Prototypes/Crowdfunding Projects to keep an eye on:

Abduction Deduction (Prototype by Brian Husnick, bgg) – this was one of the fun prototypes from Protospiel Madison actively looking for a publisher! This was a standout game as it visually looked like a completed game, and it was just plain fun as you alternated between farmer turns trying to get your cows into the farm and spaceship turns where you abduct opponent cows.

Order vs Chaos (Prototype by Dana Chaffin, trimira.com/boardgames) – this was one of the fun prototypes I played at Dice Tower West this year that was actively looking for a publisher! This is a fun asymmetric 2-player tile placement as one player knows their moves ahead of time and the other doesn’t. It had fun interactions that made a seemingly unbalanced situation feel balanced.

Hood: Troubles in Sherwood (phalanx.co.uk) – this project is live on Gamefound until December 18! In the spirit of asymmetry, each faction has their own way of growing power and gives each play (as a player and as a group) a unique feel.

Games we were playing this month:

The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick-Taking Game (officedoggames.com) – Trick-taking games are approachable to anyone who grew up with a deck of cards in the house, but co-operative ones take the difficulty to a whole new level. I also just love their choices on art style for this rendition of the LOTR.

Raiders of the North Sea (garphill.com) – This game has been a mainstay at our house for a while and is a lot of fun whether playing with 2 people or 4 with just different strategies for each. I find it a very fun and quick game to teach to others.

STACCS (sticcy.cc) – This game has already made it full circle from the crowdfunding projects to our door.  The game is light, fun, and quick variation of crazy eights with a twist that allows for more choice in what you can play. Because the box is nice and small, this will probably find its home as a game we take travelling (as long as there is a big enough table at our destination).