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

Project: Catacombs Cubes

Designers: Ken Valles, Aron West (Catacombs, Catacombs 3rd Edition, Catacombs & Castles)

Artist: Denys Martynets (10 Minute Heist: The Wizard’s Tower, Divinity Derby, Imperial Settlers: Roll & Write)

Publisher: Elzra Games (Catacombs, Catacombs 3rd Edition, Catacombs & Castles)

Genre/Mechanisms: city building, modular board, pattern building, pattern recognition, tile building

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: low

Summary: A stand-alone, Tetris-like city-builder and cube placement game set in the Catacombs universe.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $96

All-In (w/shipping): $96, same as above

Campaign Ends: 9/5

Game Ships: May 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 21%, with 14 days to go.

Project: Free Market: NYC

Designer: Izik Nevo (Heropath: Dragon Roar)

Artist: Izik Nevo (Heropath: Dragon Roar)

Publisher: Unique Board Games Ltd. (Heropath: Dragon Roar)

Genre/Mechanisms: action/movement programming, area control, auction/bidding, card drafting, commodity speculation, dice rolling, economic, pattern recognition, political, stock holding, variable player powers, worker placement

Player Count: 2-5

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: high

Summary: A stock holding & trading game with worker placement mechanics set in NYC in the mid-1930’s as America struggles to squeeze its way out of the Great Depression.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $52

All-In (w/shipping): $70

Campaign Ends: 9/5

Game Ships: Dec. 2019

Funding Status: Currently at 50%, with 14 days to go.

Project: Half Truth

Designers: Richard Garfield (Android: Netrunner, Bunny Kingdom, KeyForge: Call of the Archons, King of New York, King of Tokyo, Magic: The Gathering, Netrunner, RoboRally), Ken Jennings

Artist: Ian O’Toole (Age of Steam, Clinic: Deluxe Edition, Black Angel, CO2: Second Chance, Escape Plan, The Gallerist, Lisboa, Nemo’s War 2nd Edition, Stockpile, Vinhos Deluxe Edition)

Publisher: Studio71 (The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls, Shady Agents)

Genre/Mechanisms: party game, trivia

Player Count: 4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: With the assistance of 74-time Jeopardy winner Ken Jennings, and with sublime art design from Ian O’Toole, Magic: The Gathering designer Richard Garfield has crafted perhaps the most well-considered and best-looking trivia game you’ll ever see.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $25

All-In (w/shipping): $1,000, includes vanity rewards

Campaign Ends: 9/19

Game Ships: Dec. 2019

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 455%, with 28 days to go.

Project: Honesty Stone

Designer: Mitsuo Yamamoto (ACTOP: Action Construct of Philospher, Tower of King’s Valley, Moon-Sun Angel)

Artist: Mitsuo Yamamoto (ACTOP: Action Construct of Philospher, Tower of King’s Valley, Moon-Sun Angel)

Publisher: Logy Games (ACTOP: Action Construct of Philospher, Tower of King’s Valley, Moon-Sun Angel)

Genre/Mechanisms: abstract, bluffing, press-your-luck

Player Count: 2-5

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: He may not have the zeitgeist behind him like Jordan Draper does, but with over 50 games and 25 years as a micro-indie board game designer, Mitsuo Yamamoto keeps on keeping on, and his latest abstract game diverges a bit into the realm of bluffing and press-your-luck.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $13

All-In (w/shipping): $31

Campaign Ends: 9/2

Game Ships: Nov. 2019

Funding Status: Currently at 57%, with 11 days to go.

Project: Merchants Cove

Designer: Carl Van Ostrand (Kapos!, Ophidian 2350)

Artist: Mihajlo “The Mico” Dimitrievski (Architects of the West Kingdom, Raiders of the North Sea, Valeria: Card Kingdoms, Villages of Valeria)

Publisher: Final Frontier Games (Cavern Tavern Rise to Nobility, Robin Hood and the Merry Men)

Genre/Mechanisms: commodity speculation, dice rolling, economic, miniatures, rondel, tile placement, time track, variable player powers, worker placement

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: medium-low

Summary: Like Root and Vast, Merchants Cove incorporates asymmetrical mechanics for each player as they compete to satisfy the needs of a variety of adventurers as they constantly sail into town.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $79

All-In (w/shipping): $110

Campaign Ends: 9/21

Game Ships: Feb. 2020

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 427%, with 20 days to go.

Project: Tentacle Town

Designers: Aaron Dill (Firefly: The Game, Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem, Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery, Star Trek: Ascendancy), John Kovaleski (Firefly: The Game, Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem, Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery, Star Trek: Ascendancy)

Artist: Robert Schilling

Publisher: Monster Fight Club

Genre/Mechanisms: economic, worker placement

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: Build buildings, kill tentacles, and complete tasks in your race against the other players to become Mayor, as you simultaneously defend your seaside town against a tentacle invasion!

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $59

All-In (w/shipping): $500, includes vanity rewards

Campaign Ends: 9/10

Game Ships: May 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 80%, with 19 days to go.