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

Project: Deluxe Hanafuda Deck & The 100 Torii: Diverging Paths

Designers: Eduardo Baraf (Herbaceous, The One Hundred Torii: Diverging Paths, Skulk Hollow, Sunset Over Water), Bruno Cathala (7 Wonders Duel, Cyclades, Deluxe Hanafuda Deck, Five Tribes, Kingdomino, Mission: Red Planet Second Edition), Scott Caputo (The One Hundred Torii: Diverging Paths, Sorcerer City, Whistle Mountain, Whistle Stop)

Artist: Vincent Dutrait (Jaipur, Lewis & Clark: The Expedition, The Quest for El Dorado, Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island, Roll Player)

Publisher: Pencil First Games (Herbaceous, Skulk Hollow, Sunset Over Water)

Genre/Mechanisms: abstract strategy, expansion, set collection, solo / solitaire game, tile placement

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “Your objective in this expansion for The One Hundred Torii, is the same as the normal game: earn the most journey points by expanding the garden and walking through as many torii gates as possible as you move between similar landmarks. However, playing with the shrines offers new ways to score journey points and there are two new characters to help you.

The One Hundred Torii is a tile placing game played over a series of turns. Each turn the board expands and the game ends after the last tile is drawn and each player takes one last turn. Earn the most journey points by expanding the garden and walking through as many torii gates as possible as you move between similar landmarks. Earn additional advantages and points by interacting with characters in the garden such as poets, samurai, gardeners, vendors and geishas. Maybe you will be first to visit each landmark 5 times or maybe you will interact with same character 3 times. Your journey to the most points may lead you down a different path every time.

Hanafuda are traditional Japanese playing cards that employ aesthetics, rather than numbers and suits, to configure the deck. Our deluxe edition includes 48 stunning cards and a plethora of extras that allow you to: learn how to play Koi-Koi with easy-to-follow English rules and examples; easily collect sets and points with a month and set reference for each player; discover new ways to play with 8 Koi-Koi variants & our wandering visitors variant; play Koi-Koi solo with a brand new variant designed by Bruno Cathala; and understand the details with an in-depth section about the history of Hanafuda.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $43

All-In (w/shipping): $120

Campaign Ends: 7/25

Game Ships: July 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 139% with 12 days to go.

Project: Dinoverse

Designer: Steve Ng Wen Xi (Cryptocurrency)

Artist: Trashzilla

Publishers: Capital Gains Studio (Cryptocurrency, Debtzilla)

Genre/Mechanisms: prehistoric

Player Count: 2-5

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Each player is assigned a Pack, consisting of 2 Dinosaurs, that journey alongside the Herd. The Herd is a central pool of dinosaurs that will interact with each other. Use each Dinosaur’s unique ability to manipulate the Herd to your advantage. Carnivores eat other Dinos and score from the rising body count while Herbivores grow the Herd, and earn points by defending it against the Carnivore’s onslaught. Manipulate game end events to your advantage base on the type of Dinosaurs in your pack. The player with most points, wins.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $27

All-In (w/shipping): $84

Campaign Ends: 8/4

Game Ships: Jan. 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 13% with 22 days to go.

Project: Gadget Grid

Designer: Matt Hewes

Artist: Patrick Liddell

Publisher: Patrick Liddell

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, area movement, dice, fighting, humor, movement points, science fiction, square grid

Player Count: 2-8

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Two ten-sided dice determine both the initial placements of player tokens and the placements of Gadget Cards throughout the game. Attacks remove one of three ‘Life Gizmos’ from a player. Players battle until only one person has any Life Gizmos left. During a turn, players move around the board collecting Gadget Crates. They can play Actions, spawn new Gadget cards, or move any player token that does not have Life Gizmos. At the end of their turn, they can Attack other players, removing one Life Gizmo from every target they hit. When a player is reduced to 0 Life Gizmos, they can no longer collect or use Gadget Cards, but can still move around the board and damage other players. If they manage to get to a player who still has Life Gizmos, they steal one of them and can continue gathering and playing Gadget Cards as normal. Gameplay continues until Life Gizmos have been removed from all but one player.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $42

All-In (w/shipping): $57, includes vanity reward

Campaign Ends: 8/11

Game Ships: Mar. 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 36% with 28 days to go.

Project: Goblin Goldrush

Designer: Dan Kopycienski

Artist: Matt Dixon (Call of Cthulhu: The Card Game, Warmachine Prime Mk II, Transmissions)

Publisher: Dan Kopycienski

Genre/Mechanisms: adventure, dice rolling, party game

Player Count: 2-8

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A game of tricks, traps, monsters and loot to see which goblin can escape the dungeon with the most gold. The goblins are on the loose in this frantic family board game. Simple to play and easy to learn, the kids will love this beautifully illustrated and whimsical game. The custom tile map system means every game is a unique experience.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $42

All-In (w/shipping): $62, includes a copy donated to a family in need

Campaign Ends: 8/26

Game Ships: Dec. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 15% with 43 days to go.

Project: Heartseeker

Designer: Vincent Baker

Artists: Caroline Gibbs, Her

Publisher: Vindicated Entertainment

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, fantasy, humor, matching, take that

Player Count: 2-8

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Anime dating sim turned board game. Win hearts in this easy to play board game for anime fans. The objective is to win the favor of ANY 3 Characters before any one else. To win the favor of a Character you must be the player to play the last matching Move icon onto a Character card. Actions and Favor cards mix things up by adding special effects that allows players to play more cards, switch hands, cancel other player’s cards and more.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $49

All-In (w/shipping): $49, same as above

Campaign Ends: 8/11

Game Ships: May 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 5% with 28 days to go.

Project: Hijacked

Designer: Christian van Dijk

Artist: Mihajlo Dimitrievski (Architects of the West Kingdom, Imperium: Classics, Paladins of the West Kingdom, Raiders of the North Sea, Viscounts of the West Kingdom)

Publisher: Greenest Games

Genre/Mechanisms: action / dexterity, aviation / flight, card game, cooperative game, dice, dice rolling, hidden victory points, line of sight, negotiation, open drafting, solo / solitaire game, tile placement, travel, variable set-up, worker placement, worker placement with dice workers

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “The year 2050, an emergency at the airport. A passenger plane has been hijacked by unknown hijackers. The airport has been cordoned off, the plane is surrounded by police. Efforts must be made as soon as possible to ensure that passengers are safely evacuated from the aircraft and that the hijackers are persuaded to surrender. As a negotiator, are you able to free passengers before the police team invades the plane? The game is played in different rounds in which players use two dice each round to get passenger cards or do other actions which gives them points or so called ‘demands’. Also, players build trust, so the hijackers are willing to negotiate with them. The negotiators are able to work together in order to free as many passengers as they can, but can also try and work on their own.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $57

All-In (w/shipping): $57, same as above

Campaign Ends: 8/11

Game Ships: Jan. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 173% with 28 days to go.

Project: Leviathan Wilds

Designer: Justin Kemppainen (Condottiere, Love Letter, Star Wars: Imperial Assault, Warhammer Quest: The Adventure Card Game)

Artist: Samuel R. Shimota (Fury of Dracula: Third/Fourth Edition, Mission: Red Planet Second Edition, Love Letter, Pandemic Legacy: Season 2, Star Wars: Rebellion)

Publisher: Moon Crab Games

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, action / event, adventure, card game, cooperative game, dice rolling, events, fantasy, fighting, grid coverage, grid movement, hand management, scenario / mission / campaign game, solo / solitaire game, square grid, variable player powers, video game theme

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Players will confront colossal beings, with each creature being depicted across the spread of a spiral-bound storybook that makes up the game’s board. The book also forms the basis of a connected campaign mode built around the game’s story, with each of twenty included scenarios estimated to last around 45 minutes. Tougher difficulty levels are also available for added replayability. Each character’s deck of multi-use cards is unique, allowing them to climb, jump, and glide around the board in different ways. The number of cards left in the slim deck represents their grip on the leviathan’s body; if the deck runs out, the player loses their grip and begins to fall down the board until they’re able to reach a rest space, which resets their deck. Moving onto rest spaces also provides a way to regain one’s grip without falling. Other spaces reduce a character’s health or grip or they increase blight, a status that reduces their overall hit points. The leviathan has its own deck of cards, which triggers various effects at the beginning of a player’s turn, from targeted attacks that reduce health to effects that move players between spaces or loosen their grip. As the game progresses, the leviathan gradually gains ‘rage,’ which intensifies the effect of its event cards. Players’ characters can move around a square grid overlaid on the creature’s body by spending action points — the number being determined by a card played at the start of their turn — and their remaining hand of ability cards to reach the crystals and reduce them to zero. Victory is achieved by reducing all crystals, which vary in strength, to zero.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $70

All-In (w/shipping): $70, same as above

Campaign Ends: 7/30

Game Ships: Dec. 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 67% with 16 days to go.

Project: Mantle of the Keeper

Designers: Ben Levy, Zac Rovang, Erik Smithe

Artist: Kassidy Branch

Publisher: StrongBox Games

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, card game, card play conflict resolution, chaining, fantasy, fighting, grid movement, hand management, line of sight, miniatures, multi-use cards, multiple maps, player elimination, take that, team-based game, variable player powers

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “The Keeper of Vaile has fallen and chaos has enveloped the realm. The time has come to find someone worthy to take up the Mantle of the Keeper and bring order to Vaile. The protectors of the Cosmos, known as the Ascended, have each selected their own candidates, called Chosen, to compete in the Keeper Trials. In this card-driven skirmish game, players take on the role of one of six Chosen characters to either battle head to head or on teams to become the next Keeper of Vaile. In Mantle of the Keeper, each Chosen has its own individual playstyle, deck of cards, and abilities, allowing players to leverage its Chosen’s strengths. Construct the arena to create a fierce battle experience while placing Hazard tokens to push the limits of movement and strategy. Utilize your Chosen’s distinctive skill set to unleash devastating attacks upon your foes. Counter the attacks of your rivals with powerful defenses to gain Favor, which can be spent to upgrade your Chosen and use your unique abilities.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $59

All-In (w/shipping): $70

Campaign Ends: 8/6

Game Ships: July 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 63% with 23 days to go.

Project: Moon

Designer: Haakon Gaarder (Streets, Villagers)

Artist: Haakon Gaarder (Streets, Villagers)

Publisher: Sinister Fish Games (Great Scott!, Streets, Villagers)

Genre/Mechanisms: closed drafting, end game bonuses, hand management, science fiction, space exploration, worker placement

Player Count: 1-5

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “Moon depicts an almost plausible rush to construct lunar bases that are attractive places to live and work for the people of Earth. The most prestigious base will become the new lunar capital. The game employs the familiar ‘pick & pass’ or ‘hand drafting’ mechanism for players to select a new structure cards to add to their base. Each hand of cards represents a convoy of experts and equipment travelling between the players’ outposts, giving the player the choice of one new construction each turn. In a new twist on the genre, each hand always contains one of a number of ‘Expedition’ cards that grant a special free action every turn before passing on to the next player. Wooden lunar rover tokens are a neutral resource that add a worker placement element to the game. They are also used to break ties and so must be used with care. Over the three distinct eras of the game, players compete for majority in 5 aspects of their bases: housing, transportation, science, industry, and food production. At the end of each era, the leader in each of these areas as determined by flag icons on their constructed buildings, collects bonus victory points. Each game also features a number of randomly selected ‘Reputation’ cards which provide one-time or ongoing bonuses for the player who meets the requirement and claims the card. Moon is the third game of a loose trilogy, preceeded by Villagers and Streets.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $50

All-In (w/shipping): $87

Campaign Ends: 8/2

Game Ships: June 2023

Funding Status: Funding; currently at 626% with 19 days to go.

Project: Sunshine City

Designer: Peter C. Hayward (The Lady and the Tiger, That Time You Killed Me, Village Pillage)

Artist: Jon Merchant (Adventure Tactics: Domianne’s Tower, Squire for Hire, Squire for Hire: Mystic Runes)

Publisher: Coffeebean Games

Genre/Mechanisms: city building, dice rolling, industry / manufacturing, paper-and-pencil, race, roll /spin and move, roll-and-write, science fiction, worker placement with different worker types

Player Count: 1-100

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: low

Summary: “A roll-and-write-and-move for any number of players. Each turn, roll 2 dice: all players move one of their three workers (builder, inventor, or lobbyist) based on the lower die roll, then a different worker based on the higher die roll, gaining resources in whichever of your city’s seven districts they land in. Builders spend resources increasing your city’s production. Inventors spend them on special abilities. Lobbyists gain support for projects, which give access to powerful one-off powers. The first player to build seven solar farms in their city is the winner.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $5

All-In (w/shipping): $12

Campaign Ends: 8/12

Game Ships: Aug. 2022

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 5,902% with 29 days to go.

Project: Taverns & Dragons

Designer: Quentin Vernet (The Last Bottle of Rum), Marc Vernet

Artists: Nastya Lehn (Gates of Mara, Last Bastion, Quetzal), Baptiste Michard (The Last Bottle of Rum)

Publisher: Lord Raccoon Games (The Last Bottle of Rum)

Genre/Mechanisms: adventure, card game, dice, dice rolling, different dice movement, fantasy, medieval, movement points, pick-up and deliver, push your luck, roll / spin and move, take that, turn order: auction, worker placement with dice workers

Player Count: 2-5

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Taverns & Dragons combines dice placement mechanics with worker movement, in an adventure game full of heroes and dragons. At the beginning of each round, players roll their dice. Then, each player will play one dice, either to move a minion, get ressources or cook a recipe. Your minions may also collect ingredients, visit locations to get bonuses and engage in a risky (but rewarding) dragon hunt. Valiant heroes are waiting on the marketplace, willing to offer their skills in exchange for a few shiny coins. To win the game, you must have the highest prestige points at the end of the game. These points are earned by cooking recipes, completing missions, engaging heroes and hunting dragons.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $58

All-In (w/shipping): $58, same as above

Campaign Ends: 8/4

Game Ships: May 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 146% with 21 days to go.