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

Project: 20 Strong (on Gamefound)

Designers: not credited

Artists: not credited

Publisher: Chip Theory Games

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, dice, dice rolling, move through deck, solo / solitaire game

Player Count: 1

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: low

Summary: “A new deck-based game system from Chip Theory Games, capable of being played in about 30 minutes or less. We say ‘game system’ because the idea behind 20 Strong is a small nucleus of simple, adaptable rules that can then be applied to a variety of unique decks, each with their own set of mechanics. We are launching 20 Strong with three such decks – one set in the world of Too Many Bones, one set in Hoplomachus: Victorum, and one in the new universe of the space-faring Solar Sentinels. We have more decks in development and plan to release them regularly if our customers are excited by them. For now, 20 Strong is a solo-only game, but even that could differ in future decks using the ruleset. The object of a game of 20 Strong is to progress through a shuffled deck of cards, each card bearing a unique challenge. This challenge could be in the form of an enemy, a unique scenario, or some other requirement (for example, players of the Too Many Bones deck might expect to see a Lockpicking challenge or two). Challenges usually require a certain number of successes to complete, which you earn by rolling a set of 17 dice with different odds for a hit (these dice, along with three adjustable stat dice, make up the ’20’ in 20 Strong). If you roll enough successes, you complete a card’s challenge and gain its rewards. If you don’t, you take damage and move on to the next card – unless, of course, your HP stat is reduced to 0, costing you the game. If you manage to make it through an entire deck, you take on one of the deck’s final bosses, attempting to score enough hits against this powerful enemy to claim ultimate victory. Of course, it’s never so easy that you’d want to spend all of your dice on a single card. In addition to your HP Stat, you’re also keeping track of your Strategy (which controls how many rerolls and items you have) and your Recovery, which controls how many dice return to your pool after taking on a challenge. If you roll more dice than your Recovery, those dice are exhausted, lowering your pool for your subsequent challenges. It’s a game of pressing your luck, strategic decision-making, and resource management.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $30

All-In (w/shipping): $100

Campaign Ends: 11/10

Game Ships: June 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 1,757% with 14 days to go.

Project: Aegean Sea (on Backerkit)

Designer: Carl Chudyk (Glory to Rome, Innovation, Red7)

Artist: T.L. Simons (Bloc by Bloc: The Insurrection Game, Dungeon Decorators, Merchants of Magick: A Set a Watch Tale)

Publisher: Asmadi Games (Innovation, One Deck Dungeon, Red7)

Genre/Mechanisms: ancient, card game, civilization, hand management, melding and splaying, multi-use cards, variable player powers

Player Count: 2-5

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: heavy

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “Adventure through the 220 islands of the Aegean Sea in a game in which every card can be an island, or one of the boats, temples, goods, and peoples occupying it. Your ultimate goal is to acquire goods and bring them back to your home island — but of course, all your opponents are trying to do the same. Aegean Sea comes with five different decks representing the Athenians, Spartans, Cretans, Rhodians, and Ephesians. Every card in the game is a unique island in the Aegean, with unique game text. Islands are placed face-up in the middle of the table, and other cards can be tucked underneath to represent boats, temples, goods, and populace (under the left, top, right, bottom edges). Boats let you transport goods. Population lets you have plurality at islands, which is required to take goods and use islands’ effects. Temples (if with goods) allow you to draw more cards when you refresh your hand. And goods are worth points. Use your cards and effects wisely, and you’ll be victorious.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $40

All-In (w/shipping): $40, same as above

Campaign Ends: 11/10

Game Ships: “early 2023”

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 287% with 15 days to go.

Project: Aerodome – Rising Horizons – Season 1

Designer: Wade Piche

Artists: Athena Designs

Publisher: Ephyrean Games

Genre/Mechanisms: action drafting, area movement, aviation / flight, campaign / battle card driven, card game, card play conflict resolution, deck construction, dice, miniatures, move through deck, simultaneous action selection, solo / solitaire game

Player Count: 1-8

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Players select a pilot to represent them in the Aerodome, craft their Maneuver Hands from their collection, and challenge others in a game of one-on-one aerial combat. During their turn, players activate cards to move their ship around the board, engage with special attacks against their foes, and hope that their pilot has a trick or two up their sleeve to become the champion of the Aerodome. Each turn starts with the initiative phase. Players secretly select one of their 9 Battle cards from their hand and place it face down. Once both players are ready, they simultaneously reveal their selected cards. The player who revealed the highest initiative Battle card gets to complete their Action phase first. During a player’s Action phase, they complete the actions listed on the active card’s action bar. Players must complete actions from the top of the card to the bottom, but can skip any action that is not locked. Locked actions are indicated by the lock icon. Reactive Actions with a black background allow players to perform the maneuver up to the speed listed. Keywords and unique pilot abilities may also change how actions and cards interact. Once a player completes their Action phase, the turn proceeds to the next player. After both players have completed their Action phases, they return their active battle card to their hand and begin a new game turn. Cards with the Dazed keyword receive dazed tokens and cannot be returned to the player’s hand until they have played a card with the Recover keyword to remove dazed tokens. When a fighter has taken 15 damage, they are defeated, leaving the fighter remaining as the victor.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $47

All-In (w/shipping): $116

Campaign Ends: 12/9

Game Ships: Aug. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 157% with 43 days to go.

Project: Artisans (on Gamefound)

Designers: Jean Paul Monnet, Segolène Monnet

Artist: Jose David Lanza Cebrian (Champions of Midgard, Hellboy: The Board Game, Rum & Bones: Second Tide)

Publisher: V Games (Twinkle)

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, closed drafting, exchange, hand management, market, matching, set collection, variable phase order, variable player powers

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Players are trying to develop their skills in the use of seven different materials: clay, metal, wood, stone, gold, glass and textiles in such a way so that their level of expertise in these materials grants them the necessary skills to craft beautiful Art objects. Each player chooses initially one from the nine available Artisan profiles. Each Artisan has a unique ability which helps and defines the strategy of the players. Additionally, each player takes randomly 6 material cards. Finally, 4 Art objects are drawn randomly and become available for crafting. All the material cards are depicting the level of skill (I -> IV) in each of their corners and all the Art objects are depicting the materials and the required level of skill which the players need to have so they can craft them. A game is played in 12 rounds (the months of a year), where players are trying to craft Art objects and win victory points. Each round has 2 phases. During the first phase, players are either sequentially trading or collecting material cards from a central market or craft one of the available Art objects. The first phase ends when one player signifies the closing of the market by claiming the first player token. Then all other players have one last chance to visit the market. In the second phase, players are developing their skills by playing any number of cards of one material type of their choice. Every additional time they play the same material they upgrade their skill to the next level. However, they cannot play more cards than those that they have played on the previous level. Through this smart mechanism the number of cards played in each level matters, because at the end of the game every single material card scores points equal to the said level. In the end of the 12 rounds players are counting the points from the crafted Art objects plus the points for the material cards and any additional points that their Artisan’s profile may score. Use the material market to your benefit, claim the first player token in the right time to close the market and smartly manage your material cards in an effective way.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $35

All-In (w/shipping): $65

Campaign Ends: 11/15

Game Ships: May 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 40% with 19 days to go.

Project: Boglins: Battle for the Boglands

Designer: Joseph Limbaugh (Postcard Cthulhu, Postcard Dungeons)

Artists: Nicolas Fidel, Diego Teutli

Publisher: Grim Rabbit Games

Genre/Mechanisms: 2 player only games, action points, action queue, card game, deck building, dice rolling, fantasy, fighting, grid movement, miniatures, role playing, science fiction, variable player powers

Player Count: 1-2

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “A new Gatefall strategy game from Grim Rabbit Games and Boglins co-creator Tim Clarke, featuring six miniature Boglins figures.

At the beginning of Gatefall, each player has the same deck of ten cards, which contain seven 1 cards and three 0cards. The first player draws five cards, and adds the total of their values. That number represents the number of actions the player can use for their team. Actions can be moving one space or attacking. These actions can be spread across the entire team, or used by only one character, depending on a character’s traits. During an attack, the attacking player rolls the number of dice equivalent to the attacking character’s attack stat. The defending player rolls the number of dice equal to the defending character’s defense dice. The number of reds rolled are added up, and the defender takes damage equal to the number of reds the attacking character rolls above the total of their defending roll. Each player then adds up the number of green dice they rolled, and earns one coin for each green die. Coins are saved up and used to buy new weapons from the weapon marketplace, to destroy ‘zero’ cards in their hands, to purchase better cards from the main deck, or upgrade their individual character stats. Each character has an upgrade shop. Players can choose any of the available stats to upgrade in any order for any of their characters, and spend the appropriate amount of tokens to get those upgrades. When a character is fully upgraded, that character unlocks their special power, which is unique for each character. When a character is killed, the player who killed that character earns the number of victory points printed on the character’s upgrade shop card, and the player whose character was killed draws a zero card from the zeroes pile for every victory point listed on the killed character’s upgrade shop card and adds it to their discard pile. The killed character respawns in their base immediately, but that character cannot move or attack on their next turn, and effectively loses a turn while respawning. The first player to reach ten victory points wins the game.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $69

All-In (w/shipping): $119

Campaign Ends: 12/1

Game Ships: July 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 21% with 35 days to go.

Project: Campaign: Fall Blau

Designer: Martin Melbardis

Artists: Ilya Kudriashov (Brotherhood & Unity, Dual Gauge, The Wars of Marcus Aurelius), Martin Melbardis

Publisher: Catastrophe Games (Judean Hammer, The Landing: Gallipoli 1915, USS Laffey: The Ship That Would Not Die)

Genre/Mechanisms: solo / solitaire game, wargame, world war II

Player Count: 1

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “A solitaire wargame that takes place during WW2 and puts the player in charge of the German summer offensive of 1942 in Southern Russia, code named operation Fall Blau. Pick your three generals and use your resources wisely in order to obtain your campaign’s objectives. One month turns. Decide which card (objective) to go after, each with a unique set of Soviet defences. Manage supplies required for each offensive, or choose to take an operational pause. Receive random event cards that are mostly beneficial but a few are Soviet counterattacks that can throw a serious monkey-wrench into your plans. Play continues until the snows begin, and the Russian winter ends all further attacks.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $57

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

Campaign Ends: 11/14

Game Ships: Apr. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 397% with 18 days to go.

Project: Cosmoctopus: The Board Game

Designer: Henry Audobon (Parks, Space Park, Trails)

Artist: George Doutsiopoulos (Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar, STEM: Epic Heroes, Voices in My Head)

Publisher: Paper Fort Games

Genre/Mechanisms: adventure, area movement, fantasy, hand management, horror, modular board, open drafting, solo / solitaire game, variable set-up

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Players assume the role of devotees competing to prove their loyalty to the Great Inky One, a mysterious celestial octopod. Devotees will guide Cosmoctopus through the Inky Realm, a flexible configuration of tiles, gathering cards and resources that represent relics, scripture, hallucinations and constellations. By harnessing the power of these bizarre objects and experiences, they will craft a powerful card engine, aiming to be the first devotee to gather eight tentacles and open a portal to the Inky Realm.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $63

All-In (w/shipping): $63, same as above

Campaign Ends: 11/15

Game Ships: July 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 699% with 19 days to go.

Project: Destinies: Witchwood (Expansion & Reprint, on Gamefound)

Designer: Karol Górniak

Artists: David Kovačič, Magdalena Leszczyńska (Destinies), Cezary Szymański (Kacper Ryx i Król Żebraków)

Publisher: Lucky Duck Games (Chronicles of Crime, Chronicles of Crime: 1400, Destinies)

Genre/Mechanisms: adventures, dice rolling, expansion, exploration, fantasy, map addition, miniatures, role-playing, solo / solitaire game, storytelling

Player Count: 1-3

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: low

Summary: “A competitive, story-driven, game of adventure and exploration, mixing an app and a board game. Destinies: Witchwood is a new expansion for Destinies that adds new scenarios for players to explore. The world is filled with folklore-inspired characters, monsters, and adventures. In each scenario, players compete to fulfill either of their character’s two possible Destinies. Players will develop their character’s skills, gather items, complete quests, and uncover thousands of words of rich narrative. In Witchwood, decisions that players make in a scenario can drastically change the world the characters find themselves in and can impact later scenarios.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $53

All-In (w/shipping): $240

Campaign Ends: 11/11

Game Ships: Aug. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 1,367% with 15 days to go.

Project: Freezing Inferno – Finland vs. the USSR

Designers: Janko Nišavić, Vukašin Nišavić

Artists: Jelena Pjevic, Wojciech Zalewski (Arnhem 1944, WW2 Deluxe: The War in Europe)

Publisher: Princeps Games

Genre/Mechanisms: 2 player only games, dice, dice rolling, finland, hexagon grid, secret unit deployment, variable player powers, variable set-up, war game, world war II, zone of control

Player Count: 1-2

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A 1 or 2 player wargame set in World War 2 covering the 1939-1940 conflict between the USSR and Finland. It is a hex & counter game with unique battle mechanism, a lot of strategy, some diplomacy and a number of features specific to the harsh winter conditions of the setting. Variable setup and random cards bringing effects to the game offer great replayability.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $71

All-In (w/shipping): $122

Campaign Ends: 11/15

Game Ships: Sep. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 400% with 19 days to go.

Project: Funbrick Series

Designers: Daichi Chihara (3 Second Try), Masayuki Ikegami (3 Second Try), Yoshihisa Itsubaki (Cat 10, Stick Collection, Streams), Reiner Knizia (Modern Art, My City, Ninja Master, The Quest for El Dorado, Ra, Tigris & Euphrates, Viking See-Saw), Tsukii Yosuke (Judge Domino)

Artist: Yoshiaki Tomioka (Crash Octopus, Moon Base, Tokyo Highway)

Publisher: itten (Crash Octopus, Moon Base, Tokyo Highway)

Genre/Mechanisms: action / dexterity, betting and bluffing (3 Second Try); action / dexterity, push your luck (Judge Domino); dice rolling (Ninja Master); abstract strategy, auction: turn order until pass, constrained bidding, end game bonuses, set collection (Stick Collection); action / dexterity, nautical, stacking and balancing (Viking See-Saw)

Player Count: 2-7 (3 Second Try); 2-5 (Judge Domino, Ninja Master, Stick Collection); 2-4 (Viking See-Saw)

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “In 3 Second Try, the first player (called ‘Master’) reveals a challenge from either the ‘Physical’ (Dexterity) or the ‘Brain’ (Intellect) card pile. The first player immediately releases the ball from the top of the slide. All players bid / bet on how many times they think they can do the challenge in under 3 seconds before the ball reaches the bottom. The highest bidder starts with their try. If they can, for example, name 5 (5 was their bid in this example) different words starting with ‘a’ before the ball reaches the magnet at the bottom, they win and receives the card. This is determined by the player covering the magnet before the ball passes. If not, the next highest bidder has to try to fulfill their own bet (i.e. 4) and so on. The first player to earn 2 cards wins.

In Judge Domino, players set up a challenging line of dominoes to be pushed over and hope to either successfully knock them over — or pass and have someone else fail to knock them over. On a turn, you either add a domino to the line or pass. If all dominos have already been placed in the line, remove a domino that’s not at the end of the line and move it to either end of the line. When all but one player has passed, that player must knock over the dominoes with a single push. The first player to successfully knock over the dominoes twice wins. Additionally, players are eliminated if they twice attempt to knock all the dominoes over and fail to do so.

In Ninja Master, you roll nine dice and exchange ninja and sword items, trying to manage both offense and defense.

In Stick Collection, join the auction as a stick collector. Bid for a worthwhile stick with only a 5mm difference. Players compete for sticks that are put on the table one by one. The more sticks you collect with a 5mm difference in length, the more you score, but don’t get their size too close to them during a competition because you can’t measure them except by your eye. Consider carefully and decide whether to participate in the competition or pass. If a player can align 4 of the same length in the middle of the game, they can win immediately. It is a unique competition game where overconfidence and disappointment in eye measurement are fun.

In Viking See-Saw, players alternately place their luggage on the 3D ship model. The deck is always on a slope where the load is put, so place carefully. If the ship tilts, you have to pick up the ship’s chest as your own baggage as a penalty. The ship tilts easily, so it’s a race for luggage to be laid before the ship tips to the other side. If someone finishes placing all their baggage or the penalty chests runs out, the game ends. Since each of the different luggage is a different material like brass, aluminum, iron, glass, acrylic, and wood, the strategy and fun of the game is guessing the weight right as to not tip the ship.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $29

All-In (w/shipping): $109

Campaign Ends: 11/23

Game Ships: July 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 252% with 28 days to go.

Project: HE.R.O – The Emergency Room Board Game

Designers: Peter Schappacher, Robert Schappacher

Artist: Robert Schappacher

Publisher: Eely River Games

Genre/Mechanisms: cooperative game, hospitals / clinics, humor, medical, miniatures, turn order: pass order, worker placement

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “You are a recently gratuated doctor who needs to serve the first nighshift at the E.R. You will manage patients, upgrade your skills to treat complicated cases, try to get enough sleep and all while not causing too much Chaos. HE.R.O can be played in cooperative or competitive mode.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $63

All-In (w/shipping): $107

Campaign Ends: 11/24

Game Ships: May 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 191% with 28 days to go.

Project: Hexx

Designer: Leanne Gray

Artist: Iles Guran

Publisher: Turnup Games

Genre/Mechanisms: 2 player only games, abstract strategy, wooden pieces & boards, word game

Player Count: 2

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Players take turns creating, adding, and expanding on words and flipping letters to their colors. It’s a cross between Scrabble and Othello, plus magic. Create, add, and expand on words, flipping tiles to your color. By playing a HEXX tile the black player must now resolve the HEXX by rolling the die to see which HEXX affects them or their opponent. The player with the most tiles at the end of the game wins.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $76

All-In (w/shipping): $76, same as above

Campaign Ends: 11/24

Game Ships: Jan. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 11,491% with 28 days to go.

Project: Hidden Leaders Forgotten Legends

Designers: Andreas Müller (Hidden Leaders), Markus Müller (Hidden Leaders), Raphael Stocker (Hidden Leaders)

Artist: Satoshi Matsuura (Hidden Leaders)

Publisher: BFF Games (Hidden Leaders)

Genre/Mechanisms: betting and bluffing, bluffing, card game, deduction, expansion, fantasy, hand management, hidden roles, party game, take that, track movement, tug of war

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “In Hidden Leaders, you take the role of one of six secret leaders, each of them is allied with two of the four factions/colors. By playing heroes into your tableau, either openly or secretly, you influence the outcome of the conflict. At the end of the game, one of the four factions will win: Red leading > Red victory; Green leading > Green victory; Tie between Red & Green > Blue victory; Red & Green in War Zone > Black victory. Each player who is aligned with the winning faction can claim the victory. However, they must have more heroes of this color than any competitor.

This expansion for Hidden Leaders comes with 3 new modules, a new faction, four leaders, and 20 new heroes. The guardians are a powerful race. Everyone can use them, but use them sparingly or you might make the Guardian Leaders win. This adds a new layer of deduction, a new winning condition and many powerful new abilities to the game. Artifacts will upgrade your leader character. Each artifact gives the respective player a unique ability that can be used 2-3 times during the game. This gives every player a unique play style and exclusive strategic options. A bag full of nasty corruption tokens. Two times during the game, a wave of corruption allows you to secretly change the alliance of your heroes or the heroes of your friends. But be careful: some of these changes are dangerous traps that players can use to protect their heroes from attacks of their friends.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $28

All-In (w/shipping): $38

Campaign Ends: 11/18

Game Ships: Nov. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 401% with 22 days to go.

Project: Hike It! – The Backpacking Board Game

Designers: Ronald Halliday (Seven Bridges), TJ Swing

Artist: TJ Swing

Publisher: Zykotic Games

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, adventure, events, exploration, hike / hiking, pick-up and deliver, point to point movement, push your luck, take that, trading

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “A highly thematic mid-weight board game that puts you deep into the Great Smoky Mountains with just your backpack and your wits. Choose your gear, plan your route, and learn skills while avoiding injuries, dehydration, bad weather, and pesky bears. At the start of the game, players choose a trailhead and three scenic locations to visit during their trek through picturesque Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as the amount of gear and water they want to lug along. A lighter pack mean faster travel, but less capacity to deal with unforeseen events. Players must cope with inclement weather and obstacles that present themselves while hiking toward their destinations. Along the way, they can stop at campsites and water sources to pick up more gear and water, build skills sets that make it easier to overcome challenges, and take side hikes and visit scenic spots for additional points. And when a player is finished hiking, they return to the game as an aggressive bear to chase down any lollygagging hikers still in the park!”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $67

All-In (w/shipping): $67, same as above

Campaign Ends: 11/15

Game Ships: Aug. 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 55% with 19 days to go.

Project: Masterminds: Heist Society Card Game

Designer: James Henderson

Artist: James Henderson

Publisher: BattleHaven Games

Genre/Mechanisms: burglary and heists, card game, dice, movies / tv / radio theme, open drafting, push your luck, take that

Player Count: 2-5

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “You are the shot-caller, assembling a team of operatives to take down the toughest modern-day heists. We all love a good heist movie; Oceans 11, Baby Driver, Inside Man, and TV shows like Leverage bring us the thrill and suspense of assembling a team of specialists that combine their skills toward a common goal. Collecting the prize knowing they have pulled off the impossible. This game aims to recreate the tension and thrill of planning and executing high-stakes heists, with cards and actions inspired by these movies and shows, as you and your fellow players take on the role of Masterminds. Combining drafting, dice-rolling, and a strategic press-your-luck style of mission completion, Masterminds – Heist Society will test your risk/reward intuition as you play. Players can take it safe & slow to skip the die rolling and guarantee a win, but another player may swoop in and grab the prize out from under you with a more reckless luck-oriented plan. Either way, the prize goes to the first team to complete each heist’s combination of challenges.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $60

All-In (w/shipping): $60, same as above

Campaign Ends: 11/28

Game Ships: June 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 11% with 32 days to go.

Project: Merchants of Karanor

Designer: Rémi Delaunoy

Artist: Tanguy Vayssières

Publisher: FunkyHat Games

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, adventure, economic, fantasy, negotiation, pick-up and deliver

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Try to reach 10 notoriety points before your opponents by opening new commerce, achieving quests for the locals or even buying a private villa. During your turn, you will perform 4 actions among 6 permitted: travel, collect resources, interact with a local, open a commerce, work, or realize a special action. At the end of your turn, players will receive the income of their commerce and the production of their associates. During your travels, you will be able to gathers rewards and advantages, recruit associates, buy some illegal services to the black market or find a rare artifact to improve your character or your business activities, in order to move faster to victory. Interactions between players are an important part of the game. Everything in the game can be traded, sold or bartered between players. Black market cards will allow you to slow your opponents in their quest for glory and bring tensions to the negotiations.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $109

All-In (w/shipping): $130

Campaign Ends: 11/27

Game Ships: July 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 27% with 31 days to go.

Project: The Queen’s Dilemma

Designers: Hjalmar Hach (Dragon Castle, The King’s Dilemma, Photosynthesis, Railroad Ink: Blazing Red Edition, Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition), Lorenzo Silva (Dragon Castle, The King’s Dilemma, Potion Explosion, Railroad Ink: Blazing Red Edition, Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition)

Artist: Martin Mottet (The Magnificent, Revive, Vampire: The Masquerade – Vendetta)

Publisher: Horrible Guild (Dragon Castle, The King’s Dilemma, Potion Explosion, Railroad Ink: Blazing Red Edition, Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition)

Genre/Mechanisms: bribery, fantasy, legacy game, negotiation, political, storytelling, traitor game, voting

Player Count: 3-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “A sequel to The King’s Dilemma, the award-winning (and Kennerspiel des Jahres-nominated) interactive narrative legacy game uses an improved Dilemma Card System to bring players an even more immersive experience. Set a hundred years after the dramatic events of the first game and building upon the revolutionary Dilemma Card System, The Queen’s Dilemma introduces a brand-new story, improves the existing legacy mechanisms, and adds a lot of new exclusive features. Take your seat at the Queen’s Council and choose your own persona from a pool of 6 unique characters. You will live the story from their perspective, whether as a cunning master of subterfuge, a fierce military leader, a greedy merchant, a philosopher advocating for progress, an aristocrat with a penchant for the occult, or a vicious lord tied to criminal activities. Develop your character with exclusive personal abilities. Each character comes with Duchies or Marks under their direct control, and a deck of secret personal objectives and branching narrative paths that will define your story and future goals — which may intertwine with the destiny of the entire kingdom. Shape the political identity of the Realm through the new ideology system. The policies you enact will alter the balance between eight opposing political ideologies: Tradition against Progress, Force against Diplomacy, Order against Liberty, and Matter against Spirit. These also represent the moral values and agenda of your character: each one has a founding ideology they always root for, and other secondary interests whose importance varies from game to game, changing alliances at the table. The new keyword system allows the game to keep track of your personal choices: an unexpected act of forgiveness could secure you the eternal gratitude of the people, but a radical resolution could tarnish your reputation forever. Make your decisions wisely: the consequences of your choices will come back to reward or haunt your character later in the campaign. Watch the map of the kingdom evolve as a result of your decisions. The events that unfold will change the world forever and unlock new game rules altering the flow of the campaign. Defend your interests when a Dilemma card directly involves the territories placed under your control, and construct buildings to gain new abilities and sources of revenue. Manage the resources of your lands and trade with other players to achieve your goals: increase your political power, collect materials to improve your buildings, support the Queen’s Army in the war in the south, and provide for the needs of your people to avoid discontent, unrest, and revolts.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $161

All-In (w/shipping): $182

Campaign Ends: 11/15

Game Ships: Dec. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 422% with 19 days to go.

Project: Seasons of Arcadia

Designer: Mike Richie (Dwarven Miner, Element, Element: Silver)

Artist: Grant Wilson (Dwarven Miner, Element, Element: Silver)

Publisher: Rather Dashing Games (Dwarven Miner, Element, Element: Silver)

Genre/Mechanisms: abstract strategy, hexagon grid, moving multiple units, rock-paper-scissors

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Once every year, the high faerie lords of Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring gather around the first Stones at the heart of the mystical realm of Arcadia. Once upon a time, they worked in unison to temper Nature’s fury. Now, capricious and vainglorious, they challenge each other to see whose seasonal power will rule for the next twelve months. Players assume the roles of powerful faerie lords, each attempting to dominate the entire year with their seasonal magic. The goal is simple: be the first to place all twelve of your lords on the board to achieve victory. Players take turns placing, moving, and jumping opposing faerie lord pieces on a hex board. Each season can both replace and be replaced by one other season, so defense is as important in offense in determining where you place and move.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $47

All-In (w/shipping): $47, same as above

Campaign Ends: 11/14

Game Ships: Dec. 2022

Funding Status: Currently at 80% with 18 days to go.

Project: Survival of the Fattest

Designer: Lee Smith

Artist: Lee Smith (No Thank You, Evil!)

Publisher: Dirty Rascal Games

Genre/Mechanisms: animals, anthropomorphic animals, bear, birds, card game, deck building, deer, fantasy, hand management, memory, miniatures, nature, rabbits, set collection, squirrels, variable player powers, worker placement

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Take the role of a woodland critter and use your unique tricks and abilities to forage for food. Spend your gathered food to complete delicious recipe’s from the Market for in-game bonuses and end-game victory points. After 3 seasons, if you’ve fed your critter and accumulated the most victory points, you shall be declared the winner. A family-weight game using action selection, hand management, and unique critter abilities.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $57

All-In (w/shipping): $77

Campaign Ends: 11/24

Game Ships: Oct. 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 52% with 28 days to go.

Project: Tanto Cuore: Memento Mori – Twilight Manor

Designer: Masayuki Kudo (Tanto Cuore, Tanto Cuore: Expanding the House, Tanto Cuore: Romantic Vacation)

Artists: various

Publisher: Japanime Games (Heart of Crown, Krosmaster: Arena, Tanto Cuore)

Genre/Mechanisms: card game, deck construction

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “A Japanese deck-building card game which has a mechanism similar to Dominion. Each player plays as the Lord of a mansion and hires maids to fill out their house to become the King of Maids. The end goal is simple enough, the player who has the most Victory Points at the end of the game wins. Players acquire Victory Points by employing a variety of maids and Love cards that allow for different strategies. You can even employ Private Maids that stick around to use their special powers each per turn. Some give you a bonus, or affect your opponents in a negative way. But beware, your opponents can make your maids sick or give them bad habits, affecting your maids in negative ways and decreasing your Victory Points.

In this new standalone expansion (can be played on its own or combined with previous Tanto Cuore games), the players are in a rush to complete dilapidated rooms in Twilight Manor, avoid ghosts, and perform seances to help with their goals. However, the spirits are not always willing to play along, and they can at times go out of their way to mess up your strategy if they turn evil. It’s now your job as the new owner of the manor to employ Workers to help you collect combinations of symbols in order to accomplish the task of Finishing a Room, while also Employing your Maids and Butlers to keep the Ghosts at bay with the assistance of Madam Damnable and her Seances. As players face the fate of her Tarot cards, what amazing glimpses into the future—with great fortune or a taste of ill fates—await them? Tanto Cuore 6 has just opened the door to the supernatural: are you willing to take a peek inside for this new paranormal adventure?”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $64

All-In (w/shipping): $339

Campaign Ends: 11/10

Game Ships: Aug. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 349% with 14 days to go.

Project: Tesseract

Designer: James Firnhaber

Artist: Denis Freitas

Publisher: Smirk & Laughter Games (Koi, The Night Cage, Shōbu)

Genre/Mechanisms: 3-dimensional components, action points, cooperative game, dice, puzzle, science fiction, set collection, solo / solitaire game, sudden death ending, variable player powers

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “A cooperative dice-manipulation game. The focal point of the game is a block of 64 dice, the Tesseract, which sits at the center of the board on a raised platform. Players will remove cubes to place in their individual labs, transfer them as needed to others, adjust the cube’s values and, importantly, isolate the cubes into the containment matrix, neutralizing them. To Contain a cube a player must have in their lab 3 or more cubes all of one value (a Set) or in sequence (a Run), either all of one color or having none of the same colors. By filling the containment matrix completely (24 total unique dice) they will stop the reaction and win the game. But if the Tesseract has its last cube removed beforehand – or if 7 breaches occur, the game is lost and our world ceases to exist. Asymmetric character abilities include a passive, ‘always on’ ability and a unique action that is only available to that player. Research cards earned during play help give players an edge, as do the even more powerful Containment cards, unlocked from the matrix. Tesseract is a challenging co-op game with lots of replay value built into the number of characters and various threat platforms which govern the difficulty. The tension mounts quickly as the Tesseract sheds cubes at the end of every player’s turn, primes them and potentially causes Breaches to occur, bringing us closer to disaster.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $66

All-In (w/shipping): $150

Campaign Ends: 11/11

Game Ships: July 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 606% with 15 days to go.

Project: Vendel to Viking

Designer: Jon Manker (Bios: Megafauna Second Edition, Bios: Origins Second Edition, High Frontier 4 All)

Artist: Madeleine Fjäll (Bios: Mesofauna, Pax Viking, Stationfall)

Publisher: Ion Game Design (Pax Porfiriana, Pax Renaissance, Pax Renaissance Second Edition)

Genre/Mechanisms: area majority / influence, exploration, medieval, modular board, nautical, open drafting, political, scenario / mission / campaign game, simulation, solo / solitaire game, static capture, tech trees / tech tracks, variable player powers, vikings, worker placement

Player Count: 1-6

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: heavy

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “A standalone prequel expansion to Pax Viking, inspired by its mechanics but with some significant differences in the game system. In Vendel to Viking you represent a family in the Nordic culture prior to the Viking era. The game takes place between 550 to 800 CE. You represent a family in one of the Nordic cultures that evolves into one of the prominent families of the Viking era. Each turn represents a generation and you seek to include the best formidable persons in your family as you evolve from generation to generation. You place family members on the map and use them for accessing effects in various locations, for worker actions or for elevating them into a formidable person. When elevated the family member is linked to a character card taken from a market and moved to an achievement tree. The Character goes to your family board and both the presence in the achievement tree and on the family board affects your family’s opportunities onwards. The first to hold two Future-level achievements in the achievement tree wins. If no player manages to do so before a set number of turns, the one with the most points wins. The end state of Vendel to Viking will interface with the starting state of a game of Pax Viking making it possible to play the two games as a campaign.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $85

All-In: $171 + shipping (with no shipping estimates provided)

Campaign Ends: 11/14

Game Ships: Nov. 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 99% with 18 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)

Artist: 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): $140

All-In (w/shipping): $230

Campaign Ends: 11/18

Game Ships: Aug. 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 79% with 22 days to go.

Project: Words of a Feather

Designer: Rusty Scioscia

Artist: Sol Azpiroz

Publisher: Turn Sideways Games

Genre/Mechanisms: give a clue / get a clue, paper-and-pencil, party game

Player Count: 3-8

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Party game with a unique focus on presentation and table presence. Players reveal words from the general supply and add their own words to the mix. All players try to write down matching words based on the clues provided. Players can bet their points if they are feeling confident about a match. All players start with 3 words (cards) in their hand. On their turn, a player reveals 2 words from the general supply. The active player selects 2 words from their hand as clues and says, out loud, one additional word to make 3 clues. They write down their secret word and all players then write down a word that they think will match with another player. All players receive 1 point if they write a word that matches with at least one other player. The active player scores 1 point for each person that writes down the same word(s) as them. All players can also place a bet of 1-2 points from their own supply. If a betting player matches with any other player, they double their bet in addition to the regular points they receive. The game continues until all the cards are gone or 15 or more points are scored.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $40

All-In (w/shipping): $50

Campaign Ends: 11/23

Game Ships: Oct. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 217% with 27 days to go.

Project: Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game

Designers: Marc Dür (Darwin’s Choice), Samuel Luterbacher (Darwin’s Choice)

Artists: Rozenn Grosjean (Darwin’s Choice), Matthieu Martin (FootClub, Worldwide Football), Nina Pommelin, Victor Sales (Brazil: Imperial), Johanna Tarkela (P’achakuna)

Publisher: Treecer (Darwin’s Choice, P’achakuna, Tipping Point)

Genre/Mechanisms: animals, economic, environmental, market, set collection, simulation, tile placement, zoos / aquaria / safari parks

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Players compete to build the most successful zoo. In this strategic and thematic board game, each player has the freedom to develop their own zoo with over 34 species, food booths, zoo shops, etc. Each animal has its own care requirements focused on 3 key areas – popularity for visitors, educational value, and nature conservation. As with zoos in real life, players must find the right balance between popularity and conservation over the course of the game. In the end, the lower value between those two measurements will count as your final score. Each game you play will be different, delivering high replay value. Thanks to a novel game mechanism, the animal market with supply and demand changes continuously. In addition, small events will shape the gameplay in every round.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $106

All-In (w/shipping): $132

Campaign Ends: 11/23

Game Ships: Sep. 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 238% with 28 days to go.