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

Project: Cholas

Designer: Madhu Sundar

Artists: Neha Pradhan, Darshini Sundar

Publisher: Mad4Fun Games

Genre/Mechanisms: abstract strategy, pattern building, puzzle, set collection, tile placement

Player Count: 1-5

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “You are a sculptor who must prove to be the best. After his recent victory in the war against the Pandyas, their arch rival, the Chola King decides to build a temple tower as a mark of his victory. The King, whose dynasty built thousands of temples in South India, invites sculptors from across his empire to help build the temple tower. Each sculptor is expected to bring stones from their region to build the temple together with other sculptors. The sculptors are expected to use all stones available to build. The King also sets the reward objectives for every stone and sculpture placed on the temple tower. The sculptor can gain rewards incrementally when placing stones of other sculptors on the temple structure. When placing their own stones, the sculptor does get any reward points. But the sculptor does get points for pattern(s) created on the temple structure using their stone. Hence the objective for the sculptors would be to focus on building the temple structure with as many stones possible and creating patterns using their stone. It is important for the sculptor to ensure patterns are not created with stones of other sculptors. The game ends when the temple tower is completely built with stones and sculptures or when a sculptor is unable to perform any of the possible actions. The sculptor with most reward points is declared as the winner or the best.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $72

All-In (w/shipping): $72, same as above

Campaign Ends: 9/30

Game Ships: Dec. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 38% with 13 days to go.

Project: Myth Wars: Battle for Midia

Designer: Tyler Breinholt

Artist: David Dean (Ogre Bash, WARS Trading Card Game)

Publisher: Blitz Gaming

Genre/Mechanisms: dice rolling, line of sight, measured movement, moving multiple units, player elimination, real-time, wargame

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Featuring army building, a real-time move phase, simultaneous player turns, dice rolling, and beautiful, myth-based art with destructive and action packed gameplay. In Myth Wars: Battle for Midia, players build their own armies, then team up or engage in free-for-all combat, moving their units during the move phase, then rolling and assigning dice during the attack phase. The goal: destroy all opposing creatures. The last player or team standing wins the battle. The game features double sided tokens for army building. Each side of the tokens (and their cards) features unique colors including the character art and as well as the token’s border. This means that with two copies of the game, the player cap goes from 4 to 8, as each player is able to uniquely identify their own characters in their army. The real-time move phase in conjunction with the thoughtful attack phase creates great pacing, as players jump back and forth between quick bursts of action, then thoughtful strategy and decision-making.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $62

All-In (w/shipping): $156

Campaign Ends: 10/18

Game Ships: Nov. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 10% with 31 days to go.

Project: Song of Tales

Designer: Glenn Ford (Gaslands: Post-Apocalyptic Vehicular Combat, SSO)

Artists: Sean Donnan, Līga Kļaviņa, Obaseun Ogunkeye, Dawn Williams

Publisher: Man O’ Kent Games (SSO)

Genre/Mechanisms: book, children’s game, communication limits, educational, fantasy, finale ending, humor, memory, mythology, print & play, push your luck, semi-cooperative game, set collection, solo / solitaire game, storytelling, word game

Player Count: 1-8

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A game of collaborative and competitive storytelling. Players select a character from world folk tales to play as and then lay out a series of story fragments. They have to tell a story to tie the fragments together into a single coherent whole, using the style of their chosen character to do so. Other players can bid to join in with the story-teller’s tale, extending the story and earning points for both teller and listener. Each story is scored, and at the end of the game, the player with the highest score wins.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $52

All-In: $127 + shipping (with no shipping estimates provided)

Campaign Ends: 10/15

Game Ships: July 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 6% with 28 days to go.

Project: WARFARE – Modern Tactical Combat

Designers: Carlo Amaddeo (Legend: History of 1000 Miglia, We Were Brothers, Winged Victory), Paolo Ciarlo

Artists: Donia Al Khatib, Carlo Amaddeo (Legend: History of 1000 Miglia, Triad, Winged Victory)

Publisher: WBS Games (Legend: History of 1000 Miglia, Triad, Winged Victory)

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, die icon resolution, grid movement, modular board, resource to move, roles with asymmetric information, scenario / mission / campaign game, solo / solitaire game, time track, variable phase order, variable player powers, variable set-up

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A game that will introduce you to modern warfare in urban and rural areas. Learn to use the deadly weapons your teams have at their disposal to achieve their objectives (clearing an area from hostiles, saving civilians, conquering or holding key points). Lots of different units (anti-tank, SAM, machinegun teams, engineers, riflemen, special operation teams, helicopters, tanks and other vehicles), markers (mines, IED, civilians, mob, roadblocks), support assets (planes, snipers, mortars, artillery) and various nationalities (US/USMC, Russian Federation, UK, Italy and insurgents). A ‘learn-by-playing’ booklet will help you to learn rules and apply them step by step in scenarios of growing complexity. Not only does the game provide historical scenarios set in Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan and Syria, but its mini-maps can be combined freely to build any kind of scenario a player wishes.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $91

All-In (w/shipping): $91, same as above

Campaign Ends: 10/8

Game Ships: May 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 382% with 21 days to go.