Category: Mythology

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Spirit Island

Spirit Island

Rating: 8.3 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

In the most distant reaches of the world magic still exists embodied by spirits of the land of the sky and of every natural thing. As the great powers of Europe stretch their colonial empires further and further they will inevitably lay claim to a place where spirits still hold power - and when they do the land itself will fight back alongside the islanders who live there.Spirit Island is a complex and thematic co-operative game about defending your island home from colonizing Invaders. Players are different spirits of the land each with its own unique elemental powers. Every turn players simultaneously choose which of their power cards to play paying energy to do so. Using combinations of power cards that match a spirit's elemental affinities can grant free bonus effects. Faster powers take effect immediately before the Invaders spread and ravage but other magics are slower requiring forethought and planning to use effectively. In the Spirit phase spirits gain energy and choose how / whether to Grow: to reclaim used power cards to seek new power or to spread their presence into new areas of the island.The Invaders expand across the island map in a semi-predictable fashion. Each turn they explore into some lands (portions of the island); the next turn they build in those lands forming towns and cities. The turn after that they ravage there bringing blight to the land and attacking any native islanders present. The islanders fight back against the Invaders when attacked and lend the spirits some other aid but may not always do so exactly as you'd hoped. Some Powers work through the islanders helping them for example to drive out the Invaders or clean the land of blight.The game escalates as it progresses: spirits spread their presence to new parts of the island and seek out new and more potent powers while the Invaders step up their colonization efforts. Each turn represents 1-3 years of alternate history. At game start winning requires destroying every last explorer town and city on the board - but as you frighten the Invaders more and more victory becomes easier: they'll run away even if explorers or even towns and cities remain. Defeat comes if any spirit is destroyed if the island is overrun by blight or if the Invader deck is depleted before achieving victory.The game includes different adversaries to fight against (eg. a Swedish Mining Colony or a Remote British Colony). Each changes play in different ways and offers a different path of difficulty boosts to keep the game challenging as you gain skill.

The Crew: Mission Deep Sea

The Crew: Mission Deep Sea

Rating: 8.1 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Family

In the trick-taking card game The Crew: Mission Deep Sea you and the other players work together to search for the lost continent of Mu. This new adventure takes your crew deep down into the abyss on a search for the fabled sunken land. How far you get depends entirely on how well you work together as a team. Card by card trick by trick your search party will discover the challenges that lie ahead and forge a path to Mu.This new version of The Crew has the same innovative co-operative trick-taking mechanism as the highly lauded original game — but with some exciting new surprises! While communication between your crew members is severely limited by your submerged state it is also critical to your success; finding the hidden land in the murky depths depends not only on winning tricks but also on carefully negotiating the order in which they are won. If things don't go as planned you might just be able to salvage the operation but it will take near flawless execution and perhaps a little luck to finally reach Mu.—description from the publisher

Blood Rage

Blood Rage

Rating: 7.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Life is Battle; Battle is Glory; Glory is ALLIn Blood Rage players control the warriors leader and ship of their own Viking clan. Ragnarök has come and it’s the end of the world! It’s the Vikings’ last chance to go down in a blaze of glory and secure their places in Valhalla at Odin’s side! As a Viking you can pursue one of many pathways to glory. You can: invade and pillage the land for its rewards; crush your opponents in battle: fulfill quests: increase your clan's stats: or even die gloriously in battle or from Ragnarök the ultimate inescapable doom.Most player strategies are guided by the cards drafted at the beginning of each of the three game rounds (or Ages). These “Gods’ Gifts” grant you numerous boons for your clan including: increased Viking strength and devious battle strategies upgrades to your clan or even the aid of legendary creatures from Norse mythology. They may also include various quests from dominating specific provinces to having many of your Vikings sent to Valhalla. Most of these cards are aligned with one of the Norse gods hinting at the kind of strategy they support. For example Thor gives more glory for victory in battle. Heimdall grants you foresight and surprises. Tyr strengthens you in battle while the trickster Loki actually rewards you for losing battles or punishes the winner.Players must choose their strategies carefully during the draft phase but also be ready to adapt and react to their opponents’ strategies as the action phase unfolds. Battles are decided not only by the strength of the figures involved but also by cards played in secret. By observing your opponent’s actions and allegiances to specific gods you may predict what card they are likely to play and plan accordingly. Winning battles is not always the best course of action as the right card can get you even more rewards by being crushed. The only losing strategy in Blood Rage is to shy away from battle and a glorious death!

Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar

Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar

Rating: 7.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Tzolkin: The Mayan Calendar presents a new game mechanism: dynamic worker placement. Players representing different Mayan tribes place their workers on giant connected gears and as the gears rotate they take the workers to different action spots.During a turn players can either (a) place one or more workers on the lowest visible spot of the gears or (b) pick up one or more workers. When placing workers they must pay corn which is used as a currency in the game. When they pick up a worker they perform certain actions depending on the position of the worker. Actions located later on the gears are more valuable so it's wise to let the time work for you – but players cannot skip their turn; if they have all their workers on the gears they have to pick some up. The game ends after one full revolution of the central Tzolkin gear. There are many paths to victory. Pleasing the gods by placing crystal skulls in deep caves or building many temples are just two of those many paths...

Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala

Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Crossing into the Land of 1001 Nights your caravan arrives at the fabled Sultanate of Naqala. The old sultan just died and control of Naqala is up for grabs! The oracles foretold of strangers who would maneuver the Five Tribes to gain influence over the legendary city-state. Will you fulfill the prophecy? Invoke the old Djinns and move the Tribes into position at the right time and the Sultanate may become yours!Designed by Bruno Cathala Five Tribes builds on a long tradition of German-style games that feature wooden meeples. Here in a unique twist on the now-standard worker placement genre the game begins with the meeples already in place – and players must cleverly maneuver them over the villages markets oases and sacred places tiles that make up Naqala. How when and where you dis-place these Five Tribes of Assassins Elders Builders Merchants and Viziers determine your victory or failure.As befitting a Days of Wonder game the rules are straightforward and easy to learn. But devising a winning strategy will take a more calculated approach than our standard fare. You need to carefully consider what moves can score you well and put your opponents at a disadvantage. You need to weigh many different pathways to victory including the summoning of powerful Djinns that may help your cause as you attempt to control this legendary Sultanate.

Inis

Inis

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Inis is a game deeply rooted in Celtic history and lore in which players win by being elected King of the Island (Inis). Players can try to achieve one of three different victory conditions:Over the course of the game players also earn deeds typically chanted by bards or engraved by master crafters that reduce by one the magic total of six for any condition. While one victory condition is enough to claim the title of King a game of experienced players usually has a tight balance of power emphasizing the leadership of the capital of the island.At the start of each round players draft a hand of four action cards (with 13 action cards for three players and 17 for four players) during the Assembly. Action cards not played at the end of one season are not held for the next. Players also have access to leader cards for the territories that allow it and where they were elected leader during the assembly. Each Assembly reallocates those cards. Finally they collect epic tales cards that depict the deeds of the ancient Irish gods and heroes like Cuchulainn the Dagda Lugh and many others. These will be kept and used to inspire the clans and achieve extraordinary feats...under the right circumstances. The cards provide a variety of actions: adding clans moving clans building/exploring and special actions.Careful drafting hand management bluffing (especially once players understand the importance of passing their turn) good timing and a precise understanding of the balance of power are the keys to victory. After a discovery game you'll be ready for a full and epic game where an undisputed player will be king by the Assembly for his merit and wisdom.While Inis has dudes that are on a map it's a beginner's mistake to play this as a battle game because eliminating other clans reduces your chances of scoring a Leadership victory condition. Peace among different clans with or without a clear territory leader is the usual outcome of a clan's movement. Battles will occur of course as the Celtic clans can be unruly and a good player will listen to his clan's people (i.e. his hand of cards). That battle aspect is reflected in the clan's miniatures representing warriors. Woodsmen shepherds and traders complete the set of twelve minis for each player; these occupations have no impact on the game but give it flavor.

Rising Sun

Rising Sun

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Strategy

The great and forgotten Kami have returned from the underworld displeased with the affairs of the Empire’s present Shōgun. At the start of spring in the Great New Year the Kami have gathered their sacred clans with one quest: reclaim the lands of Nippon and return them to their honorable spiritual traditions. However each clan is bound by their own proud traditions to a unique vision for this great return and must wage a powerful diplomatic war across eight provinces. Alliances must be forged betrayal is inevitable honorable standing rises and falls. Political mandates must be navigated and devastating war must be fought each won by expert skill and cunning negotiation. And only one may stand victorious at the coming of winter. You honorable Shōgun lead one of these great clans. Do you have the strength of honor virtue and spirit as well as the mastery of steel necessary to deliver on this ancient promise?Rising Sun is a board game for 3 to 5 players set in legendary feudal Japan. Each player chooses a Clan and competes to lead theirs to victory by accumulating Victory Points over the course of the Seasons. Each Clan possesses a unique ability and differs in Seasonal Income Starting Honor Rank and Home Province. Over the course of the game players will forge and break alliances choose political actions worship the gods customize their clans and position their figures around Japan. In the process Honor is a palpable element in Rising Sun: Having high Honor gives several advantages while having low Honor may grant the allegiance of the darker elements of the world. But above all Honor settles all disputes: Whenever there is a tie the tied player with the highest Honor wins.In Rising Sun players are encouraged to use diplomacy negotiation and even bribery to further their cause. Players can make deals at any point in the game but no deals are truly binding. Victory Points can be gained in several ways from winning battles to harvesting the right provinces to playing to the Virtues accumulated by your Clan.The game is played over the course of 4 rounds or Seasons: Spring Summer and then Autumn; when Winter comes the game draws to a close and players calculate bonuses to decide who is the winner. Each Season is divided into five phases: 1) Seasonal Setup because every Season has a certain Season deck with different cards 2) Tea Ceremony in which players sit down and negotiate their Alliances for the Season 3) Political Phase during which players will select Political Mandates to prepare their Clans and position their forces 4) War Phase during which players battle over several Provinces and 5) Seasonal Cleanup.As already mentioned the start of the Winter Season signifies the end of the game. Peace falls over the land as it gets covered in white snow and a new Emperor will rise under the power of the great Kami.

Champions of Midgard

Champions of Midgard

Rating: 7.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Champions of Midgard is a middleweight Viking-themed worker placement game with dice rolling in which players are leaders of Viking clans who have traveled to an embattled Viking harbor town to help defend it against the threat of trolls draugr and other mythological Norse beasts. By defeating these epic creatures players gain glory and the favor of the gods. When the game ends the player who has earned the most glory earns the title of Jarl and is recognized as a champion of Midgard!Placing workers allows for the collection of resources and warriors which players may then send on journeys to neighboring villages or across the sea to defeat monsters and gain the glory they need for victory. Resources are used to carve runes build ships and feed your followers. Viking warriors (custom dice) do battle with the myriad enemies the town faces.

Kemet

Kemet

Rating: 7.6 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Strategy

In Kemet players each deploy the troops of an Egyptian tribe and use the mystical powers of the gods of ancient Egypt – along with their powerful armies – to score points in glorious battles or through invasion of rich territories. A game is typically played to 8 or 10 victory points which may be accrued through winning attacks controlling temples controlling fully-developed pyramids sacrificing to the gods and wielding particular magical powers.The conquest for the land of Kemet takes place over two phases: Day and Night. During the day choose an action amongst the nine possible choices provided by your player mat and perform it immediately. Once every player has taken five actions night falls with players gathering Prayer Points from their temples drawing Divine Intervention cards and determining the turn order before the start of the new day.As the game progresses they can use Prayer Points to acquire power tiles. Some of these enroll magical creatures and have them join their troops. In addition to intimidating enemies these creatures provide special powers!Detailed miniature components represent the combat units and the supernatural creatures that are summoned to enhance them. Combat is resolved through cards chosen from a diminishing six-card hand and enhanced by bonuses.

Ankh: Gods of Egypt

Ankh: Gods of Egypt

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Strategy

Play as a god of ancient Egypt competing to survive as society begins to forget the old ways so that only you and your followers remain.Build caravans summon monsters and convert followers in your quest to reign supreme in Ankh: Gods of Egypt. Deities monsters and the people of ancient Egypt have been lovingly reimagined and interpreted in beautiful illustrations and detailed miniatures and players will truly feel like gods as they shake the very foundations of Egypt. All gameplay in Ankh including combat is streamlined and non-random. Compete and win solely on your godly wits alone.—description from the publisher

Nidavellir

Nidavellir

Rating: 7.6 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Family

Nidavellir the Dwarf Kingdom is threatened by the dragon Fafnir. As a venerable Elvaland you have been appointed by the King. Search through every tavern in the kingdom hire the most skillful dwarves recruit the most prestigious heroes and build the best battalion you can to defeat your mortal enemy!Each turn in Nidavellir bid a coin on each tavern. In descending order choose a character and add this character to your army. Each dwarf class has its own scoring way: blacksmith hunter warrior explorer and miner. A meticulous recruitment will allow you to attract a powerful hero to your army.You will also be able to increase the value of your gold coins thanks to the smart coin-building system and get the best of the other Elvalands.

Unmatched: Battle of Legends,Volume One

Unmatched: Battle of LegendsVolume One

Rating: 7.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

In battle there are no equals.Unmatched is a highly asymmetrical miniature fighting game for two or four players. Each hero is represented by a unique deck designed to evoke their style and legend. Tactical movement and no-luck combat resolution create a unique play experience that rewards expertise but just when you've mastered one set new heroes arrive to provide all new match-ups.Battle of Legends Volume One features four heroes. King Arthur sacrifices cards to power up his attacks and gets some timely assistance from Merlin's magic. Alice is back from Wonderland with a giant vorpal blade and the Jabberwock by her side as she grows and shrinks to gain advantages on attack and defense. Medusa is happy to attack from range and let her harpies hound you but just one devastating glance could end the battle quickly. Sinbad grows in power as he gains experience on each of his voyages.Combat is resolved quickly by comparing attack and defense cards. However each card's unique effects and a simple but deep timing system lead to interesting decisions each time. The game also features an updated version of the line-of-sight system from Tannhäuser for ranged attacks and area effects.The game includes a double-sided board with two different battlefields pre-washed miniatures for each hero and custom life trackers that's brought to life with the stunning artwork of Oliver Barrett and the combined design teams of Restoration Games and Mondo Games.

Santorini

Santorini

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Abstract

Santorini is a re-imagining of the purely abstract 2004 edition. Since its original inception over 30 years ago Santorini has been continually developed enhanced and refined by designer Gordon Hamilton.Santorini is an accessible strategy game simple enough for an elementary school classroom while aiming to provide gameplay depth and content for hardcore gamers to explore The rules are simple. Each turn consists of 2 steps:1. Move - move one of your builders into a neighboring space. You may move your Builder Pawn on the same level step-up one level or step down any number of levels.2. Build - Then construct a building level adjacent to the builder you moved. When building on top of the third level place a dome instead removing that space from play.Winning the game - If either of your builders reaches the third level you win.Variable player powers - Santorini features variable player powers layered over an otherwise abstract game with 40 thematic god and hero powers that fundamentally change the way the game is played.

Bitoku

Bitoku

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Categories:

In Bitoku the players take on the roles of Bitoku spirits of the forest in their path towards transcendence with the goal of elevating themselves and becoming the next great spirit of the forest. To do so they will have the help of the yōkai the kodamas and the different pilgrims that accompany them on their path. This is a hand-management engine-building game with multiple paths to victory.Players will have yōkai represented by the cards that make up their hand which must be placed in the right places at the right times in order to obtain the maximum benefit from the abilities they offer. Furthermore during the game players can earn more yōkai cards for their deck thereby increasing their playing options and achieving a higher score. Each player also has three yōkai guardians (in the form of dice) that they can send to the large regions of the forest on the main board in order to obtain all kinds of new options that they can play during the game. These options can be structures they build in certain areas of the forest soul crystals that generate resources when certain actions are carried out and many others as well. The players also have the chance to help the mitamas lost souls in search of redemption by using the chinkon fireflies.There is truly a wide range of actions to carry out and this is without taking into account the personal domain where the players can lay out another layer of additional strategy while managing the pilgrims. Pilgrims are followers of the player who embark upon journeys of contemplation and reflection who then share the experiences and learning they can along the spirit path with the Bitoku.—description from the publisher

Kemet: Blood and Sand

Kemet: Blood and Sand

Rating: 7.9 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Strategy

The epic Egyptian game Kemet is reborn with a new revised edition!With Kemet: Blood and Sand immerse yourself in a more realistic Ancient Egypt. Here Gods are powerful masters of both the desert and the Nile delta. They challenge each other in violent battles and show no mercy. Get ready to become an Egyptian God open the gates of your city and let your troops sing the song of war to please you and claim your dominance as master of Ancient Egypt.Kemet: Blood and Sand features new art and upgraded gameplay with new approachable rules that go beyond the 1.5 version of Kemet developed with the help of the BGG community. Free from the constraints of existing components designers Jacques Bariot and Guillaume Montiage go even further in fine-tuning the Kemet experience.The game also features a redesigned map with a twist bigger and more detailed figurines and other surprises.—description from the publisher

Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun

Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun

Rating: 7.7 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Four millennia ago on the eastern bank of the Nile river was laid the foundation of the Temple of Amun-Ra. Over the course of two thousand years the temple complex was gradually expanded and became widely known as The Most Select of Places (Ipet-Isut) boasting the largest religious building in the world. Today the site is known as Karnak located at Luxor in modern-day Egypt.Join ancient Pharaohs in creating and growing one of the most impressive sites the world has seen honoring the Egyptian gods Horus Ra Hathor Bastet Thoth and Osiris. You must carefully manage the balance of your actions preparing for the reckoning by the goddess Maat.The game board in Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun is divided into six sections each associated with an Egyptian god: Horus Ra Hathor Bastet Thoth and Osiris. In the center stands an impressive obelisk (Tekhenu) that casts its shadow onto different parts of the board. As a result the area around the obelisk is divided into sunny shaded and dark sections depending on how the obelisk casts its shadow at that particular moment. As the game progresses the sun's rotation alters which sections are sunny shaded or dark.The game takes place over multiple rounds. Each round players draft dice and perform actions associated with the value of the die and the section from which the die was drafted. Dice come in five colors and each die is considered Pure Tainted or Forbidden depending on the color of the die and the position of the obelisk's shadow. While you may never draft Forbidden dice you are free to draft any other die whether Pure or Tainted.As you draft the dice you must consider not only the general availability of dice — if no dice are available in a given section then you cannot readily perform the action associated with that section — but also which value die to draft. You must also consider the purity of the dice to draft as you must balance your Pure and Tainted actions if you want to have a more favorable position in turn order.When you draft a die you can perform an action depending on the section you took the die from. Each of the actions corresponds to a different Egyptian god: Horus Ra Hathor Bastet Thoth and Osiris. Instead of a god action you can choose to produce generating resources based on the color and value of the die but beware of producing in excess of your production capacity as this is Greed and adds Taint to your balance!Two scoring phases occur during the game during which players earn victory points based on the workshops quarries buildings statues and pillars they have built as well as the happiness of their people and production capacity of their resources. However players must also keep a healthy amount of resources around to sustain their population or they suffer negative consequences.

Abyss

Abyss

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

The Abyss power is once again vacant so the time has come to get your hands on the throne and its privileges. Use all of your cunning to win or buy votes in the Council. Recruit the most influential Lords and abuse their powers to take control of the most strategic territories. Finally impose yourself as the only one able to rule the Abyssal people!Abyss is a game of development combination and collection in which players try to take control of strategic locations in an underwater city. To achieve this players must develop on three levels: first by collecting allies then using them to recruit Lords of the Abyss who will then grant access to different parts of the city. Players acquire cards through a draft of sorts and the Lords of the Abyss acquired on those cards grant special powers to the cardholder — but once you use the cards to acquire a location that power is shut off so players need to time their land grabs well in order to put themselves in the best position for when the game ends.

Unmatched: Robin Hood vs. Bigfoot

Unmatched: Robin Hood vs. Bigfoot

Rating: 7.9 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Strategy

In battle there are no equals.Unmatched is a highly asymmetrical miniature fighting game for two or four players. (Note that this set is solely for two players but it can be combined with other sets which all serve up to four players.) Each hero is represented by a unique deck designed to evoke their style and legend. Tactical movement and no-luck combat resolution create a unique play experience that rewards expertise but just when you've mastered one set new heroes arrive to provide all new match-ups.Robin Hood vs. Bigfoot features the titular heroes. Robin Hood and his outlaws excel at ranged attacks and robbing from their opponents. Bigfoot and his pal the Jackalope crash through the forest for quick attacks before disappearing like a figment of the mind.Combat is resolved quickly by comparing attack and defense cards. However each card's unique effects and a simple but deep timing system lead to interesting decisions each time. The game also features an updated version of the line-of-sight system from Tannhauser for ranged attacks and area effects.The game includes a double-sided board with two different battlefields pre-washed miniatures for each hero and custom life trackers that's brought to life with the stunning artwork of Oliver Barrett and the combined design teams of Restoration Games and Mondo Games.

Lords of Hellas

Lords of Hellas

Rating: 7.6 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Enter the Dark Ages of Greece ruled by mighty Gods wielding advanced technology. Control asymmetric heroes and choose your path to victory either by strategic control or adventure style monster hunting and quests.Build majestic multi-part monuments of Gods on the board and unlock their mighty powers that will help you win and survive the raids of monsters who travel through land and rain havoc.In Lords of Hellas you control an asymmetric hero developed by increasing his 3 basic statistics and gathering artifacts. The main statistics are:Through the game you can choose from various actions and influence the game thanks to the mighty monuments of base Gods: Zeus Athena and Hermes. You need to strategically move your armies and hero as well as manage your actions in order to win.Players can win in various ways: by controlling area temples or slaying monsters that are wandering through the map and interfere in various ways. Once any victory condition is met the game ends (there is no point system).—description from the publisher

Dice Forge

Dice Forge

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

Heroes stand ready! The gods are offering a seat in heaven to whichever hero defeats their rivals. Your courage and wits will be your most precious allies as you use divine dice to gather resources along the road to victory.Your divine dice are exceptional with removable faces! Customize your dice to make them more powerful as the game progresses. Sacrifice gold to the gods to obtain enhanced die faces. Upgrade your dice to produce the resources you need. Overcome ordeals concocted by the gods to grow in glory and earn rewards. Skillfully manage the luck of the dice and take charge of your destiny. Only the greatest will ascend to the heavens!Dice Forge is a development game featuring innovative mechanics based on dice with removable faces. In this dice crafting game players build their own dice. Roll your dice manage your resources complete ordeals before your opponents and explore multiple winning strategies.Now you control the luck of the dice!

Mythic Battles: Pantheon

Mythic Battles: Pantheon

Rating: 8.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Hera tired of Zeus' infidelity decides to take her revenge and releases the Titans on Mount Olympus. In the ensuing battle the power liberated by the combatants ignites in a combustion that shatters the Earth. In the ensuing deflagration the weakest gods are obliterated rendered down into the small fragments of power that constituted their being. The stronger ones were able to resist total annihilation but even their prodigious power could not save them entirely. As the survivors fell from the broken mountain the shards of their divinity and the remnants of those that did not survive were scattered to the 4 corners of a now broken world.As they awoke each god found themselves to be but a shadow of their former selves. They were still mighty stronger than any mortal that yet walked but they were no longer all powerful no longer immortal. Each one could sense the fragments of power that had now fallen to the Earth and that by collecting these they could regain their former grandeur and if they could but amass enough stand at the front of a new Pantheon reshaped in their image.The world around them suffered as much as they did the power released during the epic battle had ignited a cataclysm that reduced the beautiful land of Greece to a barren wasteland. Athens burns Crete has sunken below the waves of the roiling seas and the immortal mount Olympus is now an ash covered wreck of its former glory. But this Event has not only affected the mortal realms. The underworld trembled from the blow even as a legion of fresh souls ran down the river Styx. Would that have been the extent of the underworld's involvement however...Hades having lost the majority of his power no longer holds sway over the Underworld. The gates of hell are open and even though the River Styx prevents the weakest souls from regaining the mortal world the strongest warriors the mightiest heroes and the most vicious monsters have managed to claw their way back up the Styx and back to the surface.As a new power struggle breaks out Gods summon mortal survivors returned heroes and reborn monsters to their side in their hunt for the shards of their lost power.In Mythic Battles: Pantheon it is these clashes between warbands in the midst of a post-apocalyptic ancient Greece that are the focal point of the game. Choose your God draft your warband and take the fight to your enemies with the might of the most powerful beings from Greek mythology at your back.

The Vale of Eternity

The Vale of Eternity

Rating: 7.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

In The Vale of Eternity players are tamers who hunt various monsters and spirits to tame them as minions. In this fantasy world numerous creatures are living in harmony. Among them dragons are the most valuable and noble ones and all tamers dream of taming dragons. The player who manages to tame the most outstanding minions wins.In each round a player has three phases:Successive rounds are performed until the end of the game is triggered. The game includes cards of seventy creatures from myths all around the world.—description from the publisher

Unmatched: Battle of Legends,Volume Two

Unmatched: Battle of LegendsVolume Two

Rating: 8.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

In battle there are no equals.Unmatched is a highly asymmetrical miniature fighting game for two or four players. Each hero is represented by a unique deck designed to evoke their style and legend. Tactical movement and no-luck combat resolution create a unique play experience that rewards expertise but just when you've mastered one set new heroes arrive to provide all new match-ups.Battle of Legends Volume Two features four heroes: Yennenga Achilles Sun Wukong and Bloody Mary.Combat is resolved quickly by comparing attack and defense cards. However each card's unique effects and a simple but deep timing system lead to interesting decisions each time. The game also features an updated version of the line-of-sight system from Tannhäuser for ranged attacks and area effects.The game includes a new battlefield with a brand new mechanism pre-washed miniatures for each hero and custom life trackers that's brought to life with the stunning artwork of Zoe van Dijk and the combined design teams of Restoration Games and Mondo Games.—description from the publisher

Unmatched: Little Red Riding Hood vs. Beowulf

Unmatched: Little Red Riding Hood vs. Beowulf

Rating: 8.1 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Strategy

In battle there are no equals.ONCE UPON A TIME Little Red Riding Hood took her basket of nasty tricks and faced off against the legendary Beowulf in this exciting Unmatched set.What big eyes you have Wulfie!That’s called 'rage' kid!Little Red features a clever card-combo mechanism. Matching icons on the cards she plays to the one in her basket (discard pile) triggers potent effects. Meanwhile Beowulf uses rage to power up his cards for devastating attacks.Unmatched is a highly asymmetrical miniature fighting game for two or four players. Each hero is represented by a unique deck designed to evoke their style and legend. Tactical movement and no-luck combat resolution create a unique play experience that rewards expertise but just when you've mastered one set new heroes arrive to provide all new match-ups.—description from the publisher

Deus

Deus

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

In Deus players work to develop their own civilizations in a shared environment. Each player starts the game with five building cards and on a turn a player either uses one of these cards to construct a building or discard one or more cards to make an offering to a god. Cards come in six colors: red for military green for resource production blue for trade brown for scoring purple for temples and yellow for a variety of effects.When you construct a building you build it in the appropriate location on the modular game board — which is sized based on the number of players with the hexagonal tiles composed of seven landscape circles — then you place the card in your personal tableau in the appropriate stack of colored cards and activate the power of all of those cards already in your tableau starting with the card at the bottom of the stack.When you make an offering you discard cards then receive the help of a god associated with one of the cards that you discarded with the number of cards determining the strength of the associated action. You then refill your hand to five cards.The game ends either when all the barbarian villages on the game board have been surrounded and attacked or when all the temples have been constructed. Whoever has the most points wins.

Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze

Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze

Rating: 8.0 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Family

Unmatched Adventures: Tales to Amaze which is themed around the pulp adventures tall tales and local legends of the mid-20th century gives you a whole new way to play Unmatched.In the game players work together to defeat one of two villains: Mothman or the Martian Invader. Each villain has a unique battlefield with unique objectives. If the villain completes their objective (or defeats the heroes) the players lose. The villains are aided by a number of possible minions: Jersey Devil Ant Queen Loveland Frog The Blob Tarantula and Skunk Ape. The enemies use special action cards and a simple targeting scheme to control their movement and attacks.The set comes with four new heroes: Nikola Tesla discharges his electrified coils to power up his effects; Annie Christmas gets stronger when she's fighting from behind; The Golden Bat the world's first superhero has a variety of powerful effects; and Dr. Jill Trent Science Sleuth calls on a collection of gizmos.Keeping to the Unmatched brand you may use heroes from other Unmatched sets in Unmatched Adventures and you can use the included heroes and battlefields to play competitive Unmatched.—description from the publisher

Horizons of Spirit Island

Horizons of Spirit Island

Rating: 8.2 | Players: 1–3

Game Type:

Strategy

Horizons of Spirit Island features the core mechanisms of Spirit Island but features a new double-sided game board with a streamlined set-up punchboard components and five new Spirits designed to be ideal for those playing a Spirit Island game for the first time. These new Spirits are compatible with all existing Spirit Island components but to play with expansions like Jagged Earth you would need a copy of Spirit Island itself.

Elysium

Elysium

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Mythic Greece. As an upstart demigod you want to earn the favor of the Olympians and become a figure of legend yourself. Gather heroes and powerful artifacts please the gods and bear their power to write your own epic tale.Let your allies achieve their destiny and enter the Elysium home of the glorious and the brave. Once the stories are written only one demigod will be chosen to stand at the side of Zeus.Elysium is a game of set collecting and combinations in which players recruit cards representing heroes items powers and gods. These cards have many different powers and you can create powerful combination to earn gold (the help of the gods) and victory points (the favor of the gods). Each card belongs to one of the eight Olympians gods (a family) and shows a level (1 to 3).During the five turns of the game players will try to transfer their cards to the Elysium and write their own Legends which are series of cards from the same family or from different families of the same level. The more epic the Legends the more favor from the gods they’ll earn. But as they go to Elysium most cards lose their power and players will therefore have to renounce some of their combinations !A game of balance and opportunity with simple action but constant dilemmas and complex strategies.

Atlantis Rising (Second Edition)

Atlantis Rising (Second Edition)

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 1–7

Game Type:

Family

The isle of Atlantis your home is sinking. Will you be able to save your people in time?Atlantis Rising is a co-operative worker placement game in which you must work together with up to six other players to deploy citizens across your homeland gathering resources in order to build a cosmic gate that can save your people. Workers placed close to the shoreline are more rewarding but are more likely to be flooded and the actions lost.Every turn each player draws a misfortune card that will flood certain locations along the ever-shrinking Atlantis shoreline or may otherwise work to undermine your efforts to save your people. So you must race to gather the necessary resources to build and power the gate before the island disappears beneath the waves forever.This edition contains all new art and graphic design created to bring even more attention to the thematic setting of the game. The Athenians Attack phase has been replaced with the Wrath of the Gods phase requiring more strategic planning and adding to the sense of urgency. Now instead of placing workers in an Atlantean Navy players must cooperatively decide to flood a set number of tiles at the end of each round. To further aid them in their task Councilor player powers have been expanded and made more impactful and the knowledge deck has similarly been revised and expanded. The variable gate components once built no longer offer one-time bonuses but create new worker placement spots where players can send Atlantean workers to unleash actions to help save their island.

Mare Nostrum: Empires

Mare Nostrum: Empires

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Strategy

The ancient Romans called the Mediterranean Sea mare nostrum which is Latin for our sea.Mare Nostrum is an empire-building game in which 3-5 players [or 2-6 with the 'Atlas' expansion] lead their individual ancient empires to dominion of Mare Nostrum. You grow the fame and glory of your empire by expanding your influence into new Provinces then extending your Trade Caravans building Markets and founding new Cities and Temples. You can recruit Heroes and create Wonders to help your cause. But beware of your friends because they may look upon your gains with envy and greed...Mare Nostrum is a re-introduction by Academy Games and Asyncron of the original 2003 release with updated rules counters and map board. This edition includes many new components and multiple new ways to win!In more detail you choose an empire to lead which begins with three Provinces. You can lead with Caesar of Rome and its powerful Legions or with Pericles the prominent Greek statesman and orator with the great Babylonian lawgiver and healer King Hammurabi or with Queen Cleopatra of Egypt whose engineers led in the development of grain storage and irrigation or with Hannibal leader of the Carthaginians whose merchants thrived on trade and commerce. Now you decide how you will grow your empire. You can do this by:

Living Forest

Living Forest

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Family

In Living Forest you play as a nature spirit who will try to save the forest and its sacred tree from the flames of Onibi. But you are not alone in your mission as the animal guardians have come together to lend a hand around the Circle of Spirits where you progress. Each turn they bring you valuable elements so try to combine your team of animal guardians as best as possible to carry out your actions but be careful: some of them are solitary and do not like to be mixed with others...You have one of three ways to achieve your goal: by planting 12 different Protective Trees by collecting 12 Sacred Flowers to awaken Sanki the great Guardian of the Forest by extinguishing 12 Fires to permanently repel Onibi.Each turn includes 3 phases: • Guardian Animals (simultaneous push your luck phase) : You draw and turn face up one after the other the Guardian Animal cards from your personal stack. You thus form the Animal Guardian Help Line. You can stop drawing cards whenever you want. However if you reveal a card showing a third solitary symbol then you must stop drawing cards. This card closes your Help Line. • Action phase: You play in turn. If your Help Line shows strictly less than three solitary symbols (not canceled by gregarious symbols) you can then perform 2 different Actions. If your Help Line shows three solitary symbols (not canceled by gregarious symbols) you can then perform only 1 Action. The strength of an Action is determined by the number of corresponding Elements visible on the Guardian Animal cards in your Help Line and on your Forest individual board. • End of the turn: - Onibi attacks you: If some Fires remain at the center of the Circle of Spirits and you cannot resist them then add as many Fire Varan cards to your discard stack as there are Fire tiles at the center of the Circle of Spirits. - Onibi attacks the Sacred Tree: Add as many Fires to the center of the Circle of Spirits as there are Guardian Animal cards taken this turn. - The arrival of new Guardian Animals: Complete the Guardian Animal reserve by revealing as many new cards per level as there were cards taken this turn. - Passing the Sacred Tree: Give the Sacred Tree to the next Spirit of Nature clockwise. - The Return of Guardian Animals: Move all the Animal Guardian cards from your Help Line to your personal discard stack.The game stops at the end of a complete turn when one of the Spirits of Nature has managed to collect at least 12 different Protective Trees OR 12 Fires OR 12 Sacred Flowers.

Disney Villainous: Wicked to the Core

Disney Villainous: Wicked to the Core

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 2–3

Game Type:

Family

In Villainous: Wicked to the Core each player takes control of one of three Disney characters each one a villain in a different Disney movie specifically the Evil Queen from Snow White Hades from Hercules and Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog. Each player has their own villain deck fate deck player board and 3D character.On a turn the active player moves their character to a different location on their player board takes one or more of the actions visible on that space (often by playing cards from their hand) then refills their hand to four cards. Cards are allies items effects and conditions. You need to use your cards to fulfill your unique win condition.One of the actions allows you to choose another player draw two cards from that player's fate deck then play one of them on that player's board covering two of the four action spaces on one of that player's locations. The fate deck contains heroes items and effects from that villain's movie and these cards allow other players to mess with that particular villain.Villainous: Wicked to the Core is playable on its own and its characters can also face off against those in the Villainous base game from 2018.

The Oracle of Delphi

The Oracle of Delphi

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Description from the publisher:For once Zeus Greek god of thunder and sky is in high spirits. Hence he decides to offer a generous gift to a worthy mortal and invite him or her to his realm to Olympus. To determine a sufficient candidate Zeus hosts a competition for his entertainment. Twelve legendary tasks are imposed upon the fearless participants: to erect graceful statues to raise awe-inspiring sanctuaries to offer capacious offerings and to slay the most fearsome monsters. The first participant to master all the posed assignments wins the favor of the father of the gods himself.Indubitably you will not pass up this golden opportunity so you clear your ship and rally your crew to follow on the trails of legendary Odysseus through the dangerous waters of the Aegean. But how could you find the righteous path onward? There is but one who can help you. Visit the mysterious oracle of Delphi and let her answers guide your ways.In Stefan Feld's new game The Oracle of Delphi the player's ships travel across a large variable game board of hexagonal tiles showing islands and the surrounding waters. Each player aims to reach certain islands to perform the twelve tasks given by Zeus: e.g. to collect offerings of different colors and to deliver them to corresponding temples or to slay monsters of a specific type (and color) all of which can be discovered on the islands.In order to execute these color-dependent actions you are given three colored dice each turn the so-called oracle dice. Rolling the dice (at the start of the turn) is equivalent to consulting the oracle whereas the results represent her answers. The answers determine which actions you will be able to take but you will always have three actions per turn. However a slight divergence from your fate is often possible.In addition to the oracle you can request support from the gods and you can acquire favor tokens companions and other special abilities that will help you win the race against other competitors.Differently equipped ships and the variable set-up of the game board will offer new challenging and interesting strategic and tactical decisions with every new game of The Oracle of Delphi that you play.

Yamataï

Yamataï

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Categories:

In Yamatai 2-4 players compete to build palaces torii and their own buildings in the land of Yamatai. The game includes ten numbered action tiles each showing one or more colored ships and with most showing a special action. You shuffle these tiles place them in a row then reveal one more than the number of players.On a turn each player chooses a tile collects the depicted ships from the reserve optionally buys or sells one ship then places the ships on the board. The land has five entryways and you must start from these points or place adjacent to ships already on the board. You can't branch the ships being placed and if you place your first ship adjacent to another then that first ship must be the same color as the adjacent one; otherwise you can place ships without regard to color.After placing ships you can either claim colored resources from land that you've touched with new ships this turn or build on one vacant space. To build the space must have colored ships around it that match the ships depicted on one of the available building tiles. If you build a personal building that's connected to others you own you receive money equal to the number of buildings.You can bank one ship before the end of your turn then you can use any three resources or a pair of matching resources to purchase a specialist each of whom has a unique power.After all players go you shuffle the action tiles place them face down in the row then reveal enough tiles at the front of the line to set up for the next turn with the turn order being determined by the numbers on the tiles that players chose the previous turn. Once you trigger one of the game-ending conditions — e.g. no ships of one color or no more specialists — you finish the round then count points for buildings built specialists hired and money on hand.

Disney Villainous: The Worst Takes it All

Disney Villainous: The Worst Takes it All

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Family

In Villainous each player takes control of one of six Disney characters each one a villain in a different Disney movie. Each player has their own villain deck fate deck player board and 3D character.On a turn the active player moves their character to a different location on their player board takes one or more of the actions visible on that space (often by playing cards from their hand) then refills their hand to four cards. Cards are allies items effects conditions and (for some characters) curses. You need to use your cards to fulfill your unique win condition.One of the actions allows you to choose another player draw two cards from that player's fate deck then play one of them on that player's board covering two of the four action spaces on one of that player's locations. The fate deck contains heroes items and effects from that villain's movie and these cards allow other players to mess with that particular villain.

Smash Up: Science Fiction Double Feature

Smash Up: Science Fiction Double Feature

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Strategy

Smash Up is back with even more wild factions in the mix! Science Fiction Double Feature brings four new decks to the base-smashing business with abilities unlike those seen before!Smash Up: Science Fiction Double Feature can be played on its own as a two-player game or combined with other Smash Up titles to allow for up to four players to compete at the same time.

Valley of the Kings

Valley of the Kings

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

When you die you can take it with you!Take on the role of Egyptian nobles at the time of the pharaohs preparing for death and burial in the Valley of the Kings. Players want to fill their tombs with food canopic jars statues amulets and other treasures and to do so they acquire cards that are laid out in the shape of a pyramid; purchase cards at the base of the pyramid and it crumbles to bring cards higher in the pyramid to the base where they can be bought. The pyramid resets each round with new offerings.You score only for cards that you remove from your deck and stash in your tomb so if you keep using valuable cards for their effects and don't entomb them before the game ends you could lose out on big points! Whoever collects the most valuable artifacts in her tomb wins.

Flick of Faith

Flick of Faith

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

Gods are powerful and... bored! Make a bet with the others use your unique powers and gather the most believers in the Archipelago of the Navel of the World. Flick of Faith is a flicking area control game in which players are sending their prophets into the islands by flicks. Make sure people heard about you on every island. Even better if you can get the domination - the winning is close. But be careful! To make the bet more interesting other gods would use every sneaky trick.Moreover there is the Navel of the World Island. This one grants a lot of bonus points depends on how well are your prophets spread over the archipelago but is also really difficult to reach. If your prophet can manage to take the city he builds a temple for your greatness.After that all prophets are taken off the map and the round ends. Now you have entirely new generation of prophets to flick into the archipelago.After 4 rounds bonus points are dealt out and the winner is the god with most victory points gathered so far. Numbers included in the section above may vary depending on the number of players.—description from the designer

Unmatched: Houdini vs. The Genie

Unmatched: Houdini vs. The Genie

Rating: 8.3 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Strategy

Unmatched is a highly asymmetrical miniature fighting game for two or four players. Each hero is represented by a unique deck designed to evoke their style and legend. Tactical movement and no-luck combat resolution create a unique play experience that rewards expertise but just when you've mastered one set new heroes arrive to provide all new match-ups. Unmatched: Houdini vs. The Genie adds two new heroes: Harry Houdini and The Genie of the Lamp.

Septima

Septima

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Categories:

Only in a few corners of the world is the memory of magic still alive even though a few centuries ago its healing power permeated everything. Witches its last remaining practitioners have always been outcasts and could help human society only in strict secrecy. The leader of their people the Septima has always been the wisest most knowledgeable witch. Now as her time is coming to an end witches from all over the world gather at Noctenburg to leave their mark on the hostile town and prove to the Septima that they are her worthy successor.Septima is a competitive highly interactive strategy game of witchcraft. As the leader of your coven you must prove your worth in the town of Noctenburg to become the successor of Septima the High Witch. Practice your craft and gain Wisdom by collecting herbs brewing potions healing the townsfolk mastering charms and rescuing your fellow brothers and sisters from the trials. But beware: magic even if used for good invokes suspicion in the townsfolk...Simultaneous action selection with positive player interaction: Septima’s central mechanism revolves around the simultaneous secret selection of one of nine Action cards each turn: Move Collect Brew Heal Recruit Plea Chant Rite and Remember. Each Action gets a powerful bonus if it is chosen by multiple players but performing them together also raises suspicion in the townsfolk and attracts the attention of the Witch Hunters. Decisions of when to do a shared action (and who to do it with) adds a fresh semi-cooperative touch to a competitive game and lots of player interaction.Rescue witches to build your Coven: Heal enthrall or convince the townsfolk and amass enough support to sway the periodic Witch Trials in your favor. If the hostile witnesses are outvoted the convicted witch is absolved and joins the coven that rescued them. You start small but you can grow your coven to up to four witches this way each with their own personality and special ability to help your cause. Reckless Witches caught by Witch Hunters are also put to trial so with enough support from the townsfolk even witches from other less careful players’ coven can end up in yours.Accessible intuitive and familiar: Septima is Mindclash Games’ most accessible title to date with beautiful hand-drawn art style by Villő Farkas and with the character art of Barbara Bernát wooden components and intuitive theme-inspired mechanisms. It is very quick to teach and set up and takes less than 2 hours to play even with four players.

Smash Up: Monster Smash

Smash Up: Monster Smash

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Family

Smash Up: Monster Smash consists of four new factions for Smash Up: vampires mad scientists werewolves and giant ants. Tremble before the power of the ants!Smash Up: Monster Smash can be played on its own as a two-player game or combined with other Smash Up titles to allow for up to four players to compete at the same time.

Eight-Minute Empire: Legends

Eight-Minute Empire: Legends

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

Build a small empire in a land of legends!Eight-Minute Empire: Legends is a standalone sequel to the area control game Eight-Minute Empire and does not require the original game to play. Just like the original game players take turns selecting a card from six on display. The card has an action that the player takes immediately and actions help players take over the map – but what's new and different in this version?Is Eight-Minute Empire: Legends still playable in eight minutes? Yes but only if you hurry!Eight-Minute Empire: Legends is a quick game that implements the Civilization/Exploration theme using card-driven area control (by placing armies and cities in a small map) and set collection (by getting abilities from the cards). Players spread through the map in order to collect points at the end of the game by having majorities in regions and continents. All actions (such as land or sea movement army production or the founding of cities) are driven by cards that are face-up (six at a time) and available by increasing prices. Cards also belong to sets which also give points when the game ends if properly collected.

Unlock!: Mythic Adventures

Unlock!: Mythic Adventures

Rating: 7.7 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Family

Unlock! is a series of escape adventures for up to six players. With one hour on the clock players work through a deck of sixty cards as a team searching for clues combining objects and solving puzzles. The free Unlock! companion app runs the timer while also providing clues offering hints and confirming successes. Once the team has reached a solution and entered the correct code into the app they will escape and win the game!Unlock!: Mythic Adventures contains three scenarios revolving around these themes.• In the Clutches of Hades - You are Alix a slave in Greece during antiquity. Gaining your freedom will not be an easy task unless you ask the Gods for help.• Professor Noside's Animal-O-Matic - The Animal-O-Matic transfers you into the body of any animal. It's not dangerous I'm telling you! Will you stop moving James!• Around the World in 80 Minutes - I made the bet with these gentlemen from the Reform Club that we will travel around the world in 80 days. Passepartout! Hurry! The world awaits Phileas Fogg's masterstroke!—description from the publisher

Yggdrasil

Yggdrasil

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Strategy

Categories:

Yggdrasil is a co-operative game in which players are different gods of the Norse mythology: Odin Thor Tyr Frey Heimdall and Freyja. Monsters the wolf Fenrir the huge serpent Jormungand the Fire Giant Surt the Goddess of the Dead Hel the traitor Loki and the cosmic dragon Nidhögg are moving forward in Asgard inescapably and announce the impending coming of chaos and destruction on the world-tree Yggdrasil. Together the players have to resist to the impending coming of the Evil forces in Asgard the gods' world.Game flow During his turn the active player first draws an Enemy card corresponding to one of the six Evil creatures. The corresponding counter is moved one space forward in Asgard and the associated effect applies. Then the active player performs three different actions among the nine at his disposal in order to resist to the advance:Each player depending on the god he plays has a specific power that allows him to perform some actions better. All of these actions have to be used at the right moment or the victory will be unreachable. The players will need cleverness calm and team spirit to challenge the game.

Similo

Similo

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–8

Game Type:

Family

Similo is a co-operative deduction game and each version of the game — e.g. Fables History Myths — comes with a deck of thirty cards beautifully illustrated by Naïade showing the portrait and the name of a series of characters with a common theme.Your goal is to make the other players guess one secret character (out of the twelve characters on display in the middle of the table) by playing other character cards from your hand as clues stating whether they are similar to or different from the secret character. After each turn the other players must remove one or more characters from the table until only the right one remains and you win — or it is removed and you lose!You can play with one of the Similo sets on its own using the cards from say Fables both for the characters being laid out and for the clues being given to the guessers or you can use the cards from one set for the twelve characters on display and the cards from another set as the clues. The game is far trickier this way!

Odin's Ravens (Second Edition)

Odin's Ravens (Second Edition)

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Family

Every morning Odin sends his ravens Huginn and Muninn across the entire world to bring back news of what life is like on Earth. Naturally after thousands of years they've gotten a little competitive. Race through the landscape in opposite directions to be the first to return to Odin. Focus on speed or enlist the help of the trickster god Loki to create shortcuts and hinder your opponent. Can you be certain Loki's changes won't help your opponent instead? There's only one way to find out!The revised second edition of Thorsten Gimmler's award-winning Odin's Ravens has been completely redesigned with new rules and a beautiful new art style inspired by Norse mythology.FAQ Only the rotate action on the Loki cards can be used on a loop card or a card which has been slid partially out of the path.

Ancient Knowledge

Ancient Knowledge

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Heirs to an exceptional knowledge that has survived the ages it is now up to you to preserve the vestige of your civilization.Ancient Knowledge is a strategic card game in which you erect monuments and build artefacts to pass on your knowledge. Time will make your constructions ephemeral,so make the right decision and combine the many cards at your disposal because all knowledge is doomed to disappear…It's up to you to find the best synergy so that you can pass down knowledge before the decline of the emblematic monuments you have constructed monuments we still find nowadays in the four corners of the globe. From Mexican pyramids to the Sphinx of Giza passing through the famous cities of Tiwanaku and Babylon only the cleverest builder will shine through the ages and seize victory. In this game your only enemy is time.Prove to your opponents that you are the worthy representative of your Legacy! Will your monuments withstand the trial of time?—description from the publisher

Disney Villainous: Despicable Plots

Disney Villainous: Despicable Plots

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 2–3

Game Type:

Family

In Villainous: Despicable Plots each player takes control of one of three Disney characters each one a villain in a different Disney movie specifically Lady Tremaine (Cinderella) the Horned King (The Black Cauldron) and Gaston (Beauty and the Beast). Each player has their own villain deck fate deck player board and 3D character.On a turn the active player moves their character to a different location on their player board takes one or more of the actions visible on that space (often by playing cards from their hand) then refills their hand to four cards. Cards are allies items effects and conditions. You need to use your cards to fulfill your unique win condition.One of the actions allows you to choose another player draw two cards from that player's fate deck then play one of them on that player's board covering two of the four action spaces on one of that player's locations. The fate deck contains heroes items and effects from that villain's movie and these cards allow other players to mess with that particular villain.Villainous: Despicable Plots is playable on its own and its characters can also face off against those in the other Disney Villainous games.—description from the publisher

Gingerbread House

Gingerbread House

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

Once upon a time a witch lived alone in her house in the depths of the forest. Her favorite hobby was baking yummy gingerbread; in fact she loved gingerbread so much that she built her entire house out of it. Unfortunately she wasn't the only one who loved it! Rude fairy tale characters passing by were eating away her walls windows and doors! One day the witch decided that she'd had enough of them all helping themselves and paying attention to which types of gingerbread these greedy intruders liked the most she came up with an idea on how to get rid of them once and for all...In Gingerbread House you place domino-like tiles in a 3 by 3 grid covering symbols that provide you with four different types of gingerbread and special actions. Tiles may also be placed on existing types of tiles forming a 3D structure in front of you. Covering two of the same symbol is extremely valuable as it provides a bonus gingerbread or action. Victory points are awarded for building the tallest structure completing orders by discarding sets of gingerbread as well as being the quickest to achieve certain conditions. In the end the player with the most victory points wins.

Valley of the Kings: Afterlife

Valley of the Kings: Afterlife

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Description from the publisher:Take on the role of Egyptian nobles at the time of the pharaohs preparing for their death and burial in the valley of the kings. Using an innovative deck-building mechanism with a crumbling pyramid players fill their tombs with jewelry chambers weapons tomb art and other treasures. The player who collects the most valuable artifacts in their tomb wins the game!Valley of the Kings: Afterlife is a standalone game that can also be combined with Valley of the Kings to allow for play with up to six players.

Omen: A Reign of War

Omen: A Reign of War

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Strategy

You are a child of Zeus poised to conquer all of Greece but first you must prove your worth to the gods as there is another who contests your claim. To determine who shall rule gods have devised a contest and lent their most powerful forces to both sides of the conflict.Omen: Reign of War is a head-to-head strategic card game where you compete to gain the favor of the pantheon of gods and prove that you are the rightful heir of Zeus. Powerful forces of antiquity and legend are at your command as you raze and pillage cities strategically manage your resources and eliminate your rival’s forces. Choose your battle strategy with rules for standard and draft play and expand your war with other fully compatible games from the 'Omen Saga'!Omen: Reign of War - Head to Head demigod battles for supremacy of ancient Greece. - Tactical battle card-game where every unit has its own unique abilities and uses. - Definitive Omen Saga gaming experience and endlessly expandable.

Olympos

Olympos

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Strategy

Philippe Keyaerts scored gold with Small World a new version of his Vinci that was released by Days of Wonder in 2009 to great acclaim and numerous awards. With Olympos coming from French publisher Ystari Games Keyaerts has another go at the simplified civilization game. The playing time for Olympos is only 60-90 minutes for 2-5 players but says Ystari's Cyril Demaegd Even if it's a short game it's a gamer's game.Players take actions based on their position on a time track along the lines of Peter Prinz' Thebes. (Says Demaegd This is mainly a coincidence because Philippe designed this game years ago.) By spending time players take actions with the choices being expansion or development. Expanding brings new settlers onto the game board which depicts Greece and Atlantis which lets you conquer territories and thereby acquire resources.Development takes place on the game's discovery board with players either buying new scientific discoveries – such as medicine or phalanxes – or building architectural wonders. Each discovery brings you new powers such as an upgrade in military strength due to the phalanx and each wonder earns you points.A player's piety is measured by discoveries and the most pious player might be rewarded during the game by one of the nine gods included. Similarly the less pious players might be punished by those same gods.The replayability of Olympos is huge says Demaegd as the discovery board and gods in play will be different each game not to mention the territories you're able to conquer.

The Lord of the Ice Garden

The Lord of the Ice Garden

Rating: 7.6 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

The world of Midgaard created by author Jarosław Grzędowicz in The Lord of the Ice Garden novel series is inhabited by a race very similar to humans filled with magic and for a reason stuck at the cultural and technological level of medieval Viking world. The arrival of scientists from Earth disturbs its fragile balance. The power gained by controlling magic changes the scientists – they become possessed by the lust for making this world better. They become gods who are willing to sacrifice any life except for their own of course to accomplish their – great according to them – ideas.Players impersonate the scientists struggling for the domination over The Coast of Sails and also for staying on Midgaard because soon after them another person arrives to this world: Vuko Drakkainen highly trained agent whose task is to find the members of scientific expedition and send them back to Earth — or as a last resort make them vanish. Will the players as powerful gods allow him to do it?From the first turn the players are tossed in the middle of war. They will feel the adrenaline fear pain and the heat of a battle. They will smell blood and sweat hear the clash of arms and the moaning of wounded and dying.The Lord of the Ice Garden takes place on The Coast of Sails which is divided into several regions. The main goal is fighting for the domination over those regions. A region is dominated by the player with the most influence in it. Dominating the region allows players to collect its resources (M-factor gold population) also to win victory points in specific turns and to accomplish their own goals. Each player has unique winning conditions and special units.There is also Vuko who came to evacuate the scientists and clean up their mess. Each turn he goes to the region where the player with least reputation/morality (it decreases each time the player uses magic) has the most influence. Such a visit is nothing nice – Vuko kills one special unit of that player in this region and lowers his/her influence there.INITIATIVE PHASE: During the initiative phase players decide how many action tokens they will have for the current turn and also determine the player order during the Planning Phase. Moreover they can initiate scoring of the regions by moving their initiative tokens. In the advanced mode they also determine the order of action fields resolution.PLANNING PHASE: Players one by one in the order determined in the Initiative Phase place their action tokens on selected action fields.ACTION PHASE: Players perform actions in the action fields in the order determined by the placement of tokens. • Viper's Nest – player receives one token of any resource. They can also exchange resources. • Influence – player may sacrifice up to two population tokens to place as many influence tokens on the region(s) where they already have at least one influence • Move – player may sacrifice up to two gold tokens to make as many moves of their influence tokens and/or special units to the neighboring region(s) • Voracious Mountain – player may sacrifice population to move any number of their influence tokens and/or special units from one region to any other region • Raven's Shadow – player may raise his/her reputation or use a magic token to get rid of the disadvantageous token of contact with Vuko. • Magic – allows the player to do any of the three actions: translocate the M-factor summon special units of the given level add a new ability to the special unit. Each of those actions results in moving the Dead Snow token up on its track and decreasing the player's reputation. • Activation (automatic field) – after resolving the actions players may activate the abilities of their special units. The order of activation of given abilities is strictly determined. After the activation the situation on the board may change drastically. • Vuko Drakkainen (automatic field) – each turn Vuko must go to another region. Its figure is placed in the region where the most immoral player has the most influence. That player receives a conact token decreasing his/her influence and also loses one special unit in this region (provided he/she had any). In the advanced mode players will be able to equip Vuko with more abilities that will activate in specific moments of the game.DOMINATION PHASE: Players collect victory points and resources from the regions and accomplish their unique goals.

Orichalcum

Orichalcum

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

Orichalque is a tense and fast-pace strategy game – similar to a short 4X. Each player has their own Island board to explore and develop. On each turn they choose a set of one Exploration tile and one Action : recruit hoplites produce precious orichalcum (a legendary metal from Greek mythology) construct buildings granting powerful bonuses or try to get rid of Monsters infesting your island (and preventing you to build new building).To prevail you will need to erect majestic temples forge orichalcum tokens or win the favors of titans (by creating areas of their favorite landscapes. The first to get to 5 victory points while clearing their Island of all Monsters wins the game.—description from the publisher

Smash Up: The Obligatory Cthulhu Set

Smash Up: The Obligatory Cthulhu Set

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Strategy

Game description from the publisher:Just when you thought Smash Up might escape the International Gaming Authority reminded us at AEG that we were honor-bound to include Cthulhu in one of our products so we set on to make the most Cthulhu-est product ever.Smash Up: The Obligatory Cthulhu Set features crazy Cthulhu cultists fishy Innsmouth locals horrifying Elder Things and good old Miskatonic University members (the Fightin' Cephalopods). To be certain we got it right this set also includes a new card type fittingly known as Madness that each of these groups can use to various effects. Just remember that Madness brings you power but at a price (joking!).If you're ready to embrace the creatures beyond the understanding of mortal men then shuffle up these guys with your pirates bear cavalry and others for the most awesome fit of crazed insanity you've had in a long time!

Origins: First Builders

Origins: First Builders

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

They came to this planet and they chose you. They uplifted your people and promised great prosperity. They provided the wisdom and the resources to build your cities sky high. They taught you the ways of culture science and warfare. They promised knowledge for any willing to learn. Come Archon guide your citizens to victory under the watchful eyes of the Builders our benefactors from beyond the skies above.In Origins: First Builders you are an archon guiding a population of freemen influencing the construction of buildings and monuments climbing the three mighty zodiac temples and taking part in an arms race — all in an effort to leave the greatest mark on mankind's ancient history.You start the game with a city consisting of just two building tiles: the Agora tile and the Palace tile. As the game develops your city will grow in both size and strength as you add new building tiles each of which has a special ability that triggers when it is first added to a city and when closing a district. Your placement on the military track indicates the rewards you receive when you attack and your chances of becoming first player.Origins: First Builders is played over a number of rounds with a round ending only after each player has passed. If a game end condition has not yet been triggered the game continues with a new round. On your turn you perform one of the following actions:• Visit an encounter site with your workers to gain resources and additional citizen or speaker dice advance on the zodiac temple tracks (and potentially gain zodiac cards) and advance and attack on the military track.• Close a district gaining victory points (VPs) and possibly gold for matching a district card's building pattern additional bonuses based on the buildings you activate and additional VPs at the end of the game based on the value of the citizen die you use to close the district.• Build a tower level to increase your endgame scoring based on the tower heights and the matching color dice you use to close your districts.• Grow your population.• Pass.The temple area is divided into three tracks: the sea temple the forest temple and the mountain temple. You score points only for your two least-valued temples and once all the points have been summed whoever has the most VPs wins.

Court of the Dead: Mourners Call

Court of the Dead: Mourners Call

Rating: 7.6 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Strategy

Everyone is already dead in the Underworld. It's time to join the factions of Bone Flesh and Spirit as they work to achieve the goal of the Underworld: to gather enough forces to take on the celestials of Heaven and Hell to end their ceaseless war. If the players work diplomatically in Court of the Dead: Mourners Call to maintain a balance they can ensure the Underworld survives long enough for them to also complete their collective and hidden individual objectives. The player who best contributes to these goals will earn Death's favor and a place among the elite of the Underworld.You are a Mourner — an allegiant of Death — dedicated to realizing his noble ambition to end the celestial war and restore balance to the universe. However Death's purpose includes your own ulterior motives. You and your fellow Mourners must unite and rise or fall together. But only one Mourner will achieve their particular vision of the Underworld united. Your task will not be easy. While the Underworld is united in its purpose it is divided in its strategy to achieve that aim. There are three factions in the Land of the Dead: Bone Flesh Spirit. Each is a unique path to rise up against Heaven and Hell.You will need to strategically manipulate your influence within these factions their strongholds and guilds and within the Court of the Dead if you wish to achieve your ends. But beware: The power within mortal souls — known as Etherea — is a perilous substance. Use it carelessly and you risk invoking the Dreadsgrip - a destructive force within every Mourner that consumes all it touches including its former master. Failing to satiate the celestials’ war need or triggering the Dreadsgrip has dire consequences for all Mourners. Are you strong enough to achieve your own ambitions and be the champion for the uniting force for which all Mourners Call?—description from the publisher

Oros

Oros

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

The Wise One immortal keeper of wisdom and knowledge has sent Demigods endowed with earth-moving power to the far reaches of humanity. In Oros each player acts as one of these Demigods. They must instruct their Followers in the wisdom of the mountains through study worship and experience. And only in the heights of the mountains can the greatest mysteries be known.Oros is a tile-colliding volcano erupting mountain-making wisdom-gathering action-economy strategy game. On individual player mats players move their Followers between action spaces allowing them to manipulate a shared environment like a giant puzzle of plate tectonics. Action spaces allow players to shift rows of land move and collide land tiles form and erupt volcanoes worship to gain wisdom journey their Followers around the ever-shifting landscape and build sacred places of study and worship on mountains. Building sacred places and worshipping in sacred places brings wisdom which is used to improve the abilities available for each action space. Wisdom is also used to improve the end game value of each sacred place built as well as reach other goals worth end game points.When building sacred places the Demigods of the Wise One ascend a ziggurat which acts as a timer toward the end of the game. When one reaches the top players finish the round and then tally a final score.At the core of Oros is the unique ability to shift move build up erupt and reposition the land within an infinitely connected play environment. This mechanic turns every action into a puzzle of creative problem solving abstract thinking and a constantly evolving strategy. Another chief aspect of the game is the player mat which uses a minimal worker placement mechanic to govern action opportunity. The mat also maintains an action economy that evolves differently for each player as they invest their gained wisdom into a variety of action improvements. Because of these core aspects there are dozens of strategies for players to explore and every game plays out in a different yet competitive way.—description from the designer

Tsukuyumi: Full Moon Down

Tsukuyumi: Full Moon Down

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Strategy

STORY The future: Slowly but steadily the Moon has been approaching the Earth. It has touched the surface and ripped a deep rift across continents mountain ranges and oceans. It has come to a halt in the now dried-out Pacific Ocean. Chaos and devastation wrecked the Earth and its inhabitants. That chaos grew greater when the Moon revealed itself to be a kami (a Japanese God of old) - the white dragon TSUKUYUMI. Exiled into the night sky eons ago TSUKUYUMI has been roused by Japanese warriors who tried to rid themselves of their godly creators. TSUKUYUMI'S time for revenge has finally come...In the post-apocalyptic world humankind is on the verge of extinction whereas animal species mutated under the influence of TSUKUYUMI and grew bigger and stronger than ever. All those different factions are now fighting fiercely for survival as well as for world domination.TSUKUYUMI is a no-luck boardgame that demands specific strategic skills of its players. Its particular appeal lies in the clash of multifarious asymmetrical factions. At the beginning each player picks one of the five factions. The factions bring their own respective abilities units and strategies. Therefore the game changes depending on what factions meet on the battlefield.Values and abilities of the factions still don’t guarantee victory. Numerous test matches have shown: it’s the players who find new combinations and the right moments to use specific faction features who notice their fellow players’ weaknesses and use them to their own advantages. This way they shape their faction and bring the creatures and their stories to life.FACTIONS THE NOMADS are the former soldiers who were stationed on the USS Nomad an aircraft carrier that stranded in the wastelands. Armed agile and patriotic as they are the NOMADS try to claim the remains of the moon in the name of their (former) nation.THE BOARLORDS are a nation of strong and intelligent boars who enter the pacific region from the former Korean peninsula. They aim to replace the human race as dominant species - claiming more and more land by terraforming it into their rampart-like homes.THE CYBERSAMURAI use satellites supercomputers and artificial intelligence once developed in old Japan to control an army of drones fighting bots and even an orbital laser system threatening anyone who tries to plant their flag on the moon.THE DARK SEED'S nest grew in the wastelands as roaches and other insects became bigger and more intelligent under TSUKUYUMI'S influence. Their swarm grows rapidly - and thus they fight relentlessly to overwhelm adversarial units and territories by their sheer number.THE KAMPFGRUPPE 03 are the heirs to the Order of Marduk - and same as their spiritual ancestors in medieval times dragonslayers Siegfried and Georg they strive for a world unburdened by TSUKUYUMI'S existence.After the gameboard is set up every player chooses a faction respectively. The faction boards explain in detail all special abilities and how to use them. It also specifies the factions' start set-up.According to the descending initiative order marked on the board the players install their Homezones pick three start-areas and place their units. Prior to the first round they also choose a white action card - a combination of actions they can use before the beginning of each round.Then the players gather their resources according to what their areas offer. They may use these resources to bid on the blue green and red action cards. Every phase is represented by six of those action cards marked from A to F. Every card displays a different combination of the actions that can be taken during its respective phase. The highest bid is awarded with the A-card the next one with the B-card and so on.Each round consists of the following phases: White Phase: Players use the white action card they chose to emphasize their strategy. Blue Phase: Players can rise in the initiative order and/or draw an Impact Card. Green Phase: New units are generated and resources collected. Red Phase: Units are moved adversarial areas and units may be attacked. Onis are placed moved and used for attacks.GOAL The player who gains the most Victory Points wins the game. Victory Points are earned by conquering and occupying areas and by fulfilling goals and/or the faction's respective mission.END The game ends after the number of rounds determined by the players beforehand - usually 3-4 rounds.MICROBADGES Tsukuyumi fan - logo Tsukuyumi fan - moon Tsukuyumi - Boarlords fan Tsukuyumi - Cybersamurai fan Tsukuyumi - Dark Seed fan Tsukuyumi - Nomads fan Tsukuyumi - Oni fan Tsukuyumi - Kampfgruppe 03 fan Tsukuyumi - Lords of the Lost Sea fan Tsukuyumi - Fireborn fan Tsukuyumi - Children of the Lion fan

Thunder & Lightning

Thunder & Lightning

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Strategy

In Thunder & Lightning players take on the role of Thor or Loki and fight their way through an army in an epic mythological showdown. Because Loki has already stolen Odin's Crown the Allfather has entrusted his son Thor with his prized ring of power Draupnir to help him defeat the vile trickster. But who really has what it takes to gain control over both relics and therefore claim the throne of Asgard?Thunder & Lightning a reimplementation of Hera and Zeus features the same gameplay as the earlier design but with larger decks of cards with a different distribution of powers.In the game each player starts with nine cards in hand then places three cards face down in their first row with these rows butting against one another and each player having space for four rows in their playing area. If a player loses a card in a row then any cards in the same column behind this card slide forward to fill the empty slot. On a turn a player has as many action points as the number of columns they have in the playing area. They can use these action points to draw cards play cards to the battlefield play a mythological card for its power or challenge an opponent's card.To challenge the player chooses a card in their first row that abuts an opponent's card then reveals both of them. Most cards have a strength value (0-7) and the card with the lower strength value is discarded with the opponent's other cards in the same column then sliding forward.If a player cannot use all of their actions or has no actions (due to having no cards on the battlefield) or loses control of Odin's Crown/Ring then they lose the game.

Imperial Miners

Imperial Miners

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Family

Imperial Miners is a light engine-building card game for 1 to 5 players from designer Tim Armstrong (Arcana Rising Orbis) in which players excavate mines using a clever card activation system. This stand-alone game is set in the popular Imperial Settlers universe and offers beautiful illustrations easy-to-grasp rules and satisfying gameplay full of chain reactions and engine-building synergies.In Imperial Miners players create their own mines by playing cards into their personal tableau. They start from the surface and develop downward. Each time a card is added to their mine it activates itself and all the cards above it rewarding a player with satisfying chain reactions and combos. The cards belong to six different factions and offer various strategies. Players mix different factions in their mines to achieve the best results.While developing their mines players also advance on progress boards. During set-up three out of the six available progress boards are randomly chosen for the game. These boards each offer a different strategic focus. Throughout the game players advance to gain additional bonuses that help them develop their tableaus activate the synergies between cards gain victory points and achieve even more satisfying combos. The combination of progress boards influences strategies and makes the game different each time you play.Imperial Miners offers impressive replayability thanks to its wide range of different cards and modular progress boards. Players also take turns simultaneously so gameplay is quick and lasts no longer than 45 minutes. The straightforward rules beautiful artwork and rewarding engine-building mechanisms make a perfect game for both casual and experienced gamers.—description from the publisher

Yokai Septet

Yokai Septet

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 3–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Long time ago in the land of rising sun spirits and demons known as Yokai were harming human lives.Yokai did not directly attack people but they were causing supernatural disasters: Yokai caused farmlands to burn rivers to flood thunders to roar and diseases to spread.One day a chieftain of the nearby village visited you an Onmyoji a practitioner of Japanese esoteric cosmology. Through your knowledge of astronomy and occultism you discover the only way to help save the village. It is simple: the more Yokai you manage to capture the less the menace caused by these demons. After a few months in the village you are successful in your efforts; the Yokai menace is completely eradicated in that village!Then word reaches you of the havoc being wrecked by the Yokai on your own village. In your absence the village chieftain has consulted another Onmyoji to help save your village. This is an affront because this is your village and the people under attack are your people. It is your job to save the day! Do not let another Onmyoji save the day and go down in history as the greatest there ever was and the Savior of your village at the time of need.Compete against your rival Onmyoji and capture as many Yokai as you can!In Yokai Septet your goal is to capture high scoring Boss Yokai by strategically playing cards from your hand. Each turn players play a card from their hand following the rules of the trick taking games.After everyone has played a card the player who played the strongest card matching the lead suit takes all the cards played this turn. A new turn continues until one of the round's end condition is met. At the end of the round the winner of that round is determined.In a 4-player game the game is played as a team battle of two players versus two players whereas in a 3-player game all players play individually competing. The winner of the round is the team that captured four or more Boss Yokai in a 4-player game and three or more Boss Yokai in a 3-player game.The winner of the round scores points based on the Boss Yokai they captured. New rounds are played until the game's end condition is met which can be either 2 points for a basic game or 7 points for an advanced game.

Village Attacks

Village Attacks

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Thematic

Village Attacks is a co-operative castle defense game in which players take on the roles of the most infamous creatures of folklore and legend from around the world! Deep in a remote part of the world you and your monstrous associates have taken up residence in an immense castle. But the local village has had enough of the evil that lies at its door and has decided to lay siege to the castle in an effort to exorcise your wicked taint from the world.The villagers may be weak but they are not alone! News of your malevolent presence has spread far and wide; hunters and heroes have come from all corners of the globe to vanquish you! Some have come for fame others for the glory and some even for the reward. But they share a single goal; your doom!

Oak

Oak

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Categories:

In the center of a vast but secret forest stands the Arch-Oak — a majestic tree that was already a sapling when the world was still young. It is even said that from its wood the Gods crafted the first humans and animals.Druidic orders from far and wide flock together around its roots to bathe in its glory. Arch-druids sanctify sacred places and erect rune-etched monoliths while bards tell the tallest tales to recruit a greater following. Ovates read the omens to gain a glimpse of the things to come while sacrificers use force to defend their Order's beliefs.Oak puts you in the role of the leader of one of four different druid orders with you attempting to establish that your order deserves to be chosen by the Arch-Oak's spirit to stay and learn its secrets. Your order starts out small and insignificant but if you choose your actions wisely and use your druids efficiently you will see it grow in power and stature. You will gain the friendship and help of otherworldly creatures like the mischievous brownie the terrible merrow and the magical pixies. You will learn powerful spells of the wild and uncover mighty artifacts. You might even risk upsetting the natural balance by creating new sacred places in the forest to house your growing flock of druids.Will you be able to prove to the Arch-Oak that your order is worthy? Will you be able to unlock the secrets of the ancients?—description from the publisher

Mythotopia

Mythotopia

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Mythotopia is a deck-building game set in a medieval fantasy world that draws on the mechanisms found in A Few Acres of Snow with players customizing their personal card decks by drafting cards and expanding into provinces.The game board is composed of forty provinces each with its own card. At the start of play you receive a number of Province cards at random then mark your initial positions with town pieces. Shuffle these Province cards with a set of five Initial cards to form your starting deck then draw a hand of five cards. The game includes 27 Improvement cards 16 of which are drawn and placed on display; these cards will be drafted during the game.Mythotopia has nine variable victory point (VP) cards four of which are drawn at random for a game; place these cards on display with three fixed VP cards then place a number of VP counters on each card. The fixed VP cards give points for building cities roads and castles while the variable ones may change the board situation by adding dragons runestones and citadels. Alternatively they may grant VPs for controlling a certain number of sea areas for successfully attacking other players and for building cities/roads. As these VP cards vary from game to game they alter the balance between developmental and aggressive play.On your turn perform two actions then refill your hand to five cards. Nine actions are possible such as buying armies or ships (after starting with six armies and two ships) placing these armies or ships drafting Improvement cards (for a cost of one gold) placing cards in reserve (to use them on a future turn) permanently removing cards from your deck using a card for its specific action and invading a neighboring province. To invade you must play the Province card from which you attack as well as military cards and food; invading must be the first of your two actions so if you're placing armies to prepare for an attack opponents have the chance to prepare defenses.Three resources are used in Mythotopia: food to feed invading armies stone to build cities roads and castles and gold to buy armies ships and Improvement cards. Most provinces contain one resource type and gaining that province gives you that resource. You can turn towns into cities which increases the number of cards you can keep in your reserve. You can connect provinces with roads which allows you to substitute one card for another on the same network in addition to moving armies freely between those provinces. Castles increase the defensive value of a province.All of these constructions (cities roads castles) give you victory points as does taking control of a province. Additional points are available via the VP cards with you taking VP counters when you meet the condition on a card. For example building a road gives you two VPs but if the Roadside Inns VP card is in play then you can expend an extra gold to gain an additional VP. You can lose VPs if you lose control of a province but you never lose VP counters. The game ends after four of the seven VP cards have been emptied and the player with the most VPs wins.

Orbis

Orbis

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

Orbis is a tactical game of world development and strategic resource management in which players take on the roles of gods creating their best universes. Utilizing lands lost in the aether players accumulate worshippers to spend on even more fruitful lands — some of which grant game-changing bonuses. The key to victory lies in having the most creation points (CPs) at the end of the game!On your turn you must take a tile from either the nine region tiles in the center of the table or the available God tiles. (A player may take only one God tile throughout the game.) Every time you take a region tile worshippers of the same color as the tile taken are placed on adjacent tiles making the tiles left behind more enticing for the next player. Restrictions apply to region tile placement making each decision tougher than the last!After fifteen rounds the game ends when all players have created their universe at which point CPs are calculated bonus tiles awarded and a winner is crowned. Beautifully simple yet rich in strategy Orbis is a different game each and every time you play it.Become the best god and craft your most prosperous universe!

Tainted Grail: Kings of Ruin

Tainted Grail: Kings of Ruin

Rating: 8.9 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Thematic

Kings of Ruin is a new stand-alone story campaign from the team behind the acclaimed Tainted Grail board game set in the same universe. Playable with a brand new set of exciting characters it continues the stories of Fall of Avalon Last Knight and Age of Legends while also providing a perfect self-contained entry into the saga for new players.During your experience with the game you will explore new land (with a totally changed system of traveling through Wyrdness) solve encounters with force or diplomacy with unique puzzle card system and develop your heroes with new passive skills cards and powerful items.Most importantly you will discover a dark immersive story of abandoned land at the wrong side of Avalon and Kings of Ruin ruling there: Claudyne the Unknighted. Amberqueen Veneda. Nonus Bishop of the Deep.

Helios

Helios

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

In Helios players are high priests in a distant world of the sun god AHAU and the power of the sun drives everything in the game as players try to build temples expand cities and make their civilization flourish.Development can succeed though only if you've secured a supply of the limited raw materials available and the more that you've built of your temple the more expensive the remaining parts will be. Glass manastones are the game's currency and with them you can acquire people increase the number of points you'll score and more.

Four Gardens

Four Gardens

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

Long ago in a beautiful Eastern kingdom a queen and her people pleased their Gods by building a mystical pagoda. The pagoda housed the four Gods and towered strong over the magnificent kingdom. As time passed the queen fell ill and she summoned her people to compete for her crown. The crown would be passed on to the person who could build the most pristine garden around the pagoda. The heir would be chosen by the four Gods themselves.The goal of Four Gardens is to accumulate the most points on the score board by completing landscape cards and finishing sets. Each finished set creates a panoramic view of a garden and these sets are called (no surprise) panoramas.Players can finish panoramas by first laying groundwork cards acquiring resources by turning the 3D pagoda and allocating those resources to satisfy the requirements of each groundwork card. Once satisfied a groundwork card becomes a landscape card. Multiple landscape cards laid in the correct order create a panorama. Each God has their own satisfaction meter which expresses their goodwill towards the gardens and their builders. Players try to please the Gods by completing landscape cards and finishing panoramas.—description from the publisher

Ancient Terrible Things

Ancient Terrible Things

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Thematic

In Ancient Terrible Things a pulp horror adventure game for 2-4 players you play the role of an intrepid adventurer exploring a dark jungle river. Each turn you must travel to a Fateful Location face an Ominous Encounter and attempt to unlock its Ancient Secrets. If you succeed (using a combination of dice tokens and cards) you add the Secrets to your score; if you fail you unleash a Terrible Thing which counts against your score at the end of the game. The object of the game is to be the player with the most Ancient Secrets when the game ends at the Unspeakable Event.Game play involves rolling dice to achieve combinations: runs pairs three or more of a kind and single die showing a particular number or higher. Dice combos are used to overcome Encounter cards that are worth points at the end of the game and/or to acquire the four resource tokens in the game: Focus Courage Treasure and Feat.

Fate of the Elder Gods

Fate of the Elder Gods

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

In Fate of the Elder Gods players take on the ever-maddening role of cults trying to summon ancient evil and herald the fall of mankind! Each cult is in competition to be first to summon their god but they all must also repel intrepid investigators working to seal off the gate to beyond with Elder signs. Gather arcane artifacts cast powerful spells embrace the Dark Gift of your Elder God and be first to hasten doom...before it's too late!During the game players use a variable hand of spell cards to do one of two things to aid their cult in their mission: Use the spell's Astral Symbol to navigate the areas around Arkham on the unique Fate Clock board or use the symbols in a location's Astral Column to ready a spell. Readied spells can be cast at any time but while in a cult's Spell Reserve their primary Astral Symbol can aid in readying future spells creating an engine for pumping out more potential power.As cults travel to the six locations on the Fate Clock they activate specific powerful abilities such as gaining useful artifacts at The Museum or enabling their Elder God's Dark Gift at The Ceremony. As cults send more and more cultists to a location they may gain control there adding even more powerful abilities. However cults must be careful how they navigate Arkham as a location with lots of activity will attract pesky investigators. Tempt fate too many times and the investigators may raid your cult's lodge placing Elder Signs and generally getting in the way of summoning your Elder God. Gain too many Elder Signs and it's game over!If any cult can manage to raise their Summon Track to 9 before the investigators save humanity their Elder God awakens and they win! Of course win is a relative term as it will certainly herald the end of the world — but that's a small price to pay for eternal servitude to the Ancient Ones.

Deliverance

Deliverance

Rating: 8.6 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

In Deliverance you take on the role of an elite angelic warrior in the army of Heaven. Since the victory on the Cross you have hunted the fallen angelic Princes. Once your faithful brethren they now lead Satan’s forces of Darkness in a bitter war against the humans bent on corrupting every last soul. In a bid to end their reign of chaos you have planned a daring mission into one of their great Strongholds - The seemingly quiet human city of Fallbrook. Armed with your weapons courage and your God-given angelic powers you and your faithful allies must overcome legions of demons to slay their leader. But be watchful for the darkness of the mortal world seems to be spreading into the spiritual realm.Deliverance is a cooperative tactical board game that can be played in either a story driven campaign mode or skirmish mode. Each player has unique powers that can be added to with Talent grants. Each victory brings experience points.—description from the publisher

Sub Terra II: Inferno's Edge

Sub Terra II: Inferno's Edge

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Family

Sub Terra II: Inferno's Edge is a cooperative adventure board game. You and up to five friends must explore a tile-based volcano temple to steal a legendary artifact. To get it you must find the path to the inner sanctum unlock the secrets within then escape the way you came.This is a dangerous place. You'll need to work as a team to avoid deadly traps brave scorching lava and defeat the temple's mysterious guardians. Stick together to share your skills or split up to cover more ground. But beware - the volcano stirs beneath you and you're running out of time...In Sub Terra II: Inferno's Edge players will be progressively revealing new tiles forming the board mapping the volcanic temple from its sunlit entrance to its fiery core. As players explore through the temple they will have to overcome obstacles avoid hazardous terrain and face the ferocious guardians of the 'artifact'. On each player's turn after taking their actions a random hazard will activate making careful planning of actions essential to survival.Players must collectively locate and obtain 3 'keys' mysterious objects that are needed to gain entry to the chamber containing the legendary artifact. Your adventures must be quick though as the volcano stirs and as the game progresses you get closer to the volcano erupting flipping tiles to completely inhospitable lava flows that will chase the adventurers from the cave.—description from the publisher

Dokmus

Dokmus

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Abstract

Lead your tribe to glory on the island of Dokmus and become a legend!Dokmus is a board game for 2-4 players. Your goal is to lead an expedition to the island of Dokmus the ancestral god of your tribe. The island is represented by eight double-sided map pieces. During set-up you randomize which side of each map piece is up and place them in a 3x3 grid so that the middle place is left empty.The island is guarded by five Guardians which are represented by Guardian cards. On each turn players draft the Guardian cards so that each player gets the help of one Guardian. The Guardian cards decide turn order and they also give you special powers. With them you can move and rotate move your tokens or gain first player marker for next turn.On your turn you have three tokens to use. You use tokens to spread your influence by placing them on the board. You can also sacrifice tokens to be able to cross waters or enter forests. Or you can just sacrifice them in a volcano. At the end of the game you get victory points for discovered temples and ruins on the map as well as sacrificed tokens.The layout of the islands changes constantly based on player actions making Dokmus a dynamic fast-paced game. So choose your Guardian make the right sacrifices and gain the favor of Dokmus!

Tiny Epic Vikings

Tiny Epic Vikings

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

In the frigid Runic Isles of the North Sea the Vikings reign supreme. These determined explorers navigate the icy fjords build fertile settlements upon rocky crags and fight for the glory of their clans with blood and steel. Only the Gods stand above them and it is every Vikings’ dream to serve their God in the afterlife Valhalla.Tiny Epic Vikings is a fast playing 1-4 player strategy game of drafting area control and set collection.In Tiny Epic Vikings players lead a clan of Vikings over 3 eras in hopes of claiming the icy lands for their own. They play Viking Cards that represent their clan’s leaders choosing the best builders harvesters explorers and warriors. Raid and conquer the islands with settlers build boats and temples to gain influence and battle for the favor of the gods!—description from the publisher

Mythwind

Mythwind

Rating: 7.6 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Thematic

Mythwind is a cooperative & solo cozy board game with unique characters magical sprites engaging story and an unending adventure.During the game the characters are working together to establish and build a new town in the magical Mythwind Valley. They work to achieve various goals by constructing buildings within the town adventuring throughout the region navigating relationships with the mysterious sprites who inhabit the valley and developing their character-specific professions.As an open-ended game Mythwind has no distinct conclusion. Although many players may find a natural end point to their game at the conclusion of the story players can continue to play the game for as long as they would like over as many game sessions as they wish. As players progress through the game their town will develop and grow reacting to changing seasons and to the members of the community over time. Progress made can be easily saved using the provided game trays which offer a quick and easy solution for both tear-down of the current game and setup of future games.

Pantheon

Pantheon

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Categories:

From BGG News (Eric Martin): In Pantheon players enact the comings and goings of various peoples in the Mediterranean: Egyptians Romans Iberians Germans etc. They accumulate as many raw materials as possible to build monuments to the gods but the ways of the gods are unpredictable.On a turn a player has a number of options. He can choose to travel with his people by using the big wooden footprint piece then smaller footpints to mark their path and block other players. He can buy materials to worship the gods: dancers farm produce impressive temples or prayers. He can use these offerings to take a god token which may grant him special abilities as well as victory points. Finally he may build monuments that are worth victory points at the end of the game. The game lasts six rounds with two scoring periods.

Mezo

Mezo

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

It is a time of blood of ritual of war. Gods walk among the tribes each hungering for the devotion that gives them form. Though the gods are many only one will endure the ages above all others.Mezo is an innovative game of area control for 2-4 players inspired by Mayan mythology. You will control a powerful god and it’s tribe of followers. These tribes will clash for dominance build step pyramids and make sacrifices all in the name of their god. Featuring massive god miniatures each with vastly asymmetrical strategies as well as numerous ways for you to achieve victory Mezo is a unique take on the area control genre.Key Points - Innovative and intuitive area control with multiple ways to win. - Massive Mayan god figures each with their own unique strategies and actions. - A rich Mayan theme beautiful artwork and engaging gameplay.

Pixie Queen

Pixie Queen

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Strategy

Pixie Queen is a smoothly playing worker-placement game about a pixie queen who rules over her subordinates like a true tyrant. The legend tells of pixies being small flying naughty creatures often spotted in the area of Cornwall and Devon in the UK. Apart from the stealing bullying and torturing they are considered a big nuisance to the human inhabitants of the region. According to the game they are obliged to do so by their pixie queen...The player with the fewest points wins since the only points one can earn (or avoid) during the game are penalty points. Reward points are given out only at the end of the game and you can receive rewards by charming the Queen with a golden ring making additional offerings during the game or promoting your pixies to faithful servants of the Queen. Obtaining each reward demands completely different game tactics.In summary the game consists of a maximum of seven rounds with five phases each:

Valhalla

Valhalla

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Strategy

The end is coming and greatest warriors are standing to fight. To die in glory and reach Valhalla.Valhalla is a card game with dice placement mechanics. Each player takes role of a Jarl who builds a team of warriors and equips them to fight. In battles player roll dice to activate warriors and play special tactic cards. The winning party sends their activated warriors to Valhalla and whoever has the most points at the end wins the game.The game puts a classical war game concept on its head. In Valhalla the goal is to win a battle and send winning warriors to Valhalla.Custom dice add randomness and excitement to the game and wide variety of Jarls warriors and battle tactics ensure great replayability.—description from the publisher(Español)El final se acerca y los principales guerreros se aprestan a la lucha. Para morir gloriosamente y alcanzar Valhalla.Valhalla es un juego de cartas con mecanismos de colocación de dados. Cada jugador toma el papel de un Jarl que reúne un equipo de guerreros y los equipa para luchar. En las batallas los jugadores lanzan los dados para activar luchadores y juegan cartas de tácticas especiales. El grupo ganador envía a los guerreros que haya activado al Valhalla y quien tenga más puntos al fina gana la partida.

Lords of Ragnarok

Lords of Ragnarok

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Thematic

In this 1-4 player strategic board game you will lead a unique asymmetric hero and their army trying to be the ultimate victor in a war that unfolds over approximately 120 minutes. Players will choose from various actions such as building monuments hunting monsters ravaging the lands and gathering armies and artifacts. Gods will grant you blessings that will heavily impact the game and create a unique combo for each player. On top of all that special runes will play a significant role in leveling up your armies or earning other bonuses that include control of deadly monsters.While the game is a spiritual successor of Lords of Hellas and implements a lot of core gameplay aspects there will be a lot of new mechanics and twists so prepare yourself for a fresh new thematic experience!Multiple victory conditions will keep players at the edge of their seats until the end of the game making room for some stunning carefully planned last-minute reversals!

Minos: Dawn of the Bronze Age

Minos: Dawn of the Bronze Age

Rating: 7.6 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

In the ancient realm of Crete amidst the sun-drenched shores and labyrinthine corridors of Knossos the fate of the Minoan civilization is yet to be determined. As a member of one of the four illustrious Minoan clans your destiny beckons you to vie for the prestigious title of Minos the ultimate leader of your people.But keep in mind - unlike the tumultuous conquests of other civilizations the Minoans are renowned for their pursuit of peace and prosperity. In this captivating journey the essence of your quest lies not in the clash of swords but in the art of governance and the cultivation of your clan’s unique identity.As leaders of Minoan clans players are in charge of the first European civilization. Build cities monuments and other structures open new trade routes expand and fight off outsiders out of your land plan your actions with your clan council research and issue decrees so your actions will be more powerful than your opponents! You have only 4 rounds to prove you are worthy of the legendary Minos title.Draft and assign the dice to the programming board. With lower value dice you can secure stronger actions but the higher value dice will help you climb on the tracks and gain their benefits. During the action phase each player takes their dice in order from highest to lowest and performing the pre-planned actions. Players also build their tableau - each card has an instant effect and a triggered reward connected to the specific action or die value they can use to make the action more powerful. Moreover twice in the game players get Victory Points for their civilization progress in the region.—description from the publisher

Ankh'or

Ankh'or

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

Categories:

Ankh'or is a quick-playing resource management game in which each player on their turn either collects three types of tokens (with an ankh being a supplemental resource) or buys a tile from a marketplace and adds this tile to their structure trying to connect tiles of the same color or bearing the same scarab while doing so. By spending an ankh you can shift tiles in the marketplace and change the cost and type of goods needed to purchase them.Each player's structure will have at most thirteen tiles so don't wait too long to start building!

Triqueta

Triqueta

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Family

Triqueta is a set collection game for 2-5 players. Over four rounds players draft animal tokens trying to form a set of three for each animal type. Three tokens of the same type form a triqueta.In each round you and the other players draw animal tokens and place them in multiple rows. Find the perfect moment to grab your favorite row or you might be stuck with one you do not want. At the end of the game you score especially well for your triquetas. For more than three tokens of the same type however you will lose points instead...—description from the publisher

Valley of the Kings: Last Rites

Valley of the Kings: Last Rites

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

When you die you can take it with you!Take on the role of Egyptian nobles at the time of the pharaohs preparing for death and burial in the Valley of the Kings. Players want to fill their tombs with food amulets and other treasures and to do so they acquire cards that are laid out in the shape of a pyramid; purchase cards at the base of the pyramid and it crumbles to bring cards higher in the pyramid to the base where they can be bought. The pyramid resets each round with new offerings.You score only for cards that you remove from your deck and stash in your tomb so if you keep using valuable cards for their effects and don't entomb them before the game ends you could lose out on big points! Whoever collects the most valuable artifacts in her tomb wins.Valley of the Kings: Last Rites the third standalone VotK title introduces the various citizens and roles of people in the ancient Egyptian kingdom.

Völuspá

Völuspá

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Abstract

Will Thor survive the challenge of the trickster Loki? Will the Valkyries overtake Odin?In the oldest poem of Norse Mythology the Völuspá tells the story of the endless struggle of powerful gods dangerous creatures and forgotten races. Which beings will dominate?In Völuspá the game the story will unfold differently each time as a new force rises in dominance! Players take turns playing tiles with twelve different characters and creatures of Norse Mythology using the power of these tiles to block capture or intimidate in order to control other tiles and score points. The player who scores the most points by dominating other tiles wins the game.Völuspá – a reimagining and retheming of the previously released game Kachina – is an easy-to-learn tile-laying game that features great depth of play for 2 to 5 players. Völuspá includes the 25 tile expansion module Saga of Edda which offers even more strategic opportunities and replayability.Golden Geek Abstract Game Nominee 2013

The Age of Atlantis

The Age of Atlantis

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

For hundreds of years the city of Atlantis was a self-sustained booming civilization in the middle of the ocean. According to actual Plato writings Atlanteans had discovered a new powerful element called Orichelum within their city. Orichelum advanced their technology faster than any civilization the world had ever seen. The Atlanteans were able to create and power giant machines called Myths to defend the city from relentless attacks from the outside world trying to take their precious Orichelum.The Age of Atlantis is a highly competitive engine-building civilization-like game. You and your friends are each an asymmetric noble house trying to become the most politically powerful. You’ll grow your house’s population discover new technologies and cultures and defend your city. All while trying to keep Poseidon the God watching over the city from flooding the city. The noble house that has the most political power at the end of the game will be the winner and rule the city.—description from the publisher

Sea Dragons

Sea Dragons

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Abstract

Humanity has become more daring when sailing the seas. More and more pirate ships venture into the forbidden seas of the gods endangering their underwater kingdoms and the strange creatures that live there. In Sea Dragons you must protect the seas by sinking pirate ships collecting their treasures and becoming the legendary protectors of the aquatic kingdoms.In the game each participant plays as a family of sea dragons who are seeking to become the protectors of the forbidden seas. Each turn one of the two pattern cards from the hand will be played to position a sea dragon on the board increasing your presence in all four sea kingdoms. You will be able to sink ships or collect treasures hidden in the ocean. Optionally you can complete missions with the ships that you are sinking. Note that you cannot place your own sea dragons next to each other and if you place one next to another player's dragon they receive treasures.Your long-term goal is to achieve the greatest presence in each of the four kingdoms at the end of the game and get the most victory points by completing missions and collecting treasures.—description from publisherLa humanidad se ha vuelto más osada al surcar los mares. Cada vez son más los barcos piratas que se aventuran en los mares prohibidos por los dioses poniendo en peligro sus reinos submarinos y a las extrañas criaturas que allí habitan. Como Dragones del Mar deberán proteger los mares hundiendo a los barcos piratas recolectando sus tesoros y convirtiéndose en los legendarios protectores de los reinos acuáticos.Cada participante jugará con una familia de Dragones del Mar. En cada turno jugaras una de las dos cartas de patrones de tu mano para posicionar un Dragón del Mar en el tablero aumentando tu presencia en los 4 reinos marinos. Pero cuidado no podrás colocar tus propios Dragones del Mar uno junto a otro y si posicionas alguno junto al de otro participante le entregaras tesoros. El objetivo será conseguir la mayor presencia en cada uno de los 4 reinos al finalizar la partida y conseguir la mayor cantidad de puntos de victoria cumpliendo misiones y recogiendo tesoros.

Mythic Battles: Ragnarök

Mythic Battles: Ragnarök

Rating: 8.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Take control of Norse divinities and command their forces in the ultimate conflict! While gods and mortals wage war on mighty giants and living dead strange runes of fire materialize in the Nine Worlds. For centuries these remnants of primal forces remained out of reach but now those who dare to wield this awesome power may tip the balance of these world-breaking battles in their favor. The realms are crumbling the end draws near and only the mighty shall be remembered.The Bifrost Bridge has collapsed trapping Odin and his armies in Asgard. The resulting war in Midgard will be a devastating clash with no assumed victor. Will Ases and Vanes save the Nine Worlds from destruction or will chaos shatter these realms and reduce Yggdrasil to ashes?Mythic Battles: Ragnarök is a 2 to 4 player legendary adventure playable as a pure skirmish game or as an epic saga comprised of numerous scenarios and campaigns. Glorious miniatures and stunning game boards set the scene decks and dice decide the combat and the draft mechanic ensures you field a mighty force destined for glory and victory!

Santa's Workshop (Second Edition)

Santa's Workshop (Second Edition)

Rating: 7.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Family

Categories:

Welcome to the North Pole!It’s late in December and Santa is gearing up for his big night. His elvish helpers are busy making sure he's ready to deliver joy across the world! The elves have a lot to do: toys to be built and assembled reindeer to be tended in the stables and the North Pole's own Christmas tree to decorate. It's a time of unbelievable hustle and bustle!After the Christmas season is over Santa always takes his own holiday somewhere sunny and warm and he brings along the most industrious team of elves as a reward. Can you lead your elvish crew to earn a spot with Santa on vacation?Santa's Workshop is a reimplementation of a game by the same name released in 2017. This new edition comes with two game modes: the standard game for families and an advanced game for ages 10 and up.—description from the publisher

Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods

Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Your ancient alien civilization is leaving its dying planet in search of a new homeland. The promised land is represented by Gaia which is home to the magnificent human civilization of Atlantis. But beware other Houses (factions) of your civilization also have the same goal and only one will be able to dominate Gaia!Anunnaki: Dawn of the Gods is a 4x eurogame by Simone Luciani and Danilo Sabia set in an ancient dystopian past where mythology and science-fiction come together. Each player represents a different House whose rulers are viewed by terrestrial population as gods. Players build bases recruit troops embody gods explore the territory develop their own technology sign trade contracts defeat local dominions and other players' armies trying to conquer Atlantis which owns huge treasures.Different actions will provide a certain number of immediate Victory Points. Moreover random setup goals will provide you with sizable Victory Point rewards at the end of the game based on specific conditions. In the end the player with the most VPs will be the winner.In addition to having a strong dose of controllability (the luck factor is minimal) the game features an innovative starred action-selection-system that confronts players with interesting choices: players can reincarnate their gods by performing their actions in a precise sequence on pre-established paths of their starred player board or they can give up some deities jumping freely from one action to another of their board to choose from time to time the situationally best actions.Cover Art by Paolo Vicenzi & Jara Zambrano—description from the publisher

Yggdrasil Chronicles

Yggdrasil Chronicles

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Thematic

Categories:

In Yggdrasil Chronicles each player takes the role of a Norse god and attempts to keep evil forces from devastating the nine worlds destroying the world tree Yggdrasil and surviving the onset of Ragnarök.To set up each player takes one of the seven Norse gods 5-9 life points (depending on the player count) and a set of cards showing the six enemies who are attacking the nine worlds; you shuffle these enemy cards and place them next to you. These nine worlds are represented on a three-level 3D game board with the board having locations for artifact cards creature cards hero pawns elf pawns anonymous pawns and more. Each level of the board depicts three worlds on it and the middle board rotates.At the start of a round each player places the top card of their enemy deck on the Wheel of Enemies. Players can take turns in any order. On a player's turn they first reveal their enemy card. If this is the first appearance of this enemy this round the player continues their turn; if not then the enemy is activated typically moving to a different world then taking some action. If the enemy can't move e.g. Surt is supposed to move up a level but is already on the top level you lose the game. If the enemy can't take its action e.g. Loki needs to place an Iotunn pawn but none remain in Iotunheim you lose the game.While normally you hope to avoid duplicating an enemy you want to double up on Nidhögg as that enemy starts on the leftmost space in your saga book and if Nidhögg moves all the way to the tree icon you win the game. (Nidhögg might also trigger effects when moving to a new location.)If an enemy moves to where another enemy is located that world is devastated and no action is possible there except for healing the world tree.Whether or not an enemy is activated you can then move — either to a different world on the same level or a different level above or below your current location — then act either performing the action of the world in which you're now located or fighting. Powerful god that you are you always win a fight but you suffer risks equal to the strength of the enemy. You can sacrifice heroes in Valhalla to remove risks or make saving throws on dice possibly with an elf assist but each risk you don't prevent costs you 1 life point — and if any god runs out of life points you lose the game.As for performing world actions you can collect elves heroes artifact cards; remove Hel's anonymous minions or Surt's fire giants; or receive help from worldly creatures. If another god stands in this world your action is improved; if an enemy stands in that world then your action is penalized.In addition to that base game you can play Yggdrasil Chronicles on the hard mode which increases the challenge of gameplay while giving each god unique powers. The game also includes a six-saga Ragnarök campaign that begins with Baldr's murder then carries on from there.

Fight for Olympus

Fight for Olympus

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Strategy

In Fight for Olympus two players battle for control of Olympus by pitting demi-gods titans and soldiers against one another.In game terms players face off on opposite sides of a game board with each player having six spaces for playing cards: three for military conflict two for control of power discs and one for control of resources. On a turn a player plays as many cards as desired by paying the cost of each card — that is discarding cards of the proper colors that match the cost of the card being played — then placing the card in an empty slot on their side of the game board. Many cards have powers that take effect when played.After playing cards on a turn each card does damage equal to its strength to any opponent's card on the other side of the game board. If no opponent's card is present then with military power the player does damage directly to the opponent swinging a pendulum of strength in their favor. If you reach a total of 7 on the pendulum you win. Your troops can also grant you an additional card at the end of the turn (three instead of two) or tokens that make it cheaper to play cards.Instead of winning via military you can instead win by having all six slots on your side of the board filled with cards at the start of your turn.

Leo

Leo

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Children's

Leo the lion's mane is far too long and he risks looking shaggy and losing the respect of his fellow animals — but those same animals keep stopping him to chit-chat while on the way to a haircut. Can you get this king of the jungle to the barber shop in time?In Leo players need to help Leo reach the barber shop before it closes for the day. To set up place all of the animal tiles face down shuffle them then create a track that leads from Leo's bed to Bobo's Barber Shop. Set the clock to 8:00 a.m. Each player starts a number of cards in hand.On a turn a player plays one card to move Leo ahead 1-4 spaces on the track then reveals the animal tile on which Leo landed. If the tile is the same color as the card just played the clock remains at the same time as it was at the start of the turn; if the tile has a different color however the clock moves ahead 1-5 hours depending on the animal depicted. Poor Leo! If the clock reaches 8:00 p.m. before Leo arrives at the barber shop the round ends and Leo must return home in order to try again the next day. Turn all face-up tiles face down again.If the players manage to get Leo to the barber shop within five days to get him a trim they win!

Hybris: Disordered Cosmos

Hybris: Disordered Cosmos

Rating: 8.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Categories:

Hybris is a boardgame of worker placement opportunity and development. For 2 – 4 players for game session around 120 minutes. A solo mode will be included during the Kickstarter campaign.Primodials Gods have fallen. Hunted captured and tortured by their children Chronos and his congeners are nothing but remnants of an ancient world. Era of Olympians has just begun. After aeons of fightings a new order is established. Zeus his brothers and sisters took the dominion of the heavens and the mortals world. Now they are trying to organize themselves to share the remaining realms and know who will be the new ruler.But Olympians are not yet real gods they must evolve activate the spark that will turn them into a true god even if their current strength is colossal. Moreover they must establish their domination in the realm of mortals and to do this use the essence of their father: the Aegis. This energy comes directly from the Primordials themselves who are captured and chained in the underworld. With this energy Olympians can meet the expectations of the largest cities in Ancient Greece by deploying the most beautiful and promising technologies.Play your god to build technologies accomplishing quest fight heroes upgrade your Divinity Sparkle and win the game by unlocking all your Divine Enhancements or by victory points in the 6th Age turn.—description from the publisher

Cleopatra and the Society of Architects: Deluxe Edition

Cleopatra and the Society of Architects: Deluxe Edition

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

Designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc Cleopatra and the Society of Architects is a fun and engaging game that includes a three-dimensional palace that players compete to build. Players strive to become the wealthiest of Cleopatra's architects by constructing the most magnificent and valuable parts of her palace.Players however will be tempted to trade in materials of dubious origins in order to build faster. While these corrupt practices might allow an architect to stay a step ahead of the rest they come with a high price: the cursed corruption amulets honoring Sobek the crocodile-god. When Cleopatra finally reaches her new palace at the end of the game she punishes the most corrupted architects (i.e. the ones with the most amulets) depriving them of riches or giving them as a sacrifice to her crocodile! The wealthiest architect from among those still alive wins.This new edition of Cleopatra and the Society of Architects has a new graphic design by Miguel Coimbra a free-standing 3D palace and rulebook updated by the designers for simplicity and fluidity which incorporates these gameplay changes:—description from the publisher

Rome & Roll

Rome & Roll

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Rome & Roll is a heavy roll-and-write board game by Dávid Turczi and Nick Shaw in which 1-4 players compete to craft an empire. Draft from a pool of custom dice to collect resources construct the town and organize armies. Political alliances the colonies and even the Gods all have a part to play. Imperii Gloria!• Draft the dice to match your needs: roll draw and win! • Play one of seven unique character classes ranging from merchants to military leaders with a wealth of different strategies to deploy. • Take advantage of four possible scoring avenues: construct buildings trade resources conquer unruly colonies and renovate the Roman road network. • Make political alliances and call on the Gods. • Raise armies and invade settlements as far afield as Egypt and Spain. • Build roads and manage unruly provinces.

Cerberus

Cerberus

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 3–7

Game Type:

Family

Your final adventure has taken you where you should never have gone — to the underworld! You must escape and find a barque that can float you safely back. But Cerberus the infernal watchdog is on your heels with the intent to guard you forever.In the semi-cooperative game Cerberus you must help each other traverse the game board without being caught by Cerberus so that you can board the barque. Each card in your hand offers you the choice between a small effect for you or a powerful effect for the group! However there aren't enough seats on the barque for everyone so sooner or later some must be sacrificed. Will you help your group reach the exit or will you play powerful bonus cards to lay traps for your opponents? Those caught by Cerberus get to seek revenge and victory by preventing all the adventurers from escaping...Each game is different thanks to ten different board layouts and your ability to adjust Cerberus' strength as you please.

Harrow County: The Game of Gothic Conflict

Harrow County: The Game of Gothic Conflict

Rating: 7.9 | Players: 1–3

Game Type:

Strategy

A witch named Hester was hung burned and buried under a tree. Some time later the family of Hester come to Harrow County to destroy it but standing in their way is eighteen-year-old Emmy who mysteriously has powers of her own.In the asymmetric combat game Harrow County: The Game of Gothic Conflict players can play as one of the Protectors trying to rescue townsfolk or as one of the family trying to destroy Harrow County. You can instead play as a third faction that originates from the surprise return of Emmy's twin sister Kammi who wants to rule Harrow County. Players activate mason jars to move their haints (undead creatures) around the hex-based board as they try to accomplish their missions. Combat is resolved using a never-before-seen cube tower that's built into the actual box.Finally a third player can enter the game: Hester the dead witch buried under the tree. She controls the roots of the tree and using the cube tower Hester can infect haints on her roots which causes a snake to be placed into its ear. That player can still control this haint but now so can Hester. If Hester comes back to life then she needs to eat the other legends to gain all her power back to win.In short Harrow County is a thematic tactical game of territory control and enemy elimination to determine the fate of Harrow County.—description from the publisher

Ragnarocks

Ragnarocks

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Abstract

Ragnarocks is a 2-player area control game designed by Gord! - the designer of Santorini and Santorini: New York. In Norse mythology humans exist in the land of Midgard - a place in the center of the world tree and connected to the nine realms. Among these nine realms live gods and goddesses serpents and spirits and all manner of mythical and mystical creatures.In Ragnarocks you take on the role of a Viking clan using Runestones to mark your clan’s claims of land. In the advanced game your clan worships one of these powerful beings from another realm who lends you their power to help you outwit rivals and claim territories for your clan. At the end of the game the clan who controls the most territory in Midgard wins!A player's turn consists of a move phase and a summoning phase. During the move phase you move one of your active Vikings any number of spaces in a straight line. During the summoning phase you summon a runestone and place it on any space along a path following a straight line from the location of the Viking you moved. Whenever a summoning creates an enclosed area containing only vikings of a single clan that area becomes settles and belongs to the player whose clan occupies it.When all vikings have settled the player who controls the most territory wins.—description from the publisher

Spirits of the Rice Paddy

Spirits of the Rice Paddy

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Categories:

Ancient Balinese legend describes a host of powerful spirits who help poor rice farmers achieve success. These farmers have long used a sophisticated irrigation system to organize rice cultivation by integrating religious devotion and social responsibility with traditional farming methods. Even modern farmers seek to placate the spirit world in their quest to produce an abundant harvest.In Spirits of the Rice Paddy players must compete with fellow rice farmers to construct and tend rice paddies. Oxen can build walls and remove large rocks. Ducks can be employed to eat harmful pests and fertilize the fledgling crops. Weeds must be kept at bay. Most importantly water must be conserved and released with the greatest of care. With a little luck all that back-breaking labor will pay off in the end. The good news is that the spirits are eager to assist granting many special abilities blessings and magic. The farmer who produces the most rice over seven rounds wins the game.

Poseidon's Kingdom

Poseidon's Kingdom

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

Poseidon has lost his treasured trident and your friends have disappeared while trying to find it. It turns out they have been captured by evil Hans the Kraken. Suckers! The Kraken plans to make a nice stew out of them. Can you prise open his tentacles release your friends and defeat him? Hope so. Oh it's probably not a good time to mention the shark...Poseidon's Kingdom features a wave that crashes dice onto the board and the engaging game play of the highly-praised anthill system (from Antics!). On their turns players first decide whether to improve their abilities by taking an action tile or place some of their personal dice onto the big 3D-wave which is rolled over when full distributing up to 15 dice in a couple of seconds randomly all over the board.Second they move one of their two creatures on the main board trying to land on a spot where they can pick up dice of any color they need. If they do they can either store the dice on special spaces of their action tiles for later use OR put together a special combination of 2-4 dice to get victory point tokens then place the dice back to the pools from where they came.Third the shark moves as many spaces as the space the creature landed on indicates. If the shark meets one or more creatures on its way they are eaten and players get skeletons to block one of their action spaces.After a special scoring round in the end the player who collected the most victory points wins.The second edition of Poseidon's Kingdom introduces the dolphin which can make your creatures immune to the shark.

Yōkai

Yōkai

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Abstract

There's confusion among the Yōkai!These Japanese spirits have become intermingled in Yōkai and to calm them you have to group together members of the same family. They're hiding however so to carry out your task successfully you have to be clever and not make any noise to avoid frightening them...

Asgard

Asgard

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Categories:

Note: There are updated official rules from the publisher that clear up many of the rules questions that arise from rules in the box. It is highly recommended that players use the latest rules for learning/teaching the game. http://www.whatsyourgame.eu/downloads/Asgard_rules.pdfThe end of days is close. Darkness and light will clash.All Gods know what this means for them. Blood ties will no longer be respected brother will fight against brother and no man will spare another. Odin Freyja Týr Loki Hel Thor and Baldr forge their plans and promise great rewards to the ones who will help them prevail. Eventually Fenrir Mímir and Surtr will join the battle.Ask for help at the right time and the gods will grant you their powers. Will you ask Freyja to recruit the fallen warriors of Valhalla or will you use the cunning of Loki and Hel to make an opponent's armies die or switch sides at a critical moment? Will you ask Týr to help win a decisive battle or will you consult Mímir's wisdom in order to gain a tactical advantage?In Asgard you want to support the gods by erecting temples and by convincing brave warriors and mighty giants to side with them. You can influence which god will fight which during the final battle — Ragnarök — the outcome of which will depend on how well you strengthened their armies.Beware only a few of them will come out victorious. Will you side with the right ones? As a mortal your place in the new world depends on it.

Night Parade of a Hundred Yokai

Night Parade of a Hundred Yokai

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Family

Categories:

King Enma is nowhere to be found. With his dreadful castle in Mount Fire vacant asymmetric clans of demi-gods long forgotten will raise armies and battle to conquer the hearts in the islands of Japan.Pick from 4 asymmetric factions and draft to summon new yokai making the most efficient night parade. Every round activate one of your parades to send meeples to haunt the islands move around and fight each other. As soon as an island have a certain number of yokai the denizens will build a shrine to pacify them sending your meeples back to your player area. Once one player get 5 of their shrines in play the remaining players get a last turn then the game ends and victory points are scored based on hidden cards to decide the winner.—description from the designer

Tír na nÓg

Tír na nÓg

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Uncategorized

In the Irish myth cycles the land of Tír na nÓg is the realm of the Otherworld the place where the Fairies lived and heroes visited on quests. It was a place just outside the realm of man off to the west where there was no illness or death or time but only happiness and beauty.The golden path to Tír na nÓg is open once more and the greatest Celtic storytellers have gathered for a once-in-a-lifetime journey. When they return they'll bring with them tales of the creatures they met and the adventures they lived. Over time those stories will become a saga — and the most epic saga will live on forever.Journey to the Otherworld in Tír na nÓg by placing storytellers between story cards in the shared grid. When all storytellers have been placed in reverse player order draft cards and add them to your hand. From your hand you'll then add cards to your personal tableau: one card to hand one card played. At the end of five rounds score each row according to the rules on its corresponding goal card and earn points for having the most connected story cards of each color. The highest score wins.—description from the publisher

Inuit: The Snow Folk

Inuit: The Snow Folk

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

As aurora borealis fills the night sky with fantastical light and the eyes of those who came before look upon you it has fallen on you to lead your village to power and prosperity. Now is the time to grow in numbers and strength to build to hunt to look to the spirits of the white wilderness and to prove yourself the greatest leader of the Snow Folk.Inuit: The Snow Folk is a card-based strategy game of drafting and tableau building for 2-4 players.On your turn: 1. Draw cards from the common deck and place them face up on the table. 2. Choose one type of card to draft into your village. 3. The number of cards you draft is based on the number of Inuit of a given occupation: - Elders expand your village. - Shamans call upon powerful Spirits and perform mysterious Rites. - Warriors bring you the weapons of those they conquer. - Hunters provide precious game: seals orcas and polar bears. - Scouts allow you to choose from more cards each turn.Inuit: The Snow Folk is a creative reimplementation of Natives a 2017 release updated with new lavish art and adding 2 new modular expansions: The Spirit of the Great White and Rising Sun.

Tindaya

Tindaya

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Tindaya is set at the dawn of the 15th century on the paradise known today as the Canary Islands. The conquistadors have just set eyes on it. Each player must lead an aboriginal tribe to survival in a world ruled by gods and shaped by natural disasters.Tindaya is a theme-driven survival adventure with the soul of a eurogame. This environmentally conscious game offers two play modes to please any group: Cooperative (including solo) & Competitive in addition to the Traitor variant for players avid of some old fashioned throat-cutting. Difficulty can be graded and less experienced gamers can learn to play through a 3 game mini-campaign.During 3 phases natives will settle progress and battle invaders all within a mythological setting ruled by two gods Acoran & Moneiba. They will demand specific goods at each stage of the game. If the natives are unable or unwilling to provide them their godly rage will be unleashed. But players are not alone; two seers will make predictions by reading the smoke of their bonfires. Tibiabin will see the disasters to come. Tamonante will predict where they will happen. Disaster markers will be placed on the board to signal what is to come.End of the Game: In Cooperative mode players will check if their collective mission has been achieved. If so the gods will be happy and all natives win the game. In Competitive mode solidarity points will be granted to players that have given more to the community used fewer resources or achieved both collective and personal objectives. The player with more points will win the game.—description from the designer

Atlantis Rising

Atlantis Rising

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Strategy

In Atlantis Rising you are one of the citizens of the stricken island Atlantis. However hope is not lost a mystical portal of 10 components can be built and save the island and all its inhabitants but fail to build it in time and the island will sink forever under the waves lost to legend.Atlantis Rising is a fully co-operative game in which the players must race to create a cosmic gate before all of the island tiles have been destroyed. The gate's components are variable and determine the difficulty level of the game - Easy Normal Hard or Cosmic. The players must also contend with the continually escalating threat of their Athenian enemies who may destroy one or more island tiles each turn if insufficient Atlanteans are allocated to the island's protection.Each turn players can choose to place their Atlanteans in any of eight different areas - with placements closer to the sea being more rewarding but subject to a higher risk of flooding (and the subsequent loss of the associated action).After placement of meeple but before gaining resources 'misfortune' cards are drawn per player indicating which areas of the island sink any meeple stood there have a long swim back to shore and do nothing for their turn.Players have limited 'mystical energy' which they can use to predict or prevent certain misfortunes and cards are available from the libraries that offer powerful one time use effects.From the back of the box:Will you send your Atlanteans to mine the untapped veins of precious resources at the very tip of the island hoping to reap great rewards before the oncoming waves smash into the shores? Or will you remain in the relative safety of the island’s center where resources have grown scarce? Perhaps you will tap into the power of the mystic energy source - the lifeforce of Atlantis and key to its advanced technology. You may even seek refuge in the vast libraries of the Lost City hoping to find some tome which will lead to salvation for the doomed isle. Beware though - even as the island sinks into the sea the Athenians continue to assault Atlantis hoping to plunder its riches before it disappears beneath the waves.

The Island of El Dorado

The Island of El Dorado

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

In The Island of El Dorado each player is the leader of a civilization seeking to explore the island to control the four ancient shrines. You’ll discover resources bodies of water and the shrines themselves in a landscape which is different every single time you play. Build farmhouses and create villagers to gather resources and grow your economy. Occupy strategic locations on the map using forts to defend against the other explorers who seek to control the island before you do. Legend has it the most powerful shrine is hidden inside a cave but be wary as you enter. The cave is the most dangerous part of the island.Civilizations will rise and fall as each player explores gathers and fights to control the four shrines of El Dorado. The first player to control all four shrines wins the game. They will rule over the island forever and become richer than a king.—description from the publisher

Arena: For the Gods!

Arena: For the Gods!

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Family

Arena: For the Gods! has two phases. First players use their life points to bid for the best equipment mounts and weapons. Second they fight! When one player dies the game ends and whoever has the most life points left wins.All cards in the game have a mythological theme featuring some of the most famous members of various cultures' myths and histories such as Mjölnir Osiris and Quetzalcoatl.

Trudvang Legends

Trudvang Legends

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Thematic

Steeped in epic Nordic and Celtic myths and sagas Trudvang Legends places players in the roles of legendary heroes who make their mark on a dynamic everchanging fantasy world.The game — based on the Swedish RPG Trudvang Chronicles — thrusts players into a cycle of epic sagas in which their achievements change not only the world itself but the very rules by which gods peoples and nature interact. They will quest through an interwoven series of adventure books and the results of their choices will echo through history: changing the relationships between sovereign nations usurping kings creating new waygates or even locking and unlocking parts of the map.Change in Trudvang Legends manifests physically as parts of the board actually change making the actions of previous hero generations affect future sagas. However the changes are only as permanent as long as history remembers them which makes the game endlessly replayable and even playing the same adventure book repeatedly will have a completely different feeling because the world itself has changed. Heroes following a path of destiny will even become historical fixtures as they become kings guildmasters or even gods!—description from the publisher

Skoventyr

Skoventyr

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Categories:

Gamle Erik which is what people called the Devil in Denmark in past centuries is pursuing the badger Vogter the embodiment of the soul of the forest. Help Vogter gather enough allies to defeat all the evil minions Gamle Erik has brought on this hunt. But beware! All of Vogter's potential allies have (as often described in Danish folktales) a dark connection to the Devil and recruiting an ally may have dire consequences...Each turn in Skoventyr you either play an ally (to increase the strength of your party in order to defeat a minion) discard an ally (to benefit from its special power) or add an ally to your hand. Since this last action is paid by weakening your position on the board managing how and when to pay the cost of your allies will be crucial!You must defeat all of Erik's minions before he catches Vogter.

Anansi

Anansi

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Some say Anansi is a trickster but he is a spider for sure and sometimes even a man. Let me tell you why he is also known as the Keeper of Stories: One day Anansi decided to gather all stories and become the wisest of all. After many years he finally had all the stories in the world but poor Anansi did not feel any wiser. Eventually he realized that true wisdom is not achieved by keeping knowledge to yourself so he decided to share his stories and inspire people with them — and believe it or not that was how this game was made!In the trick-taking card game Anansi you have to be smart about which tricks you are trying to get. Each trick represents a story but stories untold are worth only a little. If you can acquire followers — by playing a card not to the trick but for its indicated number of followers — you can match up your followers with stories to inspire them and inspiring all your followers should always be your goal because this grants you the trickster's favor and sweet bonus points.Note that cards played to gain followers can affect the trump suit which means that the trump can change several times in a game. It is up to you to adapt to the new situation!Anansi is in the same game line as Spicy with the game box and card backs being decorated with a special metallic print in purple. For such a rich and cultural theme publisher HeidelBÄR Games paired up with Nigerian artist Dayo Baiyegunhi and South African artist Emmanuel Mdlalose to create a unique and colorful look for the story world of Anansi.

Haleakala

Haleakala

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Uncategorized

In the two-player-game Haus der Sonne players are building statues on the slopes of a volcano to honor their gods. The higher the statues are built up the volcano the more they score in one of the two scoring phases but of course the closer they are build towards the crater the danger of being destroyed by volcanic eruption is higher as well.By playing numbered chips (1-5) to the beach you move a ship clockwise. The sector in which the ship is moved will be evaluated. If a player has placed a numbered chip into this sector he may gain a card from this sector. Cards are required to build statues buy bonus score cards or to influence the direction of the lava when the volcano finally errupts (two times in the game - right before an evaluation).

Goetia: Nine Kings of Solomon

Goetia: Nine Kings of Solomon

Rating: 7.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Goetia: Nine Kings of Solomon is a worker placement resource management game where each players try to contact conjure and worship goetic demons. The game is focusing on the 9 demon kings that appear in the scriptures Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis.The game is played in clockwise turn order. Each turn the players places one of their 3 followers on a modular board. When placing a worker the players get the depicted resource(s).Players can get more workers from the outskirts by paying all visible resources from that specific row or column. If you buy a worker early in a round the cost is high. If you buy a worker later the cost is low - all depending on how you and your opponents are playing.Players can also pay one resource in order to send their workers to contact demons. By contacting demons players are awarded Demonic Attention. When a Demon has run out of attention a Demon is conjured and players can now pay more resources to worship said Demon in order to get special abilities (Demonic Powers Artifacts Treasures).Demonic Powers are worth Worship Points (WP). The player with the most most coins and WP from demonic abilities and pacts is the winner. When all demonic powers have been awarded to the players new special areas are uncovered where players can earn more Worship Points by exchanging cubes for Attention or making Pacts with Demons.Game ends when a player has 4 active Pacts with a Demon or when a certain number of Pacts have been acquired by all players.—description from the designer

Hellenica: Story of Greece

Hellenica: Story of Greece

Rating: 7.7 | Players: 1–7

Game Type:

Strategy

An explosion of creativity and violence erupted in the Aegean Basin in 800 B.C. that defined ancient Greece. This combination of science mythology development and war was led by powerful city-states like Athens Sparta Corinth Troy Byzantium Corcyra and Thebes. These states vied for control over their rivals and dominated the lesser states around them. In time some of them became so well known that they are remembered even today.Hellenica: Story of Greece is a 3.5X civilization game in which you harness the powers of one of seven beginning city-states to dominate the world around you. Your goal is to become the preeminent symbol of Greece for all posterity by completing a combination of secret and public goals. Will you be remembered as a warmonger or a peaceful philosopher? Great priest or apostate? Will you develop a devotion to the gods or focus on the advancement of your people?Can you guide your civilization during these turbulent times? Will your vision of Hellenic civilization be remembered for all time or will you merely be a stepping stone for another…?

Gnomopolis

Gnomopolis

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

After several generations the Ancient Capital of underground gnomes must be relocated because of human expansion. Brave explorers and their families are sent to establish a new city in the largest and deepest stone hall of the Great Mountain. You and your friends will manage the construction of this new capital which will be known as the great Gnomopolis!Gnomopolis is a fast and strategic game in which you must combine city growth with specialization of its population. An almost endless combination of buildings and workers can create ingenious systems of actions and scoring mechanisms in a frantic race for the win. With a play time of nearly 45 minutes one to four players must think wisely to build their own city and trade with neighbours.The game is played in turns during which each player draws three gnomes (gnome meeples) from a cup. Then they can use these gnomes to construct buildings or perform actions. Actions can be a combination of specializing adults hiring more gnomes earning gold coins building mechanical golems or controlling the workforce in a district. As the city grows more gnomes immigrate there. At the end of the game players count their points from coins and any workers employed in buildings (be careful with unemployed gnomes!). The player with the most points is the winner!

Munchkin Legends

Munchkin Legends

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 3–6

Game Type:

Party

Game description from the publisher:Raid the world of myth and legend! Crush every foe you meet. Backstab your friends and steal their stuff. Grab the treasure and run.Munchkin Legends is the new Munchkin card game about legendary adventure...with none of that stupid roleplaying stuff. You'll defeat mythic monsters and grab fabled magic items! Don the Death Mask and Achilles' Heels. Wield Thor's Hammer...or maybe the Magic Bassoon. Start by slaughtering the Heebie-Jeebies and Johnny Zucchiniseed and work your way up to the Kraken...

Harakiri: Blades of Honor

Harakiri: Blades of Honor

Rating: 8.4 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Thematic

Harakiri: Blades of Honor is a multi-campaign cooperative board game of adventures and fantasy for up to 4 players. After a bloody civil war the Emperor was banished and the empire fell into the darkness governed under the tyranny of the Dark Shogun. Pick one hero each of them with their background and skill tree to embark with your gaming group on an epic adventure. Travel through Japan where you will be able to trade visit shrines to increase your divine connection with your associated god learn about the story of each character and many more in an evolving map which will react to your decisions failures or successes. Each hero shall have a customized board with many options to decide your way of playing. Will you focus on divine powers unleashing a devastating God Mode to use as a final option sacrificing your own body on the process? Or would you prefer to unveil your own history via personal missions? Many options are laid before you and choices will have to be made along the way. The game will include many travel events where your hero could go into the magical forest of the Tengus travel to cursed villages and battle with the help of his blade the terrifying creatures of Japanese mythology… Some of these event cards can be turned into even more dangerous events depending on your hero decisions. Will you travel following safer roads to avoid potential conflicts or will you choose to go through more dangerous sideways to gain some precious time needed to achieve your goals before the Dark Shogun keeps on spreading his influence and power all over the land? Besides this the combat system will also allow you to choose your way of playing. You will be able to decide if you want to use heavier and more damaging blows or faster ones giving you extra time for other purposes. Also you will be able to choose if you want to focus during your attack allowing you to go through the enemies’ defense or diminish it for the rest of the battle. But beware because a failed attack could even lead to a terrible counter from one of the many japan folklore-based members of the Shogun Horde. Not only that but also during each and every attack the energy of the kami could give even more power if you are lucky enough to get the right combination from the yin-yang symbol dices. Finally the dice-based skill system will also allow for powerful moves during your turn giving passive or active effect to choose from. But beware cause the more powerful a skill is the harder it will be to use it again adding a tactical layer to the game. Besides all the mechanics we think that a good story is a crucial part of immersion and fun and for that we are honored to have one of the top fantasy Spanish writers David Velasco in our team. Get ready to dive into a branching and evolving story where decisions can deeply affect the outcome of upcoming sessions. Regarding art production we count on well-known artists and illustrators who have made fantastic pieces of art to recreate the Japanese culture. Our sculptors have created incredible minis to get a deeper immersion in the extensive world of Harakiri. Hone your blade and fight for your clan like a hero and get involved in the wonderful lands of Harakiri!SYNERGIC GAMES—description from the publisher

Divinity Derby

Divinity Derby

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 3–6

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Categories:

Zeus has invited a bunch of divine friends including a couple of new ones from all around the Multiverse for a little get-together on Mount Olympus…and you are one of them! After a few rounds of ambrosia soon the racing and betting begins with the Olympic All-father as the ultimate judge.Divinity Derby is a fun and fast betting and racing game for 3 to 6 players with a clever shared hand card mechanism. Players as god-like beings betting on the race of six flying creatures share a cardholder with each neighbor and every turn they play one card from each shared card holder. Are you able to guess what your neighbor's intentions and secret bets are and make the best use of the shared knowledge to win your bets?With beautiful components colorful art and simple but engaging gameplay Divinity Derby is suitable for players of all ages and skill levels.

An Age Contrived

An Age Contrived

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 1–5

Game Type:

Uncategorized

An Age Contrived is a fantasy euro game of engine building and resource programming. You play as a god in the Eldranic pantheon where you are only as powerful as the mortals of this unstable world believe you are. Your goal is to establish yourself as the pantheon's prevailing god by securing mortal belief as you advance the mortal realm from its age of darkness into civilization.Each player receives a character board and a transmutation device which they use to channel their energy into the mortal realm. Energy is how a god exerts its will and is used to construct monuments claim new tiles and accomplish lasting achievements. Bind your energy for end-game scoring and unlock new energy to replenish your reserves. The game ends when the last monument is complete at which point the player with the most points wins.There are two types of turns with no rounds or phases. On a player's turn they must either charge their transmutation device and program it openly or use its energy to take as many actions as they have already programmed. Information is open and the only luck is in the shuffling of tiles to set up the game. Player choices determine how the game unfolds.The game features unlockable unique player powers a board that players construct differently each game and 5 ways to build your engine. You will be encouraged to plan ahead but required to adapt your strategy in order to come away victorious.

Castle Party

Castle Party

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

Every year the Pumpkin King invites us to his castle to celebrate the autumn ball in his honor. Castle Party is the craziest shindig in town and without a doubt the most not to be missed soiree for any monster worth something in scarebusiness. You can’t miss it for the world! The guests are arriving at the castle of the Pumpkin King. As usual they gather together in groups.This is a “flip and write” game meaning we draw cards and then write on a board. The active player turns over a card with a polynomial shape and then everybody places a monster card on the table in the attempt to match the shape on the card. Finally and in correspondence with their own place around the table and their perspective on the shape the players draw the monsters on their own personal boards and try to group the monsters into families to obtain the best score.Castle Party has three scoring phases during which the players get points depending on how they have arranged their guests. When the old cuckoo clock plays for the third and terrifying time. At that moment everyone has to say goodbye until next year and leave the party. However whoever organized the wildest and most fun Castle Party will win a special place in the Pumpkin King’s heart and shall win the game.—description from the publisher

Dungeonology: The Expedition

Dungeonology: The Expedition

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Welcome to Rocca Civetta a charming town in the Italian hinterland which hosts one of the most bizarre universities that the human mind has ever conceived. In fact this university hosts the chair of Dungeonology which deals with the study of the environments and organization of different cultures especially the most atypical and strange... almost Mythical! Recently the faculty lost its professor and the Dean is looking for a skilled replacement. You are the ideal candidates for this job.Set in the renaissance world of Nova Aetas Dungeonology will lead you to the discovery of different Civilizations in order to learn their histories and customs. But be careful: the locals will not always be happy with your intrusion.The aim of the game is to explore a Dungeon as a Scholar gathering as much information as possible about the people who live there. Information yields Points and the Scholar collecting the highest number of Points will present the best Thesis on the studied race.—description from the publisher

Sellswords

Sellswords

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Draft your guild plan your attack and seize victory!Take to the field of battle in this intense head-to-head contest of wits and strategy. Use the diverse assortment of mercenaries at your disposal to capture strategic terrain and exploit your enemy's weaknesses. With fifty different sellswords to compose your guild no two battles will be the same!Sellswords is a tile-placement game (they're cards not tiles but you get the idea) for two players in which heroes gather for the battle of a lifetime. Each of the fifty heroes has its own ability to help turn the tiles of battle in your favor!

The Arrival

The Arrival

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Description from the publisher:In a time long forgotten the cruel Fomori rule over Érin the green island. They praise their king Balor who reigns from his fortifications in the north with an iron fist. Old paths and ruins spread over the island's face which will be called Ireland many generations from now. But new tribes arrive at the island striving for permanent presence. Who will control Érin's fate over the next centuries to come?Each player in The Arrival represents a tribe leader who tries to gain predominance over the mythical island of Érin while pushing back the demon-like Fomori. But the players are facing a dilemma for spreading too quickly means becoming more and more corrupt and strengthening the Fomori in their power...Over 4-6 rounds the players determine their resources by means of a unique game mechanism which will be used later on profitably. During a first phase (Earning Phase) players draw four cards each showing three sections of different resources. Two of these sections are gradually blocked by the player thus leaving one section. The resources shown on this section are the ones the player gets. During this phase they have to decide which section is the best one; while the upper section of the cards offers many resources it also results in unwanted Corruption Points. The middle and the lower sections offer fewer resources but also less Corruption.After that the Action Phase takes place and the players must use their resources wisely while having the choice from different kinds of actions in order to get Fame Points.The game ends when a certain number of rounds have been played or somebody reaches the corruption limit.The winner is either the one with the highest amount of Fame Points or the one with the fewest Corruption Points. This depends on the scene of the board at the end: Do the tribes (players) control more locations on Érin than the Fomori do — or is it the other way around?

Saint Seiya: Deckbuilding

Saint Seiya: Deckbuilding

Rating: 7.1 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Athena is threatened by the great Pope and the Knights subjected to his power are ready to fight!5 Bronze Knights: Seiya Shiryū Hyōga Shun and Ikki must end this threat before the extinction of the last flame of the Clock.During the game players each play one of the five available Heroes. They will have to face the other Knights they will face or rally to their cause.Play as one of the bronze knights and build your deck as you fight or rally other knights to your cause. Use the various effects of the cards to possess the most powerful knights and have the best team at the end of the game when the 12 flames of the clock will be extinguished. The player with the most victory point when all the flammes are switched off is the winner.

Herbalism

Herbalism

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 3–4

Game Type:

Family

Description from the publisher:In the game Herbalism players take on the role of a group of novice pharmacists hoping to find the cure to the pandemic that is currently plaguing the country. Players must exchange information with one another in order to gain more insight into the ingredients of the cure; however only one can earn the title of God Farmer so be careful not to share all of your knowledge too easily!

Argonauts

Argonauts

Rating: 7.0 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Thematic

As the legend goes Jason was a prince of Iolkos. His father Aeson the king was dethroned by Pelias the king’s brother. The usurper Pelias gave Aeson his word that when Jason will come of age he will give crown and throne to the young prince but that was a promise he did not intend to keep. When Jason a young man now confronted Pelias and asked him to honor his word the usurper tasked Jason with a seemingly impossible quest to prove that he is worthy of the throne of Iolkos. He had to recover the Golden Fleece from the distant city of Kolchis. Jason accepted and sent word to famous heroes to aid him in his quest. Hercules Orpheus the brothers Kastor and Polydefkis Laertes the father of Ulysses were some of the 50 heroes who answered Jason’s call and joined him in his noble quest on board the legendary ship “Argo”.Argonauts is a cooperative game that requires careful strategic planning and just a bit of luck as even the best laid plans can fall victim to the wrath of the Gods. The game’s objectives are to acquire the Golden Fleece and return safely to Iolkos without losing Argo or too many members of her crew. Each player controls heroes that participated in the Argonaut campaign each with his / her own set of skills and special abilities. Following the journey from the myth the Argonauts must face mythical monsters like Scylla and Harybdis Harpies Sirens the construct Talos and the dragon guarding the Fleece not to mention the perilous journey full of lethal encounters with merciless pirates or having to weather destructive thunderstorms all the while making sure their cargo hold is well stocked with the necessary supplies for the journey to and from Kolchis and their ship sea-worthy.Each turn the players must decide which of their characters will participate in the encounter they face dealing with threats with either might or cunning and keeping in mind that these characters will be unavailable to face the next encounter due to exhaustion. But the Argonauts are not alone in their quest. The Gods occasionally take interest in their actions either helping or hindering the progress of our heroes laying careful plans to waste…

Thorgal: The Board Game

Thorgal: The Board Game

Rating: 7.6 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Thematic

Thorgal: The Board Game is a cooperative storybook adventure game. Players take on the roles of Thorgal his wife Aaricia their son Jolan and Kriss —a deadly female warrior— and go on a series of adventures. The game consists of 7 stand-alone scenarios each taking roughly 90-120 minutes of play. Scenarios do not form a campaign nor have any legacy features so they can be played by different playgroups and over an extended period of time.Thorgal: The Board Game comes with a book of maps. Each scenario is played on a different map that players explore while fulfilling scenario goals and promises completely different adventures hidden opportunities side quests and vivid characters. Players are free to choose whether they travel in one group or split to cover more areas at the same time. Each character gains experience during the game and advances their abilities. Characters gather resources and craft objects to help them survive in the dangerous world.There is a storybook containing narrative descriptions of the encounters that Characters make in each scenario. The adventures described in the book are specific to each scenario and Character with randomized elements offering higher replayability and allowing for repeated play. There are also Side Plots players can pursue to gain benefits and reveal additional pieces of the story.Thorgal: The Board Game also has a unique action selection mechanism. In this new mechanism actions have varying power depending on which other actions have already been taken. Players must carefully plan their strategy and sequence of actions taken as this directly impacts the strength of the effect of each action.—description from the publisherThe Gamefound edition has more content.

Santa's Workshop

Santa's Workshop

Rating: 7.2 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Categories:

It's the busiest time of the year at the North Pole with only days to go until Santa leaves to make his yearly trip around the world! After his long night and all the work that led up to it Santa always takes a vacation somewhere sunny and warm. As a reward for helping bring joy to children around the world Santa takes his hardest working team of elves with him!Can you lead your team of elves to claim their well-deserved reward? Not only are there toys to be built but reindeer to be tended and coal to be mined (sadly not all the children are on the nice list). Candy canes and gingerbread houses are nice but by working hard-and smartly-you and your team of elves may find yourselves on a beach drinking something with an umbrella in it.Santa's Workshop is a worker-placement game taking place over nine rounds in which players use their elves to collect materials in order to build gifts and tend to the reindeer. Players may customize their workforce by sending elves to be trained in certain aspects of the game which provide a benefit for the rest of the game. For some gifts plastic may be substituted for the standard materials of fabric wood or metal. This will cause those gifts to score fewer Christmas Cookies but may allow a player to build more gifts in a shorter amount of time. This can be helpful when Santa comes around three times during the game for an inspection to see which team has made the most gifts.Players will have to decide when to visit the mail room in order to pick which gifts to build and when to tend to the reindeer. The reindeer accumulate points the longer they go untended — and each of the eight reindeer provides a unique bonus to the player.

Kreus

Kreus

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 3–6

Game Type:

Uncategorized

In this cooperative game the players embody Titans avid to create together the ideal planet. Will you know how to dominate the nature and the elements and worse still the anger of your father Ouranos to realize the planet of your dreams? A cunning and intuitive game where deduction and cooperation will be the key words. To manage to create your planet and to bring him the life you will have to think together communicate subtly trust the other players or understand of instinct. The purpose of the game is to manage to create together a planet. To have a finished and thus livable planet it will be necessary to pass by various creations: rainbow river fish etc and completed by element cards : earth air fire water. A turn of game decomposes into two phases: the divination and the creation. During the phase of divination every player chooses in secret a card of his hand and spends his tokens energy to give information exchange cards etc. Then in the phase of creation every player reveals his card in turn order and verifies if it can be involvement. The game ends when all the cards were played or if the planet is completed.

Legendary Forests

Legendary Forests

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Categories:

8bit MockUp (8ビットモックアップ) (later republished as Legendary Forests) is a multiplayer solitaire game akin to Take it Easy! or Karuba. Each player has an identical set of tiles and plays the same tile at the same time to their own tableau but where each player places each tile may differ.In more detail each player creates their own world by connecting the landscapes on their tiles. Each player starts the game with the same starting tile in play. One player the Leader shuffles their tiles face down then removes five tiles from play without looking at them. On a turn the Leader reveals the next tile calls out the number on it then everyone places that same tile somewhere in their landscape with the adjacent edges of each pair of tiles needing to match.When the Leader draws a tile with a red number everyone places their piece then starting with the player who holds the God piece (initially the Leader) everyone draws a monument tile from the center of the playing area and places it on an area in their landscape. Monuments come in three colors (while the landscapes have areas in four colors) and you use only two monuments of a color for each player in the game. After placing monuments pass the God piece clockwise to the next player.The game ends after everyone has placed their twenty tiles then players score points based on the areas where they have monuments. Each non-purple edge of a tile has a half-circle on it; when two such edges are placed together the owner of those tiles has created a cookie in that area. To score you look at each area where you have a monument. If you have no half-circles in this area — that is the area is completely enclosed — then you score 2 points for each cookie in that area. If you have any unconnected half-circles in this area you instead score 1 point per cookie. Whoever has the most points wins!The first edition of 8bit MockUp included tiles for 2-4 players while the second edition included tiles for 2-5 players. You can have any number of players compete in the same game as long as you have enough sets.•••プレイヤーは「神さまの見習い」となり、 神さまから提示される地形を上手に繋げて、神さまが気に入る国を作ります。 このゲームはタイル配置型のパズルライクなゲームです。 タイルの辺と辺の色が合致するように配置していき、20枚配置したらゲーム終了です。 ゲーム中に何度かモニュメントを建築するタイミングが現れます。 建築していた場所に応じて点数を獲得していきます。 複数セットのゲームをあわせることで最大何人でも遊べます。

Meduris: Der Ruf der Götter

Meduris: Der Ruf der Götter

Rating: 6.5 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

Description from the publisher:Following the call of the gods the players settle at the base of mountain Meduris. Building huts bringing offerings to the druid gathering precious runestones and building monumental temples is the only way to earn the favor of the gods in Meduris.1. Skillful use of the workers lets you obtain valuable materials. These are needed to build huts and temples.2. The larger the settlement,the more expensive it is to build a hut there. But if you can get in the good graces of the druid by presenting an offering then your effort pays off.3. Keep an eye on the other players: Who will secure the best building sites at the right time and collect the most valuable rune stones?4. Only a player who skillfully places their huts and temples and keeps enough materials ready for the big final round of offerings will win the game.Game description from the publisher: Dem Ruf der Götter folgend machen sich die Spieler auf um den Fuß des Berges Méduris zu besiedeln. Hütten bauen dem Druiden Opfergaben darbringen wertvolle Runensteine sammeln und monumentale Tempel errichten – nur so können die Spieler die Gunst der Götter gewinnen.

Crown of Ash

Crown of Ash

Rating: 7.7 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Crown of Ash is a strategic worker placement and area control game for 1 to 4 players.The promise of a dreamless sleep was a lie. The Lords awoke after a hundred years of staring into deepest depths of oblivion; every moment wracked by nightmarish dreams. They no longer cared for peace but now desired power.The bleak slumber had revealed an ancient secret to them the arcane knowledge of necromancy. It gave them the ability to build armies from the wastes of their lands. Those fallen in the first war would rise again and march into a bloody second a devastating conflict that would determine who at last would lay claim to the Crown of Ash.Players take on the role of vengeful necromancers. Sending out their loyal minions to do their bidding.Gathering resources to the raise powerful undead armiesBuilding mighty structures offering better resources and earning influence over the landMarching your undead army into battle to take other players structures and defend your own with all your mightOver 4 rounds players will earn influence points based on the structures they control the player with the most influence at the end of the game will take control of the kingdom and rule for the rest of time.—description from the designer

Neptun

Neptun

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Family

Take the role of a Roman merchant in Neptun delivering goods to cities and temples. Earn the most favor from the temples and win the game!The game is played over three game rounds each consisting of three phases. Navigate the sea and coast to deliver on contracts you have acquired. But there is a catch. You get to determine the order of your contracts but they must be filled in that order. So as you are acquiring and placing contracts you must take into account where you are traveling.Phase 1 Acquire ContractsWhen you fulfill a contract (in phase 2: Fulfill Contracts) you receive either favor at the temple or gold which can be used to buy favor but also may be used to extend your ship's range. Thus gold can help you bridge that key leg of the journey so that you can deliver that contract in a timely fashion and be well positioned for the next part of your journey.Phase 2 Fulfill ContractsBy laying out your contracts efficiently and navigating the sea and coastline effectively you will earn the most favor (in phase 3: Scoring) from the temples and win the game.Phase 3 Scoring

Yokai Sketch

Yokai Sketch

Rating: 6.9 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Children who go into the forest may come across some yokai that is supernatural creatures and phenomena. Moved by boundless curiosity the little ones draw these spirits in their notebooks to understand their nature and learn from them.With a set-collection core mechanism the goal of Yokai Sketch is to score more yokai points than the other player by completing sketches of the elusive forest spirits. The game consists of two decks of cards: in one are four types of yokai each associated with an element (water fire earth and wind) and a numerical value that corresponds to victory points and in the other sketches made by humans two of the four elements and possibly a special ability.At the start of the game the yokai cards are stacked in four decks (one for each element) and three sketch cards are dealt face down to players. On their turn players draw a new sketch card and slide one of their four cards under one of the four decks in the center of the table so that it reveals the element associated with that yokai. If by doing this the yokai reaches or exceeds the number of sketches needed to draw it (adding the sketches on both sides of the card) the player who has accumulated the most sketches on their side of the table takes it.The winner's sketch cards will be placed in the discard pile and the other player's will stay where they are as they will be used for the next yokai card of that type. If there is a tie in the number of sketches on both sides of the card the yokai is frightened and lost. In this case neither player manages to finish the drawing and all the sketch cards on both sides of that yokai pile are discarded. Sketch cards can also include powers: calling the yokai or distracting it to move cards. The game ends when one or more yokai decks are empty.-description from publisher

Kami-sama

Kami-sama

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

A gentle breeze… The soothing sounds of a flowing river... The glow of the moon... A bountiful harvest… Fear... Rage… and even death. Each of these forces affect the world around us and are in fact personified by a spirit. These Kami work together to form the natural order of things but each aspires for influence over those that worship them.Kami-sama is a beautiful and intuitive strategy game set in rural Japan during the Edo period. You assume the role of one of the many Kami the spirits of the land. Using a combination of asymmetrical powers area control set collection pattern building and light card drafting you will work to balance your Favor with the people and your connection to Nature in order to be crowned Kami-sama the chief deity of the land.Key Points - Beautiful and intense area control game with set collection and light card drafting. - Asymmetric Kami abilities allow you to play with a different strategy and tactics every game! - Unique rotating board and elegant gameplay.

Warehouse 51

Warehouse 51

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 3–5

Game Type:

Uncategorized

The year is 2038. After decades of borrowing money from the rest of the world the USA finally went bankrupt. In a last desperate move the federal government decided to auction its most secret treasures: the artifacts and relics stored in Warehouse 51. And there's serious stuff in there such as Aladdin's Lamp the Hammer of Thor the Golem and the Philosopher's Stone.In Warehouse 51 players are multimillionaires from across the globe who want to buy these artifacts for their collections but most of the items have strange paranormal effects that can influence the game and many of them are fakes...

Valda

Valda

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Uncategorized

SUMMARY Valda is a competitive strategy game where you as a viking warchief manage a village and resources play powerful spells and build temples. So you gather followers fight off enemies and climb the steps to divinity.STORY Realm of the gods: Loki the trickster god framed Thor in a moment of distraction causing the hammer of Thor to fall on Tyr. Tyr the god who was guarding Yggdrasil the tree connecting the worlds. Knocked out for a moment Tyr left Yggdrasil ungaurded. An opportunity for mortal viking to climbs the tree and become god. But only those who are worshipped and worthy can become a true god. Beware: when power is up for grabs competition is an the horizon. And the gods... well they will play their part.HOW TO PLAY (AND WIN) In Valda every player finishes 5 phases during their turn. As a viking chieftan you roll dice to harvest rare resources for your tribe. Then you scavenge and explore the worlds by drafting and playing cards and actions. Building temples in the different God-domains is an important goal to gain divine abilities and get access to more powerful spells. But beware enemies can attack you with the weapons of the Gods. Defend yourself and use your resources and shields wisely. Fight and build with honor to receive the grace of the Gods. Which God? That depends on your playing style. You like the aggressive playstyle then is Surtur your man you like having many options to eventually use the ultimate combo then Freya is the one for you and so on. Having a seat at the table of the most beautiful Asgardian palace beside the likes of Odin and Thor that is your only goal. By playing cards using your abilities and building temples you also gain valuable followers. The viking chieftan who has the most followers when the game ends is worthy enough to climb the world tree Yggdrasil and becomes a God! Oh.. and he also wins the game.—description from the designer

Tahiti

Tahiti

Rating: 6.3 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Family

Your small island is peaceful and prosperous – so prosperous that your tribe has grown beyond its ability to sustain you! Fortunately being a peaceful people you have chosen not to fight over what little there is. Instead you set out in your seagoing Wa’a (canoe) to fish and gather crops from the many nearby islands. The fertility goddess Haumea has blessed these islands and they are rich with fruits vegetables and spices. It is a matter of pride to collect the finest harvest for the village. Can you win the race against time and the sea and prove that you are the best gatherer of all?In Tahiti the goal is to collect crops (coconuts taro bananas spice) and fish from the surrounding islands to score points with bonuses for making full sets and acquiring the most of their family favorites which are hidden from the other players.During all this the players travel by Wa’a from island to island using action points to collect the crops they want or can get to before the others take them. As the Wa’a fills it becomes slower limiting the number of actions they have. There are also treacherous reefs around the islands that require you go around them or risk losing some of the crops aboard your Wa’a. At the end of the year the one who most efficiently gathers food for their family wins.

Mythic Battles

Mythic Battles

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Wargames

Game description from the publisher:Mythic Greece is in chaos: Athena and Hades are at war and have sent their greatest heroes to battle. Take on the role of these generals out of legend leading fantastic armies and lead your troops to victory!Mythic Battles is a game which simulates epic confrontations and battles that will take your breath away. Thanks to its innovative system – the Building Battle Board (BBB) which combines game mechanisms from miniature games board games and card games – Mythic Battles offers you an experience the likes of which you have never seen. Recruit your army play your cards to activate your units roll your dice to resolve combat – reinvent your way of playing!This box contains two complete armies to play with two or four players an initiation campaign as well as all that's required to play as you wish. Other armies and units will periodically be released to flesh out your campaigns.Write your legend in the blood of the fallen!

Atlantis Exodus

Atlantis Exodus

Rating: 7.7 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Categories:

The legendary Atlantis is shrouded in so many stories and myths an island realm that was reputed to have completely drowned in only one night.Atlantis Exodus presents the player kings with the challenge of rescuing as many citizens as possible before the impending downfall and by doing so saving the knowledge they have acquired for a different world and time.Thanks to an innovative rotation mechanism 1-4 kings have to face constantly changing conditions and keep adjusting their own strategy to the different action possibilities in order to ultimately become the savior of the achievements of their time.—description from the publisher

Viking Raiders

Viking Raiders

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Viking Raiders is a 2-5 player card game in which players are Viking chiefs jostling to build the biggest Navy create the largest Clan and gain the most Loot.On your turn you draw 2 cards to see what your clan has been up to whilst you have been away 'chiefing'. Have they focused on resources and mined stone or gold collected wood created new vikings or built up the food supplies? Sometimes they have spent their time preparing actions for you by capturing a wandering Berserker or preparing for a raid (one of their favourite endeavours). Or maybe they have gained a favour from one of the Norse gods or goddesses?Each turn you may use one action (for example go on a raid or use a favour from a God or Goddess) and buy one item from a central Market. You buy items using resources in your hand and you can choose between ships for your Navy buildings for your Clan and valuables for your Loot. Each item gives 1-3 Victory Points and the first player to have an agreed number of Victory Points in each category wins the game.There are also four rare Abilities that sometimes turn up in the Market. Oh and watch out for Ragnarok...!Compact and travel friendly this gateway game is ideal for casual gamers and families with children aged 9 or above.-description from designer

Omen: Edge of the Aegean

Omen: Edge of the Aegean

Rating: 7.4 | Players: 2

Game Type:

Uncategorized

You are a child of Zeus poised to conquer all of Greece but first you must prove your worth to the gods as there is another who contests your claim. To determine who shall rule gods have devised a contest and lent their most powerful forces to both sides of the conflict.Omen: Edge of the Aegean is a stand-alone head-to-head card game in the Omen Saga collection of games and features a streamlined way to play. You will manage your economy and hand of unit cards each turn as you tactically play units to cities or for their unique abilities. Plan your strategy to take advantage of the combined strength of your units to win war-torn city reward tiles utilize their abilities and defeat your opponent. Gain the most victory points at the end of the game to rule over these lands!Key Points - Head to Head demigod battles for supremacy of ancient Greece. - Tactical battle card-game where every unit has its own unique ability. - Streamlined rules and fully compatible with any other game from the Omen Saga collection of games.

Solani

Solani

Rating: 7.3 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Abstract

Populate the night sky with beautiful constellations assembled from uniquely shaped tiles.Solani is an abstract tile-laying and drafting game for 1-4 players.Players will assemble constellations to be set into the sky taking turns selecting two different shapes of tiles in a unique “double-headed” snake draft before laying them onto their personal board. Properly connect the stars observe the roaming planets and correctly identify the placement of celestial bodies to complete your constellations puzzle in the best possible way.After twelve rounds of play Coyote grows impatient; he grabs the edge of the buckskin rug and tosses the rest of the quartz skyward - creating the Milky Way.—description from the publisher

Angel Fury

Angel Fury

Rating: 7.8 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Strategy

Welcome to the world of the unseen!Armies of angels and demons clash in an epic battle over a human soul. While the forces of heaven try to influence for good the demonic fallen angels strive to draw the soul into darkness and despair. In the realm of the spirital world mighty angel warriors try to hold their positions against onstorming demons and tormentors by seeking to break their defenses or by taking control of valuable crystals and living water fountains to slowly turn the tide of war to their advantage. The mighty and mysterious 6-winged seraphs summon new angels to gain a foothold on the enemy´s flank. Meanwhile the archangels God´s chosen messengers move like lightning over the battlefield commanding their forces and bringing fear to the hosts of evil. The archdemons false gods of the ancient world no less cunning rise up to meet them in battle. They all know the victory belongs to the wisest leader. Are you that leader?—description from the publisherTake control of the forces of good or the hordes of evil. Command mighty seraphs or fierce tormentors. Each player begins with a starting deck customized by a unique general - either an archangel or archdemon. Each turn you will use your Command markers to move troops or initiate battles and then use the cards in your hand to modify those movements or battles - or build your turn around an epic Tactics card that provides even more value! You can use your resources to deploy more units increase your handsize or gain more Command markers! At the end of your turn you’ll gain more resources if you control certain Areas - or even 1 Soul Point if you control the Human Soul. When either the good or evil side has 7 Soul Points - the game is over and the soul has been claimed!

Nessos

Nessos

Rating: 6.4 | Players: 3–6

Game Type:

Uncategorized

In Nessos you must embody Greek heroes who imprison mythological creatures into sacred amphoras in order to offer them to the gods. If you capture enough you will reach the rank of gods' chosen One! But beware for Charon the terrible roams and will by all means try to make you take a one way trip to Hell!During the game the players must bluff in order to win the Amphora cards which represent the most interesting creatures. When your turn comes offer an Amphora card to another player. They can accept it or refuse it by offering it to another player. Collect Amphora cards in order to be the first to reach the number of points required. But be careful if you get three Charon cards you lose the round.—description from the publisherGame Play Players start each round with 5 cards in their hands. The game takes place in a undetermined number of rounds until one of the three game-end conditions is met. The player who has the first player pawn chooses a card in her hand of cards and offers it by putting it face down in front of another player of her choice. If the card offered is a Creature card she must say out loud the number of the card without lying. If the card offered is a Charon card she can (and should) lie by saying out loud any number she wishes. The player who gets the card has 3 choices: - He accepts the card before looking at it and then places it face up in front of him. - He refuses the card without looking at it. It returns to the player who offered it and she places it face up in front of herself. - He adds a card from his hand face down and offers the two cards to another player. He is only allowed to lie about the Charon cards by announcing the number he chooses. In this third case the player who receives the two cards has the same choices. Cards cannot be offered to a player who has already been offered cards in this round nor to the player with the First player pawn. The last player must either accept or refuse the cards offered. Then a new round starts the first player pawn moves to the left and players draw cards from the deck to refill their hands to 5 cards. Having a 1 card a 2 card and a 3 card in front of you gives you 10 bonus points (=16 points). Players who have three Charon cards in front of them are sent to Hell and are eliminated from the game. The player whose Creature cards reaches or exceeds the number of points required wins the game.

Biohack

Biohack

Rating: 7.5 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Dr. Johann Maischberger caused a stir in the scientific academia for playing god with his experiments. The young researchers involved in his experiments were all expelled from the academia due to this unethical work. This incident was known as the Biohack Incident.And then twenty years later.Dr. Maischberger's daughter is trying to bring back the experiment back to life once again. However the blueprints left behind by her father were incomprehensible to ordinary people. Thus they called upon the mad scientists namely those who were expelled from the academia.Biohack is a medium-complexity game for 1-4 players. Each players will use workers called Noman to procure funds and DNAs then create new creatures. The scientists who are the players' avatars have various abilities. In addition the creatures created by the experiments will also bring various beneficial effects. The game ends after the designated number of rounds or if a player able to creates 7 creatures. The players will tally all of their Evaluation Points and the player who has the most Evaluation Points wins the game.-description from designer

Kanzume Goddess

Kanzume Goddess

Rating: 6.6 | Players: 2–6

Game Type:

Customizable

It was the age of gods and goddess. Zeus (King of the Gods) Poseidon (Lord of the Seas) and Hades (God of the Underworld) had agreed to separate the sky the ocean and the underworld. Athena the Goddess of Wisdom would take over the rest of the earth. But the Norse gods were displeased by the decision. They called warriors and disciples to take the world from the Greek gods. The gods atop Mt. Olympus also called their warriors to defend them. During this war of the gods a mass of warriors died and their souls were sealed in a jar.And now they are waiting for you to release them.In the deck-building game Kanzume Goddess you will be one of the Gods of mythology. Each God in the game has its own special powers which players can use to their benefit. Players will purchase cards from the center of the table to add to their decks. They will use these cards to purchase more cards and to do battle with the other players. These cards can be used to damage other players to gain more cards to draw more cards from your deck and to protect yourself from damage. The last player with energy left is the last God standing and the winner of the game.Kanzume Goddess can be played as an individual match with 2-6 players or as a team match if you play with 4 or 6 players.

Curse of the Dark

Curse of the Dark

Rating: 8.3 | Players: 1–6

Game Type:

Uncategorized

In the remote mountain village of Mordengraf people are disappearing. Investigating reports of a 'creature' stalking the area you venture into Castle Mordengraf the Gothic castle overshadowing the village.Captured by an unseen force you must escape the castle's dungeon or become the creature's latest victim. But you only have three hours before the creature resumes its hunt ...Curse of the Dark is a co-operative escape room game where players must build out the floorplan of Castle Mordengraf uncovering and exploring new rooms of the castle to advance the story. The game features puzzle books map tiles and other interactive components and features. A smartphone or Internet-connected device is required for some of the puzzles.Curse of the Dark features a tiered hint system to enable teams of all abilities to progress through the game and story. The game can optionally be completed solo.Curse of the Dark is designed as a one-time experience as some of the puzzles require players to cut fold and write on the components. However Professor Puzzle do provide a printable pdf of the destructible components in the Files section on BGG and on their website to enable the game to be replayed.—description from the publisher

Divinus

Divinus

Rating: 6.8 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Divinus is a competitive legacy tile-laying digital hybrid game in which you play as a demigod seeking to gain the favor of the Gods and ascend to a new pantheon. Players embark on a twelve-scenario campaign that will see them exploring lands completing quests interacting with Gods and impacting the outcome of the epic clash between Greek and Norse pantheons.At the beginning of each campaign scenario players open a sealed box of new quests components stickers Gods gameplay mechanisms and more. The Divinus app provides a narrative for players and sets the stakes for what is to come. Each turn players spend dice from their pool to explore new tiles from the world board. Laying tiles into their demigod map they must place tiles adjacent to one another and with matching features while working towards overall quest and God goals.Throughout the campaign players make permanent changes to their demigods by collecting powerful artifacts forging their dice by altering their faces and earning titles for the feats they achieve. Players will also permanently change the game world by altering tiles and placing new locations heroes and monsters onto the map tiles. When players complete quests or other significant goals they can make pivotal decisions through the Divinus app.Players will decide the outcome of dilemmas such as choosing which side is victorious in battle building or destroying a holy site and choosing whether a God lives or dies. Whichever outcome the player chooses the game components may be changed and the Divinus app will remember and present contextual options in the future that are impacted by the decision. Returning to a fort that you helped the Norse Gods build could see you praised while demigods favored by the Greek pantheon could be shunned.The Divinus campaign is ideally played over several game sessions due to the persistent and changing world. The rulebook grows with each scenario as new rules and content are unlocked. Once the campaign is complete players can replay their unique copy of Divinus with a post-campaign Infinite Replayability mode.—description from the publisher

Monster Baby Rescue!

Monster Baby Rescue!

Rating: 6.7 | Players: 2–5

Game Type:

Family

In Monster Baby Rescue! players take care of their sad lost and ill Baby monsters who got lost to us from fantastic world. Every player chooses their own Monstie — Dragon Mandrigora Ork Basilisk or Kerberos — and with the help of tiles displayed on the table takes care of it. There are tiles to groom particular parts of bodies tiles with playgrounds cosy places diamonds to play or decorate with and magicians (vets). These tiles have different price which is paid by different number of steps of your Monstie on the time track. The next player is the one who is the most behind (takes the cheapest tiles from the table).Players gain points for bonuses on tiles and also for the levels they groom improve and take care of their Monsties.—description from the publisher

Siggil

Siggil

Rating: 6.2 | Players: 1–4

Game Type:

Uncategorized

Siggils are magical seals where spirits are locked. The players must untie a Siggil and capture the spirits that are escaping!Siggil is a card game for 1 to 4 players that contains seven families of seven cards numbered 1 to 7 and seven unique spirits cards each associated with a family and a number. All cards are thoroughly shuffled including spirits then placed level-by-level overlapping face down and face up according to a simple form called a Siggil. The game includes description to build several Siggils like: The Pass The Turtle or The Pyramids.On his turn a player draws a card from the Siggil and takes it in his hand. When a spirit escapes the Siggil players can capture it by playing the right combination of cards from their hands. The winner is the first player who controls more spirits than the others at the end of the game.Siggil also includes rules for a solitary game.

Santorini: Pantheon Edition

Santorini: Pantheon Edition

Rating: 8.7 | Players: 2–4

Game Type:

Abstract

NOTE: Pantheon Edition includes all material from the Golden Fleece expansion as well as every promo card and many new cards. A lot of cards are revamped reworked and rebalanced.Santorini is an accessible strategy game simple enough for an elementary school classroom while aiming to provide gameplay depth and content for hardcore gamers to explore The rules are simple. Each turn consists of 2 steps:1. Move - Move one of your builders onto an unoccupied neighboring space that is a similar level up one level or down any number of levels.2. Build - Construct a building level adjacent to the builder you moved. When building on top of the third level place a dome instead removing that space from play.Winning the game - If one of your builders moves from a lower level to the third level you win. Or if your opponent cannot move you win.Variable player powers - Santorini features variable player powers layered over an otherwise abstract game with many thematic god and hero powers that fundamentally change the way the game is played.