Here is the board game (and board game-related!) news that caught our attention for the week ending March 12, 2021.
Gaming News
- Last summer, Restoration Games ran a contest to have fans design original decks for their hit tabletop game Unmatched. The winning designers and their decks are Adil M. Geresu, “The Genie of the Lamp”; Sam Crane, “Harry Houdini”; Jonathan Guberman, “William Shakespeare”; and Chet Dudick and Charles Peters, “Rosie the Riveter.” The original idea was to feature these four winning decks in a single set to be released in the future, but the company got so many submissions that they now plan to also name eight additional decks as unofficial “runners-up” that will also appear in future sets.
- Pandasaurus is teaming with French publisher Catch Up Games “to publish the English editions of two of their hit games. Both will be available in September of this year, with pre-orders opening in the spring.” The Loop is a “quirky cooperative game where everyone must unite to battle the evil Dr. Foo,” while Wild Space is a “tactical card game in which players must unleash clever combinations as they build their bustling crew.”
- Pandasaurus has also announced Brew, a dice-placement game with artwork that looks like something from a Studio Ghibli film.
- Renegade has announced an expansion to GeekDad Game of the Year winner Clank! In Space! In Pulsarcade, the game will get new modules that will allow players to ransack a vault, research new science, and entertain audiences. You can preorder now, with the game expected to hit shelves in July.
- AEG is hosting a Pitch Project for the next 3 months to allow just about anyone to pitch a game idea to the company. It’s based on a recent project of the same name that multiple companies took part in that did result in AEG signing a game.
- Cascadia is one of my favorite Kickstarter projects from last year. (You can read Jonathan’s review or play a version of the game online for free.) The game, from the creators GeekDad Game of the Year Finalist Calico and the ever-popular Point Salad, had a very successful campaign, but this week fans of the game got even more good news when it was announced that publisher Flatout Games was going to team with AEG to distribute the game. (AEG also distributed Point Salad.) This vastly increases Cascadia’s reach, and I hope that it gets into a lot of additional people’s hands.
- Hit TV series Peaky Blinders, starring Anya Taylor-Joy from Queen’s Gambit, is getting a card game treatment from Steamforged Games. The game is available now.
- Z-Man Games has a write-up this week with some more details on their upcoming title Paleo, which is available for preorder or can be played now on Tabletopia.
- WizKids is working with Wizards on the Coast to bring a series of products based on D&D and Magic: The Gathering, including D&D sprue miniatures, action figures, a paint line, accessories such as battle mats, maps, bags, and carrying cases, and D&D and Magic: The Gathering artifacts and prop replicas.
- Tolarian Community College, a YouTube-based Magic: The Gathering channel, hosted an online fundraiser to support Trans Lifeline and ended up raising $228,932.
- And in even more D&D news, Hugh Grant has been cast as a villain in Paramount’s movie based on the game. Sophia Lillis from It has also joined the cast in an unspecified role. Grant and Lillis are set to star alongside previously-announced cast members Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, and Bridgerton star Rege-Jean Page. As of yet, no plot details have been revealed.
GeekDad Reviews
What we’ve reviewed this week:
- Paul Benson reviewed Monster Slaughter.
- Jonathan Liu reviewed Three Sisters and Valeria: Card Kingdoms – Darksworn.
- Will James reviewed Your Friend Is Sad.
- Robin Brooks reviewed Warhammer Underworlds: Vanguard Watch – Episode 1.
- Michael Knight reviewed Reign: The Final Battle Royale.
- I reviewed Disney Villainous: Despicable Plots.
What We’re Playing
Finally, here’s what the GeekDads played this week:
- Jonathan Liu played Floriferous, Brew, and Pandoria Merchants.
- Will James played My Little Scythe, Your Friend Is Sad, and Wonder Woman Challenge of the Amazons.
- Robin Brooks played Warhammer Underworlds: Direchasm.
- Michael Knight played Reign: The Final Battle Royale, High Noon, ElevatorUp, and Heroes of Stalingrad
- Michael Pistiolas played 7 Wonders Duel, Cacao, Coffee Roaster, and Takeido (our featured image this week.)
- Simon Yule played Warhammer Warcry, Dungeons & Dragons: Dragon Heist, and Ticket to Ride.
- Z. played Dungeons & Dragons: Ghosts of Saltmarsh.
