Look at all the great new games that arrived today!
Catacombs 3rd Edition
Catacombs is an action/dexterity-based adventure board game. One player controls the Overseer, controlling the monsters of the catacombs; the other player(s) control the four heroes who cooperatively try to defeat the monsters and eventually the Catacomb Lord. Each of the heroes has special abilities that must also be used effectively if they are to prevail.
The main mechanism of Catacombs is for the players to flick wooden discs representing the monsters and the heroes. Contact with an opposing piece inflicts damage, but missiles, spells, and other special abilities can cause other effects. When all of the monsters of a room have been cleared, the heroes can move further into the catacomb. Items and equipment upgrades can be purchased from the Merchant with gold taken from fallen monsters. The Catacomb Lord is the final danger that the heroes must defeat to win the game; conversely, the Overseer wins if all of the heroes are defeated. The game is designed for quick set-up and fast play within 30 to 60 minutes.
Rome: City of Marble
Local game designer Brett Myers has a great new game for you! Rome: City of Marble is a Euro-style tile-laying game set in Ancient Rome during the reign of Augustus Caesar in which players are powerful Patrician families competing to secure the prestigious title of Architect of Rome.
As leading citizens in this great city, they influence and direct the construction of an ever-expanding metropolis through shrewd development of neighborhoods by constructing civic buildings, temples for worship, baths for health and camaraderie, theaters for philosophy and the arts, and arenas for entertainment. Build more and gain Imperium, the measure of real power in Roman society. As Civic buildings are constructed, influential players score points representing their success. Players score extra points for building Bridges, Aqueducts, Fountains and their wealth, with bonus points awarded for Imperium. Veni, vidi, vici!
Panda Head
What’s not to love about pandas?! Panda Head is a trick-taking card game in which the winning panda is the one who stays awake the longest by scoring the fewest points. That’s right: Points are bad! The more points you score, the drowsier you get, and you don’t want to end up a pooped panda. Don’t be bamboozled!
Timeline Challenge
Timeline Challenge incorporates the original mechanic of the Timeline series into progressive game track, of which players can move between 0-4 spaces per turn. Players will have to make use of pre-determined time periods and guess where the incident depicted on the card occurred. There are four different challenges, and they are played depending on the color of the game space of the lead player. Additionally there are two further challenges which allow the two players at the back of the pack to catch up. Although the game comes with its own cards, it can be integrated with any or all of the previous sets.
Timeline is a card game played using 110 cards. Each card depicts a historical event on both sides, with the year in which that event occurred on only one side. Players take turns placing a card from their hand in a row on the table. After placing the card, the player reveals the date on it. If the card was placed correctly with the date in chronological order with all other cards on the table, the card stays in place; otherwise the card is removed from play and the player takes another card from the deck. The first player to get rid of all his cards by placing them correctly wins. If multiple players go out in the same round, then everyone else is eliminated from play and each of those players are dealt one more card for another round of play. If only one player has no cards after a bonus round, he wins; otherwise play continues until a single player goes out.
Ultra Pro Dungeons & Dragons Character Folio Binder
This. Is. Amazing. The D&D Character Folio has ten 8 1/2″ x 11″ pocket pages to hold all your character sheets and maps, and two 18-pocket sheets that hold up to 36 standard size Spell Cards. Plus front and back inner pockets for all your notes! Bryan took three home; one for him and two for his kids (but don’t tell them, it’s a present)!
Blood Rage
In Blood Rage, each player controls their own Viking clan’s warriors, leader, and ship. Ragnarök has come, and it’s the end of the world! It’s the Vikings’ last chance to go down in a blaze of glory and secure their place in Valhalla at Odin’s side! For a Viking there are many pathways to glory. You can invade and pillage the land for its rewards, crush your opponents in epic battles, fulfill quests, increase your clan’s stats, or even die gloriously either in battle or from Ragnarök, the ultimate inescapable doom.
Most player strategies are guided by the cards drafted at the beginning of each of the three game rounds (or Ages). These “Gods’ Gifts” grant you numerous boons for your clan including: increased Viking strength and devious battle strategies, upgrades to your clan, or even the aid of legendary creatures from Norse mythology. They may also include various quests, from dominating specific provinces, to having lots of your Vikings sent to Valhalla. Most of these cards are aligned with one of the Norse gods, hinting at the kind of strategy they support. For example, Thor gives more glory for victory in battle, Heimdall grants you foresight and surprises, Tyr strengthens you in battle, while the trickster Loki actually rewards you for losing battles, or punishes the winner.
Players must choose their strategies carefully during the draft phase, but also be ready to adapt and react to their opponents’ strategies as the action phase unfolds. Battles are decided not only by the strength of the figures involved, but also by cards played in secret. By observing your opponent’s actions and allegiances to specific gods, you may predict what card they are likely to play, and plan accordingly. Winning battles is not always the best course of action, as the right card can get you even more rewards by being crushed. The only losing strategy in Blood Rage is to shy away from battle and a glorious death!