Around the Table Q1 Winter 2021

Q1 2021

KINGDOM RUSH Rift in Time

Diversity & Inclusion

Discover the last word in Tabletop Tower Defense

in board game components

Pivoting Amid Uncertainty Post Covid-19 retail lessons

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An amazing “heroic" drawing game for 2 to 4 Dungeon Masters featuring art by John Kovalic!

Coming Soon.

Pre-order now!

New web shop for retailers with shipping from the US and dedicated customer service.

Order now at pegasus-web.com!

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AROUND THE

®

A Publication by the Game Manufacturers Association

BOARD OF DIRECTORS & STAFF

Q1 2021

CONTRIBUTORS

PRESIDENT Thank you to the following industry professionals for contributing their time and Stephan Brissaud IELLO expertise to Around the Table! Please enjoy their articles throughout this third issue.

If you would like to contribute to future issues of Around the Table by suggesting a VICE-PRESIDENT topic or writing your own article, please email media@gama.org.

Chris Spivey DARKER HUE STUDIOS TREASURER Gary Alaka GAP CLOSER GAMES SECRETARY Jeff Tidball ATLAS GAMES Michael Surbrook Michael Surbrook DISTRIBUTOR CHAIR got his game Sito Sanchez PEACHSTATE HOBBY developer feet wet by DISTRIBUTION creating Kazei 5 for the HERO System back in 1999. Since then he’s written material RETAIL CHAIR for BlackWyrm games (Kazei 5 2nd Dawn Studebaker THE GAME ANNEX Edition, Larger Than Life), D3 Adventures, DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE Fantasy Flight Games (assorted Dark Julie Ahern GREENBRIER GAMES Heresy and Rogue Trader products), Hero Games (Asian Bestiary I & II, Fantasy Hero DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE Complete, Ninja Hero), and High Rock Press Andrew Chesney CHIP THEORY GAMES (Aaron Allston’s Strike Force), and created a number of PDF products for Evil Beagle DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE Games.

Nicole Lindroos GREEN RONIN PUBLISHING

DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE Jeff Pinsker AMIGO GAMES EMERITUS BOARD MEMBER Will Niebling KOPLOW GAMES

GAMA STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR John Stacy DEPUTY DIRECTOR Chris Materni COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Kelly Mignogna EDUCATION MANAGER Melissa Jacobs EVENTS MANAGER Paul McGraw

The Game Manufacturers Association

Kari Bakken Kari Bakken has been navigating the chaos at Black & Read, a new and used book, music and game store for over fifteen years. As the primary buyer for the game section, she has been curating board games, RPGs and accessories for a diverse and dedicated Colorado gaming community.

Jennifer Ward Jennifer M. Ward and her husband Scott Martin own Crazy Squirrel Games & Toys in Fresno, Calif. Jennifer runs the business and has spent the last 10 years learning the ins and outs of retail and customer service. Other than the worker placement and resource management game of running a business, she loves role playing with friends. Her previous career was journalism and she often spends time figuring out where commas go throughout Around The Table. She also currently serves as the secretary for GAMA’s Retail Division.

In her spare time, she’s learning bass guitar, hiking around Yosemite, and battling imposter syndrome. You can reach her at jennifer@crazysquirrelgamestore.com.

258 East Campus View Blvd Columbus, OH 43235 Phone: 614-255-4500 Fax: 614-255-4499 www.gama.org • media@gama.org Q1 2021 • AROUND THE table 3

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AROUND THE

®

Q1 2021

A Publication by the Game Manufacturers Association Features

10 28 48

Adverstories Players Write the Best Adventures 4 Tips to increase player engagement

Tips and tricks to help retail stores sell games, written by the following companies Arcane Tinmen ApS

36

Diversity and Inclusion

AWEbase

14

In board game components

Bezier Games

26

Czech Games Edition

24

Pivoting Amid Uncertainty

Elf Creek Games

20

Post Covid-19 retail lessons

Floodgate Games

58

Iello 63 Indie Boards & Cards

34

KTBG/Burnt Island Games

32

Lucky Duck Games

6

Monte Cook Games

16

Osprey Games Publishing

18

Pegasus Spiele GmbH

8

7 Letter from the Executive Director

Rio Grande Games

50

7 Letter from the President

Skybound Games

46

Smirk & Dagger Games

40

Steve Jackson Games

60

Upper Deck

38

Van Ryder Games

9

Departments 3 GAMA Board and Staff

3

Contributors

42-45

New Products

52-56

GAMA News

Index of Advertisers

62

Around the Table © 2021 The Game Manufacturers Association Published by Fahy-Williams Publishing P.O. Box 1080, 171 Reed St. Geneva, NY 14456 P 800-344-0559 F 315-789-4263 To advertise, contact Amy Colburn at 315-789-6431 or email amy@fwpi.com.

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Discover the last word in

Tabletop Tower Defense with

By Az Drummond, Director of Marketing for Lucky Duck Games

W

elcome to Kingdom Rush: Rift in Time, where players must work together to fend off the furious onslaught of the mysterious Time Mage!

Players use unique heroes, powerful magic spells, and an arsenal of upgradable Towers to defend the Kingdom at all costs.

Kingdom Rush: Rift in Time is the tabletop adaptation of the famous mobile tower defense game Kingdom Rush from Ironhide Game Studio.

Tower Defense on the Tabletop

Rift in Time brings fresh gameplay that redefines how gamers think about tower defense on the tabletop. As you may expect, players will build towers to attack waves of incoming monstrous hordes; however, players are presented with a simple yet deep polyomino puzzle in every playthrough. They need to carefully position towers, co-operate to upgrade defenses, analyze possible attack directions and overcome monster special abilities to achieve victory.

Players also command heroes, which each come with a gorgeous miniature, hero board, and a selection of unique powers. The heroes and powers chosen for each scenario radically change the options available to players and allow for creative combinations. The gameplay is fully co-operative and table talk is continuous as there is no set player 6 AROUND THE table • Q1 2021

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turn order. Discussing strategies, combining player actions, and coordinating attacks is key to success and reveals truly rewarding decision making.

Something for Everyone

Rift in Time takes players through a campaign that slowly introduces new mechanisms and layers of complexity. Each new scenario adds spells, towers, monster abilities, and more as the story delves deeper into the Time Mage’s plans. Big bosses such as the 80mm tall “Lord Blackburn” or the mysterious “Time-Warped Angel” present unique scenario challenges and gameplay highlights.

One of the most welcoming aspects of Rift in Time is that every scenario can be played on one of five different difficulty levels. This allows families and new gamers to enjoy the game at their pace while also presenting seasoned players with the opportunity to take on “Heroic” or “Iron Mode” challenges that require near-perfect play. Players can track their progress with an included campaign map and stickers, marking off their progress and achievements as they go.

Continuous Content

The campaign and the scenarios in Rift in Time are re-playable, but it also includes an infinitely variable game mode called “Portal Storm.” This advanced option allows players to face multiple bosses, randomized hordes of monsters, and new “Storm Strike” cards that can cause chaos during the game. The game also comes with specific Solo Mode rules as part of the rulebook and has received high praise from prominent content creators as being “the best solo experience of 2020.”

Lucky Duck Games is supporting the Kingdom Rush IP into the future with two retail expansions for Rift in Time expected for Summer 2021 plus a sequel standalone game called “Elemental Uprising” planned for crowdfunding followed by a retail release in 2022.

Kingdom Rush: Rift in Time is a game for 1-4 players of ages 14+ and with scenarios lasting an average of 45-90 minutes. luckyduckgames.com

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FROM THE executive director

Dear friends,

W

elcome to the first issue of Around the Table for 2021.

Like many, I am hopeful that this year can be when we turn the corner on the pandemic. One thing we do know is that the way many of us do business will be changed by the events of the past year. Our featured article in this issue is by GAMA Retail Division board member Jennifer Ward with Crazy Squirrel Games in Fresno, California who will share some of the way’s retailers are adapting to a post-Covid world.

In addition, Karri Bakken, Black & Read, talks about “Diversity & Inclusion in Board Game Components” and the importance of why representation matters in games and life. And game designer Michael Surbook shares four tips to increase player engagement in his article “Players Write the Best Adventures”.

I would like to close by thanking those who have renewed their membership in GAMA this year. We appreciate your support of our mission to provide value to the tabletop games

industry through our many programs and services including this publication, the GAMA EXPO Online (March 16-23), the new Friendly Local Game Store Day (March 27), our Retailer Buyers Guides (Summer Sizzlers and Winter Wishlist) which share new and evergreen games from publisher members, Origins Game Fair (September 30-October 3), the ESSENtials Retailer Summit (October 12-13), and online education programs throughout the year.

As a member of GAMA, you can take part in all of these programs at no additional costs above your annual dues. Learn more about these programs and other benefits of membership by visiting https://www.gama.org/page/membership-types.

Regards, John Stacy Executive Director

FROM THE president

Dear GAMA members,

A

lthough 2020 is behind us, the challenges associated with the COVID pandemic are still real. I hope the situation will improve over the coming months, but we are still very uncertain about our ability to attend and run big events and shows. I am eager to travel again, as I’m sure many of you are, once I get vaccinated.

The team is putting together the digital version of GAMA EXPO, and I am looking forward to seeing all of you there

virtually. Some of the new tools they are implementing seem very exciting.

I hope everybody stays safe and warm.

Be excellent to each other.

Stephan Brissaud, President of the Board

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Save our Planet!

Heated negotiations are the name of the game in Kyoto

By Johanna Sadkovich, North American Sales and Marketing Executive - Pegasus Spiele

G

erman board game publisher Deep Print Games is excited to announce its latest release for the North American market, Kyoto!

Thematically centered around the 1997 Climate Change Conference in Japan, the world is depending on international leaders to take decisive action to prevent environmental collapse.

In this semi-cooperative family game by Sabine Harrer and Johannes Krenner, you are the decision makers! Players must scramble to quickly review and approve critical efforts aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change, convincing fellow campaigners to reach shared reduction goals while preserving as much of their own country’s wealth as possible.

Kyoto is played in a series of 90 second negotiation rounds, each broken into 3 phases. The first phase allows the round’s current speaker to collect money from the shared environmental fund and add it to their own coffers, as well as taking back certain cards still on the table from previous negotiation rounds.

The second and third phases see players examining various studies, proposing shared reduction and funding goals, and offering their own contributions to the cause. Visible impacts of each study are shared, but only the speaker will know of 8 AROUND THE table • Q1 2021

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the study’s hidden impacts, a recipe for underhanded dealings in favor of powerful interests lurking in the shadows.

During the game’s Contribution Phase, countries may also bribe each other to rescind offers that carry undesirable effects or to propose something else that is more favorable. After the 90 seconds are up, the elected speaker evaluates whether or not the negotiations were successful. If the necessary reduction and funding goals were met, the negotiation round was a success and players may move on to addressing the next concern. However, if any goals were not met the speaker must resolve the study’s impacts, potentially resulting in worsening air pollution, rising global temperatures, and the extinction of entire species. If any type of environmental damage reaches critical levels before the study deck runs out, the conference will flounder, and the leading country will shoulder the blame for

their failure to act. Can the world’s most powerful nations succeed in bringing Earth back from the brink, or will money and private interests win over all?

Kyoto features striking artwork by illustrator Christian Opperer who perfectly captures the game’s dilemma in a satirical manner. Take a deeper look into one of the most burning issues of our time, and discover rivalry, fun, and excitement in this entertaining real-time competition for the future of our planet!

Kyoto is designed for 3-6 players, ages 10 and up, and plays in 30-45 minutes.

It will be available in the US and Canada in Q1 of this year. Visit www.pegasusweb.com or check with your distributor for details.

Established in 2020, Deep Print Games is a board game publisher dedicated to developing unique playing experiences that make a lasting impression. They have an exciting lineup of fresh releases in 2021. Keep an eye out for these games and more by registering for their newsletter at deep-printgames.com or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

pegasus-web.com

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Reprint

or new edition?

By A.J. Porfirio – President, Van Ryder Games

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e recently decided that it was time to bring back Saloon Tycoon. After revisiting the game internally, we decided not just to reprint the game, but to make a 2nd edition of the game. In this article I hope to give you some insight into that decision making process.

All publishers strive to produce games that see success and result in multiple printings and thousands, or even tens of thousands of units of the game being sold. When a game achieves scale, it is a great place to be. But when do you reprint? And why might you choose to produce a new edition as opposed to a straight reprint. Well, let’s look at Saloon Tycoon and how we decided each for that situation.

Saloon Tycoon is a thematic Euro game where players each build their own unique saloon in the hopes of attracting influential citizens to their town so their business may flourish. Saloon Tycoon features a unique mechanism of tile stacking using tiles and cubes and has great table presence.

Saloon Tycoon originally had a nice sales run and was reprinted once. The game had been out-ofprint for a bit and we were seeing sufficient demand from the market, so we decided to do another reprint.

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As we sat down to play the game internally, we realized that there were some things about the design and the product that we wanted to update. This is the second most valid reason to do a new edition (the first being demand and if it will sell), so we explored the idea. The main discussion when determining to proceed with a 2nd edition is “will the work required, and the cost to do that work, be worth it from the standpoint of sales (#1) and the improvement of the game’s rating or customer experience (#2). Given we felt the answer to both questions was “yes,” we decided to proceed with the required development work.

We re-developed the game based on the feedback we’d received - both directly and indirectly - about how the game was received and what the customers liked and disliked. For Saloon Tycoon, that meant redoing the graphic design of the scoreboard, reducing the direct conflict that detracted from the core audience’s (Euro gamers) experience, and lengthening the game slightly to allow for larger and more robust Saloons. These improvements are a big part of what will make the new edition better, but it is equally important to us to make sure that we don’t remove or alter what makes the game magical in the first place!

It is important to understand that in many cases, the correct decision is to reprint the game you have. This is usually the case when demand is strong or getting stronger and time is of the essence. Also, while no game is loved by everyone, for some games any additional development would have a minimal impact (“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”).

So, if you’re a publisher or a designer, hopefully I’ve given you some food for thought should you find yourself asking: Should we reprint or make a new edition?

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PLAYERS Write the Best Adventures

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s

4 TIPS to Increase Player Engagement

By Michael Surbrook

W

hen introducing role-playing games to new gamers, the goal is to get them involved. This article looks at four ways you can encourage player participation,

enhance their experience, and increase engagement. While these techniques are suitable for players of any skill level, they are proven ways to get new players excited about playing and interested in the campaign and their participation within.

SESSION ZERO

Simply put, Session Zero is the session (or sessions) before the game begins. It lets you sit down with your players and discuss the proposed campaign —what system you want to use, what the game will be about (such as what genre), what table manners are expected (no electronic devices, for example), and so on. It is also the first moment to involve the players and get their input on location, genre, or ask them if they have something they’d like featured in your game (for example, a new player may want to meet/fight a dragon).

As an example, before running Curse of Strahd, I explained several things such as: the system would be Dungeons & Dragons 5e; the genre is gothic horror; the game would end once Strahd was defeated; we would use milestones; player character death isn’t the end of the PC, and that I we’d use an inspiration pool. While I did not think of it at the time, next time I run this campaign, I will make sure to ask what horror elements the players don’t want to see. Just because they agreed to play a horror game, doesn’t mean I have carte blanche to throw everything at them.

GROUP CHARACTER CREATION

As part of Session Zero, the players should create their characters together. This isn’t about a full-blown character sheet, but the concept.

Ask the players to talk about what they want to play – this can often lead to synergy as one player’s character concept spawns concepts for other players. You should make suggestions as needed, and take notes—odds are whatever the players are discussing with regards to their character’s backgrounds can be incorporated in your world, as well as provide campaign plot seeds. Finally, have your players talk through how they know one another and how they arrived at the game starting location.

As a follow up to character creation, you can have the players help create the NPCs their characters know. Not only does this take some design weight of your shoulders, but it also ensures the players will have NPCs they are interested and invested in. For example, while running my Well of the Worlds game, several players chose to have their characters become romantically involved with Well natives. Instead of fumbling around trying to create their romantic interests, I asked the players to describe each of their character’s love interests.

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YOU TELL ME

Once play begins, a way to enhance player investment and engagement by asking them to describe certain actions. Failure, for example. Instead of telling the player how they failed, you’ll get more creative (and enthusiastic) reactions if the player tells you. If the description is particularly funny, puts the character at a disadvantage, or is otherwise evocative, consider rewarding them with some form of in-game currency (for example, a bennie, a Fate chip, inspiration, resolve, or a style chip).

On the other hand, you can also have players describe an accomplishment. Matt Mercer (Critical Role) has famously asked “How do you want to do this?”, when a player’s character gets a killing blow on a foe.

Aside from slaying foes, you can also ask players to “give me a scene,” which can be of their characters searching for a clue, deciphering a code, preparing to cast a ritual spell, getting their gear ready, and so on. Not only does it put the player (and their character) in the spotlight, but it is also a great way to illustrate elements of a character's background or personality, without forcing the issue during regular play. Here’s an example of this; I once got a player to give me the scene for “how you caught up to and captured the villain” in a superhero game.

Finally, you can ask players to describe something their character finds, knows, or discovers. This lets the player stretch their imagination, adds to the world, and helps advance the plot. It also means that you can use the player’s responses to further build your adventure and world. If taken to extremes, it allows players to build the world as they go. For example, in the game Feng Shui you don't ask the GM if there is an alcove behind you when you need to hide, you tell them that, because in action movies, there's always an alcove to duck into.

PLAYERS WRITE THE BEST ADVENTURES

As a final note, let me explain the title of this article. Some time back, I was in a teen supers game, where my character was half-alien (his mother was from space), while another player was running an alien prince who was sent to Earth to learn something of himself. At one point my character blurted out: "You know what the difference between you and me is? My family has never tried to take over a planet." Guess what happened a session later?

There are many ways to use this idea. Write down player and player character comments and work up plots from what they say (in a horror game I was running, a player stated, “I guess I’m haunted by the ghost of my grandfather.” He wasn’t, until he said that. If a PC talks about wanting to do/ fight/meet/see something, consider introducing that something. If you’re running a mystery and the PCs decided that the person behind the events being investigated is Character A: Make it so. They'll think they're brilliant for figuring out the plot. You might create a plot with no master villain, simply wait for the PCs to guess, and select whomever they've chosen for responsibility.

These four examples are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to giving players agency and a sense of involvement in the game. If wondering which works best, especially with new players, start with Session Zero and then slowly add the others.

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Communicate, Markup, Go! A

WEbase is an online software platform that helps creative companies (such as game publishers) manage workflow with both internal and external contributors. AWEbase helps you organize required deliverables, track budgets, sign and issue freelance contracts, manage feedback on assets being created, and facilitates payments to third party contributors once the work is done.

As a publisher, one of your challenges in organizing commissioned work is having effective communications with freelancers. You need to provide direction, answer questions, hear ideas, and offer clear and precise feedback on important work. AWEbase makes this communication faster and easier than ever.

Here is an example of directing a piece of artwork with the software.

First (Fig. 1), upload references and descriptions for the artwork you need done, which is accessed by your chosen freelancer on the AWEbase contributor portal.

The freelancer then uploads their work-in-progress for review (Fig. 2). AWEbase allows for uploading and tracking different versions of work, enabling you to see 14 AROUND THE table • Q1 2021

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how the work has progressed.

Context adds clarity. Back and forth commentary between you and your freelancer are tied directly to the project (Fig. 3), avoiding the hairball of emails that typically defines this type of work.

Reinforce your comments by marking up the image directly to visually indicate your direction (Fig. 4). Draw right on it from in inside AWEbase, so that your freelancer may know exactly what part of the work you’re commenting on, and what changes you’d like to see. No more pulling screenshots in and out of Photoshop!

Streamlining the procurement of artwork and images is just a small part of what AWEbase has to offer. With AWEbase, you can manage project budgets, maintain production schedules, delegate work (both internally and externally), and process freelancer contracts and payment requests—all from within one platform. As with images, AWEbase gives you similar tools to review and markup text documents, 3D files, audio tracks, and videos.

AWEbase is free to use for organizations with limited contracting needs, and charges a per-user fee for companies with more substantial volumes. Third party contributors have access to AWEbase at no cost. Try it today by visiting at awebase.com.

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CREATIVE ENTERPRISE TOOLS

BY ENTERPRISING CREATIVES Start your free account today at www.AWEbase.com

AWEbase and the AWEbase pencil logo are registered trademarks of AWEbase, Inc. 2020 All Rights Reserved.

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From Level 1 to 20:

The

“Campaign”

in the Ptolus Campaign Setting

By Monte Cook

A

t 672 pages, plus hundreds of pages of physical and digital extras included with the product, Ptolus: Monte Cook’s City by the Spire is a massive campaign setting. It’s a huge, deeply detailed city, loomed over by a giant spire, and built atop a seemingly endless range of dungeons. Urban intrigue, classic dungeon crawling, and adventures of all sorts are baked into every page of this tome.

In fact, my first idea for the product, when I developed the original version of the book back in the early 2000s, was for it to be a mega-adventure spanning an entire campaign, level 1 to 20. Once I got started planning that project, however, it became clear that such a thing is no longer an adventure. It is, by default, a campaign setting. Since you have to provide GMs with everything they need for the entire campaign (if you’re going to do it right, that is), what possible additional information could a campaign setting offer? So my idea for a big adventure turned into what amounted to a campaign setting in which there was enough adventure material to take characters from level 1 to 20. (In the end, there’s actually far more than enough—you could probably run several 1-to-20 campaigns without repeating much material.)

If you’re the kind of GM who doesn’t want to (or doesn’t have time to) create adventures on your own, Ptolus has you covered. The cool thing about the approach, though, is that if you’re the kind of GM who occasionally wants a premade adventure but often creates their own, Ptolus works for that as well. It’s not just an adventure, and thus it’s not a lead-you-by-the-nose series of encounters.

Because the book has all the context of an entire setting to back it up, it gives GMs all the room they want or need to create their own Ptolus epics.

So Ptolus, as a setting, is more of a sandbox than an adventure path. You can take it and do what you wish with it. But there’s one element, more than any other, that I think will figure strongly in most campaigns: the Spire. This unnatural, three-thousand-foot pinnacle literally looms over the city. Which means it looms over every campaign set there. Simply reaching it, let alone exploring its secrets, is well beyond the means of low-level adventurers. But the mythology and lore that surround it make it a powerful lure. The world’s deepest evil rests atop it (in fact, it was formed by the very earth itself pushing that evil away), and a lot of the book’s adventure content is tied to it. So there’s a strong sense that however your campaign starts, and wherever it wanders as you take on Ptolus’s many adventures, you know from day one where it will eventually end up.

The original version of Ptolus: Monte Cook’s City by the Spire was published for the 3e OGL in 2006. It’s being reissued in April in two versions: 5e and the Cypher System.

With over 30 years at it, Monte Cook has the longest continuous game design career in RPGs. He’s worked on hundreds of products, including co-designer of D&D 3rd edition as well as designer of Heroclix, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, Ptolus, Arcana Evolved, Numenera, the Cypher System, and so much more. He’s also worked on a number of Planescape products, Call of Cthulhu d20, Monte Cook’s World of Darkness, a whole bunch of d20 stuff, and — going way back — products for Rolemaster and Champions. He’s also an accomplished fiction and nonfiction author.

He’s a founder, and the Creative Director, at Monte Cook Games.

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An Incredible Setting Ptolus: Monte Cook’s City by the Spire 672-page hardcover; extras packet; digital content.

5e and Cypher System versions $149.99 MCG264 (5e version) MCG265 (CS version)

A Player’s Guide to Ptolus 32-page softcover with key player-facing world and character information.

System-neutral $17.99 MCG268

A city of mysteries, secrets, and dark histories, forever in the evil shadow of an impossibly tall spire. All atop a massive network of ancient dungeons that draw adventurers from every corner of the world.

An Immersive World A dynamic city that feels alive, with page after page of amazing sights and ideas. Steeped in atmosphere, culture, and detail. Throughout Ptolus, wheels are in motion and new discoveries are being unearthed. But the story is yet to be told—because it will be your story.

An Amazing Product 672 pages. Dozens of additional handouts and maps, plus another 300 pages of downloadable content. All uniquely accessible and easy on the GM. And loaded with premium features.

Monte Cook’s legendary setting returns in April ptolusrpg.com

TM and ©2020 Monte J. Cook.

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Undaunted I

n North Africa, the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) is a thorn in the side of the Italian forces, disrupting vital lines of communication and striking at strategic targets ranging far and wide. In Normandy, the U.S. forces are braced against a German counter-attack, determined to maintain their foothold in the region. The fighting is intense and the outcome hangs on a knife-edge. With everything at stake, you desperately need so make sure you put them to good use! vehicles in working order. You’ll also be reinforcements!

You’ll also be able to call upon able to call in even more air support, but be

Undaunted: Reinforcements is a specialist soldiers ­— either the U.S. careful as Bombs falling from the sky can’t modular expansion that Introduces new Grenadiers of the German Submachine distinguish between friend and foe. stuff to the wargame Undaunted. Unleash Gunners — to bolster your Rifleman the might of the German and American units. These introduce unique combat Joint Operations: Rules for playing tanks and see how your bolstered actions that aren’t available to a standard Normandy or North Africa with 4 squads fare against them in Undaunted: Rifleman, offering some added flexibility players in teams of 2 Normandy, or make use of mines, on the battlefield. Use them wisely.

Sometimes on the battlefield two assault aircraft, and other new units as heads are better than one. The Joint you attempt to outfox your opponent Under Cover of Night: Mines and New Operations expansion offers a new in Undaunted: North Africa.

Whether “Atlantis Rising was a good cooperative game.

Elf Creek Actions in Undaunted: North Africa challenge for Undaunted players as they you have one or both of the games, you’ll

Make the Theme, most of yourart, new units in must combine tactics and teamwork took it and made it a great one. tension, story, be able to play Undaunted for the first Undaunted: North Africa, with both the to claim victory as they play through 8 and excitement intertwine to make a game that stands out time in 4-player mode or test your mettle LRDG and the Italians getting unique scenarios in the new 4-player team game. in a solo mode Turczi and David reinforcements to bring into battle. For the inbyaDávid crowded marked.”

Digby. bring some added firepower to the Enemy Unknown: rules for playing - Tom Vasel, The Dice LRDG, Tower table with the Submachine Gunner and the Normandy or North Africa solo Armour and Armament: Vehicles and Grenadier, and outfox your opponents by

Put your leadership abilities to the Specialists in Undaunted: Normandy laying mines between tiles with the new test by facing off against the game itself

Bring your armoured forces to Sapper unit Rising] -- the perfect to halt an most in the new solo mode,games designedI’ve

by Dávid “[Atlantis is way one of the captivating bear in Undaunted: Normandy, with enemy advance or force them into your Turczi and David Digby. Every scenario ever played, filled with nail-biting tension and moments of the iconic Sherman and Stuart tanks field of fire. from the Undaunted series can be played triumph.” of the US facing off against Germany’s

For the Italians, the Sniper offers as either side, giving you over 60 possible formidable Panzer and Panther tanks. devastating long-range while the setups to try!

- Zee Garcia, The firepower, Dice Tower These awe-inspiring machines could be

Undaunted: Reinforcements is Submachine Gunner offers a close-range the difference between victory and defeat, threat and the Mechanic can keep your available September 2021 18 AROUND THE table • Q1 2021

2021_AroundTheTable_Q1_Winter_3.5.indd 18

ospreypublishing.com

3/5/21 11:46 AM

INCOMING TRANSMISSION ...

Created by Joseph A. McCullough, author of the award-winning Frostgrave and Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago, Archipelago Stargrave transports players to a galaxy torn apart by war. Vast pirate fleets roam from system to system, robbing, extorting, and enslaving anyone they come across, while independent operators roam the dead stars in small ships, scratching out a living any way they can.

Players take on the role of one of these independent operators, choosing from a selection of backgrounds and assembling a crew to join them on their adventures. Each successful sortie will see their crews grow in power, but as they grow it becomes more likely that a pirate fleet will take note of their activities and come after them!

AVAILABLE APRIL 2021 Stargrave ad.indd 1 Untitled-1 2

22/01/2021 11:52:30 3/8/21 11:38 AM

The People of Atlantis Remain Hopeful

By Caleb Wilson

M

idnight. The pleasure halls resound with music and laughter. Dancers, singers, feasters, and layabouts gather in rooms shimmering with blue light. The whole island of Atlantis shines with the mystic energy that powers our wonders. Every day is like the one ending now, in this paradise we constructed for ourselves.

We are proud that what the gods raised from the sea, the people perfected.

Though listen, there is a hubbub in the street: heralds from the office of the Oracle, shriek of a cataclysm sent by those gods we have lately ignored.

Such destruction is inconceivable.

We remain hopeful that this is all a misunderstanding.

Dawn. The libraries are flooding. The tears of the librarians seem to rival the ocean's waters. Already the outer wings have entirely submerged, taking centuries of knowledge with them to molder beneath the waves. Heads of eels peek from pigeonholes which once held a thousand scrolls. The scribes have taken up diving! Each scroll they recover from the depths, more valuable than any pearl, might contain the schematics for some ancient device or a longunconsidered strategy to ease our plight.

Thus, we remain hopeful.

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Untitled-1 3

Noon. The earth groans and weeps.

This hour we have learned that our mountains' seeming strength was illusory. Ridges and summits of granite have all crumbled like the softest soapstone. We have lost, to the waves' ceaseless gnawing, the more powerful forges which safety demanded be built farther from the inhabited zones at the island's heart. Yet the older, simpler forges are still in steady operation, hard at work refining the great quantities of atlantium the engineers call for.

The councillors, prone to squabbling, now cast aside all differences and work together to coordinate our survival. So, we remain hopeful.

Dusk. With the fading light our people collectively understand how easily and quickly our ways of life could vanish into the briny depths.

Waking from their blinding dreams, the pleasure seekers have vowed to labor now, that they might find their pleasures again later once the crisis has passed. The citizens have organized themselves into armies of volunteers to scour the (crumbling) hills for gold and the (sinking) forests for crystals. Former pleasure halls are stacked with resources the volunteers have recovered, safe for now from the

surging, bubbling, sucking, drowning waters. These halls ring with cheering Chants of Courage, reminding us to remain hopeful.

Dark. The Gods' wrathful waves beat against the core of the island.

Our last refuge here is shielded by humming barriers of mystic energy, thin as parchment yet strong enough to stop divine fury, at least for now.

The six peninsulas of Atlantis, once wonders of the natural world, are but stubs, accessible only to those bravest seafarers willing to brave the cauldron of currents. But the engineers have almost delivered our salvation: the great portal is nearly finished. Already the artificers have seen, shimmering on the other side, the site to which we plan to escape and rebuild our civilization.

It is a paradise of pines on white peaks.

The sky is blue and calm and everyone is pleased to see that there are no oceans nearby. We remain hopeful.

Players of Atlantis Rising are the city’s last hope. You are the reason her people remain hopeful. Can you deliver the Atlanteans from certain doom?

Atlantis Rising, from Elf Creek Games, will be back in stock this spring!

elfcreekgames.com

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COM I NG SO O N Untitled-1 4

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“Atlantis Rising was a good cooperative game. Elf Creek took it and made it a great one. Theme, art, tension, story, and excitement intertwine to make a game that stands out in a crowded marked.”

- Tom Vasel, The Dice Tower “[Atlantis Rising] is one of the most captivating games I’ve ever played, filled with nail-biting tension and moments of triumph.”

- Zee Garcia, The Dice Tower

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Best Cooperative Game

Best Artwork & Presentation

BACK IN PRINT, SPRING 2021 2021_AroundTheTable_Q1_Winter_3.5.indd 23

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CGE LAUNCH KITS HOW TO GUARANTEE A KIT ON RELEASE

S

ince our last article in the Fall Q4 2020 issue (you should check it out!) launch kits for our newest game releases Lost Ruins of Arnak and Under Falling Skies have been distributed. All we can say is we were BLOWN AWAY by the response and demand you, our retail partners, have shown. Due to some unfortunate damages suffered during transport, we did not have enough Under Falling Skies kits available for everyone, but we are continuing to refine this process and are moving forward with launch kits for our upcoming 2021 games.

As we mentioned on our Czech Games Edition Retailer Facebook Group, if you’re a retailer who attempted to pre-order a launch kit for Under Falling Skies and did not receive it, please contact me and I will make sure you get a copy of the promotional puzzle and a store demo copy (if/when available). If you aren’t a member of our Facebook ... why don't you go sign up now?

It’s ok ... I can wait until you get back.

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Now, where was I? Oh yes, so we will be doing launch kits for our games going forward, and this will be the only way to guarantee yourself a demo copy of the game at the launch of future base games. BUT how can we guarantee that you get a launch kit if you want one?

Here is what we are trying for our next launch kit, which will be OUT OF THIS WORLD! • We will be soliciting launch kits for preorder earlier than before.

• There will be an order cutoff date.

• All kits ordered prior to the cutoff date will be guaranteed.

We’re learning as we go, so any feedback you can provide us will be appreciated, we’ll keep an eye out for discussion on this topic in our Facebook retailer group (hint hint).

Now let’s talk briefly about Retail Store Visits! Recently I have had the chance to

visit several retailers in the Midwest and while there, I recorded some walkthrough video to showcase their stores. The purpose of these walkthroughs are not to highlight CGE games, but to show off the store itself.

During these videos, we can introduce your store, do a full walkthrough, and highlight the cool things you have to offer, along with anything that makes your location special or unique.

Don’t be alarmed, I’m taking full precautions during these visits, and they are happening slowly over time region-byregion. If you are interested in having me visit your store, just reach out to me! I am building a list and would love to have your store included. You can email me directly ... and there is also a sign-up form on the retailer group.

Stay safe, be healthy and keep an eye on the starry skies for exciting announcements coming soon from CGE!

by Justin Sweigart, CGE Retail Support Specialist facebook.com/groups/cgeretail czechgames.com

3/5/21 11:47 AM

TAKE CHARGE OF DEFENDING CITIES OF EARTH FROM AN ALIEN INVASION! Under Falling Skies is a solo game with a multi-mission campaign where all your actions are powered by an innovative dice placement mechanic. Expand your underground base, shoot down enemy ships, research their weaknesses, and complete your mission before your base is destroyed!

AGE: 12 +

PLAYERS: 1+

TIME: 20–40 MIN

MSRP: $29.95

W E N AND

BR

cge.a

s/uf s

i

!

S E S A E L E R

EXPLORE JUNGLES, FIND ARTIFACTS, AND DISCOVER THE LOST RUINS OF ARNAK! Players lead rival expeditions to a newly discovered island. Through a unique combination of worker placement and deckbuilding, each expedition attempts to uncover the lost island’s secrets.

s/ari a . e g c

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AGE: 12 +

PLAYERS: 1–4

TIME: 30/ MIN

MSRP: $59.95

3/5/21 11:47 AM

Not Just Another

Train Game M

aglev Metro will be, for better or worse, labeled as a train game … because it has trains. However, it completely breaks the mold of traditional train games, creating something new and unique. Sure, there have been games about subways/metros before, but Maglev Metro does so many things differently — and better — that it’s going to breathe new life into the theme.

From the futuristically styled cover illustration (on the surprisingly heavy box) to the glowing translucent-topped metal player train cars, Maglev Metro is one of those games that you’ll be showing off to your friends just because it looks so good.

It starts with the components, such as the custom heavy metal subway token used as the start player marker. It continues when you place the double-sided gameboard (maps of both Manhattan and Berlin are included) on the table. Each side is 4mm thick punchboard, and they are recessed to hold the 14 giant 7mm thick station tiles, and the oversized 7mm thick Hub station.

The station tiles are so

thick because they serve as anchors to keep the player tracks in place. The tracks are another highlight of the components: There are 72 clear plastic hex-shaped track tiles, each 1.5mm thick with a bright, clear track shown in a player’s color. In a first for any kind of train game, these transparent tiles can be stacked on top of each other, displaying up to four different colored tracks simultaneously, allowing them to run both parallel and to cross each other.

Each player gets a futuristic translucent train car in their player color. These pieces have a nice hefty, solid feel to them (and also resists tipping thanks to their thick metal underside). They don’t just look pretty; they are also designed to hold up to four of the 104 wooden custom designed meeple passengers (which have been pulled from a luxuriously thick cloth bag). They were designed this way because in this pickup and deliver game, players actually pick-up passengers, place them into their trains, move those trains across their tracks, and then deliver them to a matching station.

When those passengers are delivered, players place

them onto their oversized player boards, which are also recessed with dozens of passenger-shaped slots. Each passenger placed increases the players’ abilities, such as increasing the distance their train can move, upping the capacity of their trains, and even giving them additional actions on their turns. Some of the passengers are worth victory points, and figuring out how to balance increasing your engine vs. getting points is a delicious decision for players each and every turn. At the end of the game, players score points for not just delivered passengers, but also how much track they’ve placed on the board, and for fulfilling one or more secret goal cards (they can unlock more cards via their player board).

Players add up their scores on the supplied scorepad, and a winner is declared.

Win or lose, playing the game is so incredibly satisfying that after the first try, players usually want to play again immediately. They may even want to switch it up with the other map (which isn’t just a different location but has a few rule twists as well) to compare the different strategies used for each. Maglev Metro transcends traditional train games by so much that it is simply redefining the genre.

T

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beziergames.com

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o

The Future

of Train Games 2021_AroundTheTable_Q1_Winter_3.5.indd 27

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Diversity and Inclusion in Board Game Components

W

hat color do you want to be?

It’s still a common opening line when playing many games.

Online discussions query whether you are inspired by red, drawn to blue or partial to green. But does playing Mr. Green or the druid or the wheelchair meeple adjust that tendency? Would you derive more enjoyment from playing Miss Scarlet? Do you appreciate that the option exists or value that designers have gone further to create strong nuanced female characters in games?

Would a character that looks nothing like you tempt you with

interesting statistics or play dynamics?

Games that have a strong narrative have the potential to provide diverse worlds for everyone to explore. Character design incorporates different play styles, promotes role playing, and provides a variety of engagement opportunities in cooperative games. Remaining true to the created world, designers can play with a variety of character types represented in innovative ways. Humanoid or alien depictions can enhance the overall sense of diversity in a world of play. Social deduction games and cooperative games often focus on the

by Kari Bakken, Black & Read

different capabilities of characters and many designers and artists have taken this opportunity to play with unique representations — even of public domain characters we think we know.

The artistic design of some games has embraced the representation of different ethnicities, genders, generations, and body types. Some realistically and at other times in fun cartoonish realms. The game industry has been watching Hollywood struggle with the reality that representation matters and how to thoughtfully reflect this in television and film. Telling stories and presenting worlds that have not been previously represented - respectfully and authentically. Tossing visuals out into the realm isn’t the goal; presenting unique and interesting characters when humanoid representations are part of the game is key. A single game does not need to incorporate the full range of the diversity in the world, but the industry could.

When One Deck Dungeon presented a diverse range of female characters for a dungeon crawl adventure, there a was a small outcry from some male players that there wasn’t a male character for them. However, most of the men I know either had no problem playing adventuring characters regardless of the

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perceived gender or thought it was cool to see, regardless of whether they intended to play.

Side-stepping this potential concern, creators have utilized double-sided character boards to reflect male and female artistic versions. This leaves the choice in the hands of the players. Even when a game has a diverse array of characters, it is always the players choice. Many gamers will still choose a character with the statistics that favor their personal style of game play, rather than physical appearance. Perhaps they both line up, or not. It’s a creative world and we can play as we like.

Looking through my collection, I have found that most of my games are diversity neutral, potentially a more inclusion friendly approach as you are essentially playing as yourself. Many of these games have purely decorative art with little or no human portrayals and appeal to players on gameplay and visual attractiveness. Some companies have used silhouettes to enable players to imagine themselves in the roles. Fog of Love released two variant covers with same sex couples and one cover with the blue silhouette in a wheelchair, offering gamers the option to select the cover that they feel best represents their own relationship.

Game professionals have evaluated color choice and added symbols to cards and other components to address the difficulties of some levels of color-blindness.

Some designers and publishers have committed to double coding for colorblind accessibility. Even if the designers have not considered the colorblind challenges, there is a website that evaluates games and makes suggestions to adjust the components for ease of game play (colorblindgames.com).

Role players now have the option of Braille dice - Nyctophobia was created such that a blind person could play. Perhaps we will see new games in the future that continue to open the accessibility of gaming further.

Companies dedicated to addressing diversity in the workplace have designed

games to be played at the end of their programs to show the strength of diversity.

It seems that they could have just selected a variety of cooperative games to show the benefit of different strengths and perspectives to achieving a goal. Perhaps people who play games are already attuned to the potential benefits of diversity in problem solving situations.

The world of gaming is expanding. It’s a world that should embrace all types of people regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual-orientation, or social-economic status. Game designers, publishers and artists have the challenge of breathing life into a new game while considering the accessibility, inclusiveness, and diversity of the components. They have an opportunity to tempt someone into trying a game or capture the attention of someone new to gaming.

How they engage in this challenge may well determine the future innovators in board games.

Suggested reading: Kathleen Hartin, 2020. “Representation in Board Games Matters,” Meeple Mountain. meeplemountain.com/articles/ representation-in-board-games-matters Dr. Lauta Peli February 2020. “How Diversity in Board Games Captures the Spice of Tabletop Life,” Tabletop Gaming. tabletopgaming.co.uk/features/howdiversity-in-board-games-captures-thespice-of-tabletop-life Tanya Pobuda, December 2, 2018. “Assessing Gender and Racial Representation in the Board Game Industry,” Analog Game Studies. analoggamestudies.org/2018/12/ assessing-gender-and-racialrepresentation-in-top-ratedboardgamegeek-games Q1 2021 • AROUND THE table 29

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2021_AroundTheTable_Q1_Winter_3.5.indd 31

3/5/21 11:47 AM

Creating a

Cozy Game

By Sean Jacquemain

W

hen the KTBG team sat down with Roberta Taylor to first play the game that would become Creature Comforts, the reaction was resounding and immediate.

Everyone loved it! There was something very different about the game and it elicited a specific feeling of being cozy and safe. It was like being wrapped in a warm blanket in front of a roaring fire.

Board games often leave us feeling different emotions when we play them.

Winning a tight game of Pandemic might bring you closer to your teammates in celebration. Losing a tight game of Monopoly might make you feel … certain things about the victor.

It was interesting to work on a game that was competitive but didn’t overly feel that way. Players could have a fun experience preparing their den for winter and at the end of it all, someone would have collected the most points.

There was (intentionally) no animosity built in. It’s a feeling we don’t often get from non coop games.

KTBG looked to extend that experience throughout the entire game. Any time there could be a conflict or competition, they defaulted to the friendliest resolution. Players can send family members to the same spaces on the Maple Valley board, Travelers to the Inn often promote friendly actions between players, and many of the Improvements in the game actively help other players or provide them with resource collection opportunities.

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Over this very tough past year that we’ve all experienced, it was refreshing to work on a game focused on community and friendship. Where the goal was not to destroy an enemy, but to take care of those closest to you. It probably didn’t hurt at all that the theme of gathering goods and staying indoors was relatable to … well, everyone at the moment.

To bring the world of Creature Comforts to life, KTBG went with a familiar name. Shawna Tenney had teamed with them in the past for Bugs on Rugs and that relationship gave them a shorthand to share ideas on the new project. Artistic Director Josh Cappel could give Tenney an idea of the world they were looking to create, and she was able to deliver.

The result was a main board brimming with life and activity, home boards that suggest a snug place to spend the winter, and Comfort cards of all sorts of things anyone would like to have in a respectable den. That’s not even mentioning the friendly cast of characters that reside in Maple Valley. Have you seen that skunk?

Creature Comforts is the result of a designer, artist, and publisher coming together with a shared vision and moving together in one direction. When you have that sort of synergy, the result is a final product everyone can be proud of. Board games can make you feel different things, and more than anything the goal with Creature Comforts is to make you feel comfy.

Creature Comforts will be coming to retail in Q4 of 2021. kidstablebg.com

3/5/21 11:47 AM

TANTRUM HOUSE

FAMILY GAME OF THE YEAR 2020

BOARD GAME SPOTLIGHT TOP 10 GOLD WINNER 2020

Explore the unique 3D gameboard; unearth incredible dinosaur fossils as your paleontologist rivals shift the terrain around you!

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BOARD GAME SPOTLIGHT TOP 10 GOLD WINNER 2020

BY DAVID DIAZ • ART BY APOLLINE ETIENNE

THE DICE TOWER TOP 100 OF ALL TIME

Territory denial. Cascading production. Magic & muscle. An innovative game for 2-5 trolls that is easy to learn but hides rich depths!

JAY CORMIER & GRAEME JAHNS • ART BY KWANCHAI MORIYA

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BURNTISLANDGAMES.COM

3/5/21 11:47 AM

Kodama Forest F

ollowing in the footsteps of, and set in the world of, the hit games Kodama: The Tree Spirits, Kodama Duo, and Kodama 3D, Indie Boards and Cards’ newest game featuring those lovable forest spirits, Kodama Forest, is soon to hit game store shelves.

Kodama Forest brings an interesting spin to the Kodamaverse. Instead of growing your own tree and trying to outscore your opponents, you’re going to be growing an entire forest, alongside your opponents! You’ll be sharing a plot of dirt with each neighbor, and it is within this dirt that your forest will soon grow.

You and your neighbors will each take turns placing tiles on your shared plots, trying to cover the most dirt possible while also laying out patterns that summon friendly woodland creatures into your forest.

Each round, you will have three random tiles in your hand. One of these

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will be placed on the shared board to your left, one will be placed on the shared board to your right, and one will be kept for the next round. You must coordinate with your neighbors to create the patterns needed to invite the sleepy pandas, beautiful butterflies, and slippery frogs into your forest. Each of these animals will take up more space on your board, covering more of those empty dirt spaces, and pushing you further toward victory.

Every dirt patch is worth a number of points: 1, 5, or 10. At the end of the game, you’ll score points for the number of dirt patches still showing, and whoever has the lowest total number of points across both of their boards wins!

The game itself is deceptively light, with very few rules but a rich, deep strategy. The game ends when a single board has all of its 5- and 10-point spaces covered. Each player can purposefully try to rush the game’s end or slow it down by

By Ryan Schoon

choosing whether to cover those spaces or not. And don’t forget about the Kodama, the tree spirits that watch over the forest.

They will cover spaces for you as well, turning them into 0 points spots, just as if you had covered them with tiles yourself.

Designed by Jenny Iglesias and Kevin Riley, both of Aeon’s End fame, the game features solo modes, cooperative modes, and a two-player mode, each of which brings a new twist to the strategy of the game. For those more experienced players, each board can be flipped over to its advanced side, offering a different board for each player.

Although this game plays differently than the previous Kodama games, it keeps to the same theme of living in harmony with the tree spirits that watch over the forests. These Kodama, as they’re called, have a deep history among Japanese folklore, where they are said to inhabit trees in order to protect the forests.

indieboardsandcards.com

3/5/21 11:48 AM

Sherlock Files

heads out west to solve cases full of quarrels, cowboys, and cahoots!

Get the entire series!

Volume 4 releases March 24th 2021_AroundTheTable_Q1_Winter_3.5.indd 35

3/5/21 11:48 AM

Around the Table with

C

ard gamers, collectors, and retailers the world over know that Dragon Shield is synonymous with highquality gaming accessories. We hear from players all the time who still have their first box of Dragon Shield sleeves about how well they’ve held up over the years.

We love hearing Dragon Shield stories from players and store owners almost as much as we love cooking up new products in our dragon hatcheries.

Dragon Shield was the first to introduce high-quality matte art sleeves to the market with artwork fused to the sleeve itself instead of pasted on top of another layer of plastic.

Last year, we introduced Brushed, a new line of sleeves with a unique shuffle feel and artwork that goes all the way to the edge of the sleeve.

And in 2021, our dragon keepers are ready to hatch something even more incredible.

Introducing: DUAL

For years, players, retailers, and distributors have asked us to make a sleeve with a completely opaque back.

We have a philosophy that we do not release any product while there is room

for improvement. We want each new Dragon Shield release to be better than the last in terms of value for your dollar and quality. So, we waited, coaxing our dragons, bribing them with fresh meat and scorched veggies, until they produced a truly awesome, fully opaque sleeve.

That sleeve is here! We call it: DUAL.

Dragon Shield: Dual sleeves have a matte finish back with 100 percent black interior that prevents any semblance of a card back from becoming visible. Dual sleeves are a brand-new twist on the Dragon Shield Mattes players know and love.

Rules of the Dual

If you are not one of the folks who have asked for Dual sleeves, you may be wondering why we bothered making the inside of the sleeve black instead of the sleeve color. What’s the big deal?

For tournament and webcam play, it’s actually a huge deal! Magic: The Gathering and many other card games have doublesided cards that can be visible in regular lighter color sleeves like yellow, pink, and white. If a player can see what card

is coming up, they could be called out for cheating. Some of these sleeves are not allowed in large tournaments for this reason.

But with Dragon Shield: Dual, players never have to worry about their card backs being visible. We are so confident in the product that our first five colors showcase light, beautiful pastel shades that might be too translucent for a traditional kind of sleeve.

Five Kinds of Dual The first five Dual colors are: • Lightning (yellow) • Snow (white) • Lagoon (blue) • Eucalyptus (green) • Orchid (purple)

Each are vibrant with gorgeous artwork on the packaging and interesting stories for each of the dragons.

With the Dual technology, we look forward to trying out all kinds of new colors!

Dragon Shield Matte Duals will be available in standard card size in April 2021 wherever Dragon Shield is sold.

D F

B

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arcanetinmen.com

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DUAL SLEEVES FOR YOUR NEXT DUEL

BLACK INTERIOR | COLORFUL BACK | FULLY OPAQUE BLACK INTERIOR OPAQUE

Available from GTS Distribution 2021_AroundTheTable_Q1_Winter_3.5.indd 37

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Keepers Questar of the

“A

t the heart of any adventure is a quest. There is a magic in pursuing a goal. The energy generated by the interplay of choice and circumstance is transformative. A quest is the thread that weaves events and scenes into a tale, and it is a tale that shapes a hero. Whatever the objective, a quest always leads to a sense of meaning.” – Gordon LeVasseur, Designer of Keepers of the Questar.

Upper Deck introduces a brand new original 1 vs. 1 dungeon crawler, Keepers of the Questar. Explore a world, called Arbandy, where you can be both the leader of adventurers and a cunning Quest Master. In this game filled with magic and mayhem, you can design a quest full of dangerous monsters and clever traps, set out to navigate your rival’s

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quest and take your place among the elite adventures who have been honored with the mantle.

The enigmatic Quest Masters brings excitement and mystery as you discover unrivaled treasure known as the Questar. The tale goes that not even mortal artistry can compare to the beauty of the Questar.

Now, competing parties of adventurers have made it their life’s mission to take on the quest and become the Keepers of the Questar. You can embark on this journey to Arbandy and collect the Questar for yourself!

As the Quest Master you will fully customize 1 of 8 maps where your opponent

will navigate through monsters and traps, search for treasure and complete the goal you set out for them! Make your quests completely unique each game and outsmart your opponent by navigating their map and completing your quest before they complete theirs.

But watch out for hidden dangers that lurk within dungeons, filled with traps and monsters that are ready to destroy the adventurer! The traps and monsters will be exposed, but can you avoid them all?

Will you be the next Keeper of the Questar?

Now available at local game shops and UpperDeckStore.com

upperdeck.com

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How Long Will Your Light Last?

The Night Cage

Y

ou pull yourself along a stone passage, inching your way in complete darkness, with nothing but your fear and the dim glow of candle to guide you. You freeze, panic rising inside you, as you sense something else moving in the suffocating darkness, just beyond the flickers of your candle – and it despises the light.

In this deeply thematic, chilling cooperative game, Smirk & Dagger Games has once again created a truly evocative experience, one that will leave your palms sweating in anticipation of what lies beyond the reach of your candle’s dim light. After all, that’s what any horrorthemed game aspires to and The Night Cage delivers a continual state of unease and existential dread.

In The Night Cage, you awake in a purgatory-like void … trying to escape before the darkness overwhelms you and your lights go out forever. To do so, each 40 AROUND THE table • Q1 2021

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prisoner must first find a Key and then turn them in unison at a Gate tile, thereby escaping The Night Cage. But of course, it’s never that easy.

Of particular note is the game’s unique candlelight mechanic. Much of the board is in perpetual darkness, as a prisoner’s candle only illuminates the passages directly adjacent to them.

Therefore, as players move, the light moves with them and exposes new pathways while those they have left are removed from the board completely, consumed in the darkness forever. This means that anyone retracing their steps would find all the passages had changed.

It is a simple mechanic that makes players feel they are hopelessly lost in a labyrinth.

But there are only so many tiles before you run out.

Nothing brings this more sharply into focus than the game’s most prominent element, a dimensional tile holder in the

shape of a candle. Cleverly, as each tile is removed from the stack, the candle appears to burn down slightly, keeping everyone painfully aware that when the candle burns out, so has your hope of escaping. It’s not just a perfect way to organize and hold the tiles, it’s a brilliant bit of theater and a perfect way to signal the end game. Should the last Gate fade into the darkness or too many Keys become lost, the players will lose. Or, worse still, if there aren’t enough tiles left a Prisoner may become isolated in darkness and unable to reach the Gate, spelling a chilling end for you all.

While the darkness itself is your main foe, monsters called Wax Eaters seek to extinguish your candle. These motion-sensitive creatures strike out in all directions, causing players to go “Lights Out.” Thereafter, you’ll stumble blindly onto new tiles when you move. In addition, everyone loses three tiles from the communal stack, hoping that precious Keys and Gates are not discarded that could lose you the game.

The Night Cage, by designers Chris McMahon, Chris Chan and Rosswell Saunders, won several design competitions over the course of its development, including the ION Award, and it is easy to see why. The illustrations, also by Chris Chan, are evocative, minimalist, and stunning to look at. The key tokens are custom metal sculpts both beautiful and haunting. Everywhere you turn, there is another reason to own this game. So don’t be left in the dark! Preorder a case today.

April 2021, SND 1007, $39.99 Players 1-5, Ages 14 and Up, 50 minutes smirkandlaughter.com/the-night-cage 203-733-5314 smirkanddagger@gmail.com smirkanddagger.com

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Atlantis Rising is a cooperative worker placement game in which you must work together with up to seven players to deploy citizens across your homeland, gathering resources in order to build a cosmic gate that can save your people. elfcreekgames.com

A perennial best-seller, Sagrada is an accessible dice drafting game where players build a stained glass window.

Critically acclaimed and beautifully produced, Sagrada is a fantastic choice for anyone’s game table!

For sales information contact rich@floodgategames.com floodgate.games/products/ sagrada

Roll for initiative! You’re about to have the cutest encounter in the Forgotten Realms. Adopt a Figurine of Adorable Power — featuring some of the most beloved monsters and spectacular creatures of the Dungeons & Dragons universe —from Ultra PRO to accompany your party on their next adventure. ultrapro.com

Maglev Metro With cutting edge magnetic levitation technology, transport passengers and robots beneath the city as efficiently as possible. Put your delivered robots to work by creating a seamless engine tailored to your unique strategy in the pursuit of victory. Deliver your passengers for big points at the end of the game! bezier.com

Ready, Aim...

Launch the Catapults!

Two households, the Chauforts and the Cunningfields, both alike in dignity, in their fair kingdoms. If only there wasn’t that ancient grudge! Build your castle, set up your troops, load your catapults and use your cunning tactics to conquer the floor!

Knock down all your opponent’s troops to win! MSRP $39.99 / SKU IEL51798 iellousa. com

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Explore jungles, gather artifacts, and find your way to the Lost Ruins of Arnak! Players lead rival expeditions to a newly discovered island. Through a unique combination of worker placement and deckbuilding, each expedition attempts to uncover the lost island’s secrets. boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/ 312484/lost-ruins-arnak

In 2021, the dragons of Dragon Shield are hatching something incredible. Introducing: Dragon Shield Dual, the first Dragon Shield Matte Sleeve with a black inside giving the perfect backdrop for your cards, and fully opaque colorful backs.

The first wave includes five bright colors: Lighting, Snow, Lagoon, Eucalyptus, and Orchid! arcanetinmen.com

An incredible setting. An immersive world. An amazing product. Monte Cook’s legendary campaign setting, Ptolus: Monte Cook’s City by the Spire, returns in two new versions for 5e and the Cypher System. The fastselling original was a critical and fan favorite. A 672page hardcover with 300+ pages of extras. montecookgames.com Popcorn Dice is a fast & fun dice game for the whole family! Roll your dice to pop your popcorn, but careful not to let it burn. Score 30 points or pop the perfect bowl of popcorn to win! vanrydergames.com

The War or Peace campaign expansion brings 6 replayable scenarios to It’s a Wonderful World. Play with friends or by yourself and discover new game mechanics, unlock new cards, and open secret boxes to expand your base game. War or Peace gives players a way to expand their copy of It’s a Wonderful World and embark on a campaign that can be enjoyed again and again. MSRP $24.99 sales@luckyduckgames.com luckyduckgames.com Q1 2021 • AROUND THE table 43

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Upper Deck introduces a brand new original 1 vs. 1 dungeon crawler, Keepers of the Questar. Enjoy a world where you can be both the leader of adventurers and a cunning Quest Master as you navigate the world of Arbandy. Will you be the next Keeper of the Questar? upperdeck.com

Munchkin Enhancers, the newest expansion for Munchkin, will flavor up your Munchkin experience with 30 new monster, Treasure, Class, and Race enhancers! Enhancers boost the strength of Items, monsters, and the munchkins themselves, adding more power, more challenge, and more backstabbing fun to your games!

For more information contact us at retailers@sjgames.com

Trans-Siberian Railroad The goal is to build a railroad that would connect Moscow in the west with Vladivostok in the east. You and your fellow players are buying shares of the railroads that will expand across Russia, attempting to enrich yourself along the way and not lose control of railroads to the Tsar! You will need skill, good timing, and attention to detail to succeed. Try your hand at building the world’s greatest railroad. riograndegames.com

Spring has come to Maple Valley, but in a few short months the first snow will fall. In Creature Comforts, you play a cute critter family gathering goods from the forest and meadow and crafting them into comforts for your den. Design the coziest home to get through the winter in this friendly family game. kidstablebg.com

The Hunted have a new path to victory. Players will fortify the city to defend against the Creature while rescuing and sheltering survivors. The Not Alone: Sanctuary expansion also brings new Avatar cards giving the Hunted special abilities, Evolution cards to help the Creature develop, and Place cards with all-new abilities. strongholdgames.com/our-games/not-alone-sanctuary/ 44 AROUND THE table • Q1 2021

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Tidal Blades Many brave contestants have signed up for the tournament, but only a handful will be chosen to join the Tidal Blades. Worker Placement and dice management board game with high strategy and depth set in an immersive high fantasy water world! MSPR $60 SKU 4249 Contact info Matt Faulisi – Retail Sales Manager mfaulisi@skybound.com

Kingdom Rush: Rift in Time is the tabletop adaptation of the famous mobile tower defense game. The game is fully co-operative and offers individual scenarios, an infinite replay-ability mode, and a unique campaign with progressively more challenging scenarios. With over 40 towers, more than 90 horde cards, 9 thematic miniatures, Kingdom Rush: Rift in Time is an epic tabletop experience. MSRP $59.99 sales@luckyduckgames.com www.luckyduckgames.com

Explore important issues with a hint of satire in Kyoto!

This fast-paced game of negotiation and bribery for 3-6 players puts you into the shoes of decision makers at a crucial global climate summit!

With the fate of the world at stake, will you choose the planet over your pocketbook?

Available in Q1 2021 pegasus-web.com

The Night Cage is a cooperative, horrorthemed tile placement game that plunges players into a deeply immersive world of complete darkness. The weak glow of their candles sheds light on only a portion of the board at a time, making for a tense, difficult journey through the ever-changing maze. smirkanddagger@gmail.com 203-733-5314 smirkandlaughter.com/the-night-cage

Undaunted: Reinforcements is an expansion for Undaunted: Normandy and Undaunted: North Africa, bringing a variety of new units and scenarios to both games, as well as 4-player team battles and solo rules

by Dávid Turczi. ospreypublishing.com

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Skybound Games adverstory

Playtesting S

kybound Tabletop is a division of Skybound Entertainment focused on creating and publishing games that feature immerse stories, innovative gameplay, and exceptional artistry. It’s been a challenging year, but that hasn’t stopped us from doing what we love most—designing board games.

Designing Games During Quarantine

One of the most interesting problems to solve during this pandemic has been how to effectively build and test our games when we are no longer able to safely share space with one another.

At first, we were still working with our physical prototypes, but the process of taking pictures to share with one another and safely shipping items back and forth slowed down the process immensely.

That’s when we turned to using Tabletop Simulator as a means of building out our games to test the mechanics. With all new things there are stumbling blocks, and at first, some game elements were tricky to simulate.

A prime example of this occurred when working on the final development of our Kickstarter game Wonderland's War, an area control game

Oures Gam

which relies on placing tons of chips in a bag and drawing them out. As we discovered, bags in Tabletop Simulator default to drawing the last item placed inside, which is problematic when your game hinges on the random element.

We ultimately had to write up some TTS shorthand to make sure players shuffled their bag every time they added to it and didn't stack items together to properly simulate how a bag building game would really be.

As we started digging further into the process and realized that working from home may be a more long-term plan, we started working towards making our TTS builds look as good—and as true to the physical product—as possible.

From the addition of the custom minis through 3-D modeling via Blender and Unity to consistently updating all files with the latest designs, we wanted to make the development process feel as real and immersive remotely as it has during the times we’ve developed together.

This led us to the realization that we could optimize our Tabletop Simulator experience for external playtesters as well as internal developers.

Online

Playtesters Welcome

Having high-quality builds of our games online suddenly meant that we could call on so many more people to help fine-tune builds. Initially, we were just reaching out to friends of the company, but as we continued to work on the development of multiple games such as Kim-Joy’s Magic Bakery or Bloodstone, our latest Kickstarter, we started reaching out to our community for support. We set up a form for interested fans to come playtest, and they turned out! We were able to establish groups of people who could test our games and answer questionnaires that we could return to for informed opinions as we applied notes. We recently launched our Skybound Tabletop Discord, and from there, we’ve been able to stay even further connected with our community as well as offer up playtesting opportunities directly. A lot has been difficult over the past year but being able to connect with our community through building out our games online has been a wonderful bright spot. If you’d like to playtest our games, join our Discord! We’d love to have your insight as we strive to create the best games possible.

GAMAATT202101

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skyboundgames.com

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SPRING 2021 CATALOG Title

MSRP

SKU

Case count

Title

MSRP

SKU

Case count

Barnyard Roundup

$19.99

4246

32

Superfight

$30

432

6

Court of the Dead: Dark Harvest

$25

4248

6

The Walking Dead: Something to Fear

$20

3773

6

The Grimm Forest

$49.99

3443

6

Tidal Blades

$60

4249

4

The Grimm Masquerade

$25

3771

6

Tidal Blades Angler’s Cove Expansion

$25

4321

6

Guardian’s Call

$39.99

3495

6

Trial By Trolley

$25

4214

4

Pebble Rock Delivery Service

$25

4281

6

Trial By Trolley $15 R-rated Modifier deck

4901

36

Pitchstorm

$24.99

3603

6

Trial By Trolley R-rated Track deck

$15

4902

36

Sorcerer City

$50

3770

6

Valor & Villainy: Minions of Mordak

$40

3772

4

GAMAATT202101

Email mfaulisi@skybound.com for more information.

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Matt Faulisi | Retail Sales Manager 9570 W. Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90035 607.731.4147 | www.skybound.com

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Amid Uncertainty S

pecialty retail is never an easy course to chart, but 2020 presented challenges few of us have had to face in the course of our businesses.

COVID-19 brought challenges worldwide, often closing brick and mortar stores with little notice and keeping them closed for months.

Surviving 2020 required quick thinking and adjusting to the ever-changing rules. Now many retailers are debating the changes that will be longterm or permanent.

Curbside Pickup and Delivery

To help get products into the hands of customers, several stores offered curbside pickup and delivery for the first time. For many, this is an

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easy practice they’re planning on offering long-term.

“Some people just like the ease of it and not having to get out of their car and be tempted to buy other things,” said Jamison Sacks of Common Ground Games in Dallas.

Sacks also started delivery in his area in April.

“It allowed a lot of people to have access to games without feeling like they were endangering themselves over a non-necessity item,” he said. “It allowed them to still feel connected to everything as well.

Although we’re all serious about business, we’re also what would be considered pretty geeky. Donni Ricci of Geeky Teas & Games in Burbank, Calif., took her curbside pickup to the next level

with “Cosplay Curbside”. She dressed and acted a different cosplay every day for the pickup orders, and it was popular enough to drive sales.

“People purchased items just so they could see what I did,” Ricci said.

Developing an Online Presence Many stores used the time they were closed to the public or the often slower sales days to develop something common in retail -- an online presence.

And many stores will keep that online store up and running as long as they’re in business, but there are pros and cons.

“To be honest, we’ll reassess [our online store] once we are open more to see if we are going to keep that, since there is a cost associated with it; so far, the convenience of pick up seems to be holding that up just fine,” said Dawn Marinaro, owner at Paddy’s Game Shoppe in Saint Cloud, Minn.

Merchandise and Displays

Gamers, comic readers and toy and retro fans are used to being able to shop

Left to right: Donni Ricci as Dottie from A League of Their Own; Ricci as Hela from Thor Ragnarock; Ricci as Jesse from Pokemon; Ricci Dalek

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y

Event space became retail space at The Gamers Den systems.

Rhonda and Joe Becker of The Gamers Den in Cambridge, Minn., are getting ready for the day they can host events again.

“We leased a non-connecting suite (across the hall) that will have a premium (paid) game room, and has our storage and website order processing area as well as an office,” Rhonda said.

“We will have about half the previous play space for normal use and will use the premium designated space for prereleases/large events if and when needed.”

By moving most of the board/card games this this room, they were able to expand their kid/family games as well as add more activity sets, science kits, and impulse/toy items.

and try items out freely; stores often have large demo libraries or books available for browsing. During a pandemic that changed almost overnight.

Various regions had new standards: hand sanitizer available within a few feet of the entrances, face masks required, and a need for more deep cleaning.

Anna Warren Cebrian of Isle of Gamers and Illusive Comics & Games in Santa Clara, Calif., is planning on keeping some of her changes for the foreseeable future.

“Some scientists say it’ll be with us for a while. Best to settle in to best practices for the long haul,” she explained.

Some stores, such as my store (Crazy Squirrel Game Store in Fresno, Calif.), also started facing merchandise both front- and back-facing. It requires more shelf space, but allows customers to read both sides of the box without touching it. Customers have commented that it’s been useful, and not just for cleanliness.

Customers with their hands full can read what they want more easily, and it addresses some accessibility issues.

The Game Space

Events of all kinds were canceled, and continue to be. Stores with large event spaces had the opportunity to repurpose them, many times into short-term shipping and receiving areas.

Events may be different in the future, though. Some stores are creating more private spaces or developing reservation

Virtual Sales

What do you do when you can’t safely have crowds of people in your shop? You try to bring the shop into their homes.

For some, it was private one-on-one shopping and the rewards are worth keeping the program.

“It gives the customer a feeling of having an exclusive experience and is a chance to sell one on one,” said Dee Connell of Main Street Fun & Games in Invermore, BC, Canada.

Video shopping also became more popular for stores. For Crazy Squirrel’s Virtual Garage Sale, tickets were sold online.

Once a person’s reservation time arrived, the staff started a video chat via Zoom or Facebook Messenger to “walk” customers through the sale. Purchases were paid online and offered via curbside pickup. The reservation system proved popular enough, it’ll be retained for future events.

Personal and Personnel Changes

For some owners, 2020 also meant changing their workflows and workspaces.

For Jessie Lynn of Gators Games and Hobby in Leavenworth, Kan., that was realizing she could do the bulk of her work as the owner from home.

“Previously, I had an office in the shop. I still have an office there, but I’ve green-lit them to redesign the space to be more of a simple desk/meeting area because I intend to continue to do what I can from home,” she said. “I’ll still go up there for maybe an hour or so daily to get movement on projects, but I think working from home is my new calling. All sensitive documents are now in my home adding some liability coverage, I don’t get dragged into counter drama, I eat better and can multitask household tasks, and I can just overall focus better and get more done.”

Turning the ship quickly

One bonus of running a small business is that we can turn our ships quickly, adjust our course and (hopefully) find fairer weather ahead. It’s unlikely any of us will forget the trials of 2020; its influence will live on in new practices.

Jennifer Ward owns Crazy Squirrel Games & Toys in Fresno, Calif. jennifer@crazysquirrelgamestore.com Q1 2021 • AROUND THE table 49

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Rio Grande adverstory

ALL ABOARD for

Train Games

R

io Grande Games has been producing hobby board games for more than 20 years. This tradition of bringing great games to life continues with our current line-up railroad-theme games. These games range in complexity from simple games that can be played in 30 minutes or less to medium-complexity with playtimes of 60-90 minutes. All of the games featured here are in-stock and available now.

TRANS AMERICA (2-6 players, 30 minutes). Each player has a set of five cities distributed across the various regions of the U.S. that need to be connected by rail.

Players place either one or two rails each turn. The game ends when the first player completes a connected route between their five cities.

The player who can make the best use of the other players’ networks will do well. This fast-playing game has been a best-seller for many years.

NORTHERN PACIFIC (3-6 players, 20 minutes). Players are building the Northern Pacific Railroad, but they will not always agree on which towns will be connected to the new line. The players can 50 AROUND THE table • Q1 2021

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make investments in the towns along the route, only paying off if the railroad connects to it. You will need to anticipate where your opponents will go to try to grab the lucrative towns along the way.

NORTHERN PACIFIC is easy to learn but challenging for all skill levels.

TRANS EUROPA (2-6 players, 30 minutes). The game uses the same mechanics as TRANS AMERICA but is set on the European continent instead of the U.S. Players are given five cards representing the cities on the board. You try to build a network across the continent to reach the five destinations shown on your cards. There are some new features of the game, including building ferries to connect across major bodies of water.

TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILROAD (3-5 players, 60-90 minutes). The goal is to build a railroad that would connect Moscow in the west with Vladivostok in the east. You and your fellow players are buying shares of the railroads that will expand across Russia, attempting to enrich yourself along the way and not lose control of railroads to the Tsar! You will need skill, good timing,

and attention to detail to succeed. Try your hand at building the world’s greatest railroad.

GULF, MOBILE & OHIO (3-5 players, 60 minutes). GM&O takes place in the early days of railroads in the southern United States. During the game, players compete with other players to found companies, expand their lines to new cities, connect with complementary lines, and generate dividends for their shareholders.

There is no luck or any random elements in GM&O. The skill of the players alone will determine the outcome.

SOUTHERN RAILS (3-5 players, 30 minutes). Southern Rails can be learned in just a few minutes – there are only four pages of rules. In the early days of America’s railroads, six railroad companies competed to serve the cities of the Southern United States. Players compete to own shares in these railroads.

Once a player owns a share in a particular railroad, they become able to build tracks that will connect more cities to that railroad’s network, increasing the value of that company’s shares. The game features simple rules and a clever scoring system.

For more information on these or other Rio Grande Games titles, please visit our website: www.riograndegames.com. Author: Ken Hill, Production/Marketing Manager, ken@ riograndegames.com. riograndegames.com

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All Aboard for Train Games!

Ready for a journey?

Climb on board and experience any one of these fine train games. Build a vast railway network, win the race, or outmaneuver your opponents with your financial skill. The choice is yours!

Trans America

Trans Europa

Build from coast-to-coast in 30 minutes

Build across the contintent in 30 minutes

Northern Pacific Track building in the Great Northwest

Trans-Siberian Railroad

Build the greatest railroad in the world

Southern Rails

Gulf, Mobile & Ohio High-finance in the Southern U.S.

Stocks and track building meet in the Old South

Available Now

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GAMA

news

2020 Advocacy • Lobbied for full funding of the United States Postal Service during the pandemic as an important lifeline for small businesses. Partnered with ASTRA and Toy Association on this initiative to engage members to join us in our lobbying efforts.

• Advocated for COVID Relief Legislation including the Paycheck Protection Act, Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the CARES Act, and the Employee Retention Credit for small businesses.

• Opposed Trump’s Tariffs - GAMA traveled to Washington to lobby the federal government against imposing tariffs on goods imported from China, created the Tariff Toolkit to educate members on how to contact their elected official to oppose Trump’s Tariff Taxes on small businesses.

• Spoke out against New York’s S. 501B which created an overly broad chemical disclosure program for children’s products and banned products containing chemicals arbitrarily selected as “dangerous.”

• Department of Labor Focus Groups – Met twice with representatives of the U.S. Department of Labor to discuss the impact the pandemic is having on members and urged the administration to work with Congress to extend the Paycheck Protection Program to help our members.

• Fought against Counterfeit products – Advocated for Amazon to require seller’s information disclosure rules to fight the sale of counterfeit products.

Education • Education Advisory Committee - Consists of industry volunteers that are working on developing toolkits, white papers, and other educational resources for members.

• Around the Table – Quarterly magazine which features educational articles, best practices, and tips to be successful in this industry. Most content is created by members of the industry and we have created an Editorial Board to help curate content to ensure that we are seeking our diverse and reflective industry voices to be part of the magazine.

• GAMA’s On-Demand Webinar Platform – Created following the 2020 GAMA Expo. The platform now has more than 40 education programs that are free for members to access, with new content added each month.

• E-Commerce Track for GAMA Expo 2021 – This new track for next year’s Expo will help members develop skills to adapt to the online shopping demands of a COVID world.

Events/Networking • GAMA Expo – GAMA’s annual B2B show that had more than 1,500 attendees, 180 exhibitors and more than 100-hours of educational and networking programing in 2020. Due to the pandemic, the 2021 show will be virtual but will still feature the exhibit hall, professional development seminars by your peers, Designer Speed Pitching, Game Nights, networking opportunities and the popular Retailer Appreciation Box. • GAMA Spring Outdoor B2B Event (New for 2021) – Based on requests from members, we are exploring hosting an outdoor event in late May to provide an opportunity for members to come together to do business and network in a socially distanced and safe manner.

• Spielwarenmesse – In 2020 we partnered with the Nuremberg Toy Fair to offer complimentary badges for more than three dozen members that attended the show, where we hosted several networking events. Nuremberg organizers have already extended the comped badges offer to their July 20-24, 2021, show.

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• Origins Game Fair (OGF) – Consumer show with 20,000+ attendees and nearly 6,000 games and events throughout the week.

While OGF was cancelled due to the pandemic, we are hard at work planning the 2021 show. It will be a hybrid show with both in-person and livestreaming programming. OGF is an important selling and promotional opportunity for many of our members. All members receive two (2) complimentary badges for themselves or to give to their customers or prize support for giveaways.

• Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS) Day (New for 2021) – To support the sale of publisher member products in the retail channel, we are creating a new marketing program similar to Free Comic Book Day or Record Shop Day that will feature a nationwide marketing campaign to drive traffic to FLGS with special events, promotions and more. Additional details in the coming weeks.

• Black Friday Board Game Deals (New for 2021) – A cooperative marketing program to support publishers to promote and sell their games to consumers looking for Black Friday deals on tabletop games and accessories. We are seeking to create a Home Shopping Network for Board Games experience for consumers.

• European Outreach – For December 2019 to May 2020, GAMA employed a European contractor to connect and provide networking opportunities for our European members. As part of these outreach efforts, we researched new services to connect European members with the U.S. marketplace and conventions, ways to connect them to U.S. retailers and explored combined shipping from China to save GAMA members money. While we made good progress on this initiative, demands of the pandemic made it difficult to properly support so it was shelved for the time being. GAMA is an international association with members in more than twenty countries; we will revisit this program when resources allow.

• ESSENtials Retailer Summit – This was our second year offering this program in conjunction with ESSEN Spiel to connect publishers and retailers. For 2020 we held a virtual version of the program with 28 publishers and 155 retailers from eight countries.

Plans are already being made to expand the program for 2021.

• Winter Wishlist Retail Buying Guide / Summer Games Guide for Consumers – 120 publishers participated in the second year of this project to provide holiday and new titles for stores to stock for the 2020 holiday season. Publisher members receive a free listing in this buying guide. The guide was sent via email to more than 600 GAMA retailer members. Based on the success of our holiday buying guide, we are working to offer a summer games guide in 2021 for consumers to help promote publisher members products in the retail channel.

• FLGS Locator (New for 2020) – Created online directory to help consumers find friendly local game stores.

• A Game on Every Table (New for 2020) – Toys for Tots (T4T) game donation drive promotion. This project was created by our Market Expansion Committee to encourage consumers to purchase one game for themselves or as a gift at full retail price, purchase a second copy for 50% of MSRP and then donate that game to their local T4T program. More than 20 publishers and dozens of retailers are participating in this pilot program.

• Game Donation Program – In 2020 GAMA partnered with several Central Ohio nonprofit organizations including Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Kaleidoscope Youth Center and Columbus Urban League to donate hundreds of tabletop games to families in need. Not only was this a great way to support the local community, but it has also generated positive press for our industry and participating member companies.

Member Support Services • COVID Resources – In the early days of the pandemic we jumped into action to create a suite of resources to support our members which included information on governmental support programs, HR guidelines for employers dealing with labor rules during the pandemic, a coordinated retailer support program from publishers, a new FLGS Store locator to help consumers find retail stores, Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) Policy Directory, and links to more than a dozen small business resources.

• Exclusive member discounts – We are constantly adding to our member savings program, including important business services for shipping, credit card processing, financial planning services, and a background check service for employees or convention staff. The list is available on our website under Business Services.

• GameManufacturersHealthcare.com – Partnered with a health insurance broker to offer the first industry wide health insurance program. It is a good back-up for the ACA, given the uncertainty of the program. Hopefully as more members join the program, our risk pool will grow, and rates will become more favorable.

• Member Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts – Earlier this year GAMA engaged in an important discussion regarding the diversity and inclusion of voices/perspectives at our table. GAMA hired an outside contractor to facilitate a series of meetings with members to discuss these important issues and craft recommendations on ways we can be more inclusive and reflective of our community.

She helped create a series of recommendations we are working to implement. As a result, we have created several initiatives to help our organization be more reflective of the industry, as well as mindful in our role of providing a pathway for everyone in the industry to be successful:

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GAMA

news

• Diversity Committee (New for 2020) - Will be conducting a diversity audit of our programs and publications to ensure that we are not unconsciously biased or discriminating in our action, words, or programs. The committee will also make recommendations on other ways we can be more diverse and inclusive as an organization and industry.

• Around the Table Editorial Board (New for 2020) - This group of volunteers will help curate content to ensure that we are seeking diverse and reflective industry voices to be a part of our industry publication.

• Code of Conduct Committee (New for 2020) – The board has created a draft code of conduct and has charged the committee to create the implementation and enforcement mechanisms for the code that will be released in early 2021.

• Sexual Harassment Prevention– Partnered with experts from RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) to conduct a seminar on stopping sexual harassment in the workplace and at conventions. GAMA will be creating a workgroup in 2021 to develop educational programs for game convention organizers on this important issue.

• Scholarship/Mentoring Program (New for 2021) – The board will be earmarking funding in our 2021 budget to support the creation of a new scholarship and mentoring program to ensure disenfranchised or underserved individuals are not overlooked and included in industry programs and events. The scholarships will financially assist those otherwise unable to participate in various industry events and programs. The mentorship program will connect those new to the industry to more veteran peers to help guide and answers questions regarding the association and the tabletop games industry.

• Audit Committee – Oversees the auditing of the Association’s finances.

• By-Law Reconciliation Committee - Reviews current organizational bylaws and provides recommendations to the board for presentation to the general membership for adoption.

• Diversity Committee (New for 2020) - Investigates how best to reach out to underrepresented communities within the game industry and to create pathways of success within the organization.

• Educational Advisory Committee - Work with GAMA staff to identify educational topics and opportunities to create a robust training program to assist retail stores, distributors, manufacturers, and designers in effectively operating in the hobby games industry.

• Market Expansion Committee – Researching the most effective and efficient marketing and outreach methods to (A) promote the play of tabletop games and (B) increase the number of people who regularly play games, and to make recommendations to the board for the deployment of association resources to implement these methods.

• Membership Committee - Reviews all new applications for Publishing/ Manufacturing membership and approve or deny membership based on the ability of the applicant to qualify for membership in the association. It will also review any disputes over other membership applications.

• Nominating Committee - Works with the association staff to organize and run the board elections during the Annual Membership Meeting.

• Trade Show Committee - Explores and recommend to the board of directors the location for future GAMA Expos and to be an advisory group to the staff regarding Expo programming.

GAMA Committees – Volunteer Led, Staff Supported • Academy, Origins Awards & Hall of Fame Review and Restructure Committee (New for 2020) – Exploring ways to increase the relevancy and representation of the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design, including the Origins Awards nominations, review and award ceremony and the Hall of Fame.

• Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design – The Origins Awards & Hall of Fame were created to recognize outstanding work in the tabletop game industry.

• Advocacy Committee (New for 2020) - Helps direct association government relations, advocacy, and lobbying efforts to support the hobby games industry. Potential issues the committee is tasked with include tariffs, customs/exportation, product labeling laws, Intellectual Property Rights, counterfeit product sales, etc.

Communications / Social Media • Weekly E-Newsletter – An e-newsletter is sent out to membership every Tuesday that contains news surrounding GAMA activity including programming, education, events, and more.

• Monthly Staff Coffee – Monthly town hall via Zoom where members can talk one-on-one with the GAMA team to share ideas, questions, and concerns about how we can better serve our industry.

• Member’s Only Facebook and LinkedIn Pages – Forums where you can easily reach other members to engage in industry-related conversations throughout the year.

• FAQ Website Page – GAMA is working on a resource that will be housed on our website containing frequently asked questions by members. These questions with be gathered monthly through the member’s only Facebook page and during the Staff Coffee meetings.

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GAMA

news

GAMA is Proud to Introduce the Following

New Staff Members NEW DATES: September 30 – October 3, 2021 Gregoire Boisbelaud SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Greg has been working in the gaming industry since 2005 – he’s been everything from mail order service packer to business owner. He believes in creating a safe and respectful environment for gamers and professionals in the industry. He’s raising three gaymer girls in an unpredictable world – his life is certainly not boring!

Arthur Kelly REGIONAL EVENTS COORDINATOR Arthur is the owner of Board Crunch which provides convention management, events, and organized play services. Over the past five years, Board Crunch has run over 1,000 events and partnered with many great game publishers in doing so.

He is also a programmer, web designer, and avid gamer. In his free time, he loves designing games and playing games with his wife and teenage daughters.

Chris Poirier EVENTS COORDINATOR In addition to his role at GAMA, Chris is the co-host of The Pull List Podcast for Love Thy Nerd and a connoisseur of nearly all things considered even remotely nerdy.

When not reading comics or playing video / tabletop games, he and his wife Rebekah seek out all that can be found on the nerd scene by hunting for vintage toys, finding the most epic comic shops, and by getting their tabletop on. In the hours that remain, Chris serves as the Founder/Game Master of Columbus Got Game, a nonprofit organization in Columbus, GA. Previously, Chris served for almost a decade as a Program/Project Manager for the U.S. Government, handling multiple high value, high impact National Security programs & projects.

Adam Ziegler COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Adam Ziegler has nearly twenty years of experience in marketing, television production, and web management. Most of his career has been spent as a producer for broadcast television, though he was previously the head of video production for one of the largest RV manufacturers in North America. Adam is a lifelong tabletop gamer who enjoys heavy strategy games and running RPGs for family and friends.

Based on the hopeful news that COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed and reports from the CDC that community events and conventions should be able to resume later this year, we have made the decision to move this year’s Origins Game Fair from our usual June weekend to September 30 – October 3, 2021.

Safety is our primary concern, and we believe holding Origins later in the year provides the best path forward to have an in-person event this year.

We are working with other game convention organizers to develop guidelines for safe events, including, but not limited to: • Requiring Face Masks • Social Distancing • Temperature Checks • Hand Sanitizing Stations

In the interim, we encourage everyone to help fight the pandemic by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, washing your hands, and getting the vaccine when you are able.

Together we can work towards returning back to normal.

We are monitoring the COVID-19 situation and will provide updates as we get closer to the event. Exhibitor and sponsorship information will be available on February 16. If you have any questions, please email registration@gama.org.

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GAMA EXPO ONLINE! GAMA EXPO ONLINE is the largest gathering of hobby game industry professionals in the United States. This members-only trade show and special event provides publishers and retailers the opportunity to grow their business, connect with peers, and share their experiences.

GAMA EXPO 2021 Agenda Tuesday, March 16 • Keynote: “Prospering in Turbulent Times!”

- Sponsored by Asmodee, featuring retail strategists, authors, and consultants Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender • Premier Presentations and Publisher Meet & Greet for Retail Members (required attendance to qualify for this year’s Retailer Appreciation Box valued at $500 MSRP) • Game Night Plus Wednesday, March 17 • 2021 Forecast of the Industry Panel Presentation • Peer-to-Peer Professional Seminars • Designer Speed Pitching Session • EXPO Mixer (a networking event) • Game Night Plus Thursday, March 18 Divisional & Board Meetings: • Retail and Wholesale Division Annual Meetings/ Elections (4:00pm GMT, 11:00am ET, 8:00am PT via Zoom) • GAMA Board’s Public Meeting (6:00pm GMT, 1:00pm ET, 10:00am PT via Zoom)

Tuesday, March 23 • Keynote Presentation - GAMA Diversity Conversation • Exhibit Hall with 80+ Companies Participating • Game Night Plus Saturday, March 27 Friendly Local Game Store Day. This is a new program to support publishers’ sales via the retail channel.

We will be livestreaming with interviews with publishers promoting new games and encouraging viewers to buy product from their local game stores. The program will also include videos from stores around the country and other game related content.

Not a retail member of the Game Manufacturers Association, but interested in attending GAMA Expo 2021?

First-time retailers can join GAMA for just $99!

In addition to taking part in this members-only gathering of hobby game industry professionals, you’ll receive all the benefits of membership for the entire year, including discounts on business services, access to an archive of

For more information, please visit www.gama.org/page/gama-expo

educational webinars, semi-annual ordering guides, access to a private Facebook group and the GAMA weekly newsletter. Send an email to chris.materni@gama.org to take advantage of this limited time offer!

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ALL-NEW DICE TOWER ESSENTIALS ARE COMING SOON!

This expansion includes all the components needed to add a 5th player as well as new Ocean Characters, Kings, Locations, and Mantas. It also introduces an an alternate game mechanic that replaces Goal Tracks: the Tribes.

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SAGRADA

Stands the Test of Time

W

hat can be said about Sagrada that hasn’t been already?

Beautifully designed from the simplicity of the mechanics to its attractive visuals, there is a reason this remains a staple among all walks of gamers. Easily the most recognizable title from Floodgate Games, Sagrada is designed by Daryl Andrews and Adrian Adamescu with art

by Peter Woken. Since its release in 2012 Sagrada has had several expansions as well, but I’m here to talk about the base game.

I think one of the best aspects of Sagrada is that it only takes a few minutes to teach the basics of how to play. Couple the easy teach with the minimal setup time, and you’ve got a low barrier to entry to even those not among the board game initiated.

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But it’s not just this ease of entry that makes Sagrada a title that keeps finding its way back to the table. There is something innate in people in the desire to create something and the feeling of constructing your window comes across beautifully in the gameplay.

The satisfaction you feel when you draft and place that die to finish a scoring objective is as thrilling the first time you play as it is the hundredth. Of course, there is also the bitter disappointment of looking at your unfinished window at the end of the game and wondering, “what if?”. Both of those feelings are why this game is special; I want to do better than I did the last game each time I open the box.

Sagrada is a favorite game of couples as well. This is probably one of its bestselling points. How often do we in the industry hear, “What game can I get my partner to play with me?” Well, Sagrada is here to fill that space. With enough player interaction to keep things interesting, but very few if any moments of direct conflict, Sagrada’s elegant gameplay pairs as well, if not better, for two players as it does at

other player counts.

For the price, few games provide the objective depth of re-playability as Sagrada.

The core game comes with 12 double-sided window pattern cards, one of which players select to play each game. Over the years I’m sure I’ve played each of these pattern cards several times, but I’m also pretty sure I’ve never noticed. The balance of strategy and luck in Sagrada makes each game exciting, casual, tense, and calming all at different times in the same single play!

There is a term that gets thrown around in the hobby referring to certain games as “gateway” titles. A game that is excellent in introducing new players into a wider world of games. But I wouldn’t classify Sagrada as that; it’s more like a bridge game. Spanning the gaps between casual and hardcore gamers, accessible yet sturdy enough to be traversed time and again. And like any good masterpiece, it’s here to stand the test of time.

Ian Birdsall OffDutyNinja, LLC. Marketing and Brand Manager

floodgategames.com

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The hit game of dice drafting and window crafting.

VIDEOS, REVIEWS & MORE AT

FLOODGATE.GAMES/SAGRADA

1-4

30-45

Players

Minutes

Ages 13+

MSRP: $39.95 Case Quantity: 6

Box Weight: .96 kg / 34 oz.

Box Size: 295 x 225 x 75mm / 11.61 x 8.86 x 2.95 in.

/floodgategames 2021_AroundTheTable_Q1_Winter_3.5.indd 59

SKU: FGG-SA01 UPC: 728028379730

1

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Let’s start out by defining who this game is NOT for.

If you like long, complex games with lots of deep strategy, this will not check your boxes.

If you hate games with meeples in them, you’ll hate this one.

And if you can’t stand to play a fun game more than once in a night, this is definitely not for you.

But if you like fun little games that reward thought – but don’t force you into long, deep thought – and can be played over and over, then Hack & Slash could be worth a look!

The idea of the game is simple. You are the leader of a guild of adventurers.

The other players are also adventurers, competing with you for fame. You win fame by taking on missions: battles, rescues, and the “liberation” of whatever pays the most.

You start with eight adventurers in your guild, represented by meeples. Each turn, you start at the Tavern and pick a Quest from the ones available. One roll of three dice

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Hack & Slash

By Steve Jackson of Steve Jackson Games

tells you whether you succeed. If you beat the Quest, you win fame . . . keeping the card! . . . and maybe even recruit a new adventurer.

The harder the Quest, the more of your meeples you risk, and the more fame you get. That is, the more fame you get if you succeed. Because if you fail, you lose the questing party! (Of course, you can choose to send out a rescuer, but if the rescuer fails, they’re all lost.)

The Quests range from relatively simple ones, like Arm-Wrestle a Troll, all the way up to hard ones like Restore the Eye of the Idol. If you don’t have enough adventurers left in your guild, you can always choose to Brag at the Tavern. If that’s successful, you recruit another meeple! All the cards are hilariously illustrated by Munchkin artist Lar deSouza.

The game continues until someone runs out of adventurers or until there are no more cards in the draw pile. Then everyone counts the Quest cards they have taken, and the highest Fame wins. That’s the cue for the other players to say, “Let’s play that again!”

Designed by Sam Mitschke and Philip

Reed, and illustrated by Lar deSouza, this is a fun little game that I am proud to have in our line. It’s a perfect warmup while you wait for the whole group to get together . . . or a great cooldown if you haven’t had quite enough fun for the evening.

Hack & Slash is for 2 to 6 players and takes about 20 minutes to play. It includes: • 21 Quest cards, plus one to indicate the first player • 50 red meeples. Red for courage, or blood, or cherry cola – whatever floats your boat.

• Three dice • And the rules. Which are not much longer than this article . . .

Hack & Slash Remotely!

It’s worth noting that this game has no “hands” of cards and no secrets. That makes it easy to play over Zoom. Only one person has to have the game – they just have to point their camera at the cards on the table at the beginning of each turn. All the other players need is three six-sided dice and a passion for quick, silly adventure!

sjgames.com

3/5/21 11:50 AM

Add these dice sets to your menagerie.

Mix and match with any game that calls for a d6!

These Munchkin dice bags can be trusted to keep your dice safe!

Order these dice and dice bags from your preferred distributor or email retailers@sjgames.com to set up a direct sales account today!

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INDEX OF advertisers

Company....................................................... website

adverstory page................ ad page

Arcane Tinmen ApS.......................................... arcanetinmen.com ....................................... 36.................................... 37 Arcane Wonders............................................. arcanewonders.com ............................................................................... 57 AWEbase........................................................................ awebase.com ....................................... 14.................................... 15 Bezier Games........................................................ beziergames.com ....................................... 26.................................... 27 Czech Games Edition.......................................... czechgames.com ....................................... 24.................................... 25 Elf Creek Games............................................... elfcreekgames.com ....................................... 20.............................. 21-23 Floodgate Games.......................................... floodgategames.com ....................................... 58.................................... 59 IELLO................................................................................. iellousa.com ....................................... 63.....................back cover Indie Boards & Cards.......................... indieboardsandcards.com ....................................... 34.................................... 35 KTBG/Burnt Island Games.................................. kidstablebg.com ....................................... 32.................................... 33 Lucky Duck Games...................................... luckyduckgames.com ......................................... 6.....................front cover Monte Cook Games................................... montecookgames.com ....................................... 16.................................... 17 Osprey Games Publishing....................... ospreypublishing.com ....................................... 18.................................... 19 Pegasus Spiele GmbH....................................... pegasus-web.com ......................................... 8.........inside front cover Rio Grande Games........................................ riograndegames.com ....................................... 50.................................... 51 Skybound Games...................................................... skybound.com ....................................... 46.................................... 47 Smirk & Dagger Games............................... smirkanddagger.com ....................................... 40.................................... 41 Steve Jackson Games................................................ sjgames.com ....................................... 60.................................... 61 Ultra Pro International.............................................. ultrapro.com ......................................................................... 30-31 Upper Deck............................................................... upperdeck.com ....................................... 38.................................... 39 Van Ryder Games............................................ vanrydergames.com ......................................... 9...................................... 4

To advertise, contact Amy Colburn at 315-789-6431 or amy@fwpi.com Issue

AROUND THE

®

A Publication by the Game Manufacturers Association

Q2 Q3 Q4

Deadline

April 9 July 9 October 1

Mailing Date

May 14 August 13 November 5

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H C N U A L THE CATAPULTS! T

his story is as old as time itself. In a country, not too far from here, stood two kingdoms. In appearances, one could hardly tell the difference between the two. Two households... alike in dignity... in their fair kingdoms.

However, after taking a closer look, the deep hatred that connects the two becomes, well, a little too obvious. Of course, no one quite remembers exactly what happened, but they say the ancient feud between the Chauforts and the Cunningfields started over the last piece of cheese...

READY, AIM... LAUNCH THE CATAPULTS!

Catapult Feud is a new boulder launching, castle smashing as well as dexterity game for the whole family. Players build castles, set up their troops, load the catapults and use cunning tactics to conquer the floor!

Designed by Kristian Fosh, the game engages the imagination by immersing players in a medieval-style battle between kingdoms.

Players will get to choose one of two families, either the Chauforts from France

or the Cunningfields from England. They will then have to build a castle out of plastic bricks to fortify their troops. Using Action cards and their very own, fully functioning catapult, players launch rubber boulders in an attempt to destroy their opponent's castle and knock over their troops. When all the troops of one family are knocked down, the battle is over. The winning family must have at least one troop standing upright.

Build and Destroy

Laying tummy-down on the floor, squinting slightly as he stretches the rubber band and aims the catapult at his son's newly built castle, Fosh, the designer himself, smiles before yelling “FIRE!” and lets the elastic go.

It's a direct hit! And we'd expect nothing less from the game designer, as he's been developing and perfecting Catapult Feud since 2018.

“My boys love nothing more than to build… and then to destroy whatever the other has built,” Fosh said after playing a few rounds of Catapult Feud with his sons, Milo (8) and Luca (6). That is how it all started. “I thought, why not make a game of it? Throw in a love of epic films, medieval battles and a thorough enjoyment of searching for rubber boulders in the most random of places and you have Catapult Feud!”

Interestingly, the game was funded by Kickstarter in July 2020. Originally called Catapult Kingdoms, Catapult Feud was inspired by Fosh's love of games from his childhood and his two sons. “Not only has [Catapult Feud] become a game we love to play together, but it was wonderful to make it with them,” Fosh explained. “From the earliest designs of basic bricks and different catapults, [my sons] have shown so much

enthusiasm for the process and it’s brought us so close together.”

Then he added, “We have been playing it together for years, in every iteration, and they still get the box set out when their friends and cousins come over and treat them to a game or three. And, in all this time, they have never once asked what the rules are!”

The Pull of Catapult Nostalgia

In 2019, the prototype of Catapult Feud was showcased at SPIEL in Essen, Germany, and the response was incredible. “We set up the game on a long table at our exhibit booth and people lined up to play,” said Vesuvius Media CEO, Konstantinos Manos. “Players reminisced about the catapult games of old and we saw parents become kids again. We also saw parents trying to smash their kids’ castles with vengeance. It was hilarious, and so much fun!”

In a new and exciting partnership, IELLO USA and Vesuvius Media are now bringing Catapult Feud to tabletops, and floors, across North America. Whether you are 4 years old or 94 years old, Catapult Feud taps into your creativity and fuels the imagination.

“Just remember, this is a game of construction destruction of plastic bricks and figures. Not your opponent, pets, or people who may foolishly pass through the field of battle!” said Manos with a smile.

Players from all over North America will have to wait until Spring 2021 to get a taste of this intoxicating game.

The war for the floor has begun once more!

MSRP $39.99 SKU IEL51798 For further information: www.iellousa.com / sales@iellogames.com iellogames.com

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@IELLOUSA

Untitled-1 6

@iello_usa

@IelloUSA

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