Prototypes/Crowdfunding Projects to keep an eye on:

Ballons Olympiques (Dream Bridge Games) – this project is live on Kickstarter until June 25th! This game caught my eye with fun art and the aeronaut theming, but the thing that got really got me excited while reading about it was the fun wind and altitude mechanics!

Hover (IbisTea Games) – this project is live on Kickstarter until June 19th! I’ve seen a fair few crazy feats from hummingbirds in our neighborhood, and theming a game around them is just brilliant. It looks like it will be a lot of fun competing over nectar with your friends.

Altera (IV Studio) – this project is live on Gamefound until June 28th! I’ve been a big fan of IV Studios for a while, and I think this game has a lot of really cool features that I’m excited to see play out. Simultaneous turns, dice bag building (drawing dice from your bag), and worker placement (using dice to place workers) are all things that I find exciting in a new game.

Games we were playing this month:

Obsession (Kayenta Games) – There is a bit of a shared theme (hint: England, Jane Austen) in the first two games I’m highlighting. Obsession is a worker placement game where you are working to bring your country house back from ill repair into a new age of glory. This game is a classic euro with lots of worker placement and deep strategy. A first game only left me wanting more.  

Endearment (Dux Somnium) – This game has a similar theme, and we mentioned it a while back when it was on Kickstarter. The game is absolutely gorgeous, and more directly attached to the characters of the Jane Austen novels. The game is a light game with some really fun strategic choices, as you go to town and visit settings so that you can ultimately pique a character’s interest.

Cosmic Encounter: Duel (Fantasy Flight Games) – I have not played much of the original game, but this game is just wild. It is strategic and satisfying while simultaneously being full of shenanigans that are hard to plan around.