Board Game News – Gateway Gazette – 09/06/2017

Greetings gamers,

It’s almost expo time, thus also an opportunity to board the hype-train, sabotage its brakes, and go hurtling full-steam to our demise. While our wallets may cry in terror, we’ll go down with a smile on our faces.

I’m talking about Origins Game Fair, which takes place next week, and we’re already seeing news of games being shown / previewed at the event. See below for a small selection of what to expect.

New Games

Ares Games will be very busy at Origins, as they’re showing off a selection of high-profile games like the new hidden movement game Hunt for the Ring – part of the War of the Ring line. Or the English version of the co-operative board game based on the video game This War of Mine (published by Galakta, distributed by Ares). But their most anticipated title will surely be Sword & Sorcery, a title announced back in 2015 and then successfully Kickstarted  – spectacularly so. 

Sword & Sorcery is an epic-fantasy cooperative board game in which up to five players control heroes with unique powers, fighting together against the forces of evil – controlled by the game system itself – to save the kingdom and break the spell that binds their souls.

The game should be available to the general gaming public around June, after Kickstarter orders are fullfilled.

 

WizKids will also be present at Origins, and they’ll be showing off their new card game Fantasy Realms. from Bruce Glassco (Betrayal at House on the Hill). 

As a ruler of a far-away land, each player must create the best card combos by drawing and discarding cards to build the mightiest realm in the world. You might choose to build up a massive force with army cards to sweep all before you.  Or perhaps your kingdom will thrive in the mountains using caverns for shelter or jungles for protection with land card combos. The choice is yours, for no two realms will ever be the same.

It’s a quick-playing (20 minutes) card game for 3-6 players, where each player collects the best cards to perform combos. The instructions are easy – draw a card, discard a card.

And speaking of Betrayal….

 

Well. Didn’t see this one coming. For fans of Betrayal at the House of the Hill, or if you love Dungeons & Dragons – Wizards of the Coast has now officially announced a reskin of Betrayal with a fantasy flavour – Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate.

The shadow of Bhaal has come over Baldur’s Gate, summoning monsters and other horrors from the darkness!

As you build and explore the iconic city’s dark alleys and deadly catacombs, you must work with your fellow adventurers to survive the terrors ahead. That is, until some horrific evil turns one—or possibly more—of you against each other. Was it a mind flayer’s psionic blast or the whisperings of a deranged ghost that caused your allies to turn traitor? You’ll have no choice but to keep your enemies close!

Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate releases in October 2017. For an idea of what’s coming, see Stuart’s review of Betrayal at House on the Hill.

From Everything Epic Games comes a new co-operative game based on John Carpenter’s 80’s action classic movie, Big Trouble in Little China.

There is a secret world where ancient evil weaves a modern mystery… they call it Little China. It’s where Big Trouble was waiting for Jack Burton and his friends as they uncover an ancient diabolical plot. The evil minions of the immortal ghost-sorcerer Lo Pan are waiting to chop down the players with axes and guns in dark alleys and all throughout the battle-torn streets of Chinatown. Now, Jack, Wang, Gracie, and the rest of the gang must muster up all of their courage, survive against hordes of baddies, and then face off in a showdown with the darkest demon of them all Lo Pan!?

They will be releasing a regular core version for 1-4 players, and a deluxe limited edition for 1-6 players that also contains additional quests. – pre-orders can be placed now at https://bigtroublegame.com/.

If you’re looking to own the definitive game based BTiLC, then it seems this might be the clear winner.

Well, at least in terms of cover art… Jack, what did they do to your face?

Kickstarter

From the creators of the This War of Mine: Board Game comes the aesthetically pleasing Lords of Hellas, a new area control game (with adventure elements) game for 1-4 players.

Lords of Hellas is a fast-paced territory control game with adventure elements for 1-4 players. The game is set in the Dark Age of Greece, an era shrouded in mystery. Is it possible, that what people of that time saw as Gods, were just beings from another planet, bringing advanced technology to the world?

With a game containing so many fantastic components (those miniatures), it’s no wonder this was funded pretty quickly. Though it’s just about completed almost all of it’s stretch goals – around £725K with 17 days left to go (on a modest £50K goal).

Cool Mini or Not seems to have scored another hit in their Zombicide series, with Zombicide: Green Horde.

Zombicide: Green Horde is a cooperative board game for 1 to 6 players that is both a standalone game, and fully compatible with Zombicide: Black Plague and its expansions! Players control a party of medieval fantasy survivors as they fight to rid the land of an invasion of zombie orcs controlled by the game itself. Survivors find weapons, learn spells, battle zombies, and gain experience. The more experienced they get, the more powerful they become, but the more zombies rise to face them!

Fully funded, the total is sitting at around $2,4 MILLION, with 18 days left to go. If you think this is one of the best-funded Kickstarter board games of all time, you’d be wrong – but it is close to hitting the top 10, but still a bit away from Zombicide: Black Plague‘s $4 million.

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Paul reminded us that he really still loves dungeon crawlers in his review of Arcadia Quest. Next week Stuart will be sharing his thoughts on (secret subject) with an opinion piece.

Good gaming all.