Here is the board game (and board game-related!) news that caught our attention for the week ending May 7, 2021.
Gaming News
- Back in March, Jonathan reported on the Great Escape Tournament sponsored by Paruzal Games. The tournament has now ended, and Paruzal has announced that Team Prospect has been named the “Fastest Escape Room Team on the internet” for winning the bracketed tournament featuring a series of new, yet-to-be-released Paruzal games.
- The winners of the 15th Annual Golden Geek Awards have also been announced. As we’ve previously covered, Boardgame Geek did away with an overall Game of the Year winner this year, and instead gave awards to games in 15 categories. They also recognized the Best Podcast.
- Northern California Eagle Scout candidate John Callanan tapped into his love of Magic: The Gathering—which he learned in Scouts—for his Eagle Scout service project, one of the biggest and most difficult steps in achieving Scouting’s highest rank. (My son has been working on his project for over six months.) Callanan took donations of Magic cards and donated them to Kentucky-based charity Commons4Kids, which sends unwanted collectible cards to kids. Callanan’s original goal was to collect 100,000 cards, but already the Folsom, CA-based Scout has received or expects to get close to 200,000 cards. If you have cards you would like to donate, Callanan has asked that you email him directly at cardseagleproject@gmail.com.
- The TESA Collective is seeking submissions for new board games and card games about changing the world.
- Games Workshop has been holding their Warhammer Fest all week, revealing lots of new models including fan favorites Gaunt’s Ghosts.
- Minecraft: Builders and Biomes designer Ulrich Blum has teamed up with Munchkin illustrator John Kovalic to create Doodle Dungeon, a game in which players draft cards that they use to draw their own dungeon, which other players then try to navigate and defeat the original player’s dragons. The game is due to be released by Pegasas Spiele later this year.
- Galactic 2E, an RPG inspired by Star Wars, is now available to purchase in PDF form.
- More than a decade after its initial release, the Catan expansion Treasures, Dragons & Adventures, which includes six scenarios and requires the base game, along with the Seafarers and Cities and Knights expansions, is finally being released in English. It was previously available in German, of course, but also Polish, Dutch, and Chinese.
- Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner told investors this week that the company was looking into ways to get into the NFT craze, particularly with Magic: The Gathering. If you’re like most people and are confused about what an NFT even is, this piece by Mashable does a decent job explaining it (and explaining their pretty horrific environmental impact).
GeekDad & GeekMom Reviews
Here’s what we reviewed this week:
- Paul Benson reviewed GeekDad-Approved Cryo.
- Jonathan Liu reviewed Vivid Memories and the GeekDad-Approved Overboss.
- Robin Brooks reviewed Warhammer Quest: Cursed City and Judgement–Eternal Champions.
- Elizabeth MacAndrew reviewed Quests of Yore.
What We’re Playing
Finally, here’s what the GeekDads played this week:
- Paul Benson played Cryo, Cyberpunk Red, and Solomon Kane.
- Jonathan Liu played Catch Don Falconi, Stationfall, and Machi Koro Legacy.
- Will James played Paper Apps Dungeon.
- Robin Brooks played Warhammer Underworlds: Direchasm and Heroes and Villains.
- Michael Pistiolas played Azul, Blokus, Roll Player, and Villagers.
- Z. played Dungeons & Dragons: Ghosts of Saltmarsh.
- I played Hues and Cues (our featured image this week), ESPN Trivia Night, Rummikub, and The Crew: Quest for Planet X.
