Board Game News – Gateway Gazette – 14/10/2016

Hello… my name is Jason, and I haven’t bought a new game in about 8 months.

Wow, it feels great to get that off my chest. I’ve been covering the news (along with Paul and Stuart) for the whole year so far, feeling a twinge of FOMO every so often, but thus far, successfully staving off my need to buy all the things. That is.. until now. My body is ready.

I’m ready to dip my toes in the water again. While it’s been fun actually playing games in my collection – trying out Imperial Assault for the first time, and even you Carcassonne Gold Rush, it’s been grand – it’s time to add something new to my collection. Any suggestions are welcome, I’m a sucker for a good worker placement game, or should I finally try something that has a solo option (not Warhammer Quest, you’re not getting any expansions in like, forever). OR, will it be something in this article, let’s take a look.

New Games

Let it never be said that Fantasy Flight is a company that rests on their laurels. It feels like not too long ago that they launched the second edition of Mansions of Madness (2 months? 1 month? Weeks?), and now we have our first bit of news on a new expansion coming your way in the form of Beyond the Threshold.

Introducing two new investigators, one unfamiliar creature, and a variety of additional components, this expansion will extend the possibilities of your journey through each and every unsettling scenario of uncertainty and anxiety. The new spaces to discover, people to encounter, and cards to experience all come together in additional scenarios, throwing you into the dim unknown of two new mysteries, each with their own unique additions to the world of Mansions of Madness. 

Portal Games just announced their 2017 lineup. No content with just launching the new year with Space Robinson Crusoe, First Martians (releasing in January 2017), they revealed 3 new expansions and a new sci-fi-flavoured card game.

First, the expansions:

• 51st State: Scavengers is based on an expansion for the original 51st State expansion, titled Ruins. But it won’t be just a reprint, because along with some of the original cards it will feature new locations and also a new mechanic in which you’ll be able to search the discard pile for valuable locations.
• Cry Havoc: Aftermath give the excellent base game new skills and structures, which will almost double the number of unique abilities. The expansion will also include an alternate game mode which will last for 5 complete rounds, with new scoring abilities.
• Stronghold: Undead takes the original Undead expansion for Stronghold, and rebalances it for the new second edition. Not content with just giving you new Defender abilities and buildings, you will also find a new map with new routes for the Attacker.

Their new game is a 4x card game called Alien Artifacts:

Play as an interplanetary corporation, sending your research vessels into uncharted space to expand your knowledge, and power. Build your ship, research tech, and explore the galaxy for anything, or anyone, you can exploit. Alien Artifacts provides a true 4x experience in under an hour. With over 200 cards, Alien Artifacts offers players many scoring strategies and great re-playability.

Kickstarter

We’re starting with the most-epic-looking game, titled Lazer Ryderz. Any game with the word “Lazer” immediately gets my attention, but the awesome does not stop there:

In the deepest pockets of space, there exist Power Prizms, leftover artifacts from intergalactic beings of a bygone era. Activating three prizms allows Ryderz to charge up and pass through to new destinations in the galaxy. The portal only allows one Ryder to pass through before moving on to a new location, so speed is essential to meet your goal lest you be left in the space dust. But the faster you go, the harder it is to turn, and if you run into another player’s lazer, you’ll crash! Who will continue on their quest, and who will be left behind?

The 80s are back. Lazer sharks travelling the blood nebula? Super Sheriffs? The presentation on this title is superb, with the whole game being presented as a case with VHS tapes. Thankfully this game has almost reach its initial funding goal, and still has 22 days left.

Next up we have a dungeon crawler that aims at bringing fun to players of all ages – Meeple Quest

Meeple Quest(TM) is an exploration game for 1 to 5 players that stands out for being easy and entertaining. While playing you will have the feeling of diving into a fantastic world, but without the complexity of rules that is usually found in this kind of games. You will explore a dungeon that is dynamically built up and it is different in each game. You will open chests, will fight against villain minions and will compete against of the heroes that are looking for fame and wealth that only belongs to you. All of this, added to and artificial intelligence that is eager to defeat you and take the control of Meeple Land.

It still has 34 days to go but has almost reached half its goal of 40K Euros.

Collision: The Game is a card-driven miniatures game set in a post-apocalyptic universe.

In the near-future the world has suffered a series of disasters. The overcrowded cities have ceased to exist, the majority of humanity has been eradicated. Those that have survived thus far are waging a constant war against savage mutants, unworldly monsters and above all: each other. The ultimate prize are the mysterious Collision shards. No one knows where, how or why these charged crystals have come in existence. What they do know, however, is that these are the only reliable source of energy in this new world.

Although terribly dangerous and utterly unstable (too much heat or agitation may trigger a catastrophic explosion) all crave these crystals. Every survivor relies on the shards; to power their lights, to activate their harvesters, to energise their weapons, to clean their heavily polluted waters or even for more esoteric ends. Collision means survival, Collision means civilisation, Collision means future. This is where your fight for the future starts.

Everybody’s a big sucker for miniature games, so it’s no surprise that Collision has in fact been funded to almost three times their original goal of 3.500 Euros.

Purgatory is a new skirmish miniatures game, using a D6 system.

Purgatory is a new skirmish table top game that can be played by two or more players. It combines a fresh, modern gaming experience alongside a range of high quality 32mm scale miniatures for you to play with, that have been created by some of the best sculptors in Europe.

It is the Age of Purgatory. Our planet is aflame, shattered and broken by the devastating after effects of the War for Heaven. Led by Satan, Angels that once stood guardian over our realm use our world as a battleground where titanic energies and colossal beings wield powers far beyond our comprehension, murdering and enslaving humans by the million. Mankind teeters on the edge of obliteration, but there is hope. Those still loyal to the Gods have been dispatched to right the terrible wrong of their fallen kin.

Purgatory has just reached its goal of £10,500, and still has 24 days to reach all their stretch goals.

The cult classic movie (that I’ve never seen) The Warriors is getting the tabletop treatment. The Warriors: Turf War is a strategy where 2-4 players take control of a gang, and attempt to “beef over turf”.

Officially licensed by Paramount Pictures, The Warriors: Turf War is the aggressive strategy board game based on the cult classic film The Warriors. Assume control of one of the film’s iconic gangs and immerse yourself in the action as you fight to take control of the city’s boroughs and add them to your growing turf. Unpredictable events and a growing police presence complicate even the best-laid plans, compelling truces between bitter rivals or forcing gangs to flee in the face of insurmountable odds. To dominate, you’ll have to be good. Real good. The best. Warriors, come out to play-i-yay!

The project is 75% funded at $45K, but still has 28 days left to run. With the official license it won’t have any problem reaching its funding goal.

More miniatures (we love miniatures)! More post apocalyptic-ness (we love post-apocalyptic-ness)! Armoured Syndicate is set in the 22nd century in Las Vegas.

With much of the western US abandoned due to rising temperatures the corporations now own what remains of the great cities… using advanced mechs and drones to protect their salvage rights.

The Dead Crows are a group of Mexican mercenaries and gang members, hired by a syndicate of crime-lords to infiltrate the ruined city to undertake a number of daring heists… ruthlessly pursued by the Dromeda Corporation‘s sentries and drones.

Donald Trump will not be funding this title, but not to worry, Armoured Syndicate was funded in only 2 hours, and has 18 days left to run still.

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And that’s a wrap. I’m off to compile a wishlist for potential purchases, and visit my FLGs.

Good gaming.