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

Project: 14 Frantic Minutes

Designers: Sylvain Plante, Joe Slack (King of Indecision, Kingdom’s Monsters, Relics of Rajavihara)

Artist: Tristam Rossin (Brick & Mortar, Cosmic Colonies, Tranquility)

Publisher: Crazy Like a Box (Relics of Rajavihara)

Genre/Mechanisms: cooperative game, move through deck, puzzle, real-time

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “You’ve been working as an engineer for a brilliant but very eccentric scientist and you’ve just discovered that the project you’ve been working on is not the climate change solution it was touted to be. It’s a Doomsday device. You rush to tell your fellow engineers. They see your evidence and everyone agrees this could only mean one thing. Now you all have to escape his high-tech lab by working together and using your contributions to the project, so that you can tell others before it’s too late. Suddenly, you hear the sounds of someone heading your way. It’s him. Frantically you each grab the circuitry you were working on and rush for the door. An announcement comes from overhead. ‘Fourteen minutes ‘til lockdown.’ You’ve got to get out, and fast. Players work together by flipping, turning, rotating, and placing polyomino shaped circuit pieces to complete connections in each room to get one step closer to escape and then complete the tricky final circuit before you’re caught and run out of time. Hurry up! The clock is ticking! 14 Frantic Minutes is a real-time cooperative game. You all win or lose together.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $39

All-In (w/shipping): $39, same as above

Campaign Ends: 11/4

Game Ships: Jan. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 283% with 26 days to go.

Project: 7th Sea: City of Five Sails Expandable Card Game

Designers: David Lapp, Case Lopez

Artists: various

Publisher: Pine Box Entertainment

Genre/Mechanisms: area majority / influence, card game, city building, collectible components, deck construction, hand management, pirates, push your luck, variable player powers

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: heavy

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “An expandable card game set in the swashbuckling world of the 7th Sea roleplaying game by John and Jennifer Wick. Players control one of five factions as they fight to influence, control, and explore the independent and unruly city of Five Sails. It is typically played with two players, but multiplayer variants will allow more players to get into the game. During the game, each player represents a leader who, along with their allies, explore locations and fight both with swords and with wits for overall influence over the city. Along with each player’s individual deck, 7th Sea: City of Five Sails also includes an element of randomness in the form of a separate, shared deck that represents the city itself with unusual characters, items, and events that change the focus of the game. Combat is resolved in a unique ‘back and forth’ style reminiscent of challenging swordplay.”

Base Pledge: $50 + shipping (with no shipping estimates provided)

All-In: $755+ shipping (with no shipping estimates provided)

Campaign Ends: 11/4

Game Ships: Aug. 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 88% with 23 days to go.

Project: Cool Cool Cool

Designers: Keith Baker (Cthulhu Gloom, Gloom, Illimat), Jennifer Ellis (Action Cats!, The Adventure Zone: Bureau of Balance Game, Illimat)

Artist: Mackenzie Schubert (Inhuman Condition, Letter Tycoon, Secret Hitler)

Publisher: Twogether Studios (Action Cats!, The Adventure Zone: Bureau of Balance Game, Illimat)

Genre/Mechanisms: action / dexterity, card game, real-time

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Cool Cool Cool expands on the classic slap game genre with rule combinations that can change each time you play.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $22

All-In (w/shipping): $32

Campaign Ends: 10/28

Game Ships: Feb. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 119% with 16 days to go.

Project: Deep Madness: Madness Reborn and Reprint

Designer: Phil Blake, Chauncey, Roger Ho (Dawn of Madness, Deep Madness)

Artist: not credited (for the new Madness Reborn expansion)

Publisher: Diemension Games (Dawn of Madness, Deep Madness, Twisted Fables)

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, adventure, cooperative game, dice rolling, dungeon crawler, fighting, games with solitaire rules, hand management, horror, miniatures, modular board, science fiction, variable player powers

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: heavy

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “A fully cooperative board game with detailed miniatures depicting a sci-fi horror world inspired by Lovecraft’s work and the Alien series. In the game, players assume the roles of investigators, venturing into the seemingly empty yet perilous deep sea mining site to find out the truth behind the lost contact event. Unimaginable horror and madness from the dark fear within is waiting. Deep Madness is based on multiple scenarios from a continuous storyline. Each scenario has its own unique board setup, rules, special effects, and goals. From resolving fatal crises to struggling with overwhelming bosses, the investigators will face various quests filled with strategical decisions and fierce combat. With each scenario achieved, they are one step closer to the truth, but also one step deeper into the world of madness. Each scenario of the game plays in a limited number of game rounds, if the investigators fail to achieve the goals before the last round ends, the game is lost and everyone is consumed. Each game round consists of 4 phases: Devour, Spawn, Activation, and Refresh Phase. Investigators battle the horrific monsters, survive the harsh crises, and above all, save their own minds from the devouring of madness. They are given many chances to consume their own sanity, to activate their abilities, to use the effects of items, to reroll the dice, etc. However, they are vulnerable when the sanity is low. After an investigator with insanity tokens manages to kill a monster, the monster will corrupt his/her mind, by permanently flipping the insanity tokens into madness tokens. As the madness tokens cumulate, horror haunts the investigator by resolving Madness Cards, and each of them has unique negative effect and terrifying flavor text.

The new expansion, Madness Reborn, features 7 fan-crafted scenarios designed by Deep Madness superfan Phil Blake; 20 oversized, highly detailed miniatures; and newly refreshed monster cards in one big box.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $110

All-In (w/shipping): $449

Campaign Ends: 10/25

Game Ships: Aug. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 188% with 13 days to go.

Project: DVG – Eagle Leader & Fulcrum Leader

Designers: Philip S. Bolger-Cortez, Benjamin Chee, Doug Glover

Artists: not credited

Publisher: Dan Verssen Games (Pavlov’s House, Thunderbolt Apache Leader, Warfighter: The Tactical Special Forces Card Game)

Genre/Mechanisms: campaign / battle card driven, chit pull system, simulation, solo / solitaire game, team-based game, wargame, wargame with solitaire rules

Player Count: 1

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “Eagle Leader is a solitaire air tactical game which depicts NATO’s air war in a series of hypothetical Cold War Gone Hot scenarios. The game covers the late Cold War, from 1976 (the introduction year of the Eagle) to 1991, with featured aircraft including the F-15C Eagle, the F-15E Strike Eagle, the F-111 Aardvark, the EF-111 Raven, and the F-16 Viper. Eagle Leader focuses on force packaging– the selection of the right aircraft and the right munitions will make the difference between success and failure for your squadron. You will be asked to make decisions that NATO Air Planners would’ve had to consider in the real world. This game adds new aspects to the Leader series such as electronic warfare aircraft, US and NATO-specific skills, and an expanded ‘Squadron Operations’ module for Leader players looking for the most detailed experience.

Fulcrum Leader is a solitaire tactical game which depicts the conventional Soviet air campaign against NATO in Europe during the Cold War era. The game covers the crucial decades from 1970s to 1990s as opposing forces faced each other down in a game of nuclear brinkmanship, with featured aircraft including the MiG-29 Fulcrum, MiG-23/27 Flogger, MiG-21 Fishbed, MiG-25 Foxbat, Su-27 Flanker, Su-24 Fencer and Su-17 Fitter. In Fulcrum Leader, you need to select the right combination of aircraft in your regiment in order to successfully carry out the different missions which your pilots will execute. You will be faced with the same type of decision making and risk-taking experienced by Soviet air regimental commanders. This game adds new aspects of Soviet air operations such as enhanced radio-electric combat, ground controlled intercepts (GCI), and the ever present political officer watching over your shoulders, the Zampolit. You will need to manage the capability of your pilots, weigh the advantages and disadvantages of your aircraft, use your zampolit to manage your superiors, and avoid the ignoble fate of being sent off to a re-education facility in Kamchatka.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $45

All-In (w/shipping): $450

Campaign Ends: 11/2

Game Ships: June 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 218% with 20 days to go.

Project: Roll to the Top, Pollen, and Big Top

Designers: John Brieger (Cartographers Heroes, Chrono Corsairs, The Refuge: Terror From the Deep, Roll to the Top: Journeys), Peter Joustra (Beasty Borders, Exhibition: 20th Century, Roll to the Top!, Roll to the Top: Journeys), Reiner Knizia (Modern Art, My City, Pollen, The Quest for El Dorado, Ra, Tigris & Euphrates), Corné van Moorsel (Factory Fun, Habitats, Nova Luna, Roll to the Top: Journeys), Taiki Shinzawa (American Bookshop, Big Top, Ghosts of Christmas, Maskmen)

Artists: Mihajlo Dimitrievski (Architects of the West Kingdom, Big Top, Imperium: Classics, Paladins of the West Kingdom, Raiders of the North Sea, Viscounts of the West Kingdom) Beth Sobel (Cascadia, Calico, Pollen, Viticulture, Viticulture Essential Edition, Wingspan), Horia Tundrea (Roll to the Top: Journeys)

Publisher: BoardGameTables.com (Habits, On Tour, QE)

Genre/Mechanisms: auction / bidding, card game, circus (Big Top); gardening, insects, nature, tile placement (Pollen); bingo, dice, dice rolling, paper-and-pencil, race (Roll to the Top: Journeys)

Player Count: 3-4 (Big Top); 2-4 (Pollen); 1-6 (Roll to the Top: Journeys)

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “In the fast-paced auction game Big Top (reimplementing Suroboruos), you’ll bid on show stopping acts to draw crowds to your circus, but beware – each winning bid will make your competition that much richer. Even the attractions you’ve already won will affect bids in future auctions. Each attraction card lists a number – bid that amount in any auction to place a coin on that card and gain the points. That means you don’t need to win an auction – or even want to win it – to benefit from bidding. In this competitive world of circuses, you’ll have to keep a close eye not just on your winnings, but on all of your opponents’ bids.

Create a lush garden of beautiful blooms in order to attract helpful pollinators to their favorite flowers in this abstract tile laying game Pollen (reimplementing Samurai: The Card Game). Place a garden card next to at least one pollinator token to plant flowers. Form a line with a garden card in another player’s color, draw a pollinator token and place it next to the newly created line. When a pollinator token is encircled by flowers, it’s attracted to that player’s garden. Add up the values on flower cards that match the pollinator. When any type of scoring token runs out, all pollinator tokens have been placed, or all players have run out of garden cards, the game ends and it’s time to score.

Take on the role of a young woman going on a once-in-a-lifetime journey around the world in Roll to the Top: Journeys (reimplementing Roll to the Top!). Travel to incredible landmarks all over the globe – from the Pyramid of Giza to the Matterhorn. Follow the young artist’s journey through her postcards, sent back home to her family to recount the details of her trip. Try to be the first player to fill in enough boxes to make it to the top of the landmark in this roll-and-write. All players will pull from the same pool of numbers rolled on the active dice, using the values to make their way up from the bottom to the top of each landmark. Numbers must increase as you climb, so combine the values carefully. Each location card brings a series of unique rules, mixing up play and adding to the challenge. At the end of each round, use the action die to change the dice pool and continue your race to the top. Featuring many of the classic Roll to the Top landmarks, this new edition provides new-and-improved game mechanics plus all-new illustrations by artist Horia Tundrea.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $23

All-In (w/shipping): $173

Campaign Ends: 11/3

Game Ships: May 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 312% with 22 days to go.

Project: So Ded

Designer: Calvin Nelson

Artists: Calvin Nelson

Publisher: Lone Knight Games

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, deck building, humor, mafia, party game, player elimination

Player Count: 2-24

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A fast-paced game of survival. The world has ended by gene slicing bees with humans. Or maybe it’s zombies or something else. On top of that, everyone left alive is out to get you. With random maps, weapons, armor, supplies and other unique gear, you will collect as much loot as you can while fighting anyone that gets in your way. Unique deck building: start with a few knives, leather vests, supplies and the ability to Hide. Gain more powerful equipment by visiting locations, but you can also get loot from any opponent’s deck when you defeat them. People will be eliminated at a fast pace. Only one will survive. If you pull out a victory in this game, you should be praised in all of it’s glory, as it will be rare indeed.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $24

All-In (w/shipping): $32

Campaign Ends: 10/23

Game Ships: May 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 39% with 11 days to go.

Project: Wander: LaCluck’s Revenge

Designer: Jonathan Phillips-Bradford (Ghostbusters x Men in Black: Ecto-terrestrial invasion, Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels, Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay)

Artists: Jose David Lanza Cebrian (Champions of Midgard, Hellboy: The Board Game, Rum & Bones: Second Tide), Heath Foley (Deadzone, Deadzone Second Edition, Kings of War)

Publisher: Panda Cult Games (Ghostbusters x Men in Black: Ecto-terrestrial invasion, Shovel Knight: Dungeon Duels, Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay)

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, adventure, anthropomorphic animals, cooperative game, dice rolling, dungeon crawler, fantasy, miniatures, modular board, nautical, pirates, solo / solitaire game

Player Count: 1-5

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “The second game in the Wander series. A fully cooperative, campaign-driven, miniatures board game. The Cult of Barnacle Bay was meddling with magic far beyond their understanding and accidentally resurrected the Ghost Pirate Chicken Lord LaCluck and her mutinous crew of Ghost Pirate Monkey Grunts, Ghastly Pig Gunners, Wailing Albatross Banshees, and Rampaging Rhino Cannoneers. In Wander: LaCluck’s Revenge, players will select one of five unique heroes from the Wanderer’s Guild and join their friends to fight back against these ghost pirate phantoms to save the poor town of Barnacle Bay. Defeating foes and surviving random encounters earns players experience points and loot. Loot, like weapons and armor, is a persistent upgrade, staying with the heroes as they continue on their adventure. Experience points are used to level up heroes during their current adventure in the campaign. A dual-facing upgrade tree allows players to continually try new combinations of skills each adventure to determine what fits their play style, or current set of foes, best. Using a modular tiles, players assemble maps as indicated in the choose your own adventure campaign book, then use action points to move or attack with their hero. All enemies in the game are controlled by a simple line of sight A.I., and automatically hit the players’ heroes once they’re able to. This means there is no player rolling for success for enemies’ attacks. Heroes will, however, be able to roll for defense in an effort to prevent incoming wounds. One set of custom dice determines a hero’s success for both defending and attacking. Random encounter cards, which are revealed when players enter an unexplored ‘darkness’ space, also promise that no campaign adventure is ever be the same.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $150

All-In (w/shipping): $280

Campaign Ends: 11/4

Game Ships: Aug. 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 43% with 23 days to go.

Project: Wonderland’s War: Shards of Madness (Expansion and Reprint)

Designers: Ben Eisner (The Grimm Masquerade, Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef, Wonderland’s War), Ian Moss (Duelosaur Island, News@11, Wonderland’s War)

Artist: Manny Trembley (Dice Throne: Season One, Dice Throne: Season Two – Battle Chest, Radlands, Wonderland’s War)

Publisher: Druid City Games (The Grimm Masquerade, Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef, Wonderland’s War)

Genre/Mechanisms: area majority / influence, bag building, dice rolling, expansion, fantasy, open drafting, push your luck

Player Count: 2-5

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “In Wonderland’s War, players take the roles of faction leaders invited to the Hatter’s tea party. Drink tea and eat cake as you move around the table drafting cards to gather your forces, build your towers, upgrade your leader, and recruit Wonderlandians to your cause — but one must be careful as shards of the Looking Glass are spread throughout Wonderland. Once all the plates are empty, the Tea Party is over and war begins. Use the forces you gathered to battle your enemies in familiar locations, but make sure not to draw your Madness chips or your supporters will abandon your cause and you will be out of the fight. Muster enough strength to win the battle, or just try to complete Quests instead by meeting the right conditions such as gaining region bonuses and set collection throughout the game. After all the battles have been fought, a truce is called and everyone meets back at the tea party to plot their moves for the next fight. After three rounds, the faction with the most points is crowned as the new leader of Wonderland.

The Shards of Madness expansion offers a full set of new Wonderlandian cards that emphasize and enhance Shards as a resource, new Quest types that will push your strategy in new directions, and a Starting Battle reward that adds incentive to win in the first battle region. The new Wonderlandian cards are focused on giving, gaining and discarding Shards during the War phase. These cards allow players to risk gaining more shards for strong boosts, as well as new ways to discard shards, or give them to other players. The contest for who will gain the extra Madness chip at the end of the next Tea Party now starts in the War Phase. The two new quest types allow players more ways to score questing points. Leader quests can be completed in any region, granted that your Leader is present. The double Feat quests have two feats that can be completed, giving players more reason to enter the fray in different regions. The Entombed Sword now not only marks where the starting battle will occur, but grants a strong bonus to the winner of that battle. This double-sided card gives more texture to your choice of where to send your supporters and which battles you will attempt to win each round.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $21

All-In (w/shipping): $218

Campaign Ends: 10/28

Game Ships: July 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 623% with 16 days to go.