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

Project: Eastern Empires

Designer: Flo de Haan (Mega Civilization, Western Empires), Gerart de Haan (Western Empires), John Rodriguez (Mega Civilization, Western Empires)

Artists: Franz Vohwinkel (Clank! In! Space!: A Deck-Building Adventure, Dominion: Intrigue, Puerto Rico, The Quest for El Dorado, Targi)

Publisher: 999 Games

Genre/Mechanisms: ancient, area majority/influence, area movement, bluffing, city building, civilization, economic, hand management, memory, mythology, nautical, negotiation, pirates, political, prehistoric, real-time, set collection, territory building, take that, tech trees/tech tracks, trading, variable player powers

Player Count: 3-9

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Covering the development of ancient civilizations over 8000 years of history. Players lead their civilizations as they expand and collapse, from the Stone Age through the Bronze Age to the end of the Iron Age. When combining the board games Western Empires and Eastern Empires this forms: Mega Empires, an 18-player experience. A full game of Mega Empires takes up to 13 hours to complete. This bundle contains both stand alone games, each of which can be played by 3-9 players and can be expanded with the two Special Buildings Expansions for either game or the combination of both games. Where Western Empires has a focus on sea travel and trade on the Mediterranean Sea, Eastern Empires follows the Silk Road to India and trading is done through the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $141

All-In (w/shipping): $211

Campaign Ends: 10/10

Game Ships: Jan. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 302% with 14 days to go.