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

Project: 8-Bit Attack

Designers: Lincoln Petersen (Cthulhu Wars, Evil High Priest), Sandy Petersen (Arkham Horror, Cthulhu Wars, Glorantha: The Gods War)

Artists: Kent Hamilton (Hyperspace), Tony Mastrangeli

Publisher: Petersen Games (Cthulhu Wars, Evil High Priest, Glorantha: The Gods War)

Genre/Mechanisms: cooperative game, dice rolling

Player Count: 2-5

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-low

Summary: “8 Bit Attack is a game of manic co-operative battle, inspired by the old side-scrolling console games… each player controls a gallant 8-bit hero who, with his friends, has to take out a series of mini-bosses. You must power-up your heroes until they’re tough enough to take on the final boss – none other than Cthulhu himself!”

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $36 plus state sales tax

All-In (w/shipping): $36 plus state sales tax, same as above

Campaign Ends: 11/21

Game Ships: Jan. 2020

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 242%, with 28 days to go.

Project: Beyond Humanity: Colonies

Designers: Max Salamonowicz, Pawel “Bloski” Suski

Artists: Max Salamonowicz, Pawel “Bloski” Suski

Publisher: Three Headed Monster

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, app integration, city building, cooperative game, deck/bag/pool building, economic, miniatures, modular board, simultaneous action selection, tile placement, variable player powers, voting, worker placement

Player Count: 1-5

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: heavy

Risk: high

Summary: A heavy Euro and space exploration game, combining “realistic hard sci-fi, transhumanism, and cyberpunk,” that also contains smart cards, electronic miniatures, and app integration. A note of warning: although this game comes with a 2-year warranty because of the electronics and how gameplay is completely reliant on automated calculations, there is also a much higher risk associated with this campaign and this product, a very high price tag for even the base pledge, and it’s produced by first-timer designers, first-time artists, and a first-time publishing company. On top of all that, backers will have 8 weeks during the pledge manager to complete their surveys, and if they fail to do so, fulfillment of their pledge is at the publisher’s discretion.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $256

All-In (w/shipping): $10,037, includes vanity rewards

Campaign Ends: 11/12

Game Ships: Sep. 2020

Funding Status: Funded; currently at 395%, with 19 days to go.

Project: Council of Verona (3rd Edition)

Designer: Michael Eskue (Council of Verona, Darkrock Ventures, Trash Pandas)

Artists: Hector Amavizca (Little Circuses), George Doutsiopoulos (Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-kar, STEM: Epic Heroes)

Publisher: Bread and Circuses

Genre/Mechanisms: auction/bidding, bluffing, card drafting, deduction, hand management

Player Count: 2-5

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: medium-high

Summary: A third edition of deduction game Council of Verona, featuring all-new art, some rules tweaks, the inclusion of the Verona: Potion expansion mechanics, and player screens.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $27

All-In (w/shipping): $27, same as above

Campaign Ends: 11/21

Game Ships: Mar. 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 27%, with 28 days to go.

Project: Don’t Let It Die

Designer: Dustin Henderickson

Artist: Dustin Henderickson

Publisher: Dustin Henderickson

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, cooperative game, dice rolling, set collection, variable player powers

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: light

Risk: high

Summary: A cooperative game where players have 14 days to uncover the secrets of fire before a massive flood drowns the valley and extinguishes humanity’s one chance of survival.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $57

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

Campaign Ends: 11/21

Game Ships: Feb. 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 64%, with 28 days to go.

Project: Hamsterdam

Designer: Sporktopia

Artist: Alisha Volkman (Landed, Parkies, Underlings of Underwing)

Publisher: The Game Crafter, LLC (The Captain Is Dead, Dectet, Go)

Genre/Mechanisms: dice rolling, hand management tower defense

Player Count: 2-4

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: high

Summary: A simple, light tower defense game with cards, hamsters, and flooding dams.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $34

All-In (w/shipping): $39

Campaign Ends: 11/21

Game Ships: July 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 30%, with 28 days to go.

Project: PetEVIL

Designer: Joe Liano

Artist: Joe Liano

Publisher: GamesQuest

Genre/Mechanisms: hand management, party game, player elimination, set collection, take that

Player Count: 2-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: light

Risk: high

Summary: A simple, light hand management game where players try to collect enough rocket & missile parts to destroy their opponents.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $33

All-In (w/shipping): $258, includes vanity rewards

Campaign Ends: 11/21

Game Ships: Aug. 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 92%, with 29 days to go.

Project: Runaljod

Designer: Joaquin Gonzalez

Artist: Rodrigo Flores

Publisher: Tempo Games (Conan Collectible Card Game)

Genre/Mechanisms: action queue, campaign driven, dice rolling, hand management, miniatures, resource management, variable player powers

Player Count: 1-4

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-heavy

Risk: high

Summary: An exploration and miniatures game with resource management, card play, and multiple campaigns.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $119

All-In (w/shipping): $159

Campaign Ends: 11/11

Game Ships: Nov. 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 89%, with 18 days to go.

Project: Tiny Footprint

Designer: Marcus Jargarden

Artist: Marcus Jargarden

Publisher: Gaard Games

Genre/Mechanisms: action points, cooperative game, dice rolling, hand management, resource management, variable player powers

Player Count: 1-6

Solo Mode: yes

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: high

Summary: A cooperative card game where players work together to reduce carbon emissions and reach the climate target.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $36

All-In (w/shipping): $63, includes vanity rewards

Campaign Ends: 11/21

Game Ships: May 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 30%, with 28 days to go.

Project: Zestrea

Designers: Patiu Alexandru, Horatiu Roman

Artist: Maria Surducan

Publisher: Valiant Game Studio

Genre/Mechanisms: auction/bidding, dice rolling, push your luck, storytelling, take that, trading

Player Count: 3-6

Solo Mode: no

Complexity: medium-light

Risk: high

Summary: A marriage negotiation game about having children, feeding families, and arranging marriages, Romanian-style.

Base Pledge (w/shipping): $66

All-In (w/shipping): $556, includes vanity rewards

Campaign Ends: 11/21

Game Ships: Mar. 2020

Funding Status: Currently at 66%, with 28 days to go.