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ReviewGames of the year 2020 (https://youtu.be/j3jdLcswo8Y) [Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, Spirit Island: Jagged Earth, UBOOT: The Board Game, Galilean Moons, The Isle of Cats, The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nin...]
It was my birthday, and with a full COVID-19 lockdown looming, Cheryl made the executive decision to let me pick out my own birthday present. Here's what i got....
11 Upcoming 2021 Board Games On My Radar [Root: Militants Expansion, Roll Player Adventures, John Company (Second Edition), Burncycle, Weather Machine, Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition, Radl...]
Here are the upcoming 2021 board games that I'm most excited for. The first section includes my most anticipated Kickstarter campaigns while the second section will cover upcoming releases.
Plus, let's have some fun with another giveaway! 🎁
Let me know in the comments which games you're looking out for and I'll randomly select one person who'll win a copy of Lost Ruins of Arnak.
One of my all time favorite games is getting another expansion!
Leder Games has been unveiling more and more information on the upcoming expansion for Root. It's currently set to launch late February and will feature the following:
"Warlord Faction" (Rats) - Focuses on aggressive takeovers via setting enemy clearings on fire and looting for items that will give them more actions
Badgers - Details to be announced in an upcoming Twitch stream
Minor factions - NPC's (non-player characters) that will increase number of viable faction combinations. Will enhance two player gameplay experience
New setup rules - Introduces a variant for drafting for your faction in the beginning of the game and selecting which clearing to designate as your starting "homeland"
Modular board - Adds "platters" of circular boards that can be added to the main board
Patrick and Cole mentioned this is likely the second to last expansion for Root. If that's true, I'm still hoping for a campaign mode that will feature epic battles against gigantic boss animals hidden within the Woodland.
What would you want in the final expansion?
Patrick and Cole give a tour of the new "warlord" faction
2. John Company 2nd Edition
Cole and Drew Wehrle did something unthinkable with the second edition of Pax Pamir. It made me want to check out other Pax games. What appeared too complex, unapproachable, and completely outside of my interest became a genre that's always on my radar. It also made me read up on "The Great Game" time period, and that's saying a lot for someone who hasn't opened up a history book since college years.
So I'm curious, will the "Pax Pamir treatment" for John Company make even a complex game about the British East India Company an irresistible package for gamers everywhere?
Photo of Pax Pamir 2E by my wife
Cole's Tour of John Company 2E prototype on Tabletop Simulator
If you want to keep up to date on the project details, then follow Cole or Wehrlegig on Twitter or subscribe to their newsletter after visiting their website.
3. Weather Machine
Vital Lacerda is among the greats when it comes to creating thematic euro-style games with deep, interconnected systems. There's a reason why his games frequently go out of stock despite having $100+ price tags, and it doesn't help that they're illustrated by Ian O'Toole, who's like the grandmaster among board game artists.
So when I saw pictures of Weather Machine on Vital's Facebook page, it instantly placed into my top anticipated games for 2021. Here's Vital's description of the theme:
"In Weather Machine, players are executives from different companies interested in selling the weather machine services from Lighting Technologies. They are trying to achieve the most contracts to increase their company's value. To do that, they can follow different paths, showing loyalty to the dream of the scientist and working for the benefit of the Earth's climate, by just selling the weather services for profit or even to reveal the machine plan and secretly selling it to the military."
Weather Machine on Tabletop Simulator
As someone who's always dreamed of owning a "Lacerda game" but never quite got there, I do wonder if this will cut into the line before Lisboa or The Gallerist in the future. I'm looking forward to seeing it on Kickstarter late 2021.
4. Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition
One of the most popular board games of all time is becoming a card game. You might ask, "Isn't Terraforming Mars already a card game?" And well... I really can't say anything to that since I've yet to play the original.
The Kickstarter preview page has been up for several days (currently at 9300 followers) and the only available information is that it will feature faster gameplay and "over 200 beautifully illustrated cards". We'll have to see how much of a step up we'll get from the stock images in the original Terraforming Mars, but I'd expect nothing less than solid gameplay.
In the announcement on the boargames subreddit, user _The_Inquiry_ commented: "As someone who helped playtest this a while back, I can say that fans of both Race for the Galaxy and Terraforming Mars are likely to love this one. As someone who loves the former and isn't huge on the latter, I'd say this is a step up from TM, but still just can't keep up with Tom Lehman's tighter designs. Still, one well worth playing!"
Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition on Kickstarter page
5. Tinners' Trail
Roxley is the golden standard when it comes to resurrecting games of old. They remastered Martin Wallace's classic design and spawned a sequel through Brass: Lancashire and Brass: Birmingham. Repackaged in a new stylish aesthetic and with great cost considerations for customers, it's no wonder that Brass: Birmingham quickly became the #3 board game of all time on BoardGameGeek last year.
And that brings us to Tinners' Trail. Alley Cat Games is attempting to replicate that same kind of success with another Martin Wallace classic, a game in which you're a "mining conglomerate at the height of the tin and copper mining industry." You will mine for resource, sell them when the price is right, develop the efficiency of your mining, and use the money you gain to invest in other industries.
If anything, check out the Kickstarter. It's live at the moment and it sure looks beautiful (especially if you adore wooden components in games).
Tinners' Trail on Kickstarter page
6. Radlands
Speaking of Roxley, they recently announced their next title, Radlands. It's coming to Kickstarter on January 26, 2021. You're a leader of a group in a post apocalyptic world and will have to discover powerful card synergies to defeat your enemy. The game is presented in a stylish and attractive package as expected from Roxley, and it's only a plus that it's been developed by a former Magic the Gathering External Developer, Daniel Piechnick.
It's not a coincidence that both of the lists are beginning with a Cole Wehrle game. I became a fan ever since Root, and I love the emergent narrative in his games. They often feature different factions with diverging interests, and it's those moments when they align for a brief second that further magic happens around the table.
Oath is a game about the rise and fall of empires, and the results of your sessions will impact future plays. I haven't yet fully wrapped my head around the game, but figuring out these systems and seeing what's going on in Cole's head tends to be a part of the fun.
If you're curious, Cole recently streamed the unboxing video on Twitch. He's also planning to stream a solo or 2 player session in the upcoming weeks. Those who backed the project should be receiving their copies around March or April.
Picture of first mass produced copy of Oath from Leder Games' newsletter
Chip Theory Games is 100% guilty of stretching my idea of a game that is "too expensive to buy." Often associated with words such as premium, neoprene, waterproof, and many others, their brand image is similar to Lacerda games in that they're perceived as luxury products that are worth the money.
Burncycle appeals to me in two ways so far:
1. Refreshing Theme - Humanity finally drove itself to extinction, and sentient AI's resurrect the humans only for them to be oppressed and controlled after humans rise back to power. As the player, you will lead a team of robot revolutionaries that will infiltrate enemy HQ to defeat the human overlords and take back control of your programming. As much as I love my castles, farms, and trading in the mediterranean in games, it's nice to get away from them from time to time.
2. Thrill of Luck - I love the idea of sneaking around to fulfill your objectives while dealing with security. It's those moments of terrible or exhilarating success that make a perfect game to solo.
Burncycle's Kickstarter successfully funded on November 19, 2020 at $482K, and it's still projected to fulfill by the end of 2021. I'm holding off on this one as Too Many Bones will likely become my first Chip Theory Game game once my budget eases up. If you're interested, late pledge is still available on their Kickstarter campaign.
3. Roll Player Adventures
I have a growing interest in Thunderworks Games. Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale was a pleasant surprise that exceeded my expectations of a typical "flip n write" experience, and Roll Player is the type of puzzly fun that I'd thoroughly enjoy. And that's where Roll Player Adventures comes in.
I passed off on the campaign when it launched on June 23, 2020 but this is looking better and better the more I look at it. It seems to have the puzzly fun of Roll Player, One Deck Dungeon (in how encounters are resolved), and immerses the players through an engaging storybook. At $100 for the late pledge, I really should store this thought away until I've finished Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, but you should definitely take a look. The campaign successfully funded at $672K and 5900 backers.
Roll Player Adventures from Thunderworks Games' website
4. Now or Never
Ryan and Malorie Laukat started Red Raven Games in their basement and soon became the classic success story of an independent publisher. Juggling between parenting and running their company, Ryan handles design and illustrations while Malorie develops, writes, and fills in for all sorts of other tasks.
With hit titles such as Above and Below, Near and Far, and Sleeping Gods (which funded last year at $1.1M on Kickstarter), the Laukats carved out a solid fanbase over the years with their open world story-driven games. And their latest title is Now or Never, set to go direct to retail this year.
The game is set in the same fantastical world of Arzium as Above and Below and Near and Far, where "you and up to three friends compete to best rebuild your ancestral village and guide the rest of the villagers on their journey home. Although the creatures of the meteorite have lost much of their strength, many of them remain, and you must fight them off to protect traveling villagers. Now or Never is the third game in the Arzium storybook series that includes Above and Below and Near and Far."
Here's the official trailer for the upcoming Kickstarter for Crafting Arzium, a documentary featuring the Laukats' journey in creating their world.
5. Frosthaven
On May 1, 2020, Frosthaven clocked in at $12.9M and 83.2K backers and surpassed Kingdom Death: Monster's record as the most-funded Kickstarter game of all time.
All I have to say is that I'm perfectly content with my copy of Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion at the moment and won't be needing more Gloomhaven content any time soon. I'm just waiting for the day when all three games in the Gloomhaven franchise will happily sit within BGG's Top 10.
What are your most anticipated games of this year and why? Let me know in the comments!
Back in November, I unexpectedly found myself one of three recipients of a BGA $200 giftcard. (Thanks again!) After some price research (this was before the comparison chart feature was added here- a picture of my 3x5 card has been posted here already), I decided to ask for my giftcard to be from Game Nerdz as they had the best prices on the games on my wish list. However, several of the games I'm interested in have been out of stock for nearly two months now. I've purchased #Terraforming Mars: Prelude, #Call to Adventure: The Stormlight Archive, #Draftosaurus, #King of Tokyo: Power Up, and (as a gift) #Point Salad which are all still on hold until I can have everything shipped at once and finally be able to send in a photo of my games. The first two are strictly for me, the other two are more for a quick family game when it happens. This means I still have half my giftcard available. I'm really holding out for#Everdell (a game I think I'm more likely to get my wife to play than #Root) which leaves me with about $60 on my gift card.
A little background on what/how I play, and then what I'm considering:
I love to play just about anything, but my wife and son-not so much. It's a struggle to get my teenage son to play anything (it was much easier when he was younger and we own #Dominion: Second Edition because of him), and my wife prefers games to look pretty, be simple to understand, and not too complicated or strategic. Everdell might be something I think she'll like as she'll play #Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle, #Azul, #The Quacks of Quedlinburg, #Splendor, #Century: Spice Road trilogy, and #Point Salad just about any time. She might even like #Wingspan, which I bought for myself for Christmas.
I've been able to have one monthly game night with a neighbor over the past five months, and I'm hoping that later this year we can include about 5-6 more people that I've met online in my small town (3100 people) when things improve. This might increase the likelihood that some of the games that my wife isn't interested in will actually hit the table with muliple people.
Several of my purchases in 2020 were of games that included a solo variant because of my gaming situaion. I really enjoy #Terraforming Mars and #Paladins of the West Kingdom, although TM has had the most plays at five and I haven't had a chance to play it with anyone else, and I've only been able to play PWK once with another person. Wingspan was also purchased with the solo variant in mind and I really am looking forward to playing this a lot more.
I'm interested in purchasing the following games with the balance of my giftcard: #Scythe, #Raiders of Scythia, #Viscounts of the West Kingdom, and #Lost Ruins of Arnak-all based on discussions I've read here on BGA, posts on Instagram, and then seen reviews on The Dice Tower. Of these four, Raiders and Viscounts are currently in stock at Game Nerdz. So, my questions come down to these:
1. Is Scythe worth the cost at 20+% off for something that will most likely see almost exclusive solo play for some time to come? And since I'm using a gift card, isn't this the best way to spend it-on the most expensive game I'm interested in (sorry, #Too Many Bones-you're just not going to happen anytime in the near-to-distant future)? I'm interested in this for the artwork, mechanics, and the use of light combat interaction. This might be the only way I'll purchase Scythe becuase of the price.
2. Is Raiders of Scythia and Viscounts of the West Kingdom a good combination, too similar, or should I go with just Scythia because I already have one of the West Kingdom games? I really enjoy Paladins, and have seen several people say Viscounts is different enough that they plan on keeping both. I've also seen many posts describing Raiders as better than the original North Sea version it's based on. Paladins is the only game I have from this designer.
3. Should I get Lost Ruins of Arnak instead of the others? It just looks and sounds like a great game from what people are saying and I think I'd really enjoy it, too. Of the four I'm considering, it's probably the most likely to be something my wife might want to play.
I'd enjoy hearing your input, and thanks for taking the time to read this.
@trentellingsen and I are swamped with stuff to do lately! It's a neverending cycle of improving our pages and then coming back to them with another idea that requires redesign 2.0 😆
Due to our focus on improving the user experience, our traffic has been suffering but I think this is the way to go for now.
Here's a rough outline of our current focuses:
1. Speeding Up the Game Page
I'm sure most of you are aware by now but we recently redesigned the game page. Besides a few tweaks, Trent is focusing on speeding up the loading time. We're hoping to make it load within 1 second consistently, but we'll see! The change will likely go live before the end of this week.
2. Home Page Redesign
Once the game page speed issue is resolved, we're jumping onto the Home page. "Accessibility" has become somewhat of a motto for us and we've been trying to revisit every one of our main pages to make it more friendly for people new to the hobby. Below is our brainstorming session, inspired by the idea behind wirecutter's layout: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/. Adopting this for BGA, we'll have the usual top blue bar condensed into a single line, below will be buttons for quickly jumping to the different sections on the home page, main content section that highlights top articles, and what will follow is a series of sections such as "new to board games" section that highlights content that's helpful for newcomers, a section for trending games, etc.
To achieve this, we're hiring one of our friends to write tons of content for us. He's a great writer but new to board games, and I think that refresh perspective will be valuable to have. The type of content he'll cover will include:
Evergreen type of content great for newcomers and interesting for hobbyists - Defining common board game lingo, describing popular board game mechanics, how to find a board gaming group, board game cafes around the world, etc
Long-form content that requires extensive research and interview - These will have a more journalistic spin to them. For example, interviewing Jamey Stegmaier and writing about the origin story of Viticuture and all of the iterations (1st ed, 2nd ed, Tuscany, essential editions) and working with Uwe Rosenberg to get to the final product. How Awaken Realms came to launch Gamefound. And many more
Besides this, I'm also going to get into a habit of keeping up with board game news so that I can draft up quick articles to highlight the news, similar to what I did with the upcoming expansion for Root.
3. Focus on Adding Value
With the above changes, I think we'll be in a much better place to bring new users on board with (1) great content and (2) a home page that's an easy funneling point to get people to what they want to see. With that, we want to go back and enrich all of our main pages. Some of our ideas include:
Game page - Revamping the review page (e.g. Too Many Bones' user review page) so that it's similar to the experience of wanting to check out a Rotten Tomatoes page or other websites that are focused on reviews. Should be fun, have breakdown of some of the key metrics, have a way of indicating how helpful a review is, help you find reviews by content creators, etc
Kickstarter page - Adding a section for upcoming releases
Deals - Make it feel like it's not just a list of mediocre games. Highlight great games that hit its lowest price in the last 6 months/12 months/etc
There's more, but I'll leave it at this for now. Let me know what you think!
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Here's the official trailer for the upcoming Kickstarter for Crafting Arzium, a documentary featuring the Laukats' journey in creating their world.
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