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

Project: Channel WON

Designers: Austin Foss (CULTivate), Jenna Radtke (CULTivate), Jake Sells (CULTivate)

Artist: Danny Kvale (CULTivate)

Publisher: Pops & Bejou Games (CULTivate)

Genre/Mechanisms: action drafting, card game, hand management, humor, movies / TV / radio theme, open drafting, semi-cooperative game, variable set-up

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A semi-cooperative card game played over three rounds, Morning, Evening, and Nightly news. In each round, players will collect cards needed to report on leads revealed to them by the station head. Players will need to work together to add location visits and sources to each lead in the day’s lineups in order to report stories, but once a story is locked in for editing, only players who helped contribute to it receive credit. Build up your reputation while discrediting your opponents, but be careful. If any lead goes unreported or a story is inaccurate, the network ratings will fall. Fall below a one star rating and Channel WON becomes Channel None and you all lose. Earn the most points after three rounds and you will be labeled the newest anchor for Channel WON. Resort to anything to report everything.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $34

All-In (w/shipping): $75

Campaign Ends: 7/17

Game Ships: Feb. 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 53% with 25 days to go.

Project: Cyberpunk 2077: Gangs of Night City – The Board Game

Designers: Andrea Chiarvesio (Hyperborea, Kingsburg, Kingsburg Second Edition, Marvel United, Signorie), Eric M. Lang (Arcadia Quest, Blood Rage, Chaos in the Old World, Cthulhu: Death May Die, Rising Sun), Alexio Schneeberger, Francesco Rugerfred Sedda (Marvel United: X-Men)

Artists: not credited

Publisher: CMON Global Limited (Arcadia Quest, Blood Rage, Cthulhu: Death May Die, Rising Sun, Zombicide: Black Plague)

Genre/Mechanisms: area majority / influence, fighting, miniatures, science fiction, video game theme, variable player powers

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “A big box strategy game with miniatures in which gangs fight for control of a city, with the city also being a living part of the game. In the game, players assume the role of a gang leader, with you organizing your gang members to take power in the city. Your actions affect not only your game and your opponents but the city itself. Each gang has different attributes and goals, giving each player a different gaming experience.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $170

All-In (w/shipping): $170, same as above

Campaign Ends: 7/6

Game Ships: July 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 262% with 14 days to go.

Project: Death in the Trenches

Designers: Wes Erni (Absolute Victory: World Conflict 1939-1945, Mound Builders, Swing States 2012), Ben Madison (The Mission: Early Christianity from the Crucifixion to the Crusades, Mound Builders, Mrs Thatcher’s War: The Falklands 1982)

Artist: Jonathan Carnehl (Don’t Tread on Me: The American Revolution Solitaire Board Game, The Mission: Early Christianity from the Crucifixion to the Crusades, Mrs Thatcher’s War: The Falklands 1982)

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

Genre/Mechanisms: area movement, chit-pull system, dice rolling, hexagon grid, movement points, simulation, wargame, world war I

Player Count: 1-2

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: heavy

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “The original edition of Death in the Trenches won the Charles S. Roberts awards for Best DTP-Produced Boardgame (Charles S. Roberts Awards) for 2005. The 2021 edition takes this WW1 classic to new heights, and features a revised and expanded combat system that preserves the charm of the original but is much more faithful to actual WWI battle numbers and provides much more detail on individual countries’ distinctive military strengths and weaknesses. Each individual battle now takes place on an off-map display that simulates a real WWI battle, each battle opening with a ‘spearhead’ force that drives into a target area.’ The system of entrenchment remains simple and easy to play, but takes into account the role of time and manpower in creating different levels of trench effectiveness. Added detail includes the Hindenburg Line, German siege guns, and the possible flight of the French government. Instability in the Balkans, and the allegiance of the Roumanian and Bulgarian governments, may lead to unexpected political reversals in Europe’s turbulent ‘backyard.’ The impact of the Russian Revolution is expanded, with several possible directions for Russia to travel including the rise of a better Czar, or even the takeover of Soviet Russia by Trotsky, which could bring Russia back into the war. The system of military reinforcements has been transformed, with greater reliance on historical unit production and manpower. Great Power support and sponsorship for minor country forces has been made a vital part of the game, and the ‘major minors’ like Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria now have their own Army Reserves which give each country a more distinctive role.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $83

All-In (w/shipping): $113

Campaign Ends: 7/3

Game Ships: Sep. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 260% with 10 days to go.

Project: Giant City

Designer: Nacho González Arribas

Artist: Rick Ruiz-Dana

Publisher: Juegorama (The Path of the Adventurers)

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, draw and discard, hand management, humor, player elimination

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “After several centuries sleeping, the giants Monta and Monty have awakened. To their surprise, the beautiful valley that they enjoyed looking at is now a big city, which has brought foul smells, pollution, and too much noise even for two angry giants. Their first visit to the big city is going to be rough. The game is divided into 2 phases: the ‘Build the City’ phase and the ‘Destroy the City’ phase. During the ‘Build the City’ phase, players will build a city by playing their city tiles to create the map for Monty and Monta to roam about. During the ‘Destroy the City’ phase, the players will take turns to move the giants and will play cards to try to destroy as many city tiles as possible. But be careful, if you forget which ones are your own player tiles, you could end up destroying them and losing points.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $31

All-In (w/shipping): $58

Campaign Ends: 7/15

Game Ships: Dec. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 96% with 22 days to go.

Project: Muskoka: The Board Game

Designer: Trent Hansen

Artist: Darrin Henein

Publisher: Canazee Games

Genre/Mechanisms: adventure, end game bonuses, hand management, network and route building, open drafting, push your luck, set collection, take that, transportation

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Discover twelve different locations of Muskoka. Adventurers will move between locations by completing journeys connected by land or lake, sometimes both. Each journey has a specified number of modes to travel by, represented by ‘explore’ cards which adventurers will need to collect. Along the way, adventurers will complete a ‘detour’ by visiting a specific location and will receive ‘wildlife’ point tokens of varying values according to the length and type of journeys completed. There is also the ‘inuksuk’ card available, allocated to the adventurer who holds the most ‘wildlife’ point tokens and worth additional points. Adventure is all about experiences, of which Muskoka has plenty to offer. Take time to acquire ‘rest & relax’ cards along the way though, as these provide adventurers with all sorts of advantages in the game. The first adventurer to: (a) complete their ‘detour,’ (b) earn all 5 categories of ‘wildlife’ point tokens (moose, bear, deer, beaver & loon), and (c) accumulate at least 25 total points in the game will be declared the ultimate adventurer of Muskoka.”

Base Pledge: $38 + shipping (with no shipping estimates provided)

All-In: $38 + shipping (with no shipping estimates provided), same as above

Campaign Ends: 7/31

Game Ships: Mar. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 186% with 38 days to go.

Project: Stardust Coffee

Designers: Bevis Chu, Leo Chan PY

Artists: Bevis Chu

Publisher: Low B Game

Genre/Mechanisms: action / event, dice, dice rolling, pick-up and deliver, space exploration

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Control a space expedition and sail your spaceships across the Galaxy. You collect different ingredients for coffee making and score by delivering the coffee back to your Starbase. Collecting Stardust and adding them to your coffee is another way to boost your Victory Points (VPs). By upgrading your spaceships, you could also speed up your collection of ingredients or Stardust. When the game goes on, the Galaxy Pirates will attack your Spaceships and rob your ingredients. By fighting back the Galaxy Pirates, you get Honor points and it will be another source of scoring. Only the player who could manage the Spaceships the best would gain most VPs to win the game.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $40

All-In (w/shipping): $45

Campaign Ends: 7/21

Game Ships: Jan. 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 51% with 28 days to go.