Epic Resort
by Ben Harkins
Where does a Hero go after he’s been kicked out of, burned down, or otherwise been made unwelcome in every tavern in the city? On vacation, of course! Your job, as owner of a modest one-hut resort, is to build up your holdings to attract the most prestigious heroes, while still protecting the every-day tourists from the monsters that such a collection of heroic talent invariably attracts.
Tuscany
by Jamey Stegmaier
If you’re unfamiliar, Viticulture is a 2-6 player game in which you create a vineyard by planting vines, harvesting grapes, making & selling wine, building structures, and hosting visitors.
Jamey’s latest project, Tuscany, adds asymmetric starting resources, new visitor cards, an extended board, special workers, arboriculture, and more to the base game. If this sounds complex, then don’t worry; this box is actually eight expansions in one, and you can mix and match them to your hearts content!
Earthlock: Festival of Magic
by Snowcastle Games
If you know me at all, you’re well aware that turn-based games are my bread and butter, from fantasy RPGs, to tactical combat, and any good 4X games that I can get my greedy little paws on. Sadly, this genre seems to be a dying breed, and thus I take an interest every time I see a fresh resurgence. After deciding to cancel their first Kickstarter attempt, Snowcastle Games is back again with a lower goal and a revamped campaign, presenting Earthlock: Festival of Magic for your attention.
Ages past, when the world still spun, a once grand civilization sprawled over much of this magical world. In this day and age, however, survivors must eke out their lives in the thin line between everlasting sunlight and the all-consuming night that holds sway upon either side of this umbral twilight. Combining ancient machines scavenged from the desert along with magic, you must unravel the mysteries of a cult that threatens to snuff out this last remaining bastion.
Gone Viking
by The Flux Capacity
Winning an award for the most succinct game description, Gone Viking invites you to ‘Eat. Sleep. Raid. Repeat’. A trick-taking game, your goal is to become the wealthiest viking of them all, while paying fealty to your ruling Jarl and appeasing the Pantheon of your gods!
The Nile Ran Red
by Small Box Games
Back again for their fourth time, Small Box Games provides us with a set of three Egyptian-themed card games this time around. There’s really not much more I should have to say, folks; the guys over at SBG have always been outstanding to their backers, and I haven’t seen a poor game from them yet.
Pairs – A New Classic Pub Game
by Cheapass Games
I might be a little late on this one, as it ends in just a day and a half, but it was a diamond hidden in a very unassuming rough. While the game itself is little to write home about, twelve decks with different art styles have been unlocked for pledging. Four of these feature artwork based around Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles and are drawn by Shane Tyree, while Phil & Kaja Foglio (Girl Genius) and John Kovalic (Dork Tower) have decks of their own.
Cavern Game Tiles
by Dwarven Forge
Ah, Dwarven Forge… fresh off of last year’s $1.9 million project for their Dungeons terrain, this time they’re offering the Caverns system, a modular terrain system forged from ‘Dwarvenite’ – their proprietary material that keeps detail as well as resin, but isn’t nearly as fragile and finicky to cast.
Funded to their $100k goal in nine bloody minutes, they’re up over $700k right now and I wouldn’t put it past them to exceed their previous record. Base pledges will come in monochromatic ‘Dungeon Grey’, while for a reasonably small surcharge per set, you can upgrade to the ‘Expertly Hand Painted’ level.
