Obligatory 2015 Essen Spiel Post Part II: Top 5 Reprints/Re-implementations

Just a few days until Essen Spiel 2015!  This year has so many great games coming out.  There are way too many to even begin to believe that I’ll be able to play even one-tenth of the releases.  This will be the second post in my Essen Spiel series.  If you haven’t had a chance, please feel free to check out my first post in the series on my top 5 game expansions that are being released at this year’s convention.  Check out the link below and find out what I’m excited about in game expansions!

Essen Spiel 2015 Top 5 Game Expansions

Are you back?  Great!  Now we’ll move on to my second post in the Essen Spiel series.  This one will focus on game reprints and re-implementations.  These are different games that are being released this year that have had previous printings and/or editions in the past and are now being re-released in another form.  Are you excited?  I know I am!  Now we move on to the list.

Honorable Mention – Snow Tails (Renegade Game Studios)

Snow Tails is a hand management, race game that is designed by Gordon and Fraser Lamont and will be released (in this printing) by Renegade Game Studios.  This game was originally released in 2008 by the Lamont Brothers by their game company, Fragor Games.  After them, Asmodee picked it up and did the most recent printing before this one is released.  This is an absolutely gorgeous looking game that creates its track with modular pieces.  It has an innovative card play mechanic where you put out two cards in order to control your dog sled in a race to the finish line.  This is just a cool looking game and I’m super happy that it’s getting a new printing so it will be available to so many people!

#5 – Celestia (BLAM!)

Celestia is a wagering and push-your-luck game that is designed by Aaron Weissblum and will be released at this year’s Essen by BLAM!  This is a revamping of the game Cloud 9 (released in 1999) by Aaron Weissblum where you were in a hot air balloon and tried to float as high in the sky as you were able.  Celestia takes these ideas and puts them into and absolutely beautiful package!  Now you are in an aircraft of sorts and trying to gather treasures at different stops.  When the craft stops at a city the captain rolls some dice and tries to defeat the obstacles.  You decide whether you will stay in the craft so you can move on or jump out and stay in the city below.  This is a gorgeous looking game and I look forward to its release.

#4 – Nyet! (Iello)

Nyet! is a hand management, trick taking game that is designed by Stefan Dorra and will be released at this year’s Essen by Iello.  This game was originally released in 1997 by Goldsieber Spiele.  This is a trick taking game that is actually played in two parts.  The first part is the “Nyet” phase where players put their tokens on a board in order to create the scoring and conditions for each trick.  After that phase you go on to a fairly classic style of trick taking card play.  I had never heard of this game till I saw the Iello version coming out and as with all of their releases it looks absolutely beautiful.  This will be an insta-buy as it is cheap, plays a good number of people, and looks like a ton of fun!

#3 – Neuroshima: Convoy (Portal Games)

Neuroshima: Convoy is a hand management, card game that is designed by Ignacy Trzewiczek and will be released at this year’s Essen by Portal Games.  It is a small box game that was originally released in 2012 by Iello and Portal Games and had a second printing in 2013 by Z-Man Games.  In this edition, Trzewiczek decided to start from the ground up and create the game he meant the original to be.  What it appears that he’s done is create (refashion) an awesome small box game with a fantastic theme in the Neuroshima universe.  I am looking forward to this and since it is a Portal release it is an insta-buy.

#2 – Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization (Czech Games Edition)

Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization is a hand management, card drafting, action point allowance, civilization game designed by Vlaada Chvatil and will be realeased at this year’s Essen by Czech Games Edition.  This game was originally released in 2006 by Czech Games Edition and has been as high as #2 on the BoardGameGeek rating system.  This game has been a loved game for many years but was known to have some problems with the balance in certain areas of the game.  This is a completely new edition that Vlaada built from the ground up to be more balanced.  Czech Game then took that game and put some much better graphic design and artwork with it to create an awesome looking edition!  This is a streamlined version of a beloved game and hopefully that means it will be even better and more beloved!  I can’t wait to try this one out as I think Vlaada is an amazing designer.

#1 – Stronghold: 2^nd Edition (Portal Games/Stronghold Games)

Stronghold: 2^nd Edition is an area control, action point allowance, and point to point game designed by Ignacy Trzewiczek and will be released at this year’s Essen by Portal Games and Stronghold Games.  The game was originally released by Portal Games and Iello.  This game was very interesting and incredibly bold in its design but had some definite flaws in both the rulebook and the gameplay.  This is another game that Ignacy took and decided that he could improve upon his design and make another Portal Games hit.  I love that he’s streamlined this game and added some absolutely awesome bits and pieces to more fully immerse the player in the theme.  I can’t wait to get my hands on this game and attempt to siege this stronghold!

Well, there you have it.  These are my top 5 (and 1 honorable mention) reprints that will make a showing at Essen Spiel 2015.  I can’t wait to get my hands on some of these games and finally get to try some of these gems out.  As always, any questions/comments/concerns feel free to leave a comment in the space provided below.  Until next time, game on!

Obligatory 2015 Essen Spiel Post Part I: Top 5 Game Expansions

Whoa…that was quick.  This coming week marks one of the largest boardgaming weeks of the year: Essen Spiel in Essen, Germany.  This is one of the world’s largest boardgaming conventions and huge fodder for bloggers, vloggers, and gaming geeks alike!  This year’s Essen Spiel looks like it is going to be just as amazing as the previous year’s.  This series of posts will be five long and take place over the next week.  This post will focus solely on my top 5 boardgame expansion interests.  There are tons to choose from but I ended up narrowing them down to 5 along with an honorable mention.  As always, if you’re interested in a HUGE, comprehensive list check out Eric Martin’s geeklist atBoardGameGeek.com. I highly recommend this list but be warned, it is 30 pages long with 25 entries on each page at the time of this post!  It is a huge and awesome list to be sure!  Well, I think that is enough preamble, on to my top 5 (with 1 honorable mention) expansion of Essen Spiel list!

Honorable Mention – Orléans: Invasion (dlp games)

Orléans: Invasion is an expansion to last year’s hit (and this year’s Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee), Orléans by designer Reiner Stockhausen.  Invasion is designed by Stockhausen with help from Markus Brand and Inka Brand.  Orléans is a bag-building and a worker placement game where you assemble a group of farmers, knights, merchants, and others in order to gain a foothold in medieval France.  This expansion adds a few modules that include more buildings, new workers, and new scenarios as well as a co-operative one.  I don’t have the base game yet but it is high on my watch list.  This expansion just looks to add more fun to the game and I must say that the co-operative scenario really interests me!

#5 – Castles of Mad King Ludwig: Secrets (Bezier Games)

Castles of Mad King Ludwig: Secrets is an expansion to last year’s Bezier Games, Inc. hit, Castles of Mad King Ludwig by designer Ted Alspach.  Secrets is also designed by Alspach and is on the slate for an Essen release (and probably hit) for Bezier Games.  Castles of Mad King Ludwig is a tile-placement game where you are placing down different rooms in a castle and connecting them in odd ways in order to score the most points that you are able to.  This expansion adds in a couple of different modules that you can put in the game to make this more interesting.  It adds moats, secret passages, and geese to the mix.  Moats will close in the board to give you a change to add more points to each room that you keep enclosed within the walls/moats of the castle.  The secret passages give you an opportunity to connect rooms that don’t usually work together in order to take away their negatives.  Lastly, the geese are a set collection mechanic to score you more points and also give you a chance for more money.  This expansion looks great.  I don’t have this game (you’ll find it is a common theme) but this would be a must buy when/if I do buy it!

#4 – Legacy: The Testament of Duke de Crecy: FiveFamilies (Portal Games)

Legacy: The Testament of Duke de Crecy: Five Families is an expansion to the 2013 Portal Games release, Legacy: The Testament of Duke de Crecy by designer Michiel Hendriks.  Five Familes is actually designed in house Portal by Ignacy Trzewiczek and Michal Walczak with development help by Hendriks.  Legacy: The Testament of Duke de Crecy in a tableau building, worker placement, card drafting, and set collection game where you are trying to create your family tree with clever card play.  This expansion adds in new cards, abilities, and a new resource as well.  It appears to be a good expansion to what appears to be a good game.  Yes, I also don’t have this one in my collection but I hope to get it soon and Five Families would be an insta-buy for me as I am an unabashed and unapologetic Portal Games fanboy!

#3 – Russian Railroads: German Railroads (Hans im Glück)

Russian Railroads: German Railroads is an expansion to the 2013 Hans im Glück/Z-Man Games release, Russian Railroads by designers Helmut Ohley and Leonhard Orgler.  German Railroads is also designed by Ohley and Orgler.  Russian Railroads is a worker placement, train game where you are placing your workers in order to create the largest and most advanced network of trains in Russia.  You are able create more efficient machines, create newer/better locomotives, and get engineers who will improve the output of the trains.  At the end of 7 rounds the player with the most VP wins!  This expansion consists of three new modules that can be added independently.  The first is a new game board.  This is a German board that will create all new opportunities for the players and is where the expansion gets its title.  It also adds a coal age module that allows a new resource in coal which allows for a differing play style.  Lastly there is a single ticket module that allows for a single player experience.  This last module is the one that really interests me as I always love a good solo experience for when I don’t have a game night coming up or my wife isn’t interested in playing something.  Again, I don’t have this base game but it is high on my list and this would be bought with it right away.

#2 – Ticket to Ride: Map Collection Volume 5: UnitedKingdom & Pennsylvania (Days of Wonder)

Ticket to Ride: Map Collection Volume 5: United Kingdom & Pennsylvania is a map expansion for the 2004 Spiel des Jarhes winner and Days of Wonder release, Ticket to Ride by designer Alan Moon.  Ticket to Ride: Map Collection Volume 5: United Kingdom & Pennsylvania is also designed by Alan Moon.  Ticket to Ride is a well known set collection, route building, hand management game where you use your cards to create routes with your train cars along the board.  Ticket to Ride has been hugely popular and a great gateway game for over a decade now.  This expansion contains a new board that is double sided.  On one side is the United Kingdom which also includes a new concept of technology and not being able to continue your route until you’ve upgraded your technology track.  The other side is really the reason that I’m excited for this map.  It is a Pennsylvania side.  This is what I consider my home states even though I haven’t lived there in a while.  The Pennsylvania side of the board includes stocks with the normal route building.  I love that this has two different sides and that they each add a new mechanic to the game.  Again, I don’t have this base game but I hope to soon and this expansion would be the first I’d buy for it.

#1 – Roll for the Galaxy: Ambition (Rio Grande Games)

Roll for the Galaxy: Ambition is an expansion for the 2014 (or 2015 depending on who you ask) hit, Roll for the Galaxy by designers Tom Lehmann and Wei-Hwa Huang.  Roll for the Galaxy: Ambition is also designed by the Lehmann/Huang pair.  Roll for the Galaxy is a reimplementation of the popular Race for the Galaxy.  In Roll for the Galaxy you use dice rolling, dice building, variable powers, and simultaneous action selection in order to build an empire that generates the most victory points and gets you the win.  This expansion includes two new types of dice, new factions, and new tiles for the base game which will add in even more replayability to an already highly variable game!  This is the one expansion I do have the base game to and it is an insta-buy and therefore is number one on my list.

There you have it.  These are my top 5 Essen Spiel expansion releases.  Ambition is an insta-buy and the rest of them will most likely be insta-buys as long as I get the base games for them.  Come back tomorrow for my top 5 Essen Spiel reprints/reimplementations.  This is an interesting list as there are some really good ones coming out this year.  Until next time, game on!

Obligatory 2015 Kickstarter Post Part III: Top 10 List (Part II)

Another day, another part of my top 10 Kickstarters list!  This will be the final post in my 2015 Kickstater interests list.  This post will focus on my games 1-5 of the top 10 and these are some great looking games!  If you haven’t seen my previous two posts (which are on my honorable mentions and my games 6-10 of my top 10) just click on the links that I’ll provide below if you are so inclined.  Again, remember that these are only games that haven’t shipped to backers; it doesn’t matter when the campaign was or even if it has even happened yet.  And here are the promised links!

Kickstarter 2015 Honorable Mentions

Kickstarter 2015 Top 10 Games 6-10

Okay, now we move on to the meat of my post, the top 5 game interests from Kickstarter.  These are all games that I am extremely interested in.  Of these 5 games I have backed 2 of them and another I have as the top game on my Christmas list.  Let’s get this started.

#5 – Gloomhaven (Cephalofair Games)

Gloomhaven is a co-operative, grid movement, and hand management game designed by Isaac Childres (who just recently finished and shipped his first Kickstarter for Forge War) and will be released by Cephalofair games.  This game is still currently funding and is at (during the time of this post) 2,841 backers and has made $221,626 thus far.  Gloomhaven is a game that takes the idea of a dungeon crawler and turns it on its head.  This game uses two part cards as its primary mechanism.  You take your hand of cards (which is completely different for all the classes) and you get to use 2 of them on your turn.  You just have to decide which card you will use the top portion for and which you’ll use the bottom portion for.  This game also has a “legacy” style in that it grows with you as you continue to level up and move through the game.  This allows the world to change and grow instead of stagnating.  I am very much looking forward to this game but I will hold off until it hits retail so I can get a better idea of the game as a whole.

#4 – The Networks (Formal Ferret Games)

The Networks is a card drafting game designed by Gil Hova and will be released by Formal Ferret Games.  This game is still currently funding and is at (during the time of this post) 1,498 backers and has made $55,220 thus far.  The Networks looks like an awesome medium/light weight game that we’ll be able to break out will new gamers and seasoned gamers alike.  It really looks like fun as you draft cards in order to place them on your board to attempt to score the most viewers possible.  This game has a wit and elegance to it and the campaign is being impeccably run by Hova.  This game is one that I will back (I haven’t currently but will in the next couple of days) along with one other in my top 5.  This is a game that I think will appeal to such a large amount of gamers and I’m glad it is doing so well.  Another plus for this game is that it plays solo as well as up to five people.  I love the player count!

#3 – New Bedford (Dice Hate Me/Greater Than Games)

New Bedford is a worker placement and city building game designed by Nathaniel Levan and will be released by the Dice Hate Me imprint of Greater Than Gamers.  This game was funded by 2,316 backers and made $109,343 during its run on Kickstarter.  This game was one that I had my eye on about 9 months ago or so when it was originally on in December of 2014.  They ended up cancelling the project as they decided they could do an even better campaign and improve the game in the meantime.  I really respect this decision as what they have created is a beautiful worker placement game with and absolutely original theme that centers on whaling in the town of New Bedford.  This game was an insta-back for me and I can’t wait till it hits my door sometime next year.  Also, this was another of the impeccably run Kickstarters that you’ll find on my list.  As a bonus you could buy a second game called Nantucket for only $6 and no difference in shipping.

#2 – Scythe (Stonemaier Games)

Scythe is an area control, territory building, and economic game designed by Jamey Stegmaier and will be released by his company Stonemaier Games.  This game hasn’t yet going onto Kickstarter for its run but will start on October 13^th, 2015.  This is going to be one of the hottest releases of the year and I think that it will do very well in its run.  This game has been (loosely) likened to a mixture of Agricola and Kemet in that you use/harvest resources and use deterministic combat in order to control parts of the board.  I love that Stegmaier came up with this idea when he ran across the artist, Jakub Rozalski’s, work.  This is a blend of steampunk and of World War I imagery which is both stark and beautiful at the same time.  Stonemaier Games runs some of the best Kickstarter campaigns in the business and I think that this one will be their most popular to date.  This is another game that’s price point will be high enough that I can’t afford to back it now, but when it hits retail it will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine!

#1 – The Gallerist (Eagle-Gryphon Games)

The Gallerist is a worker placement, set collection and economic game designed by the fabulous Vital Lacerda (of CO2, Vinhos, and Kanban: Automotive Revolution, fame) and will be released by Eagle-Gryphon Games.  This game was funded by 1,089 backers and made 83,212 during its run on Kickstarter.  This game has one of the coolest themes I’ve ever seen in a boardgame.  You take control of a burgeoning art gallery and use your workers in order to go out and find new artists.  You can then go further into the game to try to control the popularity of said artists in order to resell their works of art for an even larger amount of money.  The artwork and the graphic design of this game are absolutely on point.  Eagle-Gryphon did a great job in the production of this game, as it looks absolutely gorgeous.  This game will be the top game on my Christmas list this year.  I truly hope to have it under the tree waiting for me on Christmas morning!

Well there you have it.  Three separate posts listing my top 10 Kickstarter interests, my honorable mentions, and a few more just for fun!  This series was a ton of fun to write and I hope you all enjoyed reading them.  As always, if you have any questions or comments please post below.  Until next time, game on!

Obligatory 2015 Kickstarter Post Part II: Top 10 List (Part I)

Now we get to move to my top 10 interests on Kickstarter.  If you haven’t had a chance to check out the first post in this series please take a second and take a look.  The first post has 5 games that are my honorable mentions (as well as 12 games that I didn’t quite make the list) and it sets up for this post.  The biggest rule I’ve set for myself on these posts is that these are all Kickstarter campaigns that haven’t yet been shipped to their backers.  Other than that there are no rules on the dates or anything along those lines.  Again, before you read this you can check out my honorable mentions list at the below link.

Kickstarter 2015 Honorable Mentions

With the preliminaries out of the way we can now move on to games 6-10 of my top 10 Kickstarter 2015 list.  Keep an eye out in the next day or two as I’ll be releasing my games 1-5 of the top 10 list.  Alright, here we go!

#10 – ExoPlanets (Board&Dice)

ExoPlanets is a tile drafting, tile placement, set collection, and area control game designed by Przemyslaw Swierczynski and will be released by Polish publisher Board&Dice.  This game was funded by 904 backers and made $44,021 during its run on Kickstarter.  It is being released by Board&Dice during Essen Spiel 2015 and looks like a really cool game.  I was very interested in this game when I saw the run through by Richard Ham.  It is a beautiful looking tile drafting and placement game that has just enough “take-that” attitude in it with its player interactions.  You are basically attempting to control planets in order to get different resources which will let you control other planets.  There is some hidden information that each player has in some of their tiles where they are able to gain points with different sets and things of the like.  It just looks like a fun game and we love Dice Brewing which is also released by this company.  The shipping was really what held me back on this game.  I hope that they will partner with a company over here to release it in the United States.  If/what they do that this will probably be an insta-buy.

#9 – Mistfall (NSKN Games/Passport Game Studios)

Mistfall is a co-operative, deck-building, adventure game designed by Blazej Kubacki and will be released by NSKN Games and Passport Game Studios.  This game was funded by 2,489 backers and made $134,348 during its run on Kickstarter.  To be honest this game wasn’t really on my radar during its campaign (much to my chagrin).  This game is an insta-buy for me for a few reasons.  The first is that many reviewers have stated that it has some similarities to the Lord of the Rings LCG by Fantasy Flight, Sentinels of the Multiverse by Greater Than Games, and Legends of Andor by KOSMOS.  These are some great games and the mixture of the three of them just sounds like it would be an amazing game.  I saw Ricky Royal’s play through of the game and it got me even more interested in the mechanics and gameplay.  The game also looks absolutely beautiful on the table and that certainly doesn’t hurt!  Another reason I want this game is because it looks like it would play great solo.  I think this may be a Christmas purchase and I can’t wait.

#8 – Wizards of the Wild (CrossCut Games)

Wizards of the Wild is a card drafting, dice rolling, set collection, engine building game designed by Adam West and Dan Schnake and will be released by CrossCut Games.  This game was funded by 1,307 backers and made $46,291 during its run on Kickstarter.  This game is actually the first on the list that I am a proud backer of!  This was an easy purchase as the base game was only $16 for what appears to be a light, fun, card and dice game that will play fast and easy.  The artwork and theme are great and the mechanics look solid in this Yahtzee-style dice rolling game.  Engine building (along with card play) is one of my favorite mechanics in a game and this one really seems to use it well.  As a bonus this was one of the best run Kickstarters I’ve been a part of and the game should be in backer’s hands by November or December at the latest making it to us on time.  Can’t wait for this one!

#7 – Bottom of the 9^th (Dice Hate Me Games/Greater Than Games)

Bottom of the 9^th is a dice rolling, press your luck game with splashes of bluffing and deduction.  This game is designed by Darrell Louder and Mike Mullins and will be released by the Dice Hate Me Games imprint of Greater Than Games.  Bottom of the 9^th was funded by 2,183 backers and made $67,251 during its run on Kickstarter.  I saw this game’s campaign go up and I was instantly enamored by the mechanics and old-school art that was on display.  The cards that make up your players are actually made to look like old Topps-style baseball cards and really lend to the theme of this game.  This game was an insta-back for me with its great style, fun gameplay, and low price point.  Again, just like the Wizards of the Wild campaign, this was one of the best-run Kickstarters I’ve been a part of.  I’ve never heard anything bad about the way that Dice Hate Me Games runs their campaigns and this is no different.  Spoiler alert, there may be another Dice Hate Me Games campaign higher on my list!  This game is currently running on time and should hit backer’s doors before the World Series which is really what they were shooting for.  Can’t wait!

#6 – Trickerion: Legends of Illusion (APE Games)

Trickerion: Legends of Illusion is a Euro-style, worker placement, and action selection game designed by Richard Amann and Viktor Peter and will be released by APE Games.  This game was funded by 4,330 backers and made $285,309 during its run on Kickstarter.  This game was a sneaky little surprise when it came on the scene.  I was able to catch a Richard Ham run through and this game immediately shot up to one of my major Kickstarter interests.  It is a pretty classic worker placement game but it has some interesting ways of going about these mechanics that I think will make it stand out from other games of its genre.  The theme goes a long, long way in really taking this game to the next level.  I love that you take a magician who specializes in a certain type of magic and you create their entire show.  Of course, the most reputation points (a.k.a. victory points) will win the game.  The art and mechanics really make this one a high candidate for a possible Christmas purchase when it is released.  I hope it does really well at its debut at Essen Spiel 2015.

Well folks, there you have it, games 6-10 of my top 10 Kickstarter 2015 list.  As stated earlier, keep your eyes open on my site and BoardGameGeek as I will have the final installment of the series up in the next couple of days.  As usual, if you have any questions or comments feel free to post them below.  Until next time, game on!