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

Project: Carom Mini Golf

Designer: Predrag Lazovic (Age of Dogfights: WW1, Tank Chess)

Artists: Predrag Lazovic(Age of Dogfights: WW1, Pachisi), Dragan Lazovic (Age of Dogfights: WW1, Tank Chess)

Publisher: Forsage Light Games (Age of Dogfights: WW1, Tank Chess)

Genre/Mechanisms: dice rolling, golf, grid movement, hexagon grid, paper-and-pencil, simulation, solo / solitaire game, variable set-up

Player Count: 1

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: “Carom Mini Golf is a miniature golf simulation game. The rules for movement and interaction are simple and easy to learn, so you can enjoy your visit to our mini golf course in no time. Later, when you’ve had a go on the basic course in both available game modes, feel free to switch to our modified course, and to even create your own hole configurations by using a wide range of available obstacles. The course consists of 6 holes of different shapes, filled with hexes. The aim of the game is to putt your ball from the tee within the starting zone into the hole on the other side. The score represents the number of strokes needed to put the ball in the hole. After completing the course, the scores on the individual holes are summed up and the player with the lowest score is the winner. The players may agree to play the whole course, to play just on a few selected holes, or any other way they wish. Carom Mini Golf is an upgraded version of Mini Golf (2010).”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $5, print & play only

All-In (w/shipping): $80

Campaign Ends: 4/1

Game Ships: October 2023

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 211% with 30 days to go.

Project: Secrets in the Sand

Designer: Aaron Shapland

Artist: Alena Rihina

Publisher: Canterville Games

Genre/Mechanisms: ancient, adventure, archaeology / paleontology, command cards, dice rolling, exploration, grid movement, network and route building, point to point movement, race, worker placement

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “The Department of Antiquities has uncovered evidence of a series of lost tombs. They have invited you, the world’s leading archaeologists, to help find the lost tombs and recover their treasures. Each day the Minister of Antiquities will announce one new dig permit, and the first expedition to find a viable route is allowed to travel and dig. Race against competing archaeological expeditions across desert sands, through jungle oases and across rivers to find the tombs. But beware of scorpions, raiders and sandstorms along the way. The game ends when all tombs are discovered or an expedition runs out of dig camps – whichever occurs first. Either way, the player with the most points wins the game.”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $62

All-In (w/shipping): $62, same as above

Campaign Ends: 4/1

Game Ships: September 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 54% with 28 days to go.

Project: Whelps to Wyrms: Resurrection Project (on Gamefound)

Designer: Rick Perez

Artists: JJ Ariosa (Evolution, Mice & Mystics, Return to Dark Tower, Roll Player, Summoner Wars: Master Set), Peter Wocken (Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game, Dead of Winter: The Long Night, Nexus Ops, Sagrada, Xia: Legends of a Drift System)

Publisher: Spyglass Games (VENOM Assault)

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, dice rolling, exploration, fantasy, medieval, modular board, variable player powers

Player Count: 2-5

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: heavy

Risk: HIGH

Summary: “Players compete with each other to see who can amass the greatest horde of gold. As they gain experience and grow into larger and more capable dragons they will also face the challenge of slayers. With only 9 rounds to play it will be a tight race to see who can be most infamous Wyrm. On your turn you will take actions that include search, eat, move, explore, raze, and fight. The explore action will allow you to draw new tiles to expand the play area. The search action will let you draw an event for a specific tile, which may be a fort, ruins, or a farm. These farms and forts may be razed for gold, or you can eat the livestock they produce to grow and gain experience. Experience can be used to grow your dragon, from whelp to drake, and then to a mighty wyrm. You will also use experience to unlock and upgrade skills for your dragon. Each dragon has several unique skills that only they can use, no two dragons are exactly the same. Each new round will start by introducing a new slayer to the board. The player who’s turn it is to go first will control this slayer for the rest of the time it remains on the board. These slayers come in a variety of forms, from the simple bandit chieftain, to the mighty heroes of legend. Defeat these slayers and you will earn gold and experience, fail and you will have some of your actions crippled for a time. Throughout the 9 rounds there will be new objectives introduced that will give players chances to earn more gold as they complete them. Whoever ultimately ends up with the most gold at the end of the game wins.

Spyglass Games has taken over publishing of Whelps to Worms with this Gamefound campaign, and if it funds, plan to deliver it to all of the backers of the original 2016 Kickstarter campaign as well. However, there are currently no shipping estimates provided in the Gamefound campaign.”

Base Pledge: $60 + shipping (with no shipping estimates provided)

All-In: $60 + shipping, same as above

Campaign Ends: 4/6

Game Ships: October 2023

Funding Status: Currently at 4% with 33 days to go.