Prototypes/Crowdfunding Projects to keep an eye on:
Yotei – Deluxe Edition (Mighty Boards) – this project is live on Kickstarter until May 5th! I love the art on this and the gameplay looks very accessible. The word “charming” is used a lot by others to describe this game, and I don’t think I could agree more.
Oakspire (Lucky Duck Games) – this project is live on Kickstarter until April 28th! I’ve talked about a lot of critter based games, but this one also appeals to my love of production style games. The interesting twist on that style of games are the community actions that are shaped by player choices during the game.
Pantheauction (Out Standing Games) – this project is live on Kickstarter until April 20th (tomorrow)! This looks like a fun auction and bidding game from a small passionate team. The thing that grabbed my attention was the fun blending of art deco visuals with the traditional Greek pantheon into one unified and fun theme.
Games we were playing this month:
Cryptid (Osprey Games) – I just traded for this game (my first trade not at a convention) and we’ve already played it a few times. It is very fast to setup and fast to teach, and as a deduction game really pushes you to that great brain blast feeling as you cross a bunch of things off. Unfortunately, if one person accidentally screws up about their logic rule the whole game breaks.
Calico (Alderac Entertainment Group) – I first played this game a few years back, but just acquired a copy. This one has quickly become one of my wife’s favorites and the cozy theme of cats and quilts seems to appeal to a lot of people. Another one with relatively simple gameplay, but it can really break your brain as you try to make the perfect quilt.
Bohnanza (Rio Grande Games) – I actually found this game when reading “Hobby Games: The 100 Best” back in 2018. The art is just plain fun, and my wife and I mostly play the 2 player variant. There is a fun risk and reward feel in variant that isn’t in the normal version. We also enjoy the normal version that involves trading too, but it a totally different feel.