, Dann May (Black Orchestra, Everdell, A War of Whispers)

Publisher: Birdwood Games

Genre/Mechanisms: animals, auction/bidding, card game, point to point movement, set collection, solo/solitaire game, track movement, variable set-up, victory points as a resource

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Welcome to Dog Park, a mid-weight, competitive set-collection and point-to-point movement game in which players take on the role of dog walkers who recruit, walk, and care for their dogs over four rounds. Each round is split into four phases: Recruitment, Selection Phase, Walking, and Home Time. Players must choose their routes and dogs carefully to earn the best reputation and prove they are the most accomplished walker of them all. At the end of the game, the player with the most reputation wins.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $67

All-In (w/shipping): $89

Campaign Ends: 9/30

Game Ships: Aug. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 450% with 15 days to go.

Project: Masters of the Universe: The Board Game – Clash For Eternia

Designers: Leo Almeida (Starcadia Quest, Sugar Blast), Michael Shinall (Bloodborne: The Board Game, Rum & Bones: Second Tide, XenoShyft: Onslaught)

Artist: Henning Ludvigsen (Android: Netrunner, Arkham Horror: the Card Game, Blood Rage, Star Wars: Imperial Assault, Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game)

Publisher: CMON Global Limited (Arcadia Quest, Blood Rage, Cthulhu: Death May Die, Rising Sun, Zombicide: Black Plague)

Genre/Mechanisms: movies/tv/radio theme

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: low

Summary: “Prove who has the power in a one vs many or fully cooperative game in which beloved characters clash in a legendary fight for Eternia. A competitive one vs. many or fully cooperative action-driven board game. Choose to play as the Heroic or Evil Warriors, use unique abilities on the battlefield, upgrade skills, and by the power of Grayskull, win the fight for Eternia!”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $140

All-In (w/shipping): $255

Campaign Ends: 10/1

Game Ships: Oct. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 362% with 16 days to go.

Project: Pewter Heroes Trilogy

Designers: Daniël van Essen (Victory Tank), Michiel de Wit (Alien Getaway, Rollecate, Victory Tank), Roman Zadorozhnyy (Mole Control)

Artist: Miša Jovanovic (Rollecate)

Publisher: Gam’inBIZ (CuBirds, Orchard, Yōkai)

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, dice miniatures, dice rolling, hand management, modular board, network and route building, pieces as map, push your luck, science fiction, solo/solitaire game (Alien Getaway); animals, bluffing, card game, farming, hand management, i cut you choose, investment, memory, push your luck (Mole Control); 2 players, action points, advantage token, area movement, card game, card play conflict resolution, exploration, fighting, grid movement, hand management, map addition, miniatures, modular board, movement points, take that, world war I (Victory Tank)

Player Count: 1-4 (Alien Getaway); 2-5 (Mole Control); 2 (Victory Tank)

Solo Mode: yes (Alien Getaway); no (Mole Control, Victory Tank)

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “In Alien Getaway, players help Zoid find his way through the asteroid field. Players will play cards to lay out an escape route for this little green man. However, Zoid is an impatient little bugger and if he travels too fast and gets off track, the active player will have to take a penalty. But, there are ways to get rid of penalties and taking a penalty might not always be as bad as it seems.

In Mole Control, players take turns to add cards with stinky flowers and tasty insects (or so the Mole thinks) to the communal gardens. After that, you get to move the Mole to one of the gardens. The garden occupied by the mole is off-limits until the Mole is moved to another garden. Once you run out of cards, you must claim one of the gardens. But, make sure to pick a garden the mole doesn’t like, or your flowery oasis will soon be nothing but dirt and bumps again.

In Victory Tank, two commanders try to lead their armies to victory over a couple of rounds divided into two phases. During the “Fog of War” phase the active player will draw two cards to be added to the ever growing battlefield. Each card depicts goals and bonuses to be placed on the battlefield. The active player gets to keep and place one of these cards while offering the other card to its opponent, providing interesting choices and dilemmas to the players during the game. During the second phase, the “Command” phase, players take up to five actions each to influence their literal and figurative position in battle. Players will move their soldiers, deploy new units to the battlefield and attack their opponent. Each player has a limited amount of command cards that the player can utilize to boost their actions, fighting power, or defense strength during an attack. And don’t forget that somewhere hidden in the mist, a tank has been abandoned. Finding, operating and fighting with this tank on your side may just bring you victory.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $45, Mole Control only

All-In (w/shipping): $107, includes all three games

Campaign Ends: 9/24

Game Ships: Oct. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 150% with 9 days to go.

Project: Pirate Party: Women of the High Seas

Designer: Marge Rosen

Artist: Laura Erwin

Publisher: Seaport Games

Genre/Mechanisms: card drafting, card game, hand management, pirates, set collection

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Players race to collect sets of cards featuring vibrant, diverse, historical women pirate captains with special powers. Period ships are beautifully illustrated. Plunder, pillage, and raid from other players to take the largest pirate booty. If you are lucky, a mermaid may help you. Just beware the Kraken!”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $29

All-In (w/shipping): $57

Campaign Ends: 10/11

Game Ships: Aug. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 27% with 26 days to go.

Project: The Red Burnoose: Algeria 1857

Designers: Matt Shoemaker (Bee Lives: We Will Only Know Summer), Roberta Taylor (Creature Comforts, Octopus’ Garden, Sherwood Showdown)

Artist: Ahcene Blibek

Publisher: Hit ‘Em With a Shoe (Bee Lives: We Will Only Know Summer)

Genre/Mechanisms: educational, cooperative game, deck buildingl, dice rolling, solo/solitaire game, wargame

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Join Fadhma N’Soumer in her fight against the invading French armies in the Kabylie region of Algeria in 1857. You will join forces with up to 3 other players in this co-op board game to use deck building and area control elements to survive as the French advance on your villages. The French are run as an automa deck for 1 to 4 players to defeat. Victory is achieved by outlasting the automa. Players control pieces on the board that they can strategically move between villages to help stop the French advance. Players use the cards in their hand and those they buy from the shared market to acquire new pieces for the board and to manipulate the board state.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $82

All-In (w/shipping): $82, same as above

Campaign Ends: 10/7

Game Ships: July 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 82% with 22 days to go.

Project: Reputation

Designer: Kei Kajino (Scout!)

Artist: Marco Primo (Automobiles, Carcassonne: The City, Police Precinct)

Publisher: Ninja Star Games (Sweets Stack, Wolf & Hound, Yokai Septet)

Genre/Mechanisms: auction/bidding, auction: sealed bid, auction: turn order until pass, push your luck, science fiction, variable player powers

Player Count: 3-5

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “You are the CEO of a trillion dollar company, balancing sponsoring Public and Private Sector projects. Your goal is to make money through profitable Private Sector projects while maintaining your brand image by sponsoring Public Sector projects. At the end of the game, you will get sanctioned by the anti-corporate group and be eliminated from the race for victory if you have the lowest reputation. Among the remaining CEOs, the CEO who made the most profit claims victory, and continues to be the elite of the elite.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $29

All-In (w/shipping): $29, same as above

Campaign Ends: 10/14

Game Ships: Feb. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 86% with 28 days to go.

Project: The Russian Campaign, Original 1974 Edition

Designer: John Edwards (The African Campaign: Designer Signature Edition, Fortress Europa, War at Sea Second & Third Editions)

Artists: John Edwards (The African Campaign, Fortress Europa, War at Sea Second Edition), Don Greenwood (Kingmaker, Rise and Decline of the Third Reich, Victory in the Pacific), James Hamilton, Rodger B. MacGowan (Combat Commander: Europe, Commands & Colors: Ancients, Dominant Species, Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan, Twilight Struggle), Bruce Yearian (Amerika Bomber: Evil Queen of the Skies, Blue Water Navy: The War at Sea, For Honor and Glory: War of 1812 Land and Naval Battles)

Publisher: Compass Games (Crusade and Revolution: The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939; Enemy Action: Ardennes; Silent War)

Genre/Mechanisms: 2 players, dice rolling, grid movement, hexagon grid, movement points, multiple maps, ratio/combat results table, scenario/mission/campaign game, simulation, sudden death ending, war game, world war II, zone of control

Player Count: 2

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “The remake of the original 1974 Jedko game covering the Eastern Front during World War II. Russian Campaign has been universally acclaimed as one of the finest wargames around. With the ease and playability of the ‘Classics’, the game also conveys the feel of the actual campaign and is exceptionally accurate historically. Both players will have to use the subtle skills, advantages, and tactics of their historical counterparts to win. Game features include rail movement, sea movement, invasions, stukas, partisans, automatic victory, SS units, sudden death victory conditions, and double impulse movement capabilities. Seven scenarios break the total campaign down into its most important battles.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $55

All-In (w/shipping): $135, also include Russia Besieged, Deluxe Edition

Campaign Ends: 9/29

Game Ships: Nov. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 308% with 13 days to go.

Project: ScandalOh!

Designer: Ron Gonzalo García (Awkward Guests)

Artists: Samuel Gonzalo García (Awkward Guests, MONSTArgh!), Laura Medina Solera (Awkward Guests, MONSTArgh!)

Publisher: Megacorpin Games (Awkward Guests, MONSTArgh!)

Genre/Mechanisms: deduction, murder/mystery

Player Count: 1-6

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A deduction game about investigative journalism in which each playing presents a different scenario, and players have to bring a scandal to light. The heart of ScandalOh! is simple: Players have a hand of seven cards, and each card has a value (1 or 2 points, according to the amount of information that it provides) and several references (i.e., the subjects of the card information). During a turn, you ask for information about three different references in which you are interested. The rest of the players can offer you cards that contain the requested references, and you can trade for those cards by giving the offering players the same number of points they have offered via cards in your hand. After each round ends, players can try to uncover the scandal. If the actual scandal is not revealed, players discard part of their hands and receive three new cards. The player or players who uncover the scandal first win.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $50

All-In (w/shipping): $61

Campaign Ends: 10/6

Game Ships: Sep. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 231% with 21 days to go.

Project: Sushi Boat

Designers: Dario Massarenti, Francesco Testini (15 Days, Tang Garden, Xi’an)

Artist: Eveen Kwan (Love Formula)

Publisher: Japanime Games (Heart of Crown, Krosmaster: Arena, Tanto Cuore)

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, memory, hidden victory points, set collection, slide/push

Player Count: 2-5

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “Are you new to conveyor belt sushi? You’ll love it. Our chef creates masterpieces and places them on the belt, which brings the sushi right to you. Each turn, players perform their choice of actions, including taking plates of sushi off the revolving ‘belt’ on the board, paying staff tiles for effects, buying side dishes and more. As you eat, you’ll stack your Plates in front of you. You score points by eating off matching Plates, and for eating a wide variety of sushi types. And you’ll need to pay attention all the time, because you never know when someone will start a Wasabi Challenge. When the side dish deck runs out, the game ends and players calculate their victory points – highest score wins.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $72

All-In (w/shipping): $72, same as above

Campaign Ends: 10/5

Game Ships: Sep. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 54% with 20 days to go.

Project: Unsurmountable

Designer: Scott Almes (Heroes of Land, Air & Sea; Tiny Epic Galaxies; Tiny Epic Quest)

Artist: Christy Johnson

Publisher: Button Shy Games (Circle the Wagons, Sprawlopolis, Tussie Mussie)

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, chaining, network and route building, sports, solo/solitaire game

Player Count: 1

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “In Unsurmountable, players will be tackling the rocky slopes of an ever-changing mountain. As the game unfolds, they must place the next piece of the path carefully in order to complete a route to the top while simultaneously meeting any additional goals for the round. It may sound like a walk in the park, but this puzzle has plenty of pitfalls to keep players on their toes. Unsurmountable is the next title in our Simply Solo line, following Food Chain Island and Ugly Gryphon Inn. These titles were designed by Scott Almes for single-player only, focusing on elegant rules that create complex situations.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $15

All-In (w/shipping): $55, also includes Food Chain Island and Ugly Gryphon Inn with all expansions

Campaign Ends: 9/25

Game Ships: Dec. 2021

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 2655% with 9 days to go.

Project: Verdant

Designers: Molly Johnson (Point Salad, Public Market, Truffle Shuffle), Robert Melvin (Point Salad, Public Market, Truffle Shuffle), Aaron Mesburne (Overboss: A Boss Monster Adventure), Kevin Russ (Calico, Overboss: A Boss Monster Adventure, Tumble Town), Shawn Stankewich (Point Salad, Public Market, Truffle Shuffle)

Artists: Beth Sobel (Arboretum, Calico, Viticulture, Vitculture Essential Edition, Wingspan)

Publisher: Flatout Games (Calico, Cascadia)

Genre/Mechanisms: card drafting, card game, drafting, educational, environmental, grid coverage, puzzle, set collection, solo/solitaire game, territory building, tile placement, variable set-up

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “A puzzly spatial card game. You take on the role of a houseplant enthusiast trying to create the coziest interior space by collecting and arranging houseplants and other objects within your home. You must position your plants so that they are provided the most suitable light conditions and take care of them to create the most verdant collection. Each turn, you select an adjacent pair of a card and token, then use those items to build an ever-expanding tableau of cards that represents your home. You need to keep various objectives in mind as you attempt to increase plant verdancy by making spatial matches and using item tokens to take various nurture actions. You can also build your “green thumb” skills, which allows you to take additional actions to care for your plants and create the coziest space.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $40

All-In (w/shipping): $40, same as above

Campaign Ends: 10/27

Game Ships: Sep. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 1193% with 42 days to go.