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

Project: 18 Holes

Designer: Ryan Boucher (18 Holes)

Artist: Josh Sacco (18 Holes)

Publisher: Seabrook Studios (18 Holes)

Genre/Mechanisms: card drafting, hand management, modular board, race, sports

Player Count: 1-5

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Tame the wind, play along rugged coastlines and take the competition all the way to the green in this expansion for 18 Holes. In Reading the Greens, players now need to consider their approach to the green to ensure they have the easiest putt. A Green deck is added to keep the challenge fresh for every hole. Includes new golfers, new clubs, player actions and once on the green, custom dice are used to sink the putt. In Taming the Wind players can choose how they will work with the wind, allowing for shots that were not possible before. The Coastline pack includes new double-sided course tiles that bring the beautiful coastlines, precarious greens and new hazards. This expansion is compatible with both the first and second edition of 18 Holes.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $47

All-In (w/shipping): $156

Campaign Ends: 10/24

Game Ships: May 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 121% with 17 days to go.

Project: Aldira

Designers: Jakob Emmerling, Benjamin Steiger

Artist: Ary Lieberwirth

Publisher: Paper Wave

Genre/Mechanisms: auction/bidding, card game, fantasy, hand management, simultaneous action selection

Player Count: 3-5

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A competitive, strategic card game which combines a bidding mechanic with deck building. In Aldira, you are a native of a tiny village deep in the jungle. At this time of the year there is a competition, where you have to get and cultivate special plants and harvest their fruits. Before each round, the players have to decide which actions they want to take and how much value they give these actions. To do so, each player secretly bid with their hand cards, for the actions. For harvesting fruits, you get victory points. At the end of the game, the player with the most victory points is the winner.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $59

All-In (w/shipping): $85

Campaign Ends: 10/28

Game Ships: Aug. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 0% with 28 days to go.

Project: Attack of the Intergalactic Gherkins

Designer: Andrew Klinkenberg

Artist: Andrew Klinkenberg

Publisher: Teleporthole Games

Genre/Mechanisms: card drafting, hand management, party game, science fiction

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Having been sucked through a black hole whilst escaping the terrifying Intergalactic Gherkins, the stranded astronauts must rebuild their ships and return home to their own galaxy. Players draw cards to move around the four planets of the solar system, collecting missing ship parts and rebuilding their spaceships before escaping. Opponents can play a variety of action card combinations in order to win, which can either help them or hinder opponents. These might include such cards as Meteor Showers (stops a player moving), Cosmic Ray (take a card from another player’s hand) or stealing turns by combining cards to create word-matched ‘Conjunctions’ such as Pole + Star. Players must also deal with Gherkin Attacks which slow their progress. This could be by using cards such as Antimatter to make them disappear or a Rocket Pickle Jar to send them to another player to deal with. Card drafting and hand management are crucial in this light-strategy game.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $21

All-In (w/shipping): $216, includes vanity reward

Campaign Ends: 11/5

Game Ships: Mar. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 20% with 29 days to go.

Project: The Big Pig Game

Designer: Evan Gibbs

Artists: Holly Fowler

Publisher: Evan’s Games

Genre/Mechanisms: action/event, animals, card game, children’s game, cooperative game, events, hand management, humor

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “The family has left for the day. This is the perfect chance to raid the kitchen. Help Big Pig and friends eat all of the delicious food. If the family comes back before the food is eaten, they’ll surely stop the feast. Got to make it quick. Each player picks a character to play as and puts the character card in front of them. Then the team of players pick a meal based on difficulty (breakfast for easy, lunch for medium, and dinner for hard). Each meal is a different board with four foods displayed that the players must consume. Each of the foods has 16 tiles that are placed on top of them and each tile has a value. When playing the game, players will munch the foods and be able to remove a total value of tiles equal to their character’s hunger value. Each round a “bad things” card is played. These are events that make the food harder to eat either by having a one time effect or an effect that lasts the whole round. Then the players take their turns, taking one action at a time, and going clockwise. These actions can involve things like munching the food, obtaining an item card for a bonus, or playing a card. Play continues until each player has performed their four actions for the turn. Then the car moves forward one space on the game board. If the car reaches the house, the family has returned and stops the feast. All of the players lose. If the car didn’t reach the house, players play another round. If at any point the players consume all of the food tiles off of one food, they receive a bonus card that effects each player and gives them a boost. If The players consume every food tile on each of the foods on the whole board, the players immediately win the game.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $65

All-In (w/shipping): $80

Campaign Ends: 10/28

Game Ships: July 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 38% with 22 days to go.

Project: Crisis on Cardea

Designer: Lucas Sosnick

Artists: not credited

Publisher: Greene Street Games

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, deck building, drafting, hand management, pattern building, science fiction

Player Count: 2-5

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A fast-paced sequence-matching, deck-building card game taking place on planet Cardea, home to humanity’s latest colony. You and up to four other players compete by building teams of Cardeans to study, investigate, test, and eradicate the planet’s native pathogens. During the game, the players will form a Personal Deck, by drawing more cards, move Cardeans to their Team, play Action Cards, and Resolve Outbreaks. The first player to collect 10 Outbreak points, wins the game.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $33

All-In (w/shipping): $33, same as above

Campaign Ends: 11/4

Game Ships: May 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 227% with 29 days to go.

Project: Electric Empires

Designer: Darin Stewart

Artist: İfakat Gürel

Publisher: Space Beagle

Genre/Mechanisms: auction/bidding, industry/manufacturing, worker placement

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Electric Empires is an engine-building, worker placement game set in the gilded age of New York City. A unique shared reputation mechanism balances semi-cooperative strategy with cut-throat competition. Asymmetric gameplay means different power currents require different strategies and tactics providing great replayability. Electric Empires is played over the course of 10 years (rounds) each consisting of four quarters (turns). Each turn a player may take two actions: initiating a bid on a project, hiring or assigning workers, building generators, seeking financing or playing action cards. Each year (round) progress must be made on active projects, debt must be retired or interest paid and maintenance must be performed on in-play power generators. Completing projects is the main way to gain victory points. Each project represents providing power to a historic location in glided age New York City. Project contracts are acquired through bidding against competing players in terms of how much money you want to complete the project, how long it will take you and the current reputation of your electrical current AC or DC.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $86

All-In (w/shipping): $86, same as above

Campaign Ends: 11/2

Game Ships: July 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 8% with 26 days to go.

Project: Federation

Designers: Dimitri Perrier (Big Monster, The Specialists), Matthieu Verdier (Demeter, Varuna)

Artist: Miguel Coimbra (7 Wonders, 7 Wonders Duel, BattleLore, Cyclades, Small World)

Publisher: Explor8 (Big Monster, The Specialists)

Genre/Mechanisms: area majority/influence, end game bonuses, political, science fiction, variable set-up, worker placement, worker placement with different worker types

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “An interactive Eurogame with innovative double-sided worker placement mechanic. The game lasts five rounds. On your turn you will perform simple actions but you will face multiple choices with different consequences. You will need to be a seasoned strategist as much as a tactician. During all the game, you will take your opponents’ progress into account to get ahead of them. The interaction between players will make you change your plan. The first player to reach the required level of influence immediately receives the medal of honor of the Federated Planet. Then, the next players must have a higher level of influence to receive the next medals. At the end of the game, you score prestige points according to the number of medal of honors you won.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $110

All-In (w/shipping): $110, same as above

Campaign Ends: 10/30

Game Ships: Oct. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 93% with 23 days to go.

Project: Fractal: Beyond the Void

Designers: Iker Uriarte, Bernardo Rippe, Romain Lesiuk (X-ODUS: Rise of the Corruption), Yann Hilaire (X-ODUS: Rise of the Corruption)

Artist: Tom Lopez

Publisher: Boar-Game Studio

Genre/Mechanisms: 4x, action points, adventure, area movement, campaign/battle card driven, civilization, hand management, legacy game, miniatures, modular board, political, scenario/mission/campaign game, science fiction, space exploration, variable player powers, variable set-up, wargame

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: heavy

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “Redefining the 4X genre with an expansive and dynamic strategy game in an ever-changing, story-driven legacy setting. Millenia after the collapse of the Federation, the greatest empire to ever rule the galaxy, a few species are taking up to the stars again to escape their dying worlds. They all have the same goal: to rebuild their civilizations and reclaim their former glory. But there can only be one ruler. Fractal is a living, breathing world, with a story-driven legacy campaign: the Aftermath. As you play, you’ll discover a deep and rich lore spanning millennia, and featuring cosmic Gods, fallen empires and warring civilizations.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $115

All-In (w/shipping): $171

Campaign Ends: 10/26

Game Ships: Dec. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 225% with 19 days to go.

Project: Goldenstar: The Galactic Tournament (on Gamefound)

Designer: Rafał Cywicki (Alcatraz: The Tournament, Enchanters, Enchanters: Overlords)

Artist: Bartek Repetowski (Enchanters, Enchanters: Overlords)

Publisher: Gindi (Fox Matters, Liski: Ojojanie)

Genre/Mechanisms: area movement, card play conflict resolution, deck building, deck construction, miniatures, science fiction, variable player powers, variable set-up

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “An asymmetric, deck building, king-of-the-hill game that reimplements Final Fusion, the Goldenstar Tournament is an event organized by the Galactic Empress every 5 years to honor Goldenstar, her favourite buddy cop movie. Now the tournament gathers the most dangerous duos which come to fight for eternal glory and fame on arenas scattered around the galaxy. Start with a deck combined of two challengers’ unique skill sets. Become crowd favorites, dominate your opponents and level-up characters. Upgrade your arsenal in Black Market and ultimately challenge everyone in the final face-off.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $69

All-In (w/shipping): $132

Campaign Ends: 10/29

Game Ships: June 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 28% with 22 days to go.

Project: Magical Friends

Designer: Klemens Luger

Artists: Hannah Flattinger, Tran Khiet Van Ho

Publisher: Shelf Buster Games

Genre/Mechanisms: fantasy, moving multiple units, race, track movement, turn order: auction, variable set-up

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “You are one of 4 powerful wizards trying to win the Midsummer contest by bringing the most friends to the tavern over 8 rounds. Since your colleagues, the other wizards, are your biggest competitors, you’ll have to cheat your way through the competition by using magical powers to sneak in some extra friends, which the others will do. In each round, you’ll choose one of the available summon cards and summon a magical creature that will pretend to be your friend. To decide who will go first in each round, you will offer powerful artifacts to determine the turn order. Higher value artifacts will let you play and also pick a summoning card before your opponents, while lower value artifacts will provide additional options during your turn. When you choose a summon card, you can place the corresponding creature standee on the board. It also tells you how many and how far your creatures can move this turn. Each of the 40 unique creatures has its own ability and interacts differently with the other creatures. Very quickly, the board will be filled with creatures and it will be difficult to guide your friends through the different paths to the tavern. These paths are double-sided and can be combined in many different ways. But be aware, more dangerous than the paths are the creatures of your opponents. Don’t worry, if one of your friends gets slain or poisoned in all the chaos, nothing will happen to you. For every friend you lose, you’ll get pity power to speed up one of your other buddies.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $69

All-In (w/shipping): $88

Campaign Ends: 11/5

Game Ships: Sep. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 53% with 29 days to go.

Project: Mythwind

Designers: Brendan McCaskell (Last One Standing: The Battle Royale Board Game), Nathan Lige

Artists: Amanda Kadatz, Dan Wang

Publisher: OOMM (Last One Standing: The Battle Royale Board Game, No Escape)

Genre/Mechanisms: city building, cooperative game, fantasy, farming, mythology, role playing, worker placement

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A persistent-world, asymmetrical and cooperative boardgame where you become a pioneer in a whimsical fantasy world. Players take a unique role of a pioneer trying to establish a new community. Each role a player can choose in Mythwind is completely unique – one may be rooted in action-selection, the other in deck-building or worker placement – roles are 100% asymmetrical. The game relies on the passage of time and the progression of the player’s abilities and possessions to create an engaging and persistent world. Mythwind is a true open-ended game. Setup in under five minutes, and whenever you want to finish your gameplay session, pack it up without losing any of your progression. The game will live and grow as you spend more time progressing in your role and building the town.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $116

All-In (w/shipping): $168

Campaign Ends: 10/31

Game Ships: Dec. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 598% with 25 days to go.

Project: The Phantom: The Card Game – Terror in Mawitaan

Designer: Mikael Lyck (The Phantom: The Card Game)

Artist: Graham Nolan

Publisher: Mikael Lyck

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, card play conflict resolution, comic book/strip, cooperative game, hand management, solo/solitaire game

Player Count: 1-2

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “The Phantom the Card Game is an adventure game. You play alone or with a friend. You are in the world of The Phantom and can seek help from allies, using weapons and actions to support you. Players experience exciting adventures by using cunning to overcome problems and defeat enemies. Each round, players face a new problem that needs to be taken care of, but with limited resources and plays it is important to make good decisions to overcome short term obstacles, achieve the long term goal and at the same time evolve your supply of actions, items and allies. Any enemies that are not dealt with will injure you, making it hard to come back to full speed. Terror in Mawitaan includes a new Adventure with rewards, the keyword Tough, the concept of Side-Missions, new Foes, and new Allies. The terrorist Chatu “The Python” is back in Bangalla, and only you can stop him from harming innocent bystanders.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $27

All-In (w/shipping): $82

Campaign Ends: 10/30

Game Ships: May 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 228% with 23 days to go.

Project: Roll Camera! Reprint & Expansion

Designers: Malachi Ray Rempen (Itchy Feet: The Travel Game, Roll Camera!: The Filmmaking Board Game), John Velgus (Finger Guns at High Noon)

Artist: Malachi Ray Rempen (Itchy Feet: The Travel Game, Roll Camera!: The Filmmaking Board Game)

Publisher: Keen Bean Studio (Itchy Feet: The Travel Game, Roll Camera!: The Filmmaking Board Game)

Genre/Mechanisms: card drafting, communication limits, cooperative game, dice, end game bonuses, events, expansion, humor, movies/tv/radio theme, pattern building, puzzle, set collection, simulation, solo/solitaire game, square grid, variable player powers, variable set-up, victory points as a resource, worker placement with dice workers

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A cooperative or solo dice worker placement game of resource management and a central geometric puzzle representing your shooting arrangement. You throw the custom D6 Crew dice, each face representing a different production department (camera, light, sound, actor, production design, visual effects) and assign them to actions, either on the main board or on your individual player boards. Your player board features a specific head of department (Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor, Production Designer or The Star) and contains unique action spaces that can be used on your turn. Place the Crew in specific arrangements matching those on the Shot cards, resolve the constant Problems getting in your way, and hold production meetings to play Idea cards from your hand to help out. Everything costs time and money, and you lose if either one runs out. You must also ensure your film reaches a certain level of Quality in order to win! This time around you’ll have access to new roles and specialized equipment. However, your responsibility to produce at least a decent film is more demanding than ever. A last minute script insert now requires you to also fulfill the movie’s unique genre requirements. Be it Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-fi, Western… or some bizarre combination of genres. Plus things seem to be even more hectic and disorganized than ever.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $30

All-In (w/shipping): $79

Campaign Ends: 10/28

Game Ships: Oct. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 650% with 22 days to go.

Project: Terraternity

Designer: Udo Neumann

Artist: Peter Varga

Publisher: Igan Mich Games

Genre/Mechanisms: action/dexterity, auction: dexterity, card drafting, card game, educational, environmental, industry/manufacturing, solo/solitaire game (Terraternity: The Card Challenge); action/dexterity, action drafting, action points, action queue, card drafting, cooperative game, educational, environmental, trading, victory points as a resource, worker placement (Terraternity: The Energy Challenge)

Player Count: 1-6 (Terraternity: The Card Challenge); 1-4 (Terraternity: The Energy Challenge)

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Terraternity: The Card Challenge is a fast-playing strategic card game. Master a touch of dexterity and overcome the challenges of reducing CO2 with renewable energy sources. Your goal is to develop renewable power plants in various countries to make them carbon neutral. You will first need to play a country card to activate it, which lets you build renewable power plants within it but adds to its CO2 output.

In Terraternity: The Energy Challenge, you’re invited to save Terra while combating climate change in coop or competitive mode. Play the world countries and build renewable power plants to reduce fossil-based CO2. Your goal is to develop renewable power plants in various countries to make them carbon neutral. You’ll need to make sure this globe stays balanced – too many CO2 cubes, and you risk a climate disaster – while also balancing that country’s CO2 footprint. Successfully balance enough countries before time runs out or disaster strikes, and you win.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $41

All-In (w/shipping): $139

Campaign Ends: 10/31

Game Ships: Sep. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 37% with 25 days to go.

Project: Zoo King

Designer: Evan Johnson

Artists: Sublime Studio

Publisher: Saratoga Toy & Game Co.

Genre/Mechanisms: animals, card drafting, card game, events, market, push your luck, set collection, take that, video game theme

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Players compete to build the best zoos by acquiring various collections and combinations of animal, staff, and facility cards. Players hire a staff member or build a facility to start their zoo. On each turn, players draw an event and perform up to two actions to acquire new cards from the staff/facility & animals markets. Staff and facility cards provide unique one-time or ongoing benefits that help players protect or prepare their zoo for events, as well as earn money. Animals each have their own themes and types and collecting the best sets will increase your chances of winning the many awards at the end of the game. Players are awarded for their sets of cards. The first to win 3 awards is the Zoo King.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $24

All-In (w/shipping): $29

Campaign Ends: 11/4

Game Ships: May 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 160% with 28 days to go.