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

Project: Butterfly Garden Duel

Designer: Steve Finn (Biblios, Herbaceous, Sunset Over Water)

Artist: Akha Hulzebos (Biblios: Quill and Parchment, The Butterfly Garden Second Edition, Darwinning!)

Publisher: Dr. Finn’s Games (Biblios, Herbaceous, Sunset Over Water)

Genre/Mechanisms: animals, area majority / influence, print & play, set collection, turn order: auction

Player Count: 1-2

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “A 1-2 player adaptation of Butterfly Garden. It is a ‘BYOP’ game – ‘Bring Your Own Pencil’ – so it is a print and play game that requires nothing other than the print-at-home sheets plus pencils. In Butterfly Garden Duel, you compete with your opponent to spend time in the park collecting a variety of butterflies. You also need to make sure you have the right jars to hold them. Each round, players pledge to commit time to the task and the player who commits more time has their choice of which park areas to capture butterflies from and, it usually means you can capture more. But, how much time you spend one day may limit your time on another, so you must carefully choose when to spend the most time.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $20 (the first pledge level requiring physical delivery)

All-In (w/shipping): $32

Campaign Ends: 5/16

Game Ships: June 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 285% with 12 days to go.

Project: Euthia: Torment of Resurrection & Fierce Powers

Designers: Markéta Bláhová, Tadeáš Spousta

Artist: Iveta Doležalová, Jiří Dvorský, Petr Štich (18CZ, 18Lilliput)

Publisher: DIEA Games

Genre/Mechanisms: adventure, cooperative game, dice rolling, exploration, fantasy, fighting, grid movement, hand management, hexagon grid, map addition, miniatures, modular board, movement points, role playing, solo / solitaire game, variable player powers, variable set-up

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: heavy

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “An open-world sandbox RPG strategy that can be played competitively, cooperatively, or solo. Choose one of 6 heroes with different play styles and unique ability trees and embark on a wide range of epic, fantasy adventures through infinitely replayable scenarios. Wander through an expanding open world generated by modular map tiles that will be different every time you play. Discover areas where you can fight monsters, gather resources, trade with merchants, pursue side quests, and confront elemental powers. Your actions grant you reputation and wealth so you can develop your hero by unlocking new abilities and customizing your equipment.

In the Fierce Powers expansion, you will confront dark forces tormenting the land in new scenarios with unique mechanics to exploit and challenges to overcome. A new hero, Eltrea, joins the battle accompanied by her loyal pets who she controls using her powers. The expansion further enhances the variety and gameplay options of the core game with extra monsters, more modular map tiles, an additional type of elementals, and new abilities for each of the 6 core game heroes.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $90

All-In (w/shipping): $368 (although there are additional add-ons not included in the highest pledge level)

Campaign Ends: 5/19

Game Ships: Aug. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 453% with 15 days to go.

Project: Pirates Dragons Treasure

Designers: Caleb Bieranowski, Luke Plikaitis

Artist: Gabriel Mastracci

Publisher: Luke Plikaitis

Genre/Mechanisms: bribery, card game, deck building, fantasy, hand management, humor, pirates, singing, trading

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Take on the role of a Pirate Captain. Pirates like you have sailed these seas for generations — plundering their waters, creating treasure hoards that rival the riches of kings. Indeed, times have been good for you swashbucklers, but times are about to change. Where you find gold, sure you’ll find pirates, but you’ll also find… DRAGONS! The scourge of the land, sea, and sky have invaded your world and aim to steal your treasure. Players take turns building their drawing cards and using treasure to purchase crews and ship upgrades. Once ready, players challenge the dragon that torments the group, and the player who defeats the beast first wins the game.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $40

All-In (w/shipping): $85

Campaign Ends: 6/1

Game Ships: Nov. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 288% with 28 days to go.