The board game (and board game-related!) news that caught our attention for the week ending June 28, 2019.
Gaming News
- My fellow GeekDad Michael Pistiolas attended the Origins Game Fair in Columbus and wrote up an overview of the upcoming releases from Kosmos.
- The makers of Bananagrams have launched the Bananagrams School Club, which provides kits—including 2 copies of the game—to school clubs to encourage teachers to incorporate the popular word game into classroom exercises.
- According to Tabletop Wire, a Toy Association representative testified in front of Congress last week, stating that the proposed tariffs on toys (which includes boardgames) would “devastate” the industry, leading to 68,000 lost jobs and $3.4 billion in lost wages. The tariffs would also hit video game consoles, which prompted traditional rivals Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo to issue a joint statement opposing them. As of this writing, however, the tariffs are still due to take effect. However, Bloomberg is reporting that the US has indicated that if talks between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping this weekend in Japan go well, these and other new tariffs may be suspended.
- In happier news, Haba’s Valley of the Vikings won the coveted Kinderspiel des Jahres award, which is given out annually for the best kid’s game.
- Renegade Game Studios announced the fall release of ClipCut Parks, a “roll and cut” game. A spin on the “roll and write” genre of games, ClipCut Parks has players take scissors to their game to compete to make the best city park.
- Brain Games, the makers of Ice Cool, have four new titles coming out in August (which is generally code for “at Gen Con”): Team3, which is described as “a party game high on variety that pushes communication to the next level”; Snowman Dice, the “first ever game to use dice in 4 ways: stacking, pushing, rolling, and flicking”; Pigasus, “a fast children’s game with a unique and funny artwork”; and Farm Rescue, “a cooperative game for ages 4 and up developing memory and communication.”
- Warduke, an obscure Dungeons & Dragons action figure from the 1980s that I’m pretty sure is somewhere in a box in my parent’s basement, could be returning to D&D in a 5E adventure later this year.
- Arcane Wonders is set to release an English version of Smartphone, Inc., an economic simulation Euro. The game is being previewed at all of the big cons this summer, but no release date has been announced.
- GenCon is only five weeks away, and there’s only one ticket left for our Gaming with GeekDad event. Don’t miss this chance to meet us IRL and play some great new games!
- For more GenCon news, I’d highly recommend following the official GenCon Twitter account.
GeekDad Reviews
Here are the games we’ve reviewed this week:
- Jonathan Liu reviewed Zombie Kidz Evolution.
- Robin Brooks reviewed Super Fantasy Brawl.
What We’re Playing
Finally, here’s what the GeekDads played this week:
- Rebecca Angel Maxwell played D&D.
- Michael J. played Filler, Before the Earth Explodes, and Castle Panic: Dark Titan.
- Jonathan Liu played Dog Rush and Sherlock Express.
- Robin Brooks played Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault.
- I played Ticket to Ride, The Quacks of Quedlingburg (our featured image this week), Stool Pigeon, Pigeonpocalypse, and Jaws.
