The board game (and board game-related!) news that caught our attention for the week ending September 14, 2018.
- At some point in the last year or so, Pandemic became less about the spread of disease and more about product extension. After visiting the reign of cosmic madness and the mechanical battlements protecting from the North Sea, Pandemic turns its unmasked gaze toward the fall of the Roman Empire. Announced this week, Pandemic: Fall of Rome pits players against invading hordes of migrating tribes. Look for it Q4.
- Eggertspiele has decided to revitalize Camel Up. The new version will feature improved components, new components (including a palm tree), and new gameplay. Look for it later this year.
- Designer Kane Klenko has done some neat games (Fuse, Covert, Flip Ships), so when he takes up with the amazing art of the husband/wife duo of Mr. Cuddington, you’d better believe I’m paying attention. The result, Slap It!, will be coming from Renegade for just $15 in January.
- Next month, Brain Games will be hosting a contest to capture great trick shots in their dexterity penguin game, Ice Cool. Check out the video:
- Having recently played Gizmos, I’m given to thinking of how similar its dispenser is to Potion Explosion, a game which utilizes real marbles. Both are well constructed, but cardboard has its limits. CMON will take a step up in Potion Explosion‘s second edition, with a plastic dispenser that does not require assembly.
- This week’s image is from Kingdomino: Age of Giants.
- On shelves this week, one we missed last week, is Patchwork Express. This version of the game has easier pieces to place, a smaller board, and plays in about 10 minutes.
- Welcome To… a really fun roll & write (or, more accurately, flip & write) will hit retailers far and wide next week. It’s clever and fun and you should play it. (Read our review here.)
- Also on shelves will be 5 Minute Chase from Board and Dice. It’s asymmetric tile-laying that’s played in real time, without turns. I’m really eager to take this one for a test drive. Or run.
- This last one is fun. Foxmind Games has a new game on the way from Magic Maze designer Kasper Lapp. Potion pits 3-7 players against each other as alchemists looking to develop a potion. What’s neat is all the components fit in a medicine bottle!
At GeekDad, we write a lot about tabletop games. Here’s what we’ve written about this past week:
- Michael Pistiolas checked out a beautiful game on Kickstarter from Green Couch Games. Into the Black Forest has some absolutely wonderful artwork and Michael thinks it’s great for families who enjoy games—like you!
- Jonathan Liu reviewed a game currently funding on Kickstarter, Bee Lives, which has some neat tokens, and also Tiny Epic Mechs, which launched yesterday on Kickstarter. We had a chance to play Tiny Epic Mechs at Gen Con and it was awesome!
- John Booth wrote a review about a robot-themed family game called RobotLab.
- Logan Giannini enjoyed a lovely looking abstract strategy called Squadro. It seems a bit cut-throat, but for Logan that only adds to his enjoyment.
- Simon Yule wrote up his D&D campaign again, his 69th session of Curse of Strahd.
- Robin Brooks reviewed this year’s Kinderspiel winner, Dragon’s Breath. It looks fun, but not nearly as fun as its German name, Funkelschatz, which, coincidentally, is the name of my Kraftwerk cover band.
- Rob Huddleston reviewed another Kickstarter game, The Artemis Project, published by The Grand Gamers Guild. It’s a worker placement game that has some twists on the mechanic and has some real complexity to it.
Finally, here’s what some of the GeekDad Crew has been playing this week:
- Jonathan Liu: Click Clack Lumberjack, Magic Maze, Sunflower Valley, Dialect, BFF!, Welcome To…, Clank! In! Space! Apocalypse!, Deep Sea Adventure, Emperor’s New Clothes, Most Wanted, New Salem: The Constable, Pikoko, The Shipwreck Arcana, Someone Has Died, Startups, Tower of Madness, Troll, Root
- Michael Harrison: The Networks
- Robin Brooks: Dragon’s Breath, Age of Sigmar:Champions
- Simon Yule: D&D Curse of Strahd, Risk Legacy, Zombie Fluxx
- Will James: Sunflower Valley, Clank! In! Space! Apocalypse!
- Logan Giannini: Root, Everdell, Skulls, Trade on the Tigris, Cryptid, DC Spyfall, Reef, Squadro
- Dave Banks: Nyctophobia, Gizmos, The Rise of Queensdale
