Here is the board game (and board game-related!) news that caught our attention for the week ending November 22, 2019.
Gaming News
- GeekDad announced earlier this week our finalists for the prestigious Game of the Year award. The finalists are Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale, Endeavor: Age of Sail, Mapmaker, Planet, Point Salad, The Primary, The Quacks of Quedlinburg, Tiny Epic Mechs, Tiny Towns, and Wingspan. A group of GeekDad writers will be getting together this weekend to play each of the games multiple times and decide on a winner, which will be announced in the coming weeks. Congratulations to all of our finalists.
- We have also released our final list of the games that were given the GeekDad Approved seal for 2019. These are the games that our writers played over the course of the year that really stood out. You can view the entire list, which includes links to the original reviews, on the Game of the Year finalists post.
- Games publisher HABA is having a buy one, get one free sale on a selection of their titles. But hurry–the sale ends on Sunday.
- Wizards of the Coast is teaming up with Adult Swim to bring us Dungeons & Dragons vs Rick and Morty, a tabletop roleplaying boxed set that “includes everything a Dungeon Master needs to channel their inner mad scientist and run a rickrolling adventure for up to 5 players, levels 1 to 3.” It should be in stores now, and GeekDad Rory Bristol took a look at the set this week.
- In sad news, Chad Jensen, designer of games such as Dominant Species, passed away from cancer at age 52. His wife Kai made the announcement on Boardgamegeek.com.
- Those Star Wars fans who are obsessing about Baby Yoda (and I assume they’re few and far between) might be interested to know that Fantasy Flight has announced several new products due in stores soon, including the C-ROC Cruiser Expansion Pack.
- According to Tabletop Wire, French publisher Libellud, creator of Dixit, has established a charitable foundation supporting youth and education. The company plans to endow the charity with $1.1M over the next three years.
- Video game studio Rebellion has launched Rebellion Unplugged, a board game division that looks like it will focus on bringing the company’s main titles to the tabletop. Their first game, Sniper Elite, will officially debut at PAX Unplugged next month, with a planned Kickstarter next year.
- CMON is releasing Zombiecide: Night of the Living Dead, a version of the game based on the classic George Romero film that is widely credited with creating the modern zombie craze. The announcement came by way of a teaser trailer posted on YouTube.
GeekDad and GeekMom Reviews
Here are the games we’ve reviewed this week:
- Jonathan Liu reviewed Slip Strike.
- Sarah Pinault reviewed Home Alone.
- Robin Brooks reviewed Copenhagen.
- I reviewed Game of the Year Finalist Endeavor: Age of Sail (where this week’s featured image is from).
What We’re Playing
Finally, here’s what the GeekDads played this week:
- Michael Pistiolas played Ticket to Ride, Camel Up, Draftasaurus, Downforce, Battle Sheep, Villainous, and The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth.
- Jonathan Liu played 5-Minute Mystery, Just One, The Taverns of Tiefenthal, Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated, and Dale of Merchants Collection.
- Sarah Pinault played The Home Alone Game, In a Pickle, Shadows in the Forest, DuckTales Munchkin, Munchkin, Furry Foodies, Mifucci, and The Wizard Always Wins.
- Robin Brooks played Warhammer Underworlds: Beastgrave.
