The Gateway Gazette – Board Game News – 12/11/2015

Last week Paul was lamenting the fact that it’s already November. My viewpoint is slightly different as I’m thinking that it’s ALMOST DECEMBER. If supermarkets selling decorations since September wasn’t enough of a reminder, let me highlight that Christmas is next month. I’ve officially started compiling my gaming wishlist (Mission: Red Planet, Fury of Dracula, or Abyss please – thanks everybody!), and to help with that, The Dice Tower has been nice enough to create a series of videos as part of a 2015 Christmas Shopping Guide. Happy shopping!

This week on CBQ we’ve had a large focus on the local gaming scene. First was Paul’s session report on our visit to the new Skycastle Event Centre (shiny), and then Stuart had us thinking more about how much we should support our friendly local gaming stores (supporty). Let’s cast our gaze to what made news internationally.

Kickstarter

We’ll mention Keep first as it’s unusual to see a 10-day project on Kickstarter. Its modest funding goal and reduced campaign length saw it funded in the first day, and now with 20 hours or so to go you can ‘keep’ this Small Box Games card drafting title for only $13. And it ships in Jan of 2016 already.

Tabletop wargamers, delight your eyes with Kraken Mats. Available in a range of sizes, these mats have been designed to be both sturdy and stunning and include settings such as deserts, space, ancient green temples and wintery warzones.

Digital

Martin Wallace’s Brass releases today for iOS and Android. In this highly-rated game, each player is an entrepreneur looking to make the most money from a selection of industries during the Industrial Revolution. The digital version features include:

• 3 or 4 players per game
• AI opponent
• Network multiplayer with push notifications
• Local multiplayer (pass & play)
• Refreshed artwork
• Works in any orientation (portrait & landscape – I have however seen a comment stating that it only displays in landscape)
• In-game tutorial & manual
• Achievements and leaderboards

The Others

Twister, once called “sex in a box” (but then marketed as a family game – awkward), has been inducted into America’s National Toy Hall of Fame. Not bad for a game that was originally designed for a shoe polish promotion. Also inducted this year was the Super Soaker, which is much less awkward.

What do the words bestie, drunk text, feels and tabletop have in common? No it’s not the recipe for the best/worst night out ever. Those, along with 146 other words, have been added to Dictionary.com. Officially tabletop means:

“noting or relating to a type of game that requires the physical presence of players and the manipulation of game pieces, as board games and some card games or role-playing games but not video games.”

Tabletop games are famous, yaaas! (Slang. Yes! – used as a strong expression of excitement, approval, agreement, etc.)

And back to local news….

Events

ICON by the Sea, ICON by the sea. Where a plastic figurine, fights a battle scene, it’s carnage for me. For the second year running, ICON will be bringing tabletop cheer to Durban with their ICON by the Sea event. It will take place on 1-3 April 2016, we’ll let you know when more details are released. Or monitor the ICON Facebook group.

First, Cape Town was honoured by naming Table Mountain a 7th Wonder. Now, we have our very own version of Monopoly (because if Batman & Robin deserves a version, then surely everything else in the world does too). Monopoly: Cape Town Edition launches this Friday at a special event in the V&A Waterfront.  I will be in attendance to report, and maybe grab a photo with Mr Monopoly after asking him if he’s aware that he was the original inspiration for Fallout’s Vault Boy design (royalty money could see him rise above Lara Croft in in the next version of the 2013 Forbes Fictional 15 money list).

UCT’s Genshiken society and Cape Town’s favourite undead outfit, Zombiegamer, will be presenting UCON 2015 on 5-6 December 2015. “UCON is a university-held convention aimed at showcasing a variety of anime, gaming, cosplay and geek related stores, contests and events.” Zombiegamer will be involved in hosting a variety of video gaming tournaments. The CBQ Team will be drifting around the tabletop gaming stalls, shopping for stocking stuffers.

Next week we’ll have a report on the Monopoly: Cape Town Edition launch, and if we have T.I.M.E. we’ll have a review or two.