At Origins Game Fair 2018 I caught up with Brenna from Starling Games and she showed me War of Whispers, which is currently on Kickstarter. It’s a neat little area control, wagering game with just enough moving parts to give it the right amount of thinking for a great game.
This is on Kickstarter until 6/21/2018
Heroes of Metro City: Sidekicks & Storylines
$40.00
Sidekicks & Storylines is an expansion for Heroes of Metro City which adds the brand new Sidekick Power cards to the City Supply. The expansion also contains rules for creating a Storyline Deck in the City Supply that will expand on your Hero’s legend, both in the past and present!
Fidelitas
$20.00
In Fidelitas, players take on the role of faithful citizens in a medieval city who are exerting influence in order to gain the credibility needed to lead the charge against the corrupt crown.
Players play character cards to various locations that make up the city in order to meet conditions of hidden objectives. Each type of character card is associated with a unique action that manipulates cards in the game: the Butcher bullies other characters to new locations, the Student gains more cards, the Soldier keeps the peasants from loitering too long, etc. In this game where keen maneuvering is key, attentiveness to the opposition may uncover hidden motives that seek to foil your bid for power.
The first player to gain a certain number points (depending on the number of players) is determined worthy to lead the revolt and also wins the game.
Frome Game Salute
Capture isn’t a “War game” it’s a family strategy board game, with a simple but timeless game play that feels like a classic game, that we just never got to play! Capture grew from Andrew’s desire to make a next generation strategy board game in the 1980s, and the elegant replayable design certainly seems to have stood the test of time; though it has never been published (after some very close calls!)
The kickstarter for the game is launching February 3rd at 9am EST and will run for 32 days. Below is a link to the page, which has interviews with the designer and a lot more information.
Tiny Epic Defenders
$25.00
After the Great War, which was depicted in Tiny Epic Kingdoms, many of the factions, shattered and defeated, looked for something to cling to. One final hope before the last of their race would flow like the river into the ocean of history, gone and forgotten. It was the sages of the Order of Gamelyn who answered their prayers. They provided a new perspective on unity, and a way of life that would welcome peaceful members of any faction. A utopia for all. With very few options and a will to survive, this world alliance became an inevitable truth in the eyes of many of the factions’ leaders. Even factions who hated one another had nothing left but each other. Under the guidance of the Order of Gamelyn, a Capital City was chosen and factions from all over the world came to call this city their new home. At last, the world was at peace…but not for long.
A great storm is coming and in the darkness of the mist, there are demons. You have fought hard and established your Kingdom, but peace never lasts. Your scouts report that hordes of treacherous monsters are approaching the outskirts of your Capital City. If your Capital City falls you will lose everything, along with your Kingdom. Gather your friends and defend the onslaught in this exciting and unpredictable cooperative micro-game!
In Tiny Epic Defenders, players must select their class and work together to defend the foreboding horde and slay the Epic Foe. Will you take on the role of the Barbarian, the Sorcerer, the Cleric or the Warrior? Each class has a unique player power that you will need to use. In this fast-paced game, players will scramble between various regions outside their Capital City fighting off enemy hordes! Each region will offers unique properties that players must calculate into their strategy.
If your group is fortunate enough to defeat the wave of monsters, you may live long enough to face the Epic Foe! Which Epic foe will it be and will you be prepared? Does your group have what it takes to survive? Will you have the synergy to be crowned the leader of the Tiny Epic Defenders?
1-4 players
Ages 13+
30 minute play time
Cthulhu Wars
$199.00
Cthulhu Wars is a strategy boardgame in which the players take the part of alien races and gods taken from the Cthulhu mythos created by H. P. Lovecraft. The game is physically large, and includes sixty-four figurines of the cultists, monsters, aliens, and Great Old Ones that range in height from approximately 20mm to nearly 180mm.
The game takes place on a map of Earth. Each player takes the part of one of four factions incuded in the base game. At the start of a turn, players Gather Power, then, during a series of Action Rounds, they spend this Power to accomplish various tasks, such as moving units, engaging in battle, summoning monsters, building Gates, casting spells, and Awakening their Great Old One. When all players run out of Power, the Action phase ends and the next turn begins. Victory is determined by accumulating points on the Doom Track. The first player to 30 is the lone victor.
Driving the strategy are a player’s wish to expand his power base, and his need to accomplish six tasks to acquire his faction’s spellbooks. Each faction has a unique set of monsters, spellbooks, and special abilities, and has different requirements to acquire its spellbooks. All factions have multiple strategies open to them.
2-4 players
Ages 12+
90 minute play time
Contents:
24 Cultist miniatures, six in each color: blue, green, red, yellow
5 Great Old Ones miniatures: Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, Shub-Niggurath, Hastur, The King in Yellow
4 Deep Ones, 2 Shoggoths, 2 Starspawn miniatures
3 Nightgaunts, 3 Flying Polyp, 2 Hunting Horror miniatures
2 Ghouls, 4 Fungi, 3 Dark Young miniatures
6 Undead, 4 Byakhee miniatures
Mapboard of Earth (in two pieces, printed on both sides)
4 Faction Cards
4 Power markers
4 Doom track markers
1 Ritual Annihilation Marker
Starting player tile
24 Spellbooks
12 Desecration markers
22 Gates
1 Player Hints & Tips
1 Rulebook
Machine of Death: The Game of Creative Assassination
$40.00
Machine of Death: The Game of Creative Assassination is a storytelling game set in a world in which a machine can predict how a person will die with 100% accuracy with only a small blood sample. However, the machine delights in being vague and twisted. A card reading “Old Age” could mean you die in your sleep at age 120, or it could mean you’re run over tomorrow by an elderly driver who forgot to take his pills today.
Players of the game take the role of assassins, who must use the various tools at their disposal; from storytelling to a slew of items available from specialty Black Market shops to create a situation in which a target is killed in a way in line with their Death Prediction. The Machine of Death Game uses this basic idea of assassins working in a world where cause of death is known to create various game modes.
There are various game modes such as general Round Robin, Head-To-Head, Co-op, Cutthroat and The Day Off which allow for tons of replayability and fun! So get your catapult ready to fling some sharks at people or maybe create a quick sand generator in a treehouse to take out your rivals. With all these possibilities and game play, assassination has never been more fun!
2-4 players
Ages 15+
30 minute play time
Ancient Terrible Things is a dice game set in the horror genre. It utilizes cards as well as dice. Take a look as Matt opens it up. Ancient Terrible Things can be found at Game Salute.
Come back soon to see some actual game play.
One of the games I got to try out at Gen Con was Hero Brigade Games. It is a pretty cool looking card game. I will have to play it a few more times to really let you know what I think.
I look forward to more Hero Brigade.
I had the chance to grab a demo of Aline Frontiers from Gen Con 2014. A game that I have wanted to look at for a long time.
I have to admit from articles I read about Alien Frontiers I expected it to have a much larger learning curve. I found the game to be delightful.
