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Marvel United Multiverse - David Ireland:
This is a kickstarter that very much got away from but something I wished I owned as part of my Marvel United collection.
I’m an enormous fan of Marvel United. I backed the first and second seasons on kickstarter and they have been hugely enjoyable. The awesome fact with this set is it is a standalone game that you don’t need to own any other elements of Marvel United for, but will combine seamlessly with all the other content.
The Multiverse edition of Marvel United introduces exactly that, the Multiverse and some of the ideas, content and characters from this part of the story line. People would be forgiven for thinking that the content towards the multiverse is a touch limited. You really need to take a look at the kickstarter campaign to appreciate all of the multiverse content, expansion sets and bonus kickstarter material. This core set is just the start.
The base rules are very similar to the original sets, nothing radical there. I do know there are significant additional ways of playing the game with assorted solo modes available and the option for a player to control the villain, instead of the game, which is very cool. CMON have merged in some of the previous rule sets into one core set. The rules are available to look up online in case you are wondering.
I’m a huge fan of the series, it makes for a fun cooperative game to play with friends and family that is not too heavy at all. I also would love all the other characters I do not presently own. It is right up there on the wishlist.
Vantage - Lorna F:
Yes, another cooperative game on the wishlist this month. This time, it’s the recently announced, Vantage. It’s an open world adventure game for 1-6 players, but, unlike the usual games with storybooks that play over multiple sessions, Vantage is not a campaign game and promises to be midweight, with a 2 minute set up time. Great for those without a regular gaming group.
In this game, players “crash land” on a new planet, ready to discover by drawing from a pre-ordered set of location cards. The game promises 800 interconnected locations,with 100 possible places to crashland, so while this game won’t be long, it will be large. The part that piqued my interest is that each player “lands” in a different location on the planet, so while (I assume) the mission is co-operative, each player will get individual choices and experiences of the new planet.
You know you are in good hands with Vantage’s designer; Jamey Stegmaier, known for the very popular Viticulture and Scythe. However Vantage is promising a lot. There are some big and beautiful hitters in the RPG game category, think Gloomhaven or Sleeping Gods. Will a compartmentalised version of open world exploration work, or will it feel a little like groundhog day, crashing again and again into different parts of the same planet, but never progressing as a character.
We will have to wait and see, and it is quite the wait for a non crowd-funded board game. Vantage is expected to launch in mid 2025. In the meantime, additional info about this game is landing in the FAQs (Rules & FAQ – Stonemaier Games).
Through The Desert - Seb Hawden:
Reiner Knizia’s classic Through the Desert is high on my wishlist this month, it’s a game I have always wanted to play. It has that Knizia thing of being simple to play with simple actions yet it has high player interaction, strategic play and a Go-like premise. I love games where your strategy is based heavily on the board state and other players moves.
All you’re doing on your turn is placing camels to extend lines of your own colours, however, this shakes out in a blocking and slicing game of board dominance and area control. Bluffing your opponent into making certain moves has all the hallmarks of Chess or Go and I adore these types of games that have a very small ruleset and from a gameplay perspective, change heavily each time you play. You are playing the player rather than the game and I love that.
Your points come from collection Oasis tokens, having long lines of camels and probably my favourite mechanism of the game, even thought I have not played it yet, closing off parts pf the board in a Go-like fashion. It seems tricky but can garner you massive swathes of points. A mechanism I would certainly like to get my teeth into. Juicy indeed!
There is a new, lovely-looking version of this classic originally from 1998 too and even though it may have a few issues component-wise, I would love to have a go and learn this tried and tested classic.
There are games that stand the test of time and Reiner Knizia’s Through the Desert is one of them. It spawned many games of it’s ilk, like Blue Lagoon but many people say that this is the best, I would certain like to find out for myself.
River Of Gold - Tom Harrod:
Hot on the top of my wishlist is River of Gold, designed by Keith Piggott, and published by Office Dog. I’ve seen this one raising its head above the water a fair bit on Instagram recently, and I’m happy to admit: I’ve been ‘influenced’!
The board game community on Instagram are superb at snapping shots of board games in all their pomp and glory. From an aesthetic point of view, River of Gold has a particular feature on the main board that attracted my inner magpie: it has an alluring embossed metallic-gold swirling river on it. Artist Francesca Baerald has knocked it out of the park with this one!
If you’re anything like me, it’s impossible not to make a micro-judgement on a game based off its initial, visual appeal. River of Gold grabbed my attention, in among thumbing my way through the hundreds of thousands of posts on the app. But what about the gameplay? The setting? What is the game about?
The action takes place within the mythical samurai world of Rokugan. Sounds familiar? That’s the setting for the living card game, Legend of the Five Rings. While I’ve never played that, nor any games within its world, River of Gold is a step aside from that kind of format. It is a medium-weight Euro-style game, with Area Majority/Influence, completing contracts, and rolling dice.
The description states that you can invest in developing ports, markets, shrines, and more along the banks of the busy river. Plus, it looks like there’s multiple approaches in strategy: sailing the river of gold, as well as growing your wealth and influence through delivery contracts. And you can visit the nobility, as well as garnering the odd bit of divine favour here and there! Multiple paths to victory within a pretty-looking Euro? Yes please!
Wasteland Warfare - Northern Invasion Stu:
My wish list could be described by the Illinformed as being chaotic and poorly arranged. However, this is not the case. Whilst there are dozens of items from a variety of different games systems and categories seemingly haphazardly included and one giant wish list, I know exactly what’s there and why.
I have Marvel Crisis Protocol characters for affiliations that I am yet to play, I have campaign and investigator expansions aplenty for Arkham Horror the Living Card Game that I will purchase once I complete the Dunwich Legacy, I have a multitude of story and character expansions for Marvel Champions, I have lots of Fallout Wasteland Warfare small boxes, a variety of Lego stocking fillers for Christmas, a healthy selection of boardgames and even an assortment of football trading cards for my football-obsessed child.
For this article, I will focus on the top three items as it currently stands or else we’ll be here for a long time!
Firstly, fresh from my return from the Tabletop Scotland board gaming convention where I was lucky to meet the Modiphius team and see their latest releases, we have Fallout Factions. Fallout factions is a light skirmish game using models that are fully compatible with Modiphius’ larger more-narrative and sprawling tabletop game, Wasteland Warfare. The fallout Factions core box includes two full raider gangs, all of the tokens and tools you will need to play games plus some very chunky card scenery that needs no painting and a battle mat. Having played a couple of demo games, I was very impressed with the simplicity of the system and the quality of the components. Because I am such a fan of the franchise, Fallout Factions has definitely made its way to the top of my list after seeing it in action.
The second main item on my wish list is Pandemic Legacy Season Zero. I recently played through Season One and was absolutely blown away by the game. Season Two is presently sitting at the top of my to-play pile and I hope to get through that in plenty of time for Christmas so that I can get myself a little something for the big day (Season Zero of course). Pandemic Legacy is a classic game for good reason and the Legacy function serves to create a lasting narrative that our gaming group really enjoyed.
The final big ticket item on my wish list is A Feast for Odin. This is one of those games that I’ve coveted for many years but I have never played the game and nor have I had opportunity to speak to anyone that has. However, my partner and I are big fans of Norse history and any board game with a Viking theme will certainly be well received when we come to the table. I look forward to seeing how Nordic culture is reflected in what appears to be a largely abstract game with a multitude of options to pursue in the race for victory.
