Around The Republic

Last week was enshortened for us due to the holiday, but we still packed as much as we could in before taking off. Ryan reviewed Legacy: Gears of Time and Dave talked about his latest experience with the Legend of the Five Rings card game. We also had some convos with BFIG’s Aerjen and Glenn about the September fest, and FINALLY I talked to Meg McGinley about Pack the Pack!

But read on, young gamespeople, for the news awaits!

 

Games & Expansions

Title: Kemet: Ta-Seti
Publisher: Matagot
Designer: Jacques Bariot & Guillaume Montiage
Anticipated Release: Q4 2014

Why You Should Care: Kemet is a great game, and this expansion is set to add a fair amount of new content including a new pyramid color, a new game phase, new ID cards, and something called the path of souls.

 

Title: Bang! High Noon/A Fistful of Cards
Publisher: dV Giochi
Designer: Emiliano Sciarra
Anticipated Release: In the US, August 2014

Why You Should Care: By all accounts, this combined expansion pack streamlines the game, but note that these expansions have been released previously on their own. If you already own one or both, it’s probably not worth picking this combo up unless you really, really like to play Bang!

 

Title: Johari
Publisher: Lookout Games / Mayfair Games
Designer: Carlo Lavezze
Anticipated Release: November 2014 (with previews at Gen Con in August 2014)

Why You Should Care: You play a jewel merchant competed for prestige by selling gems and managing your bazaar booth. The game is heavy on indirect interaction – trying to figure out what your other players are doing and taking actions that block their paths to victory. It has some interesting scoring mechanisms, though I fear it might be a bit overly-complex for what it is. We shall see.

 

Title: Marrying Mr. Darcy: Undead Expansion
Publisher: Game Salute
Designer: Erika Svanoe
Anticipated Release: Now

Why You Should Care: Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. If that’s not enough to catch your interest, this game won’t be for you.

 

Title: Robinson Crusoe: Voyage of the Beagle
Publisher: Z-Man Games
Designer: Marion Heuser, Robert Masson, and Ignacy Trzewiczek
Anticipated Release: Q3 2014

Why You Should Care: Because the first game is so difficult that I’ve played Scenario 1 (the introduction) three times and have yet to win. This game is the most fun I’ve had losing repeatedly since I gave up trying to play Dwarf Fortress. Robinson Crusoe is heavy on the theme, and also on the luck – though, is it really “luck” if everything that happens is bad? If that’s your bag, check this out. If not, avoid. There be dragons. And snakes, and pit traps, and cannibals, and a gorilla, and…what the hell, island?

 

Title: Prophecy: Water Realm
Publisher: Z-Man Games
Designer: Vlaada Chvátil
Anticipated Release: August 2014 of course!

Why You Should Care: It’s an expansion, so if you have the base game and like it, well, you know the drill. It adds new cards, as well as a new board, and can be played with or without the first expansion, Prophecy: Dragon Realm.

 

Title: Temporum
Publisher: Rio Grande Games
Designer: Donald X. Vaccarino
Anticipated Release: August 2014, with hints at something involving Gen Con

Why You Should Care: This is the mind/team that brought you Dominion and Kingdom Builder! Also, it’s about time travel. Players have to manipulate history in order to secure their power with the goal of being in charge during the last time period – the one in which time travel is invented.

 

Other Interesting Things

What: Board Game Olympics
Why: These people are SUPER SERIOUS about their party games. Don’t you even try to come in here just for fun.

What: Basic D&D Dropped on Thursday
Why: If you’re looking to jive with 5e, this is your place to start. Plus, it’s free and available online. Basic D&D contains enough to play a full (albeit limited) game – four races, four classes, equipment, spells, general rules, monsters.

What: BGG has started their list of Spiel 2014 games
Why: Headed to Essen? Yeah, we’re not either. But, if you are a) lucky and wealthy, b) German, and/or c) just into games, you can scope out the games on offer during October’s Spiel 2014.

 

Crowdfunding Corner Top Three

Title: UnPub
Publisher: UnPub…well, there is no publisher #missingthepoint
Designer: Darrell Louder
Buy-In: Varies

Why It’s Special: Unpub is great, you guys. The CR loves our friendly indie gamemakers, and so does UnPub. This annual event (now on its fifth edition) let’s new/small designers show off their up-and-coming games to eachother and to publishers. It’s a huge boon to the indie community and I hope that you’ll consider lending it your support.

 

Title: Mouse Guard: Swords and Strongholds
Publisher: The Burning Wheel
Designer: David Petersen & Luke Crane
Buy-In: $30

Why It’s Special: Set in the same universe as the Mouse Guard RPG and graphic novels, Swords and Strongholds aims to be a light strategy game. What I’m interested in here is the creators’ attention to detail and the atmosphere they’re hoping to evoke with their game. Mouse Guard has a particular ambiance – part epic fantasy, part children’s fable – and that seems to have carried over into the components. They’re using a thick wooden board and pieces that walk that toe the line of whimsy.

 

Title: Shadows Over Normandie
Publisher: Devil Pig Games
Designer: Devil Pig Games
Buy-In: 70 BPS

Why It’s Special: Shadows over Normandie brings the Cthulhu mythos to the Heroes of Normandie universe. I’m intrigued by the mechanics of each troop being given secret orders at the beginning of the round, and of troop activation taking place as a back-and-forth among players. And, of course, I’m always a fan of fighting cultist Nazis.

 

 

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