Well, sorta. New today…!
504
In a distant future, scientists were able to build small alternate Earths. Exactly 504 such Earths have thus far been built. The scientists programmed each of these Worlds with an individual set of laws and rules which the residents strictly follow and consider most important for their lives. These may be exploration, consumption, economics, military, etc., and each is unique. You can visit all of these 504 alternate Earths to experience how the people are living, and decide which of these worlds harbors the best civilization. On which World do you want to live? Explore them all and decide!
504 is a game that creates 504 different games out of one box. The game consists of nine modules:
- Module 1: Pick-Up & Deliver
- Module 2: Race
- Module 3: Privileges
- Module 4: Military
- Module 5: Exploration
- Module 6: Roads
- Module 7: Majorities
- Module 8: Production
- Module 9: Shares
In each single game, you take three different modules from the nine available and assemble them in any order you like to create a new game. (504 = 9 * 8 * 7 = the number of distinct permutations of three items from a set of nine. The order of the three game modules is significant, and modules cannot be repeated.) For example, you can play:
- a racing game that expands through exploration with technology improving the racing or exploration (World “253”).
- an 18XX-style stock game with network building for income and production sites to provide workers for the road building (World “968”).
- a war game with a pick-up and deliver economy and bonus scoring from majorities (“World 417”).
Each single game takes from 30 to 120 minutes to play.
King Chocolate
You know there is money in chocolate, but it doesn’t just grow on trees. You need to control the links in the production chain to get your cut of the cash, to make sure the cocao flows through your businesses instead of your competitors’.
Sometimes you need to help your customers and suppliers to help yourself. If you are wily, you can figure out a way for your competitors to do the work for you. Create monopolies, cut off the supply chain, disrupt other players’ finely honed plans — do whatever it takes to become King Chocolate.
The fruit of the cacao tree goes through six steps to become chocolate. You can control only a few of these steps, so you must work with your fellow chocolate makers to keep the chocolate flowing through the production chain. It sounds cooperative and friendly — but did we mention that the chocolate maker with the most money wins? Things always get complicated when money is involved.
To ensure your portion of the production process is used the most so that it earns you cash, occasionally you’ll help your customers and suppliers. At the same time, you will attempt to crush your competitors, force others to help you, and manipulate the supply chain.
You’ll do whatever it takes to become the king of chocolate.
Bomb Squad
The sergeant hangs the phone up. “Multiple hostages, numerous bombs. We’re up.” We grab our gear, prep the robot and load the van. It’s go time…
An unknown terrorist organization is on the rise, looking to spread fear while profiting from the chaos they release. You, your fellow members of the Retro City Bomb Squad, and your trusty Bomb Squad Robot are the only barriers in the way between those dastardly villains and the innocent civilians of Retro City. Lives are at stake — and time is ticking — so let’s go!
Bomb Squad is a cooperative game in which 2-6 players are members of a team operating a disposal robot with the mission to disarm bombs and save hostages. The players work together, racing against the clock to provide the appropriate instructions for the robot to achieve their mission objectives. Bomb Squad features:
- Real-time play: Players each take a turn in clockwise order and are free to take as long as they want on their turn. However, there is a timer counting down in real time until the bombs will detonate, so players will want to be as efficient as possible.
- Hidden Card Information: Players hold their cards so that the fronts are facing the other players, which requires that players give each other Intel to figure out which cards they have in hand.
- Limited Communication: While players have their cards up and visible to each other, players are allowed to communicate only via the Intel they give each other, which provides hints about the cards they have in their hands. Table talk about which cards are needed, or where the robot should go, gives implied hints about which cards to play and is prohibited.
- Co-operative game play: The players all work together, winning or losing collectively as a team.
Bomb Squad Academy
This is the final field exam of your bomb disposal training course. The instructor has rigged three training bombs for you and your team to defuse, but little do you know that there is no way to actually defuse them! The bombs will explode eventually, and if you want to graduate at the top of the class then you’ll want to cut high-value wires without triggering the explosives! Grab your wire cutters and steady that shaky hand, because it’s going to be an explosive night!
In Bomb Squad Academy there are four decks of cards representing the four “wires” of the bomb, and a trigger track next to each deck. Every round, each player secretly decides (then simultaneously reveals) the wire that they will cut this round (or perhaps they’ll chicken out, or even call “Wait!” preventing a wire from being cut). After actions are revealed, the chosen wires are “cut” by flipping cards from those decks. When a card is flipped, its value dictates how far the trigger moves down the trigger track and how many points are earned; cutting wires alone is worth a lot more than cutting the same wire as other players. Push the triggers too far and the bomb will explode! Whoever causes the bomb to explode loses points. Players earn useful Tools during the game that they can use to break the rules. Get through three gruelling bombs with the cleverest cuts to finish your final exam with the most points!
Munchkin Kittens
The ancient Egyptians worshipped cats, which clearly explains what happened to them. Cats may be cute, but they’ve got teeth, claws and siege weaponry? Munchkin Kittens, an expansion for any standalone Munchkin game, has thirty new cards that some of you may be allergic to. Don’t be fooled … they’re adorable, but deadly!
Munchkin Holiday Lite
Kick down the door! Defeat the monster! Take the treasure! Munchkin has been a gaming phenomenon for fifteen years, and now we’re giving you a great introduction to the game. Munchkin Christmas Lite is a standalone game that can also be used as an expansion for existing Munchkin games!
Bottlecap Vikings
You are mighty VIKINGS! Mighty, but very small. As you sail your ship around a bottlecap, you will loot and plunder gold and wood to improve your city (granting you new abilities) and gain victory points. And while you may get hurt along the way, sometimes it’s best to just push ahead, because the Valkyries don’t come to claim the dead immediately…
Bottlecap Vikings is a small rondel game with a ton of replayability. The rondel spaces are not fixed in place- they are randomized at the beginning of the game. Not only that, they’re double-sided, so you might never play on the exact same configuration twice. There are two different victory conditions, and players each have a small “tech-tree” in their city with multiple viable paths. Furthermore, the city cards are double-sided, one side is identical for all players, and the other side is unique. To top it off, the crux of the gameplay is the push-your-luck damage system, which makes you value spaces differently depending on how damaged you or others already are.