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There simply isn’t enough time. I know. You’ve got childcare/education/work to deal with or some combination of all three. There’s housework every single day (why is life like this?). There’s DIY jobs that need doing around the house. There’s the in-laws turning up exactly when you aren’t ready. There’s pets doing things exactly where they shouldn’t. Then there’s all the hobbies to try and squeeze in around these walking/talking/meowing disasters. A million shows to watch. Books to read. And games, oh so many games…
I cannot offer you extra hours in the day. I’m sorry. What I can do, however, is make this situation very slightly worse! Allow me to introduce to you another clutch of games that you don’t need, but yeah, you need.
Emberleaf
It’s the mouse character on the box. Sometimes that’s all it takes for me. This mouse is super cute and super adventurous and I want to know more about what he gets up to. Look at him, he looks very successful. That’s a nice house he’s got, and that’s a windmill in the background, I’m pretty certain it’s his. Diversification has been the key to his riches. It was quite the gamble, building a windmill, took up all the family’s capital, but he was determined. He got to grinding that flour, making that mouse bread, and now he’s a cover star! See what can happen if you apply yourself?
Here’s your chance to prove yourself. Emberleaf from City of Games HQ is a medium-weight tile-placing, card-dancing game for 1-5 people. ‘What the heck is card-dancing?’ you cry, because of course you did. It’s a unique card system that rewards strategic placement and careful timing. Each of the six heroes has a Fellowship deck, from which you’ll recruit new pals to bolster your strength. You’ll place you cards onto your fellowship board to gain stats and activate skills. You’ll slide these cards one space to the left (cha cha slide), which activates slide skills and triggers combos. Once cards reach the end of the board, their drop-off skill comes into play, which is where perfect timing is critical.
The meeple figures are gorgeous, the cards and map are beautiful, and this has the distinct look of a must buy. I’m currently eyeing up my own finances and making one more deal with the devil. There’s a couple of weeks left on this Kickstarter, but honestly, what you waiting for? Look at the mouse on the cover. Yeah? Yeah. Go here.
Deep Regrets
I’ve championed this game before, and my enthusiasm hasn’t been dampened in the slightest. Late Pledges are open, and I urge you to throw it a line while the going’s good. Deep Regrets is a game for 1-5 adults about reeling progressively more horrifying things out of the ocean. Manage your madness, push your luck, and say your prayers as you set sail for the eldritch deep. It’s a game that draws inspiration from Lovecraft, Scooby Doo and everything in-between. I was sold on this elevator pitch the first time I heard it, and I haven't changed my mind.
You’re going to spend a week at sea competing against other anglers (there’s also a fully-formed solo mode) to reel in the most valuable haul of fish. But beware, this is no fishing trip for the faint of heart, with madness and regret awaiting the unwary. Each day you’ll roll dice to determine your energy level. Should you remain out at sea for one more day or return to port to resupply and sell your catch? Choose wisely: pushing your luck can mean higher rewards, but also greater risk in the form of Regrets.
Deep Regrets looks to me like it could become a modern classic, and I think it’ll be a real ‘catch’ (I've used this joke before, and I'll shamelessly use it again, no more apologies, no 'regrets'). The setting provides the game with an oozing atmosphere of exciting dread, the mechanics sound very moreish, and I can imagine it’ll be tons of fun discovering what’s on the end of your line. Go to this page, have a good look, and tell me you can resist dropping a Late Pledge on something that looks this good.
Root RPG: Ruins and Expeditions
There’s no need to introduce Root. It’s one of those names that looms large across the hobby. You’ve either got it, played it, or you’re planning on getting it (I’m in the last batch: Root is high on a very, very long list). It was so successful that a role playing version was released – how cool to play the part of warring forest beasts! Well, all RPGs come with supplements and expansions, and Root RPG is no different.
Ruins and Expeditions comes from Magpie Games and is a 160+ page, hardcover 6”x9” book that explores the dangerous forests and mysterious ruins of the Woodland, offering players and GMs new tools to expand their games of Root: The Roleplaying Game. Have you always wanted your vagabonds to seek out new ruins off the beaten path, protect denizens from monstrous insects and arachnids, or dive deep into the ruins themselves? If so, this is the book for you!
The book features new mechanics for delving deep into the darkest reaches of the ruins for treasure, secrets, and ancient relics. Ruins & Expeditions expands the Woodland with two new factions—the Hundreds and the Keepers in Iron—alongside four new playbooks, a multitude of new Natures, Drives, and species moves, and two new clearings! The Kickstarter hasn’t got long left to run, so head here quick-sharp. Don’t have the base game? No worries, that’s available as part of a bundle too, so now you’ve got no excuse!
Looot
This word has become a catchphrase amongst my crew. It’s announced with a mixture of joy and greed. A delivery arrives – usually a big box arrives from Zatu, for example – and it’s a cry of ‘Loot!’ before the cardboard gets shredded. Arrive at the pick ‘n’ mix with all those glistening sweety-gems? ‘Loot!’ Come downstairs on Christmas Day to be greeted by all those perfectly wrapped boxes that surely contain board games? ‘Loot!’
What I’m trying to say is, we all love loot, so it’s about time we had a game based on it. Looot is a resource-gathering, building-capturing, Viking-placement game for two to four players from Gigamic Games. The moment they spotted the flags of your longships proudly fluttering on the horizon, the inhabitants of this bountiful land courageously fled! To be fair, they'd probably heard plenty of tales regarding Vikings and their invasion habits - you know, all the pillaging and what-not (there's a fair bit of villages and pillages today, isn't there?), and used their common sense. Just set up somewhere else gals and guys, it just ain't worth it. As an ambitious Viking (with very little else to do - no Netflix boxsets back then) your plan is simple. Seize the various commodities they left behind and plunder the almost undefended buildings so that you can be crowned the next Jarl of the Vikings! Sound like your kind of thing? What you still here for then? Head over to this enticing page and get your raid on.
Village Pillage Big Box
Turnips. They’re alright, you know. They’re fairly versatile. They can be a part of a lot of dishes, can be a dish all on their own, although they tend to taste turnipy no matter what you do with them. If you get sick of eating them constantly (you will), then you could stack loads up to make walls, or carve them into stuff, you could make a whole village out of them if you tried. Can’t imagine what the smell would be like once they all rotted, mind you…
The villages in Village Pillage really love their turnips, way more than you and I ever would. Village Pillage from Jellybean Games is a fun, fast game of turnip-stealing, risk, and betrayal! In the game, you're racing your neighbours to acquire 3 relics and prove your right to rule. Each turn, everybody simultaneously plays cards against both their neighbours. It's rock-paper-scissors meets the prisoner's dilemma...with turnips! If you think your opponents are planning to farm, raid them! If they're planning an attack, man the walls! And if they're putting up defences: it's farming time.
If you haven’t played before, this is a 2-5 player game featuring simultaneous play and action on all fronts. Each turn, players simultaneously choose two cards from their hand and play one against each neighbor. All cards are revealed at once, then resolved in order: Farmers, Walls, Raiders, Merchants. Farmers produce turnips, Walls block Raiders, Raiders steal turnips, and Merchants either add new cards to your hand or help you purchase a relic. All cards return to hand, and the next round begins! The game ends as soon as any one player has three royal relics.
This Kickstarter campaign isn’t only for those new to the game: if you’re an old hand then there’s an expansion and add ons here that can bring new life and replayability to a family favourite. Head on over to the Late Pledge here and either pick out the bits you want to add to the copy you already own, or dive into the full Big Box experience.
Tanares Expeditions: Central Sea
This one isn’t due to pop up on crowdfunding until 19th November – which is a good thing, as it’ll give you time to save up for the game plus shipping – but I couldn’t resist (black) flagging it up now. Pirates. That’s what we’re dealing with here. I love me a pirate game, even the flawed ones seem to bargain their way into my soul (I’m looking at you, Sea of Thieves: Voyage of Legends).
What, I ask you, could cause a pirate to lose their mind? They must see some crazy stuff if the films and books I’ve consumed are anything to go by. I mean, if a kraken came anywhere near me I’d go permanently nuts: those things are big and horrible.
In Tanares Expeditions: Central Sea from Dragori Games you’ll find a one to four player epic adventure that blends the depth of classic dungeon-crawlers with the dynamics of roguelite mechanics. It will be a tough challenge, but as your hero masters perilous quests they will grow stronger – both during and after adventures – allowing you to upgrade and access better combos.
Here’s the thing: if you stump up a little bit more, there’s a Sea Dragon figure up for grabs. Yeah, a freakin’ sea dragon. What did I say earlier about my love of dragons…? I suspect we’ll do more coverage on this on as the campaign sails towards its destination. Meanwhile, get yourself over to this page to follow this game’s progress.
Okay, I feel like I’ve tortured you enough for one week. Enjoy your sleepless nights wondering how you can justify these new purchases, and I’ll be back soon to make life even harder for you…
