News Blast - All The Things That Have Happened
Sometimes things need to be shared, so that’s why we’re letting you know about these tabletop tidbits!
Oh my goodness, I’ve missed so much. Well, not exactly missed. So much has happened. A ton of new games announced. Or events ongoing. Or content spit out.
It’s a tad overwhelming. At the end of a very busy month, it’s just been diarrhetic news in the board game industry. But in a healthy, well-hydrated way…
So I’m going to do a lightning round. A quick shoutout to the things. All of them that I’ve been able to remember or jot down along the way.
Here we go!
All The Board Games
Galaxy Trucker relaunch!
New graphics, more accessible gameplay, and additional depth, all in a cheaper box.
Now you can have your shoddy spaceship and eat it too… though I wouldn’t recommend it.
My Father’s Work has launched on Kickstarter. It’s a Victorian horror game imbued with Euro mechanics and creep-you-out storytelling.
Definitely one that I’ll be keeping my eyes on. Physically on them. Because I’m going to tear them out of my face to avoid looking at the horror.
Dire Wolf has released the Riverfolk expansion for anyone who likes the digital adaptation of the asymmetric hit Root.
Bonus release: there is now an original game soundtrack if you want the whimsical melodies of woodland war bouncing around in your head.
Horrible Guild succeeds in surprising yet again with an original game concept. Sound Box is going to make all tabletop gamers look like they’re beta-testing the next Google Glass while also having a good time.
Make your weird sound better than other people’s weird sounds so that someone listens to you—so basically just a distillation of human dialogue in game form.
Capstone blows hard with Glass Road, a classic from beloved designer Uwe Rosenberg. Pre-orders for the 2013 board game are now open if you wanted a Euro exploration of the European exploration of glass.
It makes sense if you read it a second time…
Arcane Wonders has released Four Gardens, a game about several botanical locations. If the gorgeous art isn’t enough, then maybe the specific number of gardens will sway you.
It’s a Dice Tower Essentials game and it’s going to entail making beautiful sets of landscapes—panoramas—and whoever has the ugliest landscape has to admit to themselves that maybe exterior design is not their strong suit.
Cthulhu Wars Duel has been joined by some standalone terrors in Extinction, a new iteration on the two-player adaptation of the Cthulhu Wars experience.
While Cthulhu Wars Duel is currently sold out, you’ll be able to pre-order it alongside Extinction from Petersen Games.
The 25K Challenge
Okay, so that’s misleading. There was no 25K Challenge. But it’s certainly difficult to get to 25,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Take it from someone who writes on a website and doesn’t know what they’re talking about…
On a serious note, though, Jesse and Alex have been working their butts off to grow their community and help support the tabletop community and their persistence has been rewarded with audiences that respond to and engage with their content.
Here is what they have to say about this digital (and community) milestone.
Other Tidbits
Burnt Island Games announced that it will be the distribution partner for Off the Page Games, and the first title under that new relationship will be MIND MGMT: The Psychic Espionage “Game” from Jay Cormier and Sen-Foong Lim.
These two Canadian companies are full of some of my favorite people in the industry so it’s exciting to hear. And I’ll be diving into MIND MGMT soon to show off the awesome design there. [SPOILERS: It’s a super good-looking game. In a way that makes me blush.]
Two companies that make sumptuous tabletop products have teamed up in a dramatic fashion to launch a new Kickstarter.
Dispel Dice and Wyrmwood are trying to merge the appeal and momentum of their two previous Kickstarter campaigns into one big affair. If you really like dice and really like artisan-crafted wood, then this might appeal to you.
It’s really pretty. And I want it all. But I’m trying to be good.
But just because I’m trying to be good doesn’t mean you have to. Let me make financial mistakes vicariously through you!
Blog Stuff
I had quite a few Right for You / Wrong for You pieces go live next week. And I’ve got a ton of First Impressions on the way (i.e. - Arackhan Wars, Marvel United, Drawn to Adventure, Chronicles of Drunagor, Spirit Island, Canvas, Western Legends, Cockroach Poker Royal, Coloma, Caper, Zombicide 2nd Edition, Merchants Cove, Black Rose Wars, Robot Quest, Guild Master, Red Rising, MIND MGMT, Neon Gods, and more!).
So stay tuned and check out the goods.
New Writer
We’ve got a community member contributing to our writing as well now! Introducing Sam Rahman. Come on down. Take a virtual bow. Give a Zoom-based hug. Say hello to all of the screaming ducks—err, fans.
He’s been churning out some content for the website. Here are his pieces so far.
What’s all of the stuff I missed? I know there is a ton of it. What tabletop news and games are you most excited about?