The board game (and board game-related!) news that caught our attention for the week ending July 20, 2018.
- “It’s the future year of 2009, and blurpin’ ain’t how it used to blurp.” That’s the headline on the Plaid Hat page for the just-announced and upcoming game, Neon Gods. I figured I was missing out on some slang, so I looked up blurpin’. Protip: don’t go look that up. It means something other than what Plaid Hat are intending. I think. Anyway, Neon Gods is “the strategy game of futuristic gang warfare set in the far future of, um, 2009. Neon Gods is a story of street gangs set in a kaleidoscopic near future inspired by sci-fi cinema of the ’70s and ’80s.” Preview copies available at Gen Con and in stores later this year.
- Barnes & Noble has fired up their summer family game nights again. Beginning last night and running for six weeks, each night features a trio of games that are then available for a discounted purchase. (They’ll have snacks, too!)
- This week’s image is from Space Base.
- Z-Man announced a super-special 10th anniversary edition of Pandemic. The $100 version will have special components like minis and larger cards, plus it will be housed in a metal first aid box, just like the old days. You can catch this Pandemic on shelves in Q4.
- This morning, CMON announced the upcoming release (in regular and deluxe editions) of Wacky Races, a race game based on the old Hanna-Barbera cartoon. Look for it in early 2019.
- Fantasy Flight has an expansion on the way for their Fallout game. Your irradiated entertainment will hit new heights with two new scenarios, a dozen new tiles, new vaults, loots, and companions. The expansion, called New California, will be hitting a wasteland near you in Q4.
- This week, Renegade announced Spell Smashers, a word game with an adventure twist to it. The game, arriving in October, features art by The Mico (that’s some insta-buy criteria right there).
- Speaking of Renegade, they announced a convention-wide scavenger hunt at Gen Con. In support of their Outbreak RPG, players may purchase an infection status indicator for $10 at the Renegade booth. After that, “your I.S.I. will show a green light. Congratulations! You’re a human! But humanity doesn’t last forever, not in this world… Beware of I.S.I. with red lights. Get too close and you risk infection. You’ll have a few moments to distance yourself from the infected participant, then your I.S.I. will TURN YELLOW. At that point, you’ll have 15 minutes to come back to the Aid Station at the Renegade event space (Hall C). Otherwise, you’ll become infected for that day’s challenge” according to the press release. Oh, and there will be some big-time prizes each day!
- North Star announced a bluffing card-game called Most Wanted, which will be set in the old west. They’ll have a few at Gen Con, otherwise, you’ll have to wait until later in the year.
- What’s headed to stores this week? How about the first expansion for Downforce (read our review of the base game), Super Mario Bros Power Up Game (available exclusively at Target), and Remnants, a great new wastelands survival game with real-time dice rolling. It’s hectic and fun, look for a review from us next week!
At GeekDad, we write a lot about tabletop games. Here’s what we’ve written about this past week:
- Jonathan Liu reviewed (and really, really liked) Thunderstone Quest (currently in Kickstarter) before turning his attention to Magnus’ Kingdom, a chess teaching app that’s awfully cute. And speaking of kingdoms, the Age of Giants has come to Kingdomino.
- Simon Yule has spent more weeks in murky caves than a Thai soccer team… well, his D&D characters have. This week marks his 62nd in Curse of Strahd, which has taken him to all manner of dark realms.
- Jonathan Liu, James Floyd Kelly, John Booth, and I piped off with the things we are most looking forward to at Gen Con.
- Speaking of Jim, he reviewed British Vs Pirates, a previously Kickstarted skirmish game.
- Lastly, I interviewed David Hoppe, the president of Gen Con. He has some interesting things to say!
Finally, here’s what some of the GeekDad Crew has been playing this week:
- Rob Huddleston: Istanbul, 5 Minute Dungeon
- Kim Haynes: Carthage, Long Cow
- Simon Yule: Boss Monster, D&D Curse of Strahd, Risk
- Michael Pistiolas: Santorini, Azul, Rise of Tribes, Forbidden Island
- Jonathan Liu: Sabotage, PopCats Fighter, Villainous, Deep Sea Adventure, Kingdomino: Age of Giants, Mistborn: House War, Mystic Vale: Twilight Garden, NMBR 9, Spy Club, Startups
- Michael Harrison: Hanabi, Junk Orbit
- Preston Burt: Azul, 5 Minute Dungeon, Sheriff of Nottingham
- Logan Giannini: Reef, Century: Eastern Wonders, Bye-Bye Black Sheep, Circuit Breaker, Spyfall, Visitor in Blackwood Grove, Blank Slate, Azul w/ Joker Tiles.
- Dave Banks: Spy Club, Hit Z Road, Bunny Kingdom, Mars Open, Minerva, SuperTopSecretStonemaierGame
- Robin Brooks: Warhammer: Age of Sigmar – Storm Strike
