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

Project: Crossroads Inn: The Innkeepers’ Creed

Designers: Piotr Milewski (Babelo, Boom Boom, Prison Run)

Artists: not credited

Publisher: Klabater

Genre/Mechanisms: economic, fantasy, humor, income, medieval, square grid, territory building, tile placement, turn order: pass order, variable set-up, video game theme

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A fantasy engine-building strategy board game where you embody an innkeeper struggling to grow your tavern and attract customers from all over the world. In the meantime, monarchs from the medieval kingdom of Yorevale are dying in mysterious circumstances and their illegitimate heirs are competing with each other for influence and power. Furnish, hire staff, and cook exquisite meals to satisfy guests from various social groups. Anticipate and block the actions of your rival Players, fellow innkeepers – in the end, there can only be one winner to rule them all.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $62

All-In (w/shipping): $121

Campaign Ends: 6/25

Game Ships: June 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 82% with 28 days to go.

Project: Hacktivity

Designer: Stéphane Vachon (Planetarium)

Artist: Alice Malvisi

Publisher: Acolyte Cooperative Board Games

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, communication limits, cooperative game, hand management, push your luck, scenario / mission / campaign game, science fiction

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A cooperative story-driven campaign card game. Immerse yourself as one of the four unique characters. Each turn, draw cards from your character deck and/or the virus deck. Your first goal is to use up all the cards from the virus deck. Play a virus card on the Antivirus Interface to paralyse it. Then, play character cards to attack and deactivate the virus. You will be able to attack the quantum generator as well or restore your Firewall. Be careful to not generate too much interference. Maintain strong communications among your teammates to implement the optimal strategy. Everyone can participate in each scenario in this inclusively designed card game. Follow the storyline of the campaign in the Scenarios Booklet. Open new sealed decks to reveal new cards and unlock new abilities.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $38

All-In (w/shipping): $98

Campaign Ends: 6/16

Game Ships: Feb. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 112% with 20 days to go.

Project: Paper Wars 101: Case Geld

Designer: Ty Bomba (Drive on Stalingrad Second Edition, Proud Monster: The Barbarossa Campaign, Proud Monster Deluxe)

Artist: Paul Stuhlfaut (Admiral’s War: World War II at Sea, Atlantic Wolves)

Publisher: Compass Games (Crusade and Revolution: The Spanish Civil War, 1936 – 1939; Enemy Action: Ardennes; The Russian Campaign)

Genre/Mechanisms: dice rolling, fantasy, hexagon grid, multiple maps, ratio / combat results table, wargame

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “This two-player (solitaire adaptable) alternative history mini monster has two mapsheets and one counter-sheet to cover the bicoastal invasion of North America by the Japanese and Germans (who have already conquered the rest of the world) at the army/corps level and 50 miles per hex. Command is split-sided. The player running the defense of the US west coast against the Japanese invasion there is also running the German east coast invasion, and the player running the US east coast defense against the German invasion there is also running the Japanese west coast invasion. Victory is possible by each of those four commands. Low-intermediate complexity.’

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $50

All-In (w/shipping): $85, includes 3 additional games

Campaign Ends: 6/1

Game Ships: June 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 650% with 4 days to go.