Daybreak—Fantasy Flight Expands Battlestar Galactica

BSG04_3Dbox-LeftFantasy Flight has just announced a huge expansion to their epic board game iteration of Battlestar Galactica. Daybreak seemingly brings the game full circle and concludes the series as the gameplay focuses on the twilight of Galactica, and the growing plight of both Humans and Cylons. From Fantasy Flight:

The Daybreak expansion for Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game brings humanity’s plight to its gripping climax! With two supplemental game boards and hundreds of cards and tokens, Daybreak invites players to undertake desperate missions, struggle under the constant threat of mutiny, and bargain with Cylon Leaders driven by motives of their own.

Daybreak includes:

  • 1 Demetrius Game Board, 1 Rebel Basestar Game Board, 2 overlays, and 1 rulebook
  • 12 Character Sheets and plastic Character Stands
  • 27 new tokens and markers
  • 129 new cards
  • 8 plastic figures

You can find all the info here.

Find all things BSG board game on Amazon here.

I'm (Jeremiah) hoping to get my hands on this expansion soon. I've been a big fan of the base game for some time now (read my review of it here). Have you kept up with the other 2 expansions for the game? Have a favorite? Share it here! Have a favorite Battlestar memory or moment? Share it here! We all miss the series too!

Thanks for reading; we truly appreciate it! For more up-to-the-moment news and fun check us out on Facebook and Twitter!

Sheeeeep! In Spaaaaaaaace!

spacesheepcoverStephen Buonocore of Stronghold Games has announced Space Sheep, a real-time, customizable, cooperative game with a possible traitor in the midst. We're still many months out from availability, but here's the press release:

"In Space Sheep!, you are Defenders in the Strategic Sheep Command (SSC) of the Lambda sector. A new race, known only as 'Wolf,' has been found. Their message is clear: total annihilation of Sheepkind. The Flock Commander and the most elite Defenders are ordered into the latest 'Shepherd' class ships with the mission of recovering all SpaceSheep, and returning them to their Home Systems via the complex hyperspace network. Unfortunately, SSC intelligence has determined that there could be members of Wolf in Sheep Commanders' uniform secretly working against you. The Defenders only have limited time and resources to bring the SpaceSheep and Shepherd ships back home, thwarting the evil Wolf plans.

For 1 to 8 players, Space Sheep! is extremely customizable, making each play experience different. Players choose the number of Systems in play (to change game complexity), the number of Tactics cards to use (changes game difficulty), the strength of the Wolf (changes game difficulty), from 0 to 3 Allegiance Cards to use (cooperation vs. competition), and the Direction Cards to use (creates variability in the game).

Tactics Cards are your resources used to move the Spacesheep and Shepherds between the Systems or for defense. The sandtimer is managed by one player, who must flip the timer over before it runs out, but ensuring that enough defense is in place, or a Wolf attack occurs forcing players to lose more cards.

'Space Sheep! is unlike other real-time and cooperative games,' said Stephen Buonocore, President of Stronghold Games. 'Anthony Rubbo has designed a puzzle-solving game that is very customizable and very scalable. By adding traitors, there is an amazing degree of tension for advanced players.' "

This sounds fun; we can't wait to try it out!

And speaking of Stronghold Games, we'll soon have reviews of the trick-taking game Little Devils, and The Crazy Creatures of Dr. Gloom—both from Stronghold. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!

Kickstarter Weekly—A New Look

There has been such an increasing amount of activity on Kickstarter over the past few weeks, that we've decided to put a newer spin on our Kickstarter Weekly features. You'll still get them on Thursdays, but instead of piecing them out we're going to feature several projects, and give some news about them as we go. So welcome to the new Kickstarter Weekly here at TOG! Francis Drake componentsOur first project this week is from Eagle Games: Francis Drake, a game designed by Peter Hawes, puts players in the heart of Spain's new world as they sail the Caribbean, buying, selling, trading, and raiding ports for goods to return home with and sell for profits! The gameplay looks well-thought-out, and there are some customized aspects, giving it a higher replayability factor. The board and components look gorgeous as well!

The campaign has 32 days left and they've already blown past the funding goal, so it shouldn't be long before the stretch goals start getting knocked off. The only downside is the game is a little pricey, but if you've got your eye on a few other titles from the Eagle/Gryphon catalog, they've thrown together some really nice bundle packages.  Check out the campaign here, and consider getting in and helping them reach the stretch goals!

Paradise Fallen boxOur next campaign is Paradise Fallen from Crash Games, a card-management game game set in a modern post-apocalyptic island setting. Crash Games plans on setting up an entire series of games, using this title as a launching point, to create a deeper universe for games and expansions to live in. Players control tribes trying to survive while placing obstacles in the paths of the other tribes. You'll strive to survive, find food, and and explore the fallen paradise.

Canoe meeplesYou can grab a copy of the game for a $25 pledge, and there are again some nice bundles available for higher price points. The campaign has 27 days left and is still $10,000 short of their funding goal, so they've got a ways to go before it funds—let alone hitting stretch goals. I'm loving the artwork so far, and they've come up with some great outrigger canoe meeples as well! (What meeples will they come up with next!?) If card management, and post-apocalyptic island survival are your thing(s) then head on over and check out the campaign here.

TeramyydUp next is Teramyyd: Earthsphere a steam-punky, monster-fighting sky pirate, questing game.  I (Jeremiah) am very intrigued by this game. The game appears to have multiple scenarios for players to embark on, and within those scenarios lie different quests to complete on their way to victory. Let's not forget the cool sky pirates flying machines that you can upgrade and add to while trying to defeat sky monsters!

IO Worlds has blown past their funding goal by $40,000 with 32 days remaining on the campaign. And have already unlocked a new baddie and a new ship as the first two stretch goals. And the 3rd one looks way cool too! The bad news is, all of the early bird pledge levels have been devoured! So it will take a pledge of $75 to snag a copy of the game, but as the stretch goals pile up, the box you get will be stuffed with more and more cool little miniatures! You can check the campaign out for yourself, right here.

PL-Bicycle1If you haven't done so, your window of opportunity is closing to get in on the Pixel Lincoln: Bicycle Playing Card campaign! There are two inexpensive options for jumping on board, a $10 pledge will get you a 21-card expansion for Pixel Lincoln the deck building game. Or a $12 pledge will get you a deck of PL playing cards! There's just 5 days left, so best hurry on over!

Smallworld2And finally we want to extend a congratulations to Days of Wonder who CRUSHED their campaign to bring Small World 2 to the tablet realm (including PCs through Steam, android and iPad). They blew past their $150,000 goal, pulling in almost $400,000! This unlocked ALL of their stretch goals! Congrats to DoW, and the over 7,000 folks who backed the campaign!

Have you backed any of these projects? We'd love to hear what pushed you off the fence, and what you're excited about!

Thanks for reading TOG! Please tell your friends about us, and don't forget to check us out over on Facebook and Twitter, and don't forget to sign up on the right to receive TOG via email!

Terra Mystica Drops May 1!

MysticaCoverZ-Man Games just announced on their Facebook page that the highly anticipated Terra Mystica is in the warehouse, and will be in stores on May 1. Here's the publisher's description... "In the land of Terra Mystica dwell 14 different peoples in seven landscapes, and each group is bound to its own home environment, so to develop and grow, they must terraform neighboring landscapes into their home environments in competition with the other groups.

Terra Mystica is a game with very little luck that rewards strategic planning. Each player governs one of the 14 groups. With subtlety and craft, the player must attempt to rule as great an area as possible and to develop that group's skills. There are also four religious cults in which you can progress. To do all that, each group has special skills and abilities.

Taking turns, the players execute their actions on the resources they have at their disposal. Different buildings allow players to develop different resources. Dwellings allow for more workers. Trading houses allow players to make money. Strongholds unlock a group's special ability, and temples allow you to develop religion and your terraforming and seafaring skills. Buildings can be upgraded: Dwellings can be developed into trading houses; trading houses can be developed into strongholds or temples; one temple can be upgraded to become a sanctuary. Each group must also develop its terraforming skill and its skill with boats to use the rivers. The groups in question, along with their home landscape, are:

  • Desert (Fakirs, Nomads)
  • Plains (Halflings, Cultists)
  • Swamp (Alchemists, Darklings)
  • Lake (Mermaids, Swarmlings)
  • Forest (Witches, Auren)
  • Mountain (Dwarves, Engineers)
  • Solitude (Giants, Chaos Magicians)

Proximity to other groups is a double-edged sword in Terra Mystica. Being close to other groups gives you extra power, but it also means that expanding is more difficult..."

My all accounts this is a heavy, gamer's game—so not something you'll want to pull out with your nongamer friends over for dinner and looking for something to play. Still, can't wait to try this one out. Thanks for reading!

Oh, What a Wookie!

SWC08-box-rightChewbacca is on the scene in Star Wars The Card Game. Fantasy flight has announced the first deluxe expansion of the game "Edge of Darkness" adds 22 new objective sets, which is a total of 132 cards, adding two new affiliations: DS Scum and Villainy and the LS Smugglers and Spies. It's within this deluxe expansion that Fantasy Flight revealed today (4/10/13) that the objective set "Wookiee Life Debt" will in fact feature Chewbacca himself. And at a quick glance he will be ready to tear into the Empire and deal some serious damage, even if he takes damage during an encounter! It's not wise to upset this wookiee.

chewbaccaWe're still waiting on the multiplayer expansion for this game, to really see the full potential of the title, but from looking at the new wookie objective set, LS players have been given some much-needed fire power to stand up to the Empire.

You can find the full review of the new objective set here.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to tell your friends about us, and do those social Facebook and Twitter things too!

Black Spy—A Teaser from Z-Man Games

Z-Man Games this morning has teased a new game on their Facebook page. Black Spy LogoBlack Spy, from the little information they've given, sounds like a trick-taking game with some intrigue mixed in.

From Z-Man "Black Spy is a film noir take on Hearts. You must enlist the best spies to get what you want, but beware of the black spies; they will turn against you if given the chance. Keeping your hands clean won’t be easy. Can you outsmart your opponents?"

The juiciest bit of info from the announcement is that the game is designed by Ticket to Ride craftsman Alan Moon!

We'll keep our ears to the ground and bring you more info as it becomes available.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for a great week of news, reviews and interviews this week!

2013 Origins Awards Nominations Announced!

The Nominees for the 39th Annual Origins awards have been announced via the GAMA Web site. Making a HUGE showing in the list of nominees is Wizkids Games, with 5 titles up for an award! Not bad for a company who just several years ago had shut down operations. Wizards of the Coast, also with 5 nominations, continues to make an impact on the gaming industry. While Catan moguls Mayfair Games make a showing with Catan Junior and Clash of Wills. And we can't forget AEG bringing 3 nominees to the table this year including Love Letter and the much beloved Smash Up!

Here are some quick highlights of the games nominated:

Crossroads

 Best Board Game -

Hot Rod Creeps – Cryptozoic Kingdom Builder – Queen Games (Read our Review) Lords of Waterdeep – Wizards of the Coast Mage Knight – WizKids (Read our Review) Mage Wars – Arcane Wonder

smashcover

The nominees for Best Traditional Card Game are -

Doctor Who the Card Game – Cubicle 7 Entertainment/Treefrog Games Legendary – Upper Deck Locke & Key – Cryptozoic Penny Arcade: Rumble in R’lyeh – Cryptozoic Smash Up – AEG (Read our review)

catanjrBest Family, Party or Children's Game -

Catan Junior – Mayfair Games (Read our Review) Escape: The Curse of the Temple – Queen Games Love Letter – AEG Once Upon A Time 3rd Edition – Atlas Games Quarriors! Dice Building Game – WizKids Games (Read our review)

For the complete list of categories and nominees you can visit the GAMA website by clicking right here.

Feel like a game got slighted? Are you pulling for a favorite to win? Let us know! Sound off here in the comments, or shout out on Facebook and Twitter!

A Fund-Raiser for the Late Zombies Designer

zombiesOn March 24, Todd Breitenstein, designer of the board game Zombies!—and its countless sequels and expansions—lost his fight with cancer. The 47-year-old is survived by his wife and three children. US distributor ACD Distribution has announced in a press release that they "will donate all of the profits from sales of all Twilight Creations' games from March 24th through April 12th to the Todd Breitenstein Benefit Fund. In addition, ACD Distribution will match whatever amount is raised in this way as an additional contribution to the fund."

 

Fox and Chicken—Kickstarter Weekly

Kickstarter seems to have no shortage of fun and interesting new games these days, and some that are innovative spins on classic favorites. Today's Kickstarter Weekly is in the latter category. Michael Fox, who is the host and writer of The Little Metal Dog Show, is also the brains behind this campaign.

chickenfoxFox and Chicken is a new "slightly more family friendly" version of the old standard, Werewolf—or as some know it Mafia.

Fox and Chicken pits players against each other in the form of a team of Foxes who are out to eat all the chickens at night fall, and in some twisted role of animal kingdom law, the chickens have the power to execute players who they believe may be a fox.

foxchicken

The unique, and fun twist to this is there are a handful of special role cards that give certain chickens and foxes special abilities. These special cards also have a bearing on the entire game, depending on the player's fate.

The project is only a few days in and is already at nearly 40% funded. For US backers the total is roughly $18 to get your own copy.

If you're a fan of the Werewolf/Mafia originals, this looks like a great way to spiff up the old standby and create a new experience with casual gamers, without diving into a completely new set of rules!

Thanks for reading and as always we appreciate your interactions in the comments, and on Facebook and Twitter!

What News From the Shire?

With last year's release of the first film installment of the Hobbit, the world of gaming rejoices—and of course cashes in! There have been several games released over the past several months, as well as a few upcoming that may scratch the itch you have for more Tolkien-based games; here's a short (if not completely inclusive) list of them:

The Hobbit - Over Hill & Under HillThe Lord of the Rings Living Card Game Saga expansions - Fantasy Flight released two Hobbit-centric additions to their smash hit LOTR-LCG: The Hobbit: Over Hill and Under Hill, and The Hobbit: On the Doorstep

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOTR Dice Building Game

 

 

The Lord of the Rings Dice Building Game

Wizkids, who brought you the unique spin of dice building vs. deck building in Quarriors, has released (it is available NOW!) The LOTR themed game, and we have it on good word it's more than just a re-theme of Quarriors!

 

 

 

 

 

hobbit trick

 

 

The Hobbit Card Game - An inexpensive, trick-taking game with a Tolkien theme from Fantasy Flight Games and designer Martin Wallace—also available now!

 

 

 

 

LOTR Deck-building GameLord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring Deck Building Game -—Cryptozoic, publisher of the World of Warcraft TCG, has thrown their hat into the Tolkien "ring" (see what I did there?) with a deck builder of their own, which is just recently available!

 

 

 

 

 

hobbit_boxThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Cryptozoic's second go at the genre, this time in board game form, this is expected sometime in the second quarter of 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

Sadly we have no review copies of any of these games, but as soon as we do we will post our reviews as soon as we can!

We know there are tons more of titles out there that take place in Middle Earth! We'd love to hear of any diamonds in the rough you've discovered!

Thanks for reading, and for those who were here yesterday, yes, that was an April Fool's day post; we hope you got a good laugh out of it, and if you came here today looking for the latest in crocheting news, we extend our apologies.

Give us a shout in the comments with your favorite Tolkien titles, and hit us up on Facebook and Twitter!