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

Project: Escape From Stalingrad Z

Designers: Tom Frank, Wes Johnson, Marco Pecota (Inferno, Legions of Steel)

Artists: Augustina Elizondo, Nat Jones (Strange Aeons)

Publisher: Raybox Games (Legions of Steel)

Genre/Mechanisms: cooperative game, dice rolling, narrative choice / paragraph, scenario / mission / campaign game, square grid, world war II, zombies

Player Count: 1-3

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A solo/coop campaign game of tactical combat set in the horrific zombie plague of World War Two. The year is 1942 and the city is Stalingrad. Your survivors are veteran soldiers fighting to stave off the zombie hordes in a war-torn wasteland while finding a way to escape from the decimated city. They must work together to find the best path, each scenario giving them options on which way to go next. The player’s choices determine the fate of their heroes. The game plays out over a series of linked scenarios that form a campaign. Each previous scenario in the Campaign will affect the start of the next, creating an ongoing story.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $51

All-In (w/shipping): $494

Campaign Ends: 5/2

Game Ships: Nov. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 292% with 19 days to go.

Project: For Northwood!

Designer: Wilhelm Su (The Everdeck)

Artist: Wilhelm Su

Publisher: Side Room Games (Black Sonata, Maquis, Orchard)

Genre/Mechanisms: animals, card game, fantasy, hand management, predictive bid, print & play, solo / solitaire game, trick-taking

Player Count: 1

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “Winner of Best Overall Game and Jury Prize in the 2021 BGG 54-card contest. Also winner of Best Art, Best Solo Game, and Best New Designer. For Northwood! is a solo hand management and precision trick-taking game. Your objective is to peacefully unify the kingdom of Northwood through conversations with their rulers. Over eight rounds, you must visit eight animal fiefs and engage their rulers in dialogue (tricks). Each ruler’s suit represents the trump for that fief. Each ruler also requires you to win an exact number of tricks to join your alliance, so the game gets harder as your options dwindle. You start with four allies, each with an ability that you can use once per visit. These abilities can make you draw, discard, or otherwise manipulate your hand to help you hit the target score. Once you’ve won a ruler over, you can pull them in to substitute temporarily for one of your allies, if you need a more specific set of abilities to tackle the harder fiefs. With three difficulty levels and 24 rulers (12 used per game), For Northwood! offers a lot of ability combinations and a new puzzle every time.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $20

All-In (w/shipping): $30

Campaign Ends: 4/30

Game Ships: Nov. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 474% with 18 days to go.