Here is the board game (and board game-related!) news that caught our attention for the week ending May 21, 2021.
Gaming News
- The nominations for the Spiel des Jahres awards were announced this week. Check out my post for the complete list.
- Gen Con housing registration opens on June 6. Unlike in past years, there will not be a lottery to determine eligibility; presumably because of the limits on the number of attendees, everyone will be able to access the housing portal starting at noon Eastern on that day and find a room. Trade day attendees, exhibitors, artists, authors, and professionals will be sent separate instructions to reserve room. As a reminder, badge registration opens on May 23.
- Dominion is digital at long last. The game that invented the deck building mechanic is getting an app for PCs, tablets, and phones thanks to a collaboration between Temple Gates Games and Rio Grande Games. The app will launch as a “free to play title. Players can play with the ‘Base’ set of cards including 26 unique Kingdom cards, three basic Victory sets, and three basic Treasure sets. All expansions will be available for purchase at launch for five to ten USD dollars each.” No release date has been announced, but there is a sign-up to join the beta. Dominion is our featured image this week.
- Funko Games is set to release The Goonies: Never Say Die, a desktop roleplaying-style game that has one player take on the role of the Goondocks Master, and the other work together as the Goonies to overcome “thrilling challenges.” The game will be a Target exclusive that can be pre-ordered now and be released this summer; watch GeekDad for a full review soon.
- Funko has released the new Marvel Battleworld: Treachery at Twilight. Compatible with the original Marvel Battleworld sets, this new set “introduces Loki’s devious Tick cards, which adds new gameplay elements leading to exciting strategic choices.” In addition, we’ll now see the first hero ship with Black Panther’s Talon Fighter, The Collector’s Tower, which is described as “part toy, part puzzle, clever dice tower,” and an official storage case.
- HABA is hosting its 2021 USA game design contest. To enter, you purchase a Game Bits Kit for $6, which includes “random items from HABA games, including puzzle pieces, wooden figures, dice, blocks, board sections, and more.” The game design submission must be for a game that supports 2–5 players with a 15-45 minutes game play time, have a minimum recommended age of no higher than 8 years old, use at least three of the items from the kit (using the same item multiple times is allowed), but using other items not included in the kit is allowed, have complete written rules (the rules and setup should allow anyone to play the game without the designer there to explain), only include intellectual property you own or have rights to use, and be a family weight game. More details on how to submit to the contest can be found on the HABA website.
- As we all know, there has been a dramatic increase in hate crimes targeting those of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. Designer Ben Moy has put together this growing list of Asians in the tabletop game industry as a way of raising awareness. Please do what you can to support these and other minorities in the industry.
- Chip Theory Games appears to be designing an Elder Scrolls board game. At this point, no other details are available.
- The Op has released Monopoly: Naruto Shippuden. In the game, players “recruit top ninjas and earn recognition by the Hokage as the jutsu master they’re looking for.”
- Renegade will be hosting a virtual convention for all things related to their World of Darkness games. Elysium: Weekend of Darkness will be available for free online during the weekend of June 11-12.
- Renegade has also announced and begun taking preorders for the Transformers Deck-Building Game. The game can be played either cooperatively or competitively, and expansions are already promised.
- Fantasy Flight has released an update to the rules for Marvel Champions.
- Horizon Zero Dawn: The Board Game is now available from Steamforged Games. The semi-cooperative miniatures-based game based on the hit video game lets 1-4 players enter “a lush and post-apocalyptic world.”
GeekDad Reviews
Here’s what we reviewed this week:
- Jonathan H. Liu reviewed Buru and Paperback Adventures.
What We’re Playing
Finally, here’s what the GeekDads played this week:
- Jonathan Liu played Paper Apps: Dungeon, Beyond the Sun, Cantaloop: Book 1, Earth Rising: 20 Years to Transform Our World, and Hidden Leaders.
- Michael Pistiolas played 5er Finden, Barnyard Bunch, Andor: The Family Fantasy Game, and Sword & Sorcery.
- Robin Brooks played Warhammer Underworlds: Direchasm and Godtear.
- Z. played Dungeons & Dragons: Ghosts of Saltmarsh.
