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Before we get started, can I just say that if you’re here expecting Halloween content, that was in last week’s episode, number 8. We’re playing it straight this week. Now…
What do you mean you want more horrifying content? I’ve got nothing for you. I mean, I’ve got a couple of horror stories I could tell. How about the first time I played Alien: Fate of the Nostromo and the xenomorph murdered me in exactly 12 minutes? Or the opening scenario of Arkham Horror LCG, where the chaos tokens hated me with a vengeance and I couldn’t land a single blow on the horde of cultists that descended upon me. Or the time I was halfway through a game of Horrified when a monstrous Tonto-Cat leapt upon the board, kicked everything off and gave Dracula the raggling of his undead existence? Yep, terrifying stuff. Apologies if I’ve given anyone nightmares, but you did ask.
Let’s cheer ourselves up! And what could be cheerier than a stack of new games…
Peaks
One brief and final reminder that Peaks from Tangerine Games is in the Late Pledge phase on Kickstarter, and I’ll be very surprised if this game doesn’t crop up in a lot of people’s top tens after fulfilment next year. You’ll assume the role of an aspiring mountaineer hiking up iconic hills from around the world, featuring a new "tag-along" mechanic. It’s got great art and killer gameplay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Because I’ve warned you. Again. Still here? Go there instead.
All Hoomanz Are Dead
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it’s game over for us humans. It was bound to happen. All this nonsense with AI (come on, how many times do people need to see The Terminator before they get it?), a desperation to make and keep weapons (guns don’t kill people, rappers do), an obsession with extreme sports and rollercoasters and ziplines and what-not. It’s like we were asking for it all along. Well, it’s over to the animals now. Will they do any better? Not if my cat Tonto is anything to go by…
All Hoomanz Are Dead is a cooperative dungeon-crawling board game for 1-5 players ages 12+, where each person plays as a cybernetically enhanced animal against a common enemy called S.I.M.O.N., the ultimate Artificial Intelligence that turned against its creators and decimated the entire human scientists from a high-tech lab with a genetically engineered VIRUS.
The game objective is to stop S.I.M.O.N. before time runs out, which requires players to cooperate, gain skills and equip the best weapons found throughout the game. The game lasts for about 1.5 hours of tension, action and adventure, as the board gets revealed piece by piece ("room" tiles), each step bringing a surprise consequence. Fight monsters, gather treasures, survive random events, but at all costs avoid allowing S.I.M.O.N. to take over the world! The Kickstarter kicks off on October 29th, which is tomorrow if you’re reading this today, or already happening if you’re reading this on a different day, or it’s over if you’re here late for some reason. Hope that’s clear.
Rue From Ruin
Werewolves are scarier than any other monster, fact. Vampires are bad news, okay, but they tend to be all romantical and you can beat that with garlic breath. Zombies are too bitey for my liking, but they’re slow, all you’ve got to do is shift your backside a bit quicker (sorry, running zombies are made-up nonsense, we’re discussing real world issues here). Frankenstein’s Monsters take ages to make, so we shouldn’t be overrun. But a werewolf can only be beaten by a silver bullet. I haven’t got any of them. Or a gun to put them in.
Something a bit different from all the board games (and something to honour the Halloween season): Rue From Ruin is a solo tabletop RPG which follows you after a terrible and fateful bite. Betrayed, alone, and full of rage, your character undertakes a harrowing journey of troubles and self-discovery. As the narrative evolves in this paranormal horror setting, you realize there may be more to your betrayer's motives.
The RPG runs on the Lunar Call System, which is a bespoke design. Using tables, dice (D6, D8, & D12), and interwoven game mechanics, you'll create a paint-splatter narrative of your werewolf's experiences during different moon phases.
Track your progress on a character sheet containing all you need to know about your werewolf, their betrayer, and the outcomes of the hunt. The Lunar Call System powers both character choice and their betrayer's efforts to elude them. The system is easy to follow and will allow an evocative tale to unfold as you close on your quarry, encounter setbacks, and ultimately gain greater control over your new reality as a lycanthrope.
The Kickstarter has a couple of weeks to run, so if you’re after a different gameplay experience (and life is best with variety), then click this link and get involved.
Planta Nubo
I’ve chatted about the whole gardening thing before – it’s not for me, blah blah blah – but I think I know what my problem is. It’sall great at the start. Selecting nice plants and flowers, popping them into appealing places, watering, feeding, even managed to grow some tomatos, potatoes, and other things ending in –oes. Thing is, it’s all a bit slapdash and I never really know what I’m doing or how it will turn out. What if you could plant this things and it worked out okay whether you were a pro gardener or not?
In Planta Nubo you will grow energetic flowers in the cloud gardens of the crowns of giant trees called Arbors. Use your bee airships and the cargo containers they carry to deliver the flowers to the biomass converters, so they can transform it into green energy and plant new forests on the remaining fertile land. With the green energy gained, you can activate appropriate modules, while getting much-needed oxygen into the atmosphere through your forests, your bots, and your Arbor. Use your actions efficiently and use your gardening bot to help you with the work in the flower fields. Supply green energy to your workshop to activate modules and oxyfarms. Turn your Arbor into a thriving oxygen production facility.
Planta Nubo is a one to four player game with tile placement and worker placement mechanics, if those are your bag. Word is that this is a tougher game than its nature theme would imply, and is considered a challenge for expert gamers. Fancy yourself as worthy? Pop on over here and take a look.
Chucky
Okay, let’s do one more for Halloween, I can’t help myself. You’ve heard of Chucky. The little horror’s up there with Freddie and Jason as classic horror icons from the ‘80s (you can take your Art the Clowns and stick ‘em). Old Chuck’s been around a bit as well, multiple films in the franchise, a rebooted film, and a tv show that’s run to three seasons so far. Time for a board game, then!
So, what kind of gameplay are we looking at, then?
Chucky wants to be your friend. But being Chucky’s friend sometimes comes with… challenges. In the officially licensed Chucky board game, each player will gather evidence about the mysterious murders that have been going on. This will give them skills and abilities to roll the dice and maybe handle an encounter with Chucky himself at the end of each round! After 3 rounds, the player who does the best at overcoming these challenges will be declared the winning survivor.
This one’s for two to four players aged 14 and over – the age rating is probably understandable in this instance, given the subject matter. If you’re a big fan of the franchise or you know someone who is, then this is a great gift for them or yourself, and you can grab it here.
Knitting Circle
You liked Calico, right? Of course you did. There’s a curled-up sleeping cat on the cover. Sold. There’s a great game inside the box as well, let’s not forget that. Flatout Games certainly haven’t forgotten, because it turns out that the team who also brought you Cascadia have got a new cozy game with a cozy cat on the cover, with fantastic art once more by Beth Sobel. Knitting Circle is a puzzley tile-laying game for 1-4 players (yep, there’s solo here too) which should take around 30-45 minutes per game. It features quick drafting, simultaneous play, and satisfying combos.
You’ll take on the role of a knitter sitting around the knitting circle with your feline friend, and compete to create the coziest, most beautiful assortment of garments to win the game! Honestly, that’s enough to make me want to take up knitting in real life. Although, have you ever knitted near a cat? My wonderful, patient Other Half has, and it’s chaotic at best. It takes a surprisingly long time to unravel a cat from a ball of wool.
Knitting Circle features dozens of unique and tactile components - each with individual attributes and stunning artwork. The game comes with a variety of Cat Tokens, Garment Cards, Request Cards, Buttons, and Yarn Tiles allowing you to mix and match new challenges and create new combos each and every time you play!
And in a neat little addition, Knitting Circle also has a Family Mode! If you are playing with children, those new to gaming, or you just want to make the puzzle and rules a little simpler, you can play with the included Family Variant rules. These adjusted rules streamline the game so that anyone can get in on the action!
It’s on Kickstarter right now, so go check out all the fantastic images of this great looking game right here.
Amoebunnies
And we’ll end this week in the world of cute – mainly to balance out all the gruesomeness we endured last week. I love cute little fluffy things, and on the other hand I’m obsessed with Arkham Horror. What can I say, I’m multifaceted. Like a fine diamond. Thing is, what the lordy-loo is an amoebunny? Who better to ask than publishing team Wrong Cauldron…
Amoebunnies are little amoeba-like bunny creatures who float through the air on water droplets, congregating in the clouds, looking for a place to settle down. Once they find a nice place to explore, they travel on raindrops to reach the ground. Sometimes, when light shines through them, they'll take on colours that give them distinct personalities.
Got that? Brilliant. What about the game itself? Each character has their own objectives, movement, and special abilities. Whether you're gathering items or placing them on the board, the varying gameplay ensures that every playthrough is fresh. Learn your character's strengths and focus on your strategy without needing to master every detail of the game. And the next time you play, change character! Sometimes that's the only way to learn how to defeat your opponents... You need to see this game. The designs are fantastic. Go to the Kickstarter asap and check it out.
I think I’ve spoiled you gals and guys with options this week, spoiled you rotten. Have a look at these new games, but don’t neglect your old ones, and I’ll see you here again very soon
