Castellan, a castle-building game from Steve Jackson Games.
Bill Witt shows off the new Pajaggle Rings.
Hey, check it out: Steve Jackson Games has a new game coming out, and it doesn’t start with M and rhyme with “punchkin.” Castellan lets you build little tiny castles with walls and towers; you get points for completing a courtyard based on how many towers it has (regardless of size or shape). The cards in your hand indicate which pieces you’ll get to build with each turn. It’s not terribly deep, but is kind of fun, and I think may make a fun light game for casual gamers and in-between heftier fare (like, for instance, Ogre). Castellan isn’t out yet, but should be soon.
I checked in with Bill Witt of Pajaggle to see what was new, and he showed me Pajaggle Rings, which were just released. The rings consist of foam hexes with the shape cut-outs, so that you can join up a bunch of hexes to make a puzzle, and then use the various-colored pieces to fill them in. Pajaggle Rings come with a bunch of cards for different types of play. Some require you to build the exact picture indicated on the card, another challenges you to build something based on a text description before revealing the image to see how well you did. The large foam pieces are easier to use for folks with impaired vision, and Witt has found that because Pajaggle‘s audience includes seniors, the Rings are a great fit for senior centers and assisted living homes which have incorporated the puzzle game into their activities. You can get more info or purchase Rings on the Pajaggle website.
The DC Comics Deck-Building demo was packed all weekend.
Cryptozoic had a couple of new things to show off. One of the most popular at the show (understandably so) was their upcoming DC Comics Deck-Building Game. I don’t know if that’s the final title — that’s how it’s listed on the website — but what it lacks in charm it makes up for in sheer licensing power. Yep, it’s an officially licensed deck-building game where you get to play as your favorite DC Comics superhero (as long as your favorite is Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Green Lantern, or Cyborg). As with Ascension, the rest of the cards are all shuffled together to make one stack, with a few available cards each turn. However, there is only one currency — Power — which you use to purchase new cards and to defeat villains. Meanwhile, villains can add Weakness or Vulnerability cards to your deck, diluting it and reducing your score. Watch for more about this one soon.
Another deck-building game from Cryptozoic was 3012, set a thousand years after the Mayan apocalypse. In 3012, you pick a hero, gather weapons and allies, and face encounters to level up. However, at each encounter the other players have the opportunity to aid you or hinder you. Will it turn out to be something like Thunderstone Munchkin? (And is that a good thing or a bad thing?) I’ll find out and let you know!
Aside from those, Cryptozoic is also developing the world of Lookouts, created by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins of Penny Arcade. There is a game coming, but first they’re fleshing out the world itself through a comic book series. They had the first issue available at PAX, and it looks like a great start. Also new this year was Hot Rod Creeps, a customizable racing board game which even includes a jump through a ring of (cardboard) fire. Dave Banks is planning to get a closer look at both Lookouts and Hot Rod Creeps.
Dave Banks and Erik Wecks engage in a tense (but pretty) game of FlowerFall.
And one last game before I had to hit the road and head back home: FlowerFall from Asmadi Games. Dave Banks will provide a full review later, but basically it involves dropping cards onto the table and trying to create garden paths that you control. Rael mentioned it during the panel as a game that starts off with “flowers falling from the sky” and then quickly becomes something intense like Risk. We played a couple of games of FlowerFall (it’s a fairly quick game), and met Chris Cieslik from Asmadi Games who happened to be in the same tabletop room at the time.
Overall, this year’s PAX tabletop gaming felt more far-flung than last year’s, and I spent a lot of time walking between various locations (which meant less time actually sitting down and playing). But it was still a lot of fun and I’ve got a long list of games to check out. If you haven’t already, be sure to take a look at my PAX Kickstarter Round-Up as well, because there are some great tabletop games mentioned there as well!
