This is the day you don’t skip at the tabletop gym because you don’t want your lists to look all scrawny and weak. It’s so unattractive when lists are neglected while everything else is robust and muscular…

That’s why we’re going to pump our lists full of Kickstarter convos, board game paraphernalia, and all of the other tabletop-adjacent talk that gets the Internet into a tizzy. Enjoy.

Delayed gratification is for people with impulse control and I don’t think I have that right now. Maybe in a normal year in a normal time, but not now.

So game announcements have only been met with fierce impatience and a burning desire to play these things now.

Waiting is for… adults?

The Callisto Protocol

I haven’t talked about my love of video games but Dead Space and its sequel are two of my favorites. The third-person horror games are visceral, terrifying experiences and it’s heart-pounding in the way that makes you want to stop using a headset.

So I’m beyond excited that Skybound Entertainment has announced The Callisto Protocol, a game designed in partnership with Striking Distance Studios. Developers who worked on Dead Space are part of this team and I can’t be happier about it. Yes, it’s not a board game. But it’s been announced by a company that also publishes board games, so it counts in my book.

And if you haven’t played cinematic horror games, then you should. Until Dawn on the PS4 remains one of the most memorable narratives on that platform.

So check this out because everyone needs a good scare every now and then. For the brave souls out there, you can also get creeped out with the red-band trailer.

The One Ring RPG

The Lord of the Rings is one of the most recognizable IPs on the planet. So, it’s no surprise that there is tabletop roleplaying content out there set in Middle-Earth, but I pay very close attention any time Free League Publishing does anything.

They are one of my favorite publishers. Period.

This is why the reveal of a new edition of The One Ring roleplaying game gets me pumped. The RPG is hitting Kickstarter on February 11th, and you can be notified at the pre-launch page. The One Ring will be based on the events in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the well-known fantasy series by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Free League Publishing, in collaboration with designer Francesco Nepitello, will be reworking the first edition, which released in 2011. Ten years later, a new era in Middle-Earth will begin, with updates to the rules and an aesthetic redesign which will surely reflect the publishing quality that Free League is known for.

I’ve been really enjoying roleplaying games during the pandemic. They’ve been a salve and a balm in an otherwise difficult time. More worlds to explore are welcome, so I’m looking forward to trying out The One Ring.

Alba

I love stories no matter the origin.

My personal history with stories started with books and movies, and then progressed to games and television later in life. So the idea of a fusion between those cultural spheres excites me.

Choose-your-own adventure books have been out for a long time but Inside the Box Board Games has upped the ante in terms of ambition with Alba. This is a much more tactile and immersive experience than the Ghostbusters book that we had on the shelf in our childhood.

And you can choose how you want to interact with the material—paperback, hardback, digital.

Since there are 19 different endings you can get, and numerous paths you can take to get to each one, you’re looking at an experience that should last quite a while before you fully plumb the depths of what Alba has to offer.

I think I’ll have to get the hardback edition of this, though. I like a premium-book feel in my hands, old-school style. I’ve purchased more ebooks and digital editions in recent years, but I know I’ll want something like this as a physical relic and experience to hold onto.

Which games do you want to play badly right now? Let me know in the comments!