Around the Table Q4 2022

Q4 2022

Board Gaming Pedagogy How to Engage Growing Children Through Gaming

What Is Your SEO Strategy?

Boost Your Website Rankings With These 7 Steps

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Available Early 2023 MSRP: $44.99 22_ATT_4_Nov1.indd 2

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The

d r a o b d r Ca m u r d n u n Co

Is the TCG boom hope, or hype?

By Joey Senart, Decks and Draughts

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et’s start with a classic: “You should carry this new trading card game.”

If you own a local game store, tell me you didn’t wince a bit.

Over the last thirty years, hundreds of TCGs have tried to power their way onto store shelves – using intriguing worlds or familiar IPs to break into LGS’s with fans uttering that very line. Unfortunately, no matter how initially promising, few new TCGs succeed. The typical tale sees a new game hit the shelf intriguing players for a little bit, then that “shiny, new” feeling fades, and those players return to the likes of Magic, Pokémon, or Yu-Gi-Oh while that product collects dust on the shelf.

Based on this track record, the automatic response for many store owners is to decline on these new TCGs and continue their focus on higher margin board games. But something is re-writing the standard story, and the TCG industry is experiencing a boom that even has Disney wanting to jump in with their Lorcana Trading Card Game.

Consider Flesh & Blood’s $1M 2022 tournament prize pool, MetaZoo’s partnership with eBay, Target, and WalMart, and Sorcery: Contested Realms racking up a $4M Kickstarter campaign.

It’s not hard to suggest there could be a legitimate disruption to the typical TCG behavior.

But therein lies the cardboard conundrum: Is all the hype and value a

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sign of potential? Or is it merely pressure?

In the old days when Wizards of the Coast was a local game store and Scrye Magazine was a source of hobby truth, the TCG industry went through a similar explosion to this current one.

The difference between then and now isn’t much of a plot twist: the internet has opened new doors for the entire hobby industry.

Trading card games are now less reliant on the curiosity of cardboard loyalists. Word of mouth referrals are radically different. Leveraging YouTube creators, Discord servers, Tabletop Simulator, and more, an entire market for a TCG can be created without needing to hit the table, undergo extensive playtesting, or find validation within the traditional distribution model.

The addition of Kickstarter allows more accessibility for game designers to self-publish. Dozens of successful campaigns have brought thousands of backers and, in some cases, millions of dollars in support. Social media gives those games an opportunity to shine worldwide, driving home that the TCG industry is bigger than ever. Titles like Alpha Clash, Legions: Realms at War, Primal, Runes of Ede, Runeslingers, Starcrossed, Vanquishers, Zeitgeist, and even a provocatively-themed Cannabeast, among many others, are finding their continued on page 8

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Push Your Luck in Victorian London

By Beth Erikson Marketing Manager – Pegasus Spiele North America

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ife in London isn’t always easy.

The city is run by rich moneybags, swaggering about with their wealth and just getting richer. Now it’s time to seize opportunities as swindlers and cutpurses to claim your share!

To become the master thief in London, you’ll need to grab the jewelry, money, and house keys from the rich… they won’t miss those, right? But be careful, some of the rich are more attentive than expected and you could be caught!

Look out for your fellow thieves foiling your plans; it’s every thief for themselves on these tough streets. So, stay one step ahead of the others and don’t be afraid to resort to dirty tricks yourself, hiring accomplices to ruin your opponent’s thefts.

No one becomes rich with honest work!

Each round, players will steal loot and then have the chance to fulfill orders, sell loot to dealers, and hire accomplices.

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Each of the five money bags have a variety of loot in each, such as keys, coins, or different pieces of jewelry. The green bag has a wider variety of items with one of each type while the red bag gives a better chance of drawing a red key specifically. Different orders require different items to fulfill, so each round players can choose which bag to draw from to try to get the item they want for the highest payoff.

Once a player has chosen which bag to pull from that turn, they can draw as many loot tiles as they want, one by one.

But be careful, each bag contains at least one skull token. If you push your luck too far and a skull token is drawn, you’ve been caught! All the tiles of that bag’s color,

including any previous loot you successfully stole, must be returned.

After a successful theft, your loot can be sold to dealers or used to complete orders for big payoffs. As order cards are fulfilled and replenished, a police raid could be revealed! Police raids affect every swindler currently at large. When a police raid is revealed, all players must compare the number of loot tiles and wanted posters they have to what is listed on the raid. If the number is equal to or larger than the number on the police raid, then that swindler was too greedy and is sent to jail for a round.

Your fellow thieves won’t help you on the streets, but accomplices are happy to help for the right price. Accomplices like the Backstabber, Forger, Copycat, Lock Picker, and more give special abilities during the game, helping you get more loot or affect another thief ’s turn.

Carefully steal the right loot, use accomplices to hinder your fellow thieves, and find out who will become the Master Thief in this exciting push-your-luck game! pegasus-web.com

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AROUND THE

®

OFFICERS

Q4 2022

A Publication by the Game Manufacturers Association

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

GAMA STAFF

PRESIDENT Frank West City of Games Director - Publisher VICE PRESIDENT Grace Collins Snowbright Studios Director - Creator TREASURER Stephan Brissaud Funko Games Director - Publisher

John Stacy EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR john.stacy@gama.org

Chris Materni

Gregoire Boisbelaud

Paul McGraw

DEPUTY DIRECTOR

EVENTS MANAGER

chris.materni@gama.org

paul.mcgraw@gama.org

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR greg.boisbelaud@gama.org

SECRETARY Jax Ward Crazy Squirrel Games & Toys Director - Retail

DIRECTORS Nicole Brady SAHMs Reviews Director - Media & Events John Coviello Little Shop of Magic Director - Retail

Adam Ziegler

Cynthia Tuck

Bryan Borgman

TECHNOLOGY AND CREATIVE MANAGER

EVENTS COORDINATOR

MEMBER SERVICES COORDINATOR

adam.ziegler@gama.org

cynthia.tuck@gama.org

bryan.borgman@gama.org

Matt Fantastic Forever Stoked Creative Director - Creator

Julie Yeager

Dawn Studebaker

EXHIBITOR MANAGER

EDUCATION CONTRACTOR

julie.yeager@gama.org

dstudebaker@gama.org

Radek Gronus FABRYKA KART Director – Production/Manufacturer Beau Heath Southern Hobby Distribution Director - Wholesale Eric Price Meijia Board Game Factory Director – Production/Manufacturer Monica Rasso Meeples At Sea Director - Media & Events Sito Sanchez Peachstate Hobby Distribution Director - Wholesale Will Niebling Emeritus Board Member

THE GAME MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION 258 East Campus View Blvd Columbus, OH 43235 Phone: 614-255-4500 Fax: 614-255-4499 www.gama.org • media@gama.org Around the Table © 2022 The Game Manufacturers Association

PUBLISHED BY

Fahy-Williams Publishing 171 Reed Street, 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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Q4 2022 Features

14 46

Board Gaming Pedagogy How to Engage Growing Children Through Gaming

What Is Your SEO Strategy?

7 Steps to Come Up With A Plan To Boost Your Website Rankings

Adverstories Tips and tricks to help retail stores sell games, written by the following companies All Game Terrain..................................................................30 Arcane Tinmen ApS.............................................................16 Ares Games SRL...................................................................69 Best Coast Pairings..............................................................26 Bezier Games.......................................................................12

Departments 5

GAMA Board and Staff

9

Letter from the Executive Director

9

Contributors

58

New Products

64

GAMA News

68

Index of Advertisers

Brotherwise Games, LLC....................................................48 Czech Games Edition..........................................................56 Elf Creek Games...................................................................20 Golden Plume Comics..........................................................3 Imagining Games................................................................38 Indie Game Studios.............................................................24 Japanime Games................................................................40 KTBG/Burnt Island Games.................................................62 Leder Games........................................................................50 Lucky Duck Games..............................................................70 Magpie Games.....................................................................36 Pegasus North America........................................................4 Restoration Games LLC......................................................32 Smirk & Dagger Games.......................................................42 Steve Jackson Games........................................................10 Turbo Dork, LLC...................................................................44 Upper Deck...........................................................................54 Van Ryder Games LLC.........................................................28

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place in what is suddenly becoming a crowded playing field.

But not all is fun and foil in the land of “luxury cardboard rectangles,” to borrow a line from YouTube’s The Magic Historian.

Capitalizing on the “fear of missing out,” secondary markets have been kicked into overdrive, sometimes twisting the ever-hopeful “next big thing” into the economically-buzzy “to the moon,” upending the LGS success model entirely, goosing audiences with financial value and warping players into profiteers.

Consider the following from some earlier mentioned games.

• As Flesh & Blood was beginning to really see its popularity spike in early 2021, their 2019 Alpha booster boxes were selling for upwards of $7,000 on the secondary market.

• MetaZoo’s Cryptid Nation Kickstarter box, soared beyond $10,000 in its early launch.

• Sorcery: Contested Realms was selling on eBay for nearly $400/box in Summer 2022, before those boxes had even reached their backer’s hands.

• Lorcana’s $50 6-card promo set from Disney’s D23 Expo in September sold for over $2,000 on secondary markets less than three hours after release.

Despite the potential and excitement, the pressure of profit is hard to ignore for many.

The muddle has led some LGS’s to avoid new TCGs entirely, but the sudden transformation of the industry is not necessarily a bad thing, and may benefit the hobby with something worthwhile in the end: preferably a new, higher-margin TCG that puts competitive pressure on the powerhouse trio to improve their own products and LGS support, or face loss of market share.

Fans are certainly seeking change, as the boom has led to swarms of new customers requesting that stores carry new games.

Thankfully, researching them is easy when deciding how a game thriving on the internet may fare in the confines of an LGS’s own communities. Between a game’s Kickstarter campaign, its creator

interviews, the general vibe of its fan base and the reactions to that vibe from the game creators, there’s more of a paper trail for the values, ethics, and business model of a new game.

As someone paying attention to a lot of the up-and-comers, I wanted to share five games on my radar, as well as some things to consider when your customers come in uttering that terrifying phrase: “You should carry this new trading card game.”

Genesis: Battle of Champions Why it’s Interesting: With its innovative grid-based mechanics, this tactical TCG boasts that “it’s a card game until you sit down.” Seeing it in action, skill-loving TCG’ers are joined by board, tabletop, and miniatures players intrigued by gameplay that sees them moving card-based units around the play-area, caring about their direction, distance, and awareness of their opponents.

LGS Sticking Power: The publisher emphasizes partnerships with LGS’s, bringing them into the excitement with spoilers, custom art promos inspired by their store, and increasing program rewards when sent to shops. They also embrace their expanded audience and are working on formats to engage players, new and old, in innovative ways with respect to wallet fatigue, jumping straight into competitive play, and promoting healthy product churn after initial set excitement.

Distribution: Available in the US through ACD, Funagain, Golden, and GTS.

Kryptik Why it’s Interesting: This “communitydriven” TCG has a familiar suite of core mechanics, then becomes something wildly unique and engaging in a way that I call “Missile Command: The Card Game.”

Built to appreciate both the casual and competitive end of the player spectrum, Kryptik has also found a following with continued on page 18

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FROM THE executive director

Dear friends, Welcome to the Q4 2022 issue of Around the Table. It’s always great to see another issue of this magazine come together to learn what members are doing, what new products are coming out, and look at the latest industry trends.

In this issue we have two featured articles, the first is from Justin Spicer looking at the how publishers are working to grow new gamers by focusing on the needs of kids and families. In the second I dust off my marketing hat and discuss seven factors helpful to creating a SEO strategy for better webpage rankings.

As the year draws to a close, its time to talk about membership renewals. As a nonprofit trade organization, we could not operate without members like you. We want to thank you for your continued support of the work we do to strengthen and grow the hobby games industry!

Membership renewals for 2023 were sent to the designated representative for each member company in early November. We

appreciate your prompt renewal for next year so you can be part of all the cool things we have planned at GAMA EXPO, Origins Game Fair, online and regional networking events and lots of webinars and peer learning throughout the year. In addition, we are working on creating new programs for each of the six memberships groups that make up GAMA. We welcome suggestions on programs or services you would like to see from your trade association. Please email your thoughts and idea to my attention at: john.stacy@gama.org Be well and happy gaming!

John Stacy Executive Director Game Manufacturers Association

OUR contributors Thank you to the following industry professionals for contributing their time and expertise to Around the Table! Please enjoy their articles throughout this issue. If you would like to contribute to future issues of Around the Table by suggesting a topic or writing your own article, please email media@gama.org.

About John Stacy John Stacy is the executive director of the Game Manufacturers Association. A lifelong learner and gamer, he has worked in the nonprofit, education, and governmental relations arenas for more than thirty years. He holds a master’s degree in Marketing and Communications and was an adjunct instructor for the University of Phoenix for four years facilitating marketing and business classes.

About Justin Spicer Justin Spicer is an instructional designer by day and a 15-year veteran of entertainment and hobby based journalism in his free time.

When not pursuing the newest trends in learning or covering innovative publishers, designers, and musicians, Justin enjoys family activities such as gardening, making music, and visiting museums.

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Christmas Conniptions

By Steve Jackson

T

hough we’ve done several Christmas releases for Munchkin, and once for Zombie Dice, we have never done a specific Christmas-themed game. But retailers have asked for some impulse-priced Christmas add-ons. And if something is worth doing, it’s worth overdoing – so this year we’re releasing two. Both are small, simple, and intended to sell for under $10, so they can be stocking stuffers or even hang from the tree.

The 12 Dice of Christmas

Yes, it’s an awful pun. And this concept started out as a simple package of dice. The game came later.

It’s a family-style game; the vibe is like Yahtzee, though the play is very different. In fact, one of my first playtest groups was with my family – all nongamers – and they had a good time. My brother stomped me . . .

The basic idea: Everybody has a score sheet with numbers from 1 to 12. Each number represents a gift. You use your dice rolls to build up to these totals. The strategy comes with HOW to use those dice – and which ones to save for later.

What with one thing and another, we ended up setting this design aside after it was first created, and then using its mechanics for the Bullet Dice game (which is now in its third printing). I’m quite happy to see The 12 Dice of Christmas back in

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its original form, if only because I really love the “wreath” packaging concept.

This is a good game for one gamer to teach a family of non-gamers!

Bad Christmas

Have you ever played “Dirty Santa”?

It’s also sometimes called the “White Elephant Game.” It’s a real-life thing – a Christmas gift game where you exchange (or steal) small presents. Bad Christmas is just an implementation of the Dirty Santa idea, with funny cards.

Everybody has a list of all the presents. You mark three that you really want, and one that you really don’t want. Then the cards are dealt and the game begins.

Half the fun is reading the cards. Illustrated by Greg Hyland, they show “presents” that nobody in their right mind would ever want . . . things like the Santa Toilet

Brush and the Chocolate-Covered Pickles.

And don’t forget the Inflatable Birdhouse!

Once you get the cards, you start “opening” presents by revealing the cards.

Then they can be stolen. And stolen back!

But once a gift has changed hands three times, it is locked down.

The winner, of course, is the one who gets closest to their wish list.

This is a game for anybody, including complete non-gamers. The rules are short and the cards are cute.

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Castles of Mad King Ludwig Royal Collector’s Edition

By Ted Alspach | Founder & CEO of Bezier Games, Inc.

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n 2014, Bezier Games launched Castles of Mad King Ludwig. As a very small publisher, this was our 2nd big box game, following the release of Suburbia a few years before. Just like most small publishers, we did everything we could to get the game produced, but our budget was incredibly tiny.

Artwork and graphic design in particular ended up getting shorted, but the game was still incredibly well received, and since its publication it has sold more than 100,000 copies.

We started working on a collector’s edition for Castles in 2018, commissioning much better artwork, great graphic design, and determined which of the many expansions that were in development might be ready for it. Of those, the Towers and Royal Decree expansions were deemed to be the most viable, and so we had art created for them and started serious development on both of them, as well as rethinking how the the game’s table presence should be, and what if anything would be special about the Collector’s Edition.

We wanted everything to be special about this edition, so we hired a 3D artist to create plastic painted towers that replicated the design of the 8 castles that Ludwig either built or lived in during his life. That same 3D artist created new plastic swan player tokens. We decided early on that the swan player tokens needed to feel solid, but instead of just making them solid plastic, we embedded a chunk of metal into each of them, making them feel really good to handle, and also ensuring that they wouldn’t tip over easily.

Our graphic designer designed new coins, which are incredibly detailed and reflective of the time Ludwig was alive in the mid 1800’s. And like coins at that time, we made these 3mm thick…much thicker

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than metal coins you’ll find with other special editions of games, so they are easy to pick up, move, and stack onto room tiles in the market.

Because the Favor tokens now had a dual purpose with the new Towers expansion, we made them all heavilyweighted poker chips…the same weight that the first edition of Splendor had, which is as premium as you can get.

We included the limited Polish expansion set of rooms, and also created a whole new group of rooms that were new to this edition.

We also looked at anything else we thought could use improvement based on the feedback we had gotten for the game and its Secrets expansion over the years. Gone were the zig zag scoreboard, multi-piece market/ room storage boards and long setup times for including the Swans portion of Secrets, being replaced with a single scoreboard and a better way to include swans that didn’t require any setup time.

People had long wanted to play Castles with 5 players, and while there weren’t enough components in the original game to do that, we made sure it was possible with this new edition.

Finally, we turned our attention to the rules. We made the expansions color coded so it would be easy to find the rules for the expansions you are playing with, and provided all sorts of great examples and detailed setup pages to make learning and referencing rules as easy as possible.

To top off the Royal Collector’s Edition, there are GameTrayz to store all of the components in a way that makes the game quick and easy to setup.

The Royal Collector’s Edition was a limited print run, and there are only so many still available, so be sure to get yours now!

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g n i am

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Y G Bo EDAGO P

By Justin Spicer

How to Engage Growing Children Through Gaming 14

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he paths in which people enter board gaming are varied, but family is the first entry point for children to experience and get enthused by the hobby. The games they play with parents, siblings, and extended family helps create bonds that they may carry as they mature. Above all else, as fun as board gaming is at its surface it’s also a fantastic and flexible learning tool that matures with children as they transition into school age and well beyond adolescence.

Whether it’s through specific gaming lines that are aimed at making gaming accessible and yet enjoyable for children, or FLGS hosting events that encourage families to explore

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gaming together in an environment where they can learn a game together and feel comfortable, there is something children will always be learning by the mere enjoyment provided by a board game.

Building Better Minds How do children stay in the hobby when they start to grow up, find other interests, and more entertainment options open up to them? Well, parents can rest assured that the benefits of board gaming are plentiful, from helping younger children develop hand-eye coordination, recognize patterns, shapes, and colors sooner, and boost language development.

But the benefits for growing children as they enter those school age and adolescence is just as lengthy.

Thankfully, publishers are creating games that are meant to grow with these younger gamers and their families. Kids Table Board Games (KTBG) has prided itself on designing “casual games for serious gamers, and serious games for casual gamers”. This includes creating games that grow and adapt along with children and families. KTBG often creates games that are modular, where certain rulesets, pieces, or mechanics can be removed or added to reduce or increase the complexity depending on who is playing the game. “We wanted to make games for adults that kids could play,” Helaina Cappel, co-founder of KTBG, explains.

“So we knew that the games not only needed to have aspects of them that were challenging enough for adults and simple enough for kids, but also had to look the part.”

Many of the skills or mechanics that are inherent in more complex games can be found in the essence of KTBG games, not only to bridge the gap between adult and children players in a family, but also to keep children engaged in games that can grow with them.

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Steel Sharpens Steel Other publishers have taken note.

One of the hotter trends in games is deduction and detective-style games, which puts players into the situations where clues, information, and strategy collide into games that are meant to add a bit of abstract thinking to the game table.

The popular Unlock! series, released via Space Cowboys, has released the first Unlock! Kids. Not only does Unlock!

Kids take away the app component of the original series, but it caters the learning and discoveries to be appealing to school age and parents alike.

HABA has found similar success in its The Key series. Each case is not only radically different, but the solutioning involved means multiple ways to find success and solve the riddles inherent in the games. The Keys and Unlock! Kids help teach the value of teamwork via cooperative play, as well as increasing attention spans as everyone must pay attention and piece together information to progress.

Finding Partners Outside the Home Retail initiatives are just as integral to helping kids to grow up, develop skills, and engage in constructive play. Board gaming already encourages socialization and communication growth but finding new avenues to express oneself is key for adolescents to begin embracing their own self-expression.

Many retailers already have family gaming or kids’ night out events that bring the whole family into the friendly and low-stakes environment of a FLGS. These events not only help bring families together and foster learning opportunities, but they build social and coping skills in safe spaces where adolescents can learn how to win and lose with dignity and grace.

Introducing children to these places early not only builds a sense of community from a young age but provides them the means to speak about

board gaming with like-minded people of all ages. Events and tournaments around trading card games such as Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering are also places where retailers provide strong incentives and safe spaces for adolescents to use some brain power in devising strategies to win, but also to engage with older and younger kids (and even adults) to help build and strengthen community.

Staying Relevant Publishers and retailers both are benefitting from the wealth of pop culture IPs that are inundating board gaming.

This is where those outside interests that adolescents develop come in handy to keep them engaged in board gaming.

Their journey through a pop culture touchstone can lead them through not only a plethora of different interests, but also a wide array of mechanics, themes, and genres that help them find what they enjoy most out of gaming.

No longer is a cartoon character or a popular series used merely to prop up basic gaming mechanics. Games now leverage what makes those notable franchises special, and turn them into recognizable parts of the game, be it through clever storytelling or an innovative mechanic that blends interests into an experiential adventure.

As children continue to grow as people, board gaming is seeming to mature right along with them. The biggest benefit is the learning that comes along with it, both in enrichment and sociability.

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COLORFUL INPENETRABLE PROTECTION

By Simon B. Etches, Narrative Designer at Dragon Shield

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lenial counted the arrowheads in her half-emptied quiver, careful not to prick her finger on the poisoned points.

Above, the dragons hunted. As she caught her breath, she watched their thunderous swooping, flinched at the awesome strike of their tails and claws and teeth. She watched them hunt, and yet did not feel compelled to nock an arrow. They were beautiful, almost too beautiful to exist in this cold, dark world of hers, the world of the undergrowth. Yet here they were: violet, yellow, blue — more colors still!

— and every bit as lethal as her poisoned arrowheads. And yet, she felt they were here not as enemies or threats, but as protectors. Shields. Keeping her safe from horrors untold...

Dragon Shield Matte Dual Sleeves: Black inside – charred by real dragon fire!

The Dragon Shield Matte Dual sleeves combine a colorful back with a welded, fully opaque, black interior design that elegantly frames your cards.

Dual sleeves have an amazing shuffle feel and are perfect for double-faced cards or for perfectly concealing the back of your cards during gameplay regardless of lighting conditions – making them ideal 16

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for tournament play.

You may well have heard of Dragon Shield Matte Dual sleeves already. If not, here’s what they’re all about: The Matte Dual sleeves are tough as scales! At 120 microns, the matte dual sleeves are the thickest sleeves on the market, affording your cards excellent protection. The sleeves feature the amazing silky-smooth shuffle feel you’ve come to expect from Dragon Shield. They come in 11 stunning new colors, and all have black interiors to not only give a great-looking backdrop for any black-bordered cards, but most of all to ensure that the sleeves are all 100% opaque, even sleeves in lighter colors like Snow, Peach, or Eucalyptus.

Now, what are these colors, you ask?

Snow – classic and elegant, as white as a winter’s morning. Orchid, sweet and uplifting. Lightning, bold and impactful!

Lagoon, cool and relaxing. Eucalyptus, soothing and nourishing. Crypt, eerie and macabre. Peach, delicious and satisfying.

Glacier, immense and frosty. Ember,

glowing and blistering. Fury, mad and raging. And finally, Wraith, the unnerving specter of revenge.

In other words: white, violet, yellow, dark blue, light turquoise, grey, peach, light blue, orange, pink, and … purple.

All, in our humble opinion, stunning and ready for all your favorite TCGs. Dragon Shield Matte Dual Sleeves – available at your local game store or online today!

Dragon Shield Matte Dual sleeves come in standard size (up to 36x88mm / 2½”x3½”) and Japanese size (up to 59x86mm / 2-5/16”x3-3/8”). Standard size packs come with 100 sleeves including a sturdy cardboard box that fits 75+ single sleeved cards or 65+ double sleeved cards.

Compatible with card games such as Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Digimon, Flesh and Blood and many others.

The smaller (Japanese) size packs come with 60 sleeves per box and fits 40+ single sleeved cards or 35+ double sleeved cards. Compatible with trading card games such as Yu-Gi-Oh! And Cardfight!

Vanguard.

For more information about our dual sleeves, card gaming accessories, new tabletop roleplaying line, and lore, check out www.dragonshield.com. arcanetinmen.com

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BLACK INTERIOR OPAQUE

Dual Sleeves combine a colorful back with a black inside to elegantly frame your cards and even the lightest colors are fully opaque.

FULLY OPAQUE Safe play with double-faced cards

BLACK INTERIOR

Available in Japanese size

Beautiful black frame for your cards

COLORFUL BACK Available in eleven bright colors

ORDER NOW! Available from GTS Distribution WWW.DRAGONSHIELD.COM/DUAL

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continued from page 8

the collector community through its test packs and unique “Riddle 66” campaign.

beyond engaging in a fast-paced fight to the death.

LGS Sticking Power: Throughout preproduction, the creator invested efforts in reaching out to LGS’s to share his vision, refining his post-Kickstarter strategy, and, through play-testing and tournaments, building a strong online player community that will be itching to get their hands on “Kryptik Krate” organized play kits.

Distribution: Available through Peachstate and Southern Hobby.

LGS Sticking Power: With 400 cards in its initial set, combined with its casual storytelling feel, Sorcery is another game that can branch well outside of the typical TCG crowd and keep people exploring it for a long time. The beautiful treatments for each piece also inspire true collectability instead of just mere chase, which could invigorate the singles market from people looking to acquire each finely-crafted card.

ZU Tiles

Distribution: Pending.

Why it’s Interesting: While still functioning like a TCG, with booster packs and organized play on the horizon, this highly-strategic tile placement game contains deep mechanics that are simple to understand, quick to play, and often quite hilarious. Partnering with Japanime Games, ZU Tiles has captured the licensing prowess of anime powerhouse Crunchyroll, recognizing its potential as a truly innovative welcome to the card gaming space for their unique and adoring audience.

LGS Sticking Power: With its well-priced introductory starter kit and a focus on “generational collectability,” ZU Tiles is not only a great, wallet-friendly first TCG for kids, but also will attract both the anime audience who will appreciate the simple rules and gorgeous artistic treatments as well as the battle-hardened TCG player who will love its complex strategic elements.

Distribution: Available through Global Games Distribution.

Sorcery Why it’s Interesting: Racking up $4 million on Kickstarter is interesting on its own, but Sorcery’s true intrigue comes from the stunning hand-painted artwork and immersive experience of its gameplay.

Touting itself as a “kitchen table” TCG, Sorcery shines as a casual card game, with players experiencing a narrative far 18

Grand Archive Why it’s Interesting: Merging Western game design with the meteoric rise of anime, Grand Archive creates a “best of both words” experience in this familiar, yet enhanced, champion-building TCG. Along with rich gameplay, jaw-dropping original art, premium cardstock, foiling and finishing, Grand Archive creates something as beautiful to play with as it is to look at.

LGS Sticking Power: The publisher is dedicating themselves to the LGS model, restricting some products to physical stores to give them a competitive advantage over online discounters.

Comprehensive organized play includes an online Omnidex and regional Ascent events with tournaments for both players and collectors, while low population serialized and gorgeous signed cards will drive intense chase.

Distribution: Available through Peachstate, Southern Hobby, and YY Card World.

About the Author: Joey Senart is a beerloving, life-long TCG fan from Colorado who combined his passions to create the Decks and Draughts YouTube channel, hoping to educate and empower the industry while also proving himself as the Head of Marketing for Genesis: Battle of Champions.

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I, Medusa

By Caleb Wilson, Elf Creek Resident Storyteller

A telling of the Atlantis Rising: Monstrosities story from medusa herself!

I

was a good Empress. I was kind when I could be, yet quick to quell injustice.

I was a fair ally, to the Atlanteans on their gleaming isle. I thought I lived in such a way as to please the gods. But one morning my chamber attendants shrieked on opening my bed-curtains. I had been made monstrous.

I thought it was random chance that had distorted me. My kindness faltered then. I shattered every mirror, unwilling to witness my skin hardened to scales, or the serpents that writhed upon my head. The court priests fled rather than confessing the source of my curse.

I learned it myself, from reading the roiling clouds and waves. My friendship with the Atlanteans had ruined me, the gods having determined that I must share their terrible curse.

My advisors begged me not to go.

They suggested I hide in my palace, letting nobody see what I had become. In the weird light of my round dragon’s eyes, the blood drained from their faces and their flesh shriveled to stone. I stepped over them--fallen, broken statues--and boarded my auto-trireme. This gift of the Atlanteans, powered by their own mystic energy, would bring me to their beleaguered island.

On the journey the sea-water lensed, unseen forms frolicking in the depths.

Whirlwinds harried the isle, a-buzz with the harpies’ foul feathers.

I crashed the auto-trireme on the shore below the clustered Atlantean cities. Blue sparks danced in its wrecked mechanisms. A ravenous anger had overtaken me. The scales over my skin creaked and groaned. I staggered down the ramp onto the beach. The six-armed 20

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isle smelled of terror and incense.

Up the shore path I stumbled. No music filled the happy peninsula today, no lyres to play the cosmic songs of the gods, no drums to beat a pleasant pulse. The sky was bruised with gathering storms.

Threads of gold lightning decorated the hideous realm of the harpies.

I wandered along the abandoned road. The houses had sealed their front gates. From some came wailing, from others laughter and the clatter of bowls and glasses at great, slobbering feasts.

A faint voice floated on the trembling

I raised an arm to them, and their flesh hardened to stone.

Behind me the rising waters swallowed the wreck of my auto-trireme.

Sharks and rays explored the sunken buildings. How had I not noticed before that Atlantis was already half submerged?

I set my eye to the high hills, where I could see the camps of desperate workers.

With each step I gnarled, deformed.

Would nobody dare treat with me? Did I not deserve an audience? I would take what I deserved, even as the doomed island sank beneath the waves.

air: “Citizens of Atlantis, linger no longer in your homes, there is no safety there!

We must pool our labor, now come with me, there’s work to be done!”

The crier, outside a beautiful housing insula, spotted me, dismay stamped upon their face like a mask.

Meet Medusa and the other adversaries and allies in Atlantis Rising: Monstrosities. Coming Q1 2023.

Pre-order your copy today at anja@elfcreekgames.com. elfcreekgames.com

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DULCE A Sweet Tabletop Treat!

By JP Decosse, OffDutyNinja Editorial Manager

W

hen you think of coffee, chocolate, and peanuts, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? A lovely first date?

A quick snack from the corner store? The newest product from Stronghold Games might possibly be the perfect answer to satisfy both!

Dulce puts 1 to 4 players into the shoes of confectionery suppliers who are growing crops of cacao, peanut, coffee, and vanilla needed to produce the sweetest goodies around.

The game is designed by Julio E. Nazario, who has crafted hit games including Ctrl (Pandasaurus Games) and Holi: Festival of Colors (Floodgate Games).

With Dulce, Nazario continues this string of quality creations with unique thematic settings. Tasty morsels of artwork come from the talented Justine Nortjé, who has also contributed to Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition and Aeon’s End: Past & Future (both from Indie Boards & Cards).

same card. Each cafe card requires players to make one of three critical choices build the cafe, plant the card on your field board, or harvest the crops in one row or column.

The card-mimicking rounds not only allow for snappy gameplay, but also provide an opportunity for new players to be shepherded through the steps of play without laying out every single rule in advance. And as we approach the holiday season, accessible gaming products with a low barrier to entry hits … ahem … a “sweet spot” for Christmas shoppers.

Players make their choices simultaneously, resulting in a lightning-quick gaming experience typically lasting 30 minutes or less. The decisions populating that tight timeframe are meaningful and delicious, often leading to cascading payouts for the player with the best laid plans.

PATISSERIE PUZZLE : HOW DOES IT WORK?

If carefully crafting caramel treats solo is more your speed, Dulce also delivers, with an experience that is identical to the multiplayer game. Will you be a Baking Beginner or a Macaron Master? Your final score in this mode will determine if you’re better off sticking with store-

Not unlike the card-driven path carved out by Karuba, one player will be revealing cafe cards from their deck, and all other players must make use of the 24

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SOLITARY SWEETNESS

bought cookie dough, or if somewhere inside your pastries rests the true meaning of life!

CAFE CURB APPEAL Before winning players over with its quick, accessible and addictive gameplay, potential buyers will first need to be convinced to pull the game off your store shelf. With that very reason in mind, the box artwork of Dulce captures the spirit of a high-end Parisian bakery, with a simple design and a shade of pastel blue that is sure to peak the interest of the curious shopper.

Following in the footsteps of recent Stronghold Games successes such as Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition and Path of Light and Shadow, Dulce stands out as visually and thematically distinct.

The gameplay offers a delightfully replayable experience perfect for today’s busy lifestyle; one we hope will capture the imagination of players before and after the box is opened.

The only remaining question: How to resist munching on those peanut and vanilla-colored cubes!

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Digital Solutions for the Tabletop Game Industry Who is BCP?

What Do We Do?

Best Coast Pairings began in 2015 when co-founder and CEO Paul McKelvey was asked by a local convention to run a Warhammer 40k tournament. Having been to countless events run on pen and paper but never having been part of the process, Paul was at a loss as to how to run an event. While discussing this with fellow co-founder Garrett Mulroney, Garrett had a simple answer, “I can build an app for that.” Just over a month later the first version of BCP Tournament Organizer was built and the first few tournaments were run on the system. Seven years, 64 game systems, and thousands of events later BCP has become much more than just event management software. However, the goal of making it easy for anyone to put on a table top event is still the core of BCP.

Best Coast Pairings’ core product consists of the BCP Tournament Organizer and Player Apps for iOS and Android as well as the new Best Coast Pairings website. Across the applications and the web Event Organizers have access to easy best in class ticketing for online registration to their events, unique and embeddable landing pages for each event.

Scoring, swaps, drops, adds and more are accessible to organizers to manage their events like never before.

Players can find events, register, check in and find pairings remotely getting events started faster and more efficiently than any other system. Once the event organizer starts the event, pairings are posted on the web and in the apps and players are playing before printed sheets can be stuck on a wall. When a match is finished, players record their results at the table with their opponents eliminating the need for dedicated score keepers and score sheets. Saving time, money, paper and creating an excellent player experience.

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So Much More Than Pairings Software Beginning with event management software, BCP has grown to cover many other needs in tabletop, becoming a full fledged software development team. Event Organizers can easily collect and view and validate deck and army lists. Retailers can assign Event Organizers to their locations to create events for them with a centralized payment account. Global circuits and leagues can be easily run and managed from the BCP event suite. Most recently BCP has built out their platforms for publishers. Partnering with Jasco Games for the Universus Game Network, MetaZoo for the MetaZoo Play Network and Stoneblade Entertainment for the SolForge Fusion Event Manager. BCP is consistently growing in publisher support with world class analytics, data capture, and new features.

Is BCP for me?

With support for 64 games and growing, it’s hard to find a game that BCP does not support. If your game is not in BCP, the team is happy to add it. Retailers can take advantage of the free to use tournament organizer and registration to simplify, advertise and take their events to the next level. And for publishers, the BCP team is available to build the tools, apps and sites to make your games truely unique.

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What has made Final Girl such a big hit?

A

couple of issues back we were talking about Final Girl and we left off with a cliffhanger… and now it is time to answer the question: What made Final Girl such a big hit? It wasn’t just one thing, but a collection of specific and intentional choices we made with respect to the game and product.

First, we took a proven system (the Hostage Negotiator system) and did everything we could to make it better. We have lots of data on what people liked and did not like about the system. During the design process, we used that data to make improvements to the already popular and successful system. When doing this, it was important to avoid changing what made it successful in the first

place. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and all.

Second, we chose an incredible and popular theme. Horror is a genre beloved by many, and no medium captures that love better than film. As fans of horror ourselves, we poured our passion into implementing theme into every crack and crevice of the game that we could. Our ability to integrate theme into a game is something we do quite well at Van Ryder Games. Final Girl is not a narrative game in the traditional sense, rather the narrative emerges through the gameplay. And our customers LOVE IT. Third, it is a solo game. Solo gaming is

still an emerging area of board gaming.

Imagine being a solo gamer and realizing a game was cultivated solely to be a single player experience? In an age of tacked on solo modes and publishers acquiescing to calls for a solo option, giving solo gamers a true solo experience is a big difference and it shows.

Finally, the product model. Distributors and retailers laughed at us when we explained the product would require two boxes, a Core Box and at least one Feature Film, to play. “Put everything in one box” they’d say. We don’t do what everyone else does. How can you innovate if you just follow the same recipe? The packaging is truly unique. Each Feature Film box has a Killer and a Location, the box and the system are completely modular. Who are we to tell the customer what Feature Film to start with? We can make a recommendation but let them decide! You see there is something customers value that this system gives them: CHOICE! This isn’t a model that would work for every game or even most games… but for Final Girl it is perfect. Watch the customer’s eyes light up as they see all of the Feature Film options.

Then blow their mind by showing them the removable magnetic box covers. We do it at every convention, and you can do it to. And they can enter at $40 or $100+ depending on their budget and appetite.

CHOICE. You win either way, trust me, the $40 buyer will be back for the rest.

Words will never do a product justice, but why not give this product line a chance and learn what many of your peers already know? This game SELLS. The Series 1 reprint should be available now and look for Series 2 coming in the first half of 2023! ~A.J. Porfirio, Van Ryder Games President and co-designer of Final Girl

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Get Ready for the

Big Reveal!

By Justin Jacobson – Board Game Necromancer

T

he latest Unmatched set arrives with a magical flourish. It’s the greatest escape artist who ever lived against the legend of the lamp. Unmatched: Houdini vs. The Genie is officially here, offering all new mechanics and wrapped up in he gorgeous package you’ve come to expect.

First launched in 2019, Unmatched is the game of card-driven skirmishes between heroes of film, literature, legend, and history. Each set offers custom decks designed to emulate the unique heroes they represent The ability to mix and match heroes from any set, means the combinations are endless: Daredevil vs.

Medusa is just he beginning!

The latest set features Harry Houdini against the Genie of the Lamp. Houdini includes a brand-new mechanic, the “boost bonus.” Some of his cards indude an effect that triggers when they are used to boost (discarded to augment movement or another card) - and many of his cards can be boosted. Additionally, his special ability lets him disappear and reappear anywhere on the board when you boost his movement. Lots of card tricks and slippery play that you’d expect from a master magician make him a powerful fighter.

But when it comes to

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power, none can match the legendary Genie of the Lamp. He can draw tons of cards, throw out potent attacks, and even gain extra actions. In many ways, his greatest weakness is his seemingly unlimited power. If he’s not careful, he can burn himself out, leaving himsellf open to a lethal counterattack.

Unmatched: Houdini vs. The Genie features art by the award-winning Peter Diamond, whose work has graced the pages of GQ, Wired, and the New York Times. The battlefield, “King Solomon’s Mines” is illustrated by Brian Patterson.

Houdini and The Genie are designed by Sam Crane and AdiI Geresu, two of the finalists from the Unmatched deck design contest Restoration Games ran in 2020.

With an eyecatching cover, two intriguing heroes, and some clever new game play, Houdini vs. The Genie is a must-have addition to your Unmatched shelf.

Whether they’re Unmatched veterans or gamers new to the line, his set will leave your customers spellbound.

You can order Unmatched, and other great Restoration games like Stop Thief! and Downforce, through your regular distributor today. To stay up to date on upcoming Restoration Games releases and get special retailer perks, sign up for the Blue Ribbon Retailer program (launching 2023). Email retailers@restoratongames. com for more info.

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THE ULTIMATE DISNEY & PIXAR TABLETOP BATTLE ROYALE!

Available Now!

@theopgames 13+

2 or 4

TheOp.games/DSA

35+ Min.

©Disney ©Disney/Pixar

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Save Room for Dinner!

By Pete Petrusha, Creative Director at Imagining Games

T

he award-winning Image comic book series and New York Times Best Seller, CHEW, is coming to a game table near you! Take a bite out of crime in this foodie, dark-comedy tabletop role-playing game about cops, crooks, cooks, cannibals, and clairvoyants in a clucked-up world. We like to think of it as a foodie crime drama.

Set in a world where chicken is illegal after a catastrophic outbreak of the bird flu killed over 100 million people, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration is now the most powerful law enforcement agency on the planet. The poultry prohibition changes crime as we know it. Drug dealers turn to egg dealing. The mob begins chicken trafficking. Underground chicken speakeasies sprout up.

As a member of the Special Crimes Division, it’s your job to investigate food crimes, enforce the poultry prohibition, and put food-powered criminals behind bars. Yeah, that’s right! Food. Powered.

Criminals. Maybe you cook, eat, or draw food, but when YOU do, something supernatural happens. You have a unique

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experience with a particular food not many can relate with.

“CHEW is the serialized TV show you wish you were binging every time you give up and throw on Parks and Rec reruns.

The formula of a few parts gross cannibals-against-crime, a few parts absorbed memories, and a cast of zany lovable characters is pure CHEW.” - Dave Buesing Comic Book Herald The comics of CHEW are hilariously absurd, dramatic, and at times, grim. They blend screwball comedy with gut-wrenching emotion. Every issue feels action-packed and complete. Even with looming conspiracy story arcs in the background, the pacing never slows, the authors fearlessly charge forward. It’s a story about imperfect people doing the best they can with unlikely family and friends thrust into odd situations. Each character is flawed with some ridiculous inescapable personal trouble ripped out of movies like Burn After Reading, Fargo, or Tropic Thunder. All the while, we learn that no one is safe and that doom and dismemberment may be behind any kitchen

door. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll probably get pretty hungry.

We’re building off the popular fiction-first game mechanics of Forged in the Dark to bring the action-packed comic series of food crimes, over-the-top characters, and out-of-this-world conspiracies to life.

Can you balance the demands of your job and the needs of your family against the fate of the world?

Grab a seat, dig in, and find out!

Don’t miss out on our Pre-Order Exclusive Special Edition Sets signed by CHEW Creators John Layman and Rob Guillory on Gamefound! Just scan the bar code to the right. This is the last chance to order them or hardcovers of either of the RPG books. Once they enter distribution, we’re only serving up trade paperbacks that’ll sit pretty with your twelve volumes of CHEW. Available for pre-order at ACD, Diamond, Universal, and direct to retailers for Spring 2023 fulfillment. For inquiries, email Pete@ImaginingGames.com

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Christmas is coming and it’s time to celebrate the season with games from Japanime Games based on your favorite anime and manga!

By Emma Recher, Sales Manager, Japanime Games

T

hroughout the years, Japanime Games has worked hard to bring our customers a wide variety of fun and exciting games inspired by some of the most popular anime and manga out there.

These include big names such as Cowboy Bebop, Naruto, Tokyo Ghoul, and even Sailor Moon.

For those of you interested in hunting criminals throughout space, we have Cowboy Bebop: Space Serenade! A competitive deck builder where you play as one of the crew of the Space Serenade, your goal is to hunt down the worst of the worst throughout the galaxy before taking on Vicious. Not only does it include all of the style of the original series, but it also includes 5 custom miniatures of the main characters - Spike, Faye, Jet, Ed, and Vicious!

Meanwhile, those who prefer a slightly more land focused adventure can find it in Naruto Ninja Arena! Coming in both a deluxe edition with 9 characters and a lighter, more portable version with 4 characters, Naruto Ninja Arena is guaranteed to bring all the excitement and competition of the Chunin exams of the original series. Duke it out as your

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favorite character in dizzying dice battles that utilize the Roll & Clash system, and be sure to make strategic use of your unique techniques and powers in order to be the last ninja standing.

Looking for a bit more mystery with your familiar faces? Then Tokyo Ghoul Bloody Masquerade might be the game for you! A social deduction game focused around hunting down the cannibalistic monsters known as ghouls in the city of Tokyo, your main goal is to keep your identity a secret. Play as a human, a ghoul, or a CCG inspector, and work hard to devour humans, kill ghouls, or just keep yourself alive! Not only is Bloody Masquerade easy to learn and endlessly replayable, but it is also coming this

holiday season in a new, more compact version perfect for party play.

Finally, Japanime Games offers a wide variety of Sailor Moon inspired games! These include Sailor Moon Crystal: Dice Challengers and its expansion, Dice Challengers Season 3. Both are competitive dice games focused around playing as your favorite Sailor Scouts in order to defeat the Dark Kingdom! Thrilling party games that can support up to 12 different players, roll your dice in order to take down enemies and gain points, with the first person to win three rounds winning the game. Dice games aren’t the only way to get your Sailor Moon fix though, with Sailor Moon Crystal: Truth or Bluff and Sailor Moon Crystal Imposterous also available! Both are hilarious party games focused instead on bluffing and answering questions in order to pick out both the villains and the imposters from your favorite Sailor Moon characters.

Whether you’re looking for unique adventures in space, ninja challenges, terrifying ghouls or your favorite Sailor Scouts, you’ll be able to find what you want in the broad game catalog of Japanime Games. Be sure to check us out for the season, and see what familiar faces you can discover! japanimegames.com ospreygames.co.uk

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Learning from

By Curt Covert

T

The SPILL

he SPILL by Smirk and Dagger Games is a cooperative game about an oil rig in trouble. Every turn, more and more black oil dice are dropped down the unique four-way dice tower and spill into different quadrants of the ocean, where they begin to threaten marine life. Your response team must contain the spill, remove what oil you can from the water and rescue the sea animals before the catastrophe becomes uncontrollable.

If that sounds a bit like a blend of Pandemic and Castle Panic, with its reverse tower defense mechanic, you’d be right – and it is tense and fun to play. If it sounds like echoes of the Gulf Disaster of 2010, you’d be right again. In creating the game, Andy and I ended up learning a lot. Obviously, we wanted the experience to be fun, but also very in keeping with real world situations. Interestingly, during our campaign we were approached by two backers who work in the oil cleanup and hazard prevention industry. Both commented that the game, abstracted

and fun as it is, does a remarkable job of simulating what their teams face in these disasters. So much so, that they plan to use the game as an on-boarding tool for new employees!

They also told us that in reaction to Deepwater Horizon, many companies and technologies have sprung up to avert or better contain future spills. SWIS (Subsea Well Intervention Services) is one such division that has developed a capping and containment module sitting at the ready on a 747, able to cap a similar well breach in a fraction of the time.

But let’s talk about another bit of learning. Back when we released our creation myth storytelling game, “Before there were Stars”, we created a Common Core lesson plan for English and Social Studies. Through them, students could use their imaginations to experience, first hand, how early humans looked up into the night sky and were inspired to tell tales of how the world began. Teachers have been using board games to engage

students and apply learning through nontraditional means for years – and now, particularly through Covid, it became more pervasive than ever.

Early in the design process for The SPILL, we saw a similar opportunity to work with educators to create materials for science teachers. Available on our website (see QR code), this Common Core lesson plan and activity guide allows the game to be used as a jumping off point for discussions about how oil and water interact together and extends to man’s impact on his environment.

Board games have evolved quite a bit since the old ‘roll and move days’ and so too have game’s involvement in education.

Quote/Unquote “Educational Games” have always been deeply stigmatized as a category and generally not fun, from a pure experience point of view. But game-based learning is thriving among educators, using many of the modern board games we know and love. Math, spelling, geography, science, logic… anything really, are all skills that can be found and highlighted in the games we place on our table for fun. In the homeschooling world they coined the term “game schooling.” Games have a lot to teach us emotionally as well, as therapeutic tools. I was surprised to find Cutthroat Caverns was being used in this way, but then, remembered that I had built it as a bit of a social experiment to look at the line between competitive and cooperative play – and how people react and recover from those interactions.

Scan the games on your shelf. Give them a closer look. You’ll soon realize there is something to be learned from every game – in addition to having a great time.

Curt Covert is the owner of Smirk and Dagger Games with a 19 year line of games designed to cause a stir at the table.

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Eve kitte Whi othe Line grad and

But It’s l just

The SPILL SND 1008 / MSRP $49.99 42

c &3

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A deceptively cute, deceivingly challenging strategy game for two.

2 players,10+ 20 min

Features a quilted cloth playing board & 32 adorable kittens! (#meowples)

Every time you place a kitten on the bed, it goes “boop.”

Which is to say that it pushes every other kitten next to it one space away.

Line up three kittens in a row to graduate them into chonky adult cats… and then, get three cats in a row to win.

For everyone on your gift list! (including YOU!) boop.

SND 1009 $34.99

But that isn’t easy with both you AND your opponent constantly “booping” kittens around.

It’s like… herding cats! Can you “boop” your cats into position to win? Or will you just get “booped” right off the bed? ©2022 Smirk & Dagger Games. All Rights Reserved.

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Paint

in Action!

O

ne of the key concepts here at Turbo Dork is the idea of bringing fantasy into reality. Tabletop gaming has its roots in this idea, but it isn’t always one that is easily realized. The core focus of our line has been to make those dreams easier to achieve while at the same time, inspiring new ones.

More traditional hobby paint lines have done a fantastic job of recapturing historical accuracy, such as having 30+ greens and grays to represent the various uniforms of real life infantry and armor.

But those colors fall short of being able to make a gleaming knight in shining armor, a mystical magical spell, or a futuristic space marine. Our focus has been on building that color library so that any colorful dream can be created.

While we are most known for our Turboshift paints that change color as you move them about in the light, I think one of the best parts of our line is our colorful metallics. The ability to have a bright blue or deep red metal without having to layer multiple colors and effects is great for painters of all levels. Even beginners can achieve previously thought of as advanced color effects with ease.

Even my 68 year old father has started painting

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miniatures for his tabletop games and loves that he can make something that stands out on the tabletop with minimal effort and skill.

We have heard much the same from our retail painters when they host Paint and Take nights. Customers who normally aren’t painters have fallen in love with our bright inspiring palette and are excited to take home a mini that they are proud of.

The use of Turbo Dork paints for in store-run painting nights is something we encourage, and have bundles available for.

Once customers get to see the colors in action, it opens up a world of possibilities for them. While it may be easy to translate some of the colors for the more popular space-saga games, even TTRPG players who want to add a little extra magic to their player minis can find a color they love in our line of Turbo Dork paints.

We are excited to continue this journey of helping new painters with the launch of our YouTube and Twitch channels this quarter.

We firmly believe that once customers see our paint in action they are hooked, and building an educational resource that they can rely on is key.

Our focus is going to be on beginner based content to help your new customers get up to speed on how to use our paints, as well as advanced techniques to achieve specific effects.

We also want to provide stores with graphics and videos that they can share on their social media, and in-store television displays. A graphics package will be coming by Q1 of 2023.

Turbo Dork paints are for everyone, and we are excited to see what you, and your customers, will paint up next!

turbodork .com

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Make sure to grab the new Expansion 5 retailer display through PHD, GTS, or Lightspeed Global; or directly from us, at TurboDork.com!

EXPANSION 5 AVAILABLE NOW

3 INTENSE TURBOSHIFTS

4 ICONIC METALLICS

3 INSANE ZENISHIFTS

RED DRAGON PROVIDED BY STEAMFORGED GAMES. PAINTED IN HEMOGOBLIN OVER ZENITHAL BASE.COAT.

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What Is Your SEO Strategy?

7 Steps to Come Up With A Plan To Boost Your Website Rankings

By John Stacy, Executive Director GAMA

D

id you know that there are nearly 90,000 Google search every single second? Boom another 90,000 searches were just made. Is it any wonder why you may be having trouble attracting traffic to your website and your business? When I was teaching marketing, on the first day of class I would put up a graphic that simply read, “Marketing isn’t rocket science.

Find an audience and get in front of it.”

The trick isn’t finding an audience to sell your products to, its figuring how to get in front of them with your offer. That is where having a solid strategy to attract their attention matters.

One key factors in that process is having a search engine optimalization (SEO) strategy for your website to make it easier for your customers to find you.

Here are 7 steps to help you have a better optimized website. Good luck!

basics of how SEO works. Set up a good Website Analytics program so you can start to measure what traffic you’re getting now and where new traffic is coming from. Google Analytics is a great program that will grow with you. Install it, look through the reports, start to learn to use it and expand your knowledge as you go along.

Your next step will be to formulate a strategy. This should be a five-step process that includes: 1. Determine your ideal target audience.

2. Figure out what they are looking for and what keywords and key phrases they use.

3. Generate high-value content around those terms.

4. Implement on page and on-site optimization.

5. Track results and adjust as needed.

1. Why You Need A Solid SEO Strategy And A Way To Measure Results Trying to get traffic to your website without a solid plan is a bit like driving around with a vague destination in mind, but no directions on how to get there. You may eventually make your way to where you want to be, but it will take a lot longer and require more effort than if you had your route mapped out.

So where do you start? Learn the

2. Keywords - A Glimpse Into Your What Your Target Audience Wants And Needs Let’s talk about keywords. These are the words your target audience types into their favorite search engine (think Google), to look for more information on topics you can help them with. It’s the cornerstone of any SEO strategy.

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Keywords and Key Phrases Before we go any further, I think it is

important to note that we’re not talking about single words here. You’re not going to rank for “butter” for example, even if you are a dairy farmer and that’s what your customers are looking for. Instead, what you want to go after are longer key phrases that give you a good indication of what your people are looking for.

For example, let’s say you are a small dairy farmer who sells fresh milk at the farmers market, and you’ve been hearing people say they are interested in figuring out how to make butter. A key phrase you may want to look at for a blog post or informative article could be “how to make butter at home with fresh milk” or something along those lines.

The next question is of course where you find those keywords. How can you find out what your target audience is typing into their favorite search engine?

It starts with a guess. I hope you know enough about your topic and niche of choice to come up with a list of several words and phrases that you think your readers may be using. From there you have options. One of your best and free tools is Google. Start to enter one of your keywords and see what the autofill options are. Play with different terms and start making a list. Once you have that list, search each term and scroll down to the bottom of the first search results page.

You will see a list of related searches. Add

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those to your list of keywords and key phrases and choose several that make sense for you and the type of content you want to create.

3. Is Your Site Trustworthy? Simple Ways To Boost The Trust Factor That’s Becoming More And More Important For Ranking If you did an audit of various websites, you’d quickly see that not every page that does on-page SEO well ranks well. They may have chosen keywords wisely and optimized their content for them. Yet still, they are buried deep down in the search results while other sites rank with the bare mention.

One of the main reasons is the trustworthiness of one website over the other and there’s a lot you can do to make sure you measure up. Show the search engines and just as importantly your readers that you have a website that can be trusted. Here are some ways to increase your sites trustworthiness score.

• Install a SSL certificate so user data is safe and other will not be able to create fake copies of your site • Improve your website’s load time and make sure it is mobile accessible and responsive • Add privacy policy, terms of service, and FAQ pages to your website • Set up social media profiles to go along with your site. Build your audience there and share your best pieces of content regularly. As others like, comment, and share, your credibility will start to go up.

4. Boost Your Authority And Make Sure Google And Your Users Take You Seriously Cross post links to your original content on social media. This will allow other people to see and share your content. Guess what. That gives you incoming links and sends what are called “social signals”. As your post about your latest blog post or article get shared

around and liked, your content and with it your site gain authority.

5. How The Small Guy Can Win Relevancy Matters Large websites (think Wikipedia) and those that have been around for a long time, often have a leg up in the competition for the top search result spots in your favorite search engines.

That doesn’t mean you don’t have a shot though. To bring their customers - the people that type in the search - the best results possible, search engines like Google are weighing relevancy quite heavily. And that’s what you can use to your advantage even as a small guy. Here’s how: • Be specific - Use key phrases like “where to buy blue widgets online” or “best place to buy blue widgets in Springfield”. Even better, find a way to set yourself apart from the competition by becoming the place that sells blue widgets for bicycles. Make yourself the expert • Relevancy is all about staying on topic.

A small website dedicated to share great content exclusively on one topic will rank higher than larger sites that share everything.

• Go local where it makes sense – Think “best place to buy blue widgets in Springfield” rather than a more generic “best place to buy blue widgets”.

6. Let’s Talk About User Behavior and What It Has To Do With SEO Rankings Search engines want to point to the best content based on what the consumer is looking for. They want to minimize “bounce”, which is when a person clicks on a website, realize that the content isn’t relevant or useful for them and click the back button to return to their search. The more time a person does this the less trust they have in the search engine results.

So always create your content for your target audience first. If you’re

looking at a list of keywords that you want to create content around, ask yourself if a particular search term matches your how you audience would use the content you share. If so, go ahead, if not, move on to a better keyword choice.

7. Putting It All Together and Formulating A Solid SEO Strategy For Your Site And Your Business Key take aways for creating your SEO Plan: • Start by setting a goal so you can measure results • Determine your content topics and publishing schedule. Consistency maters.

• Find your keywords. Look at what others in your industry are doing and put your own spin on it. Be unique and stand out!

• Work on identify social signals and building incoming links • Rinse and repeat as it takes time to build authority and relevancy. Don’t give up!

• Track, test, and adjust as needed.

We hope you found this article useful and if you would like more resources on this topic, download “Creating Your SEO Plan for Your Website”, which is available on GAMA.org under the Resources and Benefits Tab, scroll down to the list of Publications. If there is an educational topic or resource you would us to see, please email Dawn Studebaker dstudebaker@gama.org.

About John Stacy John Stacy is the executive director of the Game Manufacturers Association. A lifelong learner and gamer, he has worked in the nonprofit, education, and governmental relations arenas for more than thirty years.

He holds a master’s degree in Marketing and Communications and was an adjunct instructor for the University of Phoenix for four years facilitating marketing and business classes.

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Call to Adventure Epic Origins Returns the Game to its Roots

By Chris and Johnny O’Neal, Brotherwise Games

B

rotherwise Games launched the original Call to Adventure in 2018.

The hero-crafting game was an immediate hit, providing a gaming experience that was part engine builder, part story game, and part RPG. Since then, the series has explored other literary fantasy worlds with its Stormlight Archive and Name of the Wind expansions, but the next offering in this series returns the game to its roots. Call to Adventure: Epic Origins leans heavily into the RPG-inspired adventure that brought many gamers into the hobby in the first place, and it adds some unique mechanics to the game to do so.

Heritages Call to Adventure heroes have always started the game with an Origin, a Motivation, and a Hidden Destiny. Epic Origins adds a Heritage card to that mix.

Now, you can begin the game as a dwarf, an elf, or a halfling, or even a construct or dragon-kin. Heritage cards flesh out your hero’s story in a way that feels right for RPG-style heroes, but they don’t hold you

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back. Each provides unique abilities, but no single Heritage is better than another in Epic Origins.

Class cards Class cards provide a 5E-flavored alternative to the “Motivations” of the base game. Now your hero can begin the game as a Barbarian, Ranger, or any number of other classes.

Classes start without any abilities, but by investing experience points, you can level them up and gain new abilities over the course of the game, getting more powerful as you do so.

All new, dynamic Adversaries While you can play Epic Origins competitively, it’s been fine-tuned as a cooperative experience where the players face off against the Adversary as a party of adventurers. And the Adversaries themselves have evolved. Now you’ll face the Adversary’s Champion in Acts 1 and 2, before the Final Adversary reveals themself in Act 3. And

unlike previous editions, Epic Origins Adversaries have a set of insidious abilities and a dedicated deck of feat cards they constantly deploy to trouble your heroes.

The Ultimate Session Zero And since Epic Origins is the natural start to character building for an RPG campaign, we’ve also issued a Conversion Guide to take your hero into a 5E setting. There’s even a specially designed Character Sheet to make the experience complete; all available at brotherwisegames.com.

Whether you choose to treat your game of Epic Origins as the start of an inspired 5E campaign, or just want to have a contained hero-crafting experience where you take your character from humble beginnings to a heroic destiny, Epic Origins is magic on the table. How will you answer the Call to Adventure during your next game night?

brotherwisegames.com

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Ahoy: A Game of Seafaring and Smuggling!

By Josh Yearsley, Editor & Game Developer

A

hoy is a pirate strategy game for two to four players, who play smugglers and soldiers on the high seas. Each round, you’ll roll and place dice to take the unique actions of your faction. Control regions and deliver cargo to gain Fame and win the game! It’s got a bit of area control, a bit of pick up and deliver, and a lot of asymmetry!

This may sound similar to our hit game Root, and you’re not wrong. Like in Root, you can play one of three unique factions: There’s the Bluefin Squadron, a company of sharks and their toothy friends, who keep order with shot and sword. Then there’s the Mollusk Union, an alliance of undersea creatures and their loyal comrades, who fight to reclaim their home. Finally, you can play one of two Smugglers, maverick captains who run blockades to deliver cargo, earning prestige and shiny doubloons.

With Ahoy, though, we wanted to make a faster asymmetric game that was 50

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even more welcoming. Ahoy is an easy sell to people who are familiar with Root but want to start with something easier and quicker, since Ahoy only takes about an hour to play. Ahoy is also great for people who already love Root but want an asymmetric strategy game that they can play with their family or friends who are less comfortable with complex games.

Plus, in Ahoy you get to roll dice a lot, which is always fun.

Ahoy is quick to set up and learn.

Setup literally takes seconds—just draw a couple tiles and plop down a few pieces, and you’re ready to go! Learning is a snap, since the game has a pocket guide for each player, which will teach them everything they need to start in a few tiny pages. We wanted to make sure that players could get going without even reading the rulebook, so we playtested Ahoy many times using just our aid materials. And there’s even an official how-to-play video!

Although it’s a popular genre, there

are surprisingly few pirate strategy games.

Ahoy only has only a few notable competitors, like Dead Reckoning and Merchants & Marauders, both of which take longer to learn and play, usually two or three hours. Likewise, Ahoy fills an untapped cost point with an MSRP at $40, while its peers typically run $60 to $80.

Even at such a low price, Ahoy doesn’t skimp on production quality. With bunches of custom wooden pieces, double-layer map tiles and player boards, and dozens of unique, colorful characters illustrated by Kyle Ferrin in his signature style, Ahoy is an eye-catcher both on the gaming table and in the store window. As you play the game and explore the world, you’ll build a bright, beautiful map full of islands, harbors, and the wreckage of unlucky ships.

The sea-blue dice around the map even have sparkles in them, making it look like the sun is glinting off the water. We hope you’ll come play our beautiful, deep, and inviting pirate game! ledergames.com midlevelmeeple.com

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A game of Seafaring & Smuggling Play As The...

Bluefin Squadron, a company of sharks and their toothy friends, who keep order with shot and sword.

Each game includes...

Mollusk Union, an alliance of undersea creatures and their loyal comrades, who fight to reclaim their home.

Smugglers, maverick captains who run blockades to deliver cargo to those with the most need—or coin.

�40.00 MSRP (USD) UPC 672975032166 SKU LED05000

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• 4 double-layer playerboards

• 12 double-layer tiles • 19 wood figures • 30 dice

Case Contains 6 Boxes Dimensions: 50.8mm × 290.6mm × 225.6mm

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Upper Deck ADVSTRY Vs. System® 2PCG® Tournament Players Look Forward to New Disney+ Arc Expanding the Photographic Universe

By Jade Sigmund, Marketing Coordinator of Entertainment Products

I

n 2018, Vs. System® 2PCG® introduced the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the game with the Earth 199999 Arc. Cards in that Arc featured characters as they appeared in the movies, but this was more than a mere cosmetic and thematic change. It split Vs System® 2PCG® into two Universes: the Illustrated Universe, which includes cards with drawn or

painted artwork, and the Photographic Universe, which includes cards with images from movies, TV shows, and more.

This changed how decks are built for the rest of the game: cards from the Illustrated Universe can’t mix together with cards from the Photographic Universe. The Split Universe model was introduced to lower 54

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entry barriers for new players – especially MCU fans discovering Vs. System 2CPG through the Earth 199999 Arc – as well as prevented older cards from overshadowing or constraining new cards. While this separation exists for deck construction, it doesn’t alter gameplay: decks from either Universe can go head-to-head in games and tournaments!

The Disney+ Arc is a highly anticipated addition to the game, as the Photographic Universe has not had an expansion since the Assemble Arc. That included Vs. System® 2PCG® Power & Reality, Vs. System® 2PCG® Space & Time, Vs. System® 2PCG® Mind & Soul.

This Arc featured characters from several Marvel Studios movies such as Hawkeye, the Winter Soldier, Odin, Thanos, Shuri, Captain Marvel, and many more favorites.

What exciting, thematic aspects can Vs. System® 2PCG® players expect in the Disney+ Arc? Starting with the first issue, WandaVision shows the progression of Wanda into the Scarlet Witch and Agatha’s reveal of her magical self. Next, Falcon and the Winter Soldier delves into Sam’s journey from Falcon into Captain America as well as the fight of the iconic shield represented by new equipment.

This set also has the Super Soldier Serum, which can be used to boost any character.

Wrapping up the Arc, Loki introduces multiple fan-favorite “Loki” characters.

Additionally, Loki introduces Time Variance Authority agents that can mess with the timing of the game mechanics.

Whether players are looking to enhance their Photographic decks or jump into the Photographic Universe for the first, the upcoming Disney+ Arc is jam-packed with exciting new content.

In our recent Life Goes On Featured Format, we saw Photographic Universe cards rise to prominence. A Featured Format is a set of special rules that affect the game for a three-month period. Upper

Deck sanctioned tournaments always use the current Featured Format, and during our Summer Events, we watched players showcase a dynamic range of cards. Cards from the MCU and beyond found their way into finals at multiple events, overtaking decks from both Universes alike. The 1st place winner of the Seattle Regional Tournament held at Fantasium Comics & Games was Patrick Lenehan, who won using a Photographic Universe deck! The Disney+ Arc will join that card pool while introducing new and unique mechanics to it, broadening deck building possibilities.

Patrick Lenehan We also encourage local stores running tournaments as well as community and event organizers to join in the current Featured Format. If you’re a tournament organizer or a store owner who is interested in Organized Play for Vs. System® 2PCG®, we want to help you put on the best events possible.

Visit www.upperdeck.com/OP for documents that will assist in running events. Also, check out www.upperdeckblog.com for more details on the current Featured Format and Regional Tournaments.

upperdeck.com

11/2/22 2:01 PM

ORDER TODAY 8+

2-6

30+ Min.

@theopgames © 2022 MARVEL. Copyright 2022 Dice Throne Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Soul Selling and Space ‘Sploring Big buzz with our new big box games

By Nathan Meunier, North American Marketing

C

zech Games Edition just launched two new big box games at Essen Spiel 2022 in Germany that will soon be coming to North America this winter. Deal with the Devil and Starship Captains both share some common euro game roots, but they’re distinctly themed games that each offer very unique experiences aimed at different audiences.

Curious what all the buzz is about and want to learn more about how to best pitch our new flagship releases to your customers? Read on to learn more about these new titles and what makes them uniquely special.

Deal with the Devil

Releases: (Europe) Essen Spiel 2022 / (North America) Q4 2022 Link: cge.as/dwdbgg What is it at a glance?

A quirky and fun medieval fantasy kingdom building game that takes a more traditional heavy euro foundation and layers it with asymmetrical hidden roles, secret trading, tight resources, and pressure cooker inquisitions. This one is 4-players only with good reason: it just doesn’t work any other way, and we stand by it.

The “official” quick pitch: Deal with the Devil—from Matúš Kotry, the designer of Alchemists—is a deeply thematic euro-style game for 4 players, set in a fantasy medieval era. As rival rulers of the realm, players are competing to build the grandest city possible with limited resources. Each has a hidden role, however, which shapes their objectives, capabilities, and scoring strategies from game to game.

What makes it special: Every choice you make in this game has a consequence, and juggling the perks and pitfalls of secret trades and while managing the resources needed to make your kingdom shine and avoid punishment by the inquisition across five rounds is a tense, captivating challenge. Playing as the devil, the cultist, or as a mortal also changes the strategic experience in fun ways.

Starship Captains

Releases: (Europe) Essen Spiel 2022 / (North America) Q4 2022 Link: cge.as/scbgg

What is it at a glance?

A love letter to all things sci-fi. This medium weight euro pays homage to the spirit of many sci-fi classics, while offering a more lighthearted spin on the theme than you typically see in most board games.

The “official” quick pitch: Settle into the captain’s chair of your very first star cruiser and get ready to embark on an exciting voyage through the depths of space in this euro-style action selection and engine building game for 1–4 players. Skillfully manage your team of cadets, ensigns, androids, and officers to make the most of their unique abilities—all while balancing essential ship roles, completing unique missions, and upgrading your ship with powerful engine-building alien technology.

What makes it special: Beyond its vibrant presentation, Starship Captains’ satisfying engine building elements leads to exciting combos that let you do more and more each round as you figure out how to squeeze every bit of value out of the limited actions you have available. The tactile experience of moving your colorful crew minis through the queue and around your ship is also a blast.

Pre-order your launch kits today!

We’re still taking pre-orders for launch kits for both games, so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you want to stock Deal with the Devil and Starship Captains. We love working with FLGS and can’t wait to hear from you!

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czechgames.com

CGE_Arou

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HAILING ALL STARSHIP CAPTAINS! Get ready to embark on a maiden voyage through the cosmos! Explore a galaxy full of dangerous pirates and interplanetary missions, as you manage, train, and promote your crew to improve their diverse skills. Then harness the power of cool alien technology to help your crew tackle goofy missions through the stars and beyond.

Do you have what it takes to deftly command your crew and become the best captain in the cosmos?

Age:

12 +

Players:

2–4

Time:

25 /

MIN

cge.as/scbgg

COMING SOON FROM CGE – Q4 2022

WILL YOU SELL YOUR SOUL TO BUILD THE GREATEST CITY EVER KNOWN?

Age:

14 +

Players:

4

Time:

120 MIN

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Deal with the Devil is a deeply thematical euro-style game – for 4 players – set in a fantasy medieval era where players are competing to construct grand cities. To be a successful ruler, you need resources. To get resources, you need to make smart deals, offering the other players things they really need.

One of the players is secretly the devil and really needs a piece of your soul.

All identities and trades are kept secret, thanks to the simple app, and nobody really knows who is who.

22.07.2022 14:15

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Take a bite out of crime in CHEW, a foodie crime drama RPG about cops, crooks, cooks, cannibals, and clairvoyants in a clucked-up world! We’re building off the fiction-first rules of Forged in the Dark to bring the award-winning comics of food crimes, over-the-top characters, and out-of-this-world conspiracies to life.

Contact Pete@ImaginingGames.com for details.

Introducing VHS Video Cassette Dice by 1985 Games. The last set of VHS-themed dice you’ll ever buy. Once you’ve rolled with these, you’ll never go back to ordinary polyhedrals. Made with sharp-edge resin. MSRP $69.99 Five different dice sets, five different box designs.

1985games.com/collections/vhs-dice

The classic Hab & Gut is back in a new edition by Ares Games, with new graphic design, Michael Menzel’s art, and a new 2-players gam mode.

The Rich and the Good is an economic game with “shared card hand” mechanic and an original victory condition – getting rich and being a benefactor at the same time. aresgames.eu

Build a magical garden with your fellow wizards and send out your team of Sprites to control the valuable fields. Power Plants is a fast-paced game with easy to learn rules and critical decisions to make. Play with a different combination of plants every game, each with their own arcane powers! kidstablebg.com/power-plants

Starship Captains Releases: (Europe) Essen Spiel 2022 / (North America) Q4 2022 A love letter to all things sci-fi. This medium weight euro pays homage to the spirit of many sci-fi classics, while offering a more lighthearted spin on the theme than you typically see in most board games.

Gather your party, cast the runes, and face the Adversary! A follow-up to the award-winning original game, Call To Adventure: Epic Origins is the high fantasy hero-building card game. Play it on its own, as an expansion to the award-winning original, or as the ultimate “session zero” for your fantasy RPG campaign.

Cat In The Box: Deluxe Edition from Bezier Games is the quintessential quantum trick-taking card game for 2-5 cool cats. Your card’s color isn’t defined until you play it! Hypothesize how many tricks you will win, place your bid, and then play oh-so-carefully to prevent a CATastrophic paradox! beziergames.com/collections/ all-games/products/cat-in-the-boxdeluxe-edition

brotherwisegames. com/epic-origins

cge.as/scbgg

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Make your tabletop fantasy come to life with All Game Terrain’s superior landscape materials, by Woodland®.

This first line of products is a complete system, including with everything from pre-blended Ground Cover and Rocks to Tufts and Accents.

All items work together to create realistic scenery for any miniature wargame or roleplaying game.

7th Sea: The City of Five Sails is Pine Box Entertainment’s latest foray into player driven tabletop experiences. It contains everything a player need to fully enjoy the swashbuckling adventure that Théa has to offer. Available for Pre-Order now. Retailers get a free demo copy with every 5 copies purchased.

PineBoxEntertainment.com

573-346-5555 sales@ allgameterrain.com

Level up your RPG experience with Game Master Companion AT-50010 from Arcane Tinmen. Stash and transport hordes of monsters while you conceal devious plans behind your GM screen! The Dragon Shield Game Master Companion is a two-in-one game master screen and storage/transport solution for TTRPG game masters. Bring everything you need for game night in one convenient box. dragonshield.com/roleplaying

Grand Archive from Weebs of the Shore is the first anime TCG that focuses on both clean design and limitless deckbuilding for players while providing low population rares with full print run transparency for collectors.

Offering a premium TCG experience in both quality and design, Grand Archive puts LGS first! gatcg.com/article/products Newton’s Cradle, a setting for Squadron Strike, brings hard-SF spaceship action to the tabletop!

Games with 4 ships on 4 ships take 2-3 hours to play! Needs the Squadron Strike boxed set to play. Newton’s Cradle also includes Wung Jian’s War, an operational level wargame of naval maneuvers in the Jovian moons! adastragames.com Graphic Novel Adventures game books offer a departure from walls of text. Become a participant in stories that unfold through beautifully illustrated graphic novels. GNA Jr’s are designed for new readers ages 3 and up. They contain tips for older readers who will be going with them through their adventure.

Contact byron@vanrydergames.com

Swindler PNA59057E $39.99 Life in Victorian isn’t always easy with a city run by rich moneybags. Now it’s time to seize opportunities and claim your share. But be careful, if you push your luck too far you’ll get caught! Carefully steal and sell the right loot, use accomplices to hinder your fellow thieves, and become the master thief! pegasusna.com/products/ board-games/14278/swindler Point of contact: sales@pegasusna.com

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Tidal Blades: Banner Festival is a stand-alone game of area control and trick taking! Race watercraft, collect squishy fruit, and place banners, all in an effort to be the most profitable merchant in Naviri. Play your cards right to be highest, middle, or lowest at the right moment to win!

BOOP is a very “thinky” abstract strategy game in an adorable wrapper. Featuring a quilted cloth game board and 32 cute wood kitten playing pieces, this game will be at the top of everyone’s shopping list this Holiday season. Challenging and irresistible! Nov 22 release.

Smirkanddagger@gmail.com

sales@luckyduckgames.com

In Geoffquest’s Boldly Go, players are officers in Space Fleet, the exploration force of the Stellar Alliance. Using the Traits System, players design their starship, their own unique characters, and NPC shipmates. Then they’ll Hyperwarp across the galaxy, solving problems with diplomacy, reason, and teamwork!

In the quick game of Hack & Slash, your guild of adventurers chooses a quest and rolls the dice! You may win fame, and even recruit a new comrade for your party. Or you may fail, and slink back to the Tavern. The expansion, Whack & Stash, is coming soon! retailers@sjgames.com

Restock coming Q4 2022 In Kites, everyone works together to keep all their kites — represented by colorful sand timers — in the air. A fast-paced, joyful gaming experience awaits you with this real-time game.

Learn in less than 1 minute and play it again and again!

Sales inquiries contact rich@floodgategames.com

Featuring whimsical Andrew Bosley art, tongue-incheek humor, charming miniatures, and the unique whirlpool board mechanism - Key to the Kingdom fills family game night with fun and laughter. Available to order from your distributor today.

Contact retailers@restorationgames.com

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Paradox Initiative is a 1-4 player puzzley strategy game where players assume the role of mad scientists competing to claim strands of spacetime from across the multiverse. Past, Present, and future - none are beyond your grasp. Collect the most worlds and meet the most research goals to become the greatest scientist in the universe! anja@elfcreekgames.com

Redrum from Turbo Dork is a dark red metallic acrylic paint that will make your gray world colorful. Use it over a red basecoat to make a beautiful cherry red, or use over black to make your paint job deep, dark and evil. info@turbodork.com to order directly; GTS and PHD for distribution

Tokyo Ghoul In downtown Tokyo, ghouls are on the move, and they can only quench their thirst with coffee and their bloodthirst with human flesh. In this bluff-and-deduction board game, play as one of 15 different characters from the anime, including Kaneki, Touka, Juzo and Rize. It is up to you to uncover the other players’ real natures and come out on top. In the hostile environment, always keep in mind: Everyone you run into might be a killer! DPG1075 $34.95

The Kickstarter sensation comes to world-wide retail.

Genesis: Battle of Champions, the Tactical CCG from Haunted Castle Gaming that draws from board games, miniatures, TTRPGs, and chess, returns with their Origins expansion, with new cards and new champions. See why now is the perfect time to start your Origins story! genesisbattleofchampions.com

japanimegames.com In Dulce from Indie Games Studio, each player has a deck of cards and a field to plant. Cards have beans on one side, a factory on the other. Players need to plant their fields strategically and use their beans efficiently to make the best confectionaries!

Each confectionery earns one point. retailer@pubservinc.com

Legendary: Black Widow.

Description: Orphaned as a child, Natasha Romanoff’s dark past has held secrets to her gifted nature. Black Widow joins other heroes to thwart Masterminds like Taskmaster and strike fear into the hearts of her enemies. Follow along with your fan-favorite heroes with the Legendary: Black Widow Expansion. Sometimes the darkness hides a protector!

In Ahoy from Leder Games, players are swashbucklers and soldiers on the high seas. Each round, you’ll roll and place dice to take the unique actions of your faction.

As you control regions and deliver cargo, you’ll gain Fame. The player with the most Fame wins!

Contact: clay@ ledergames.com

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ADVSTRY

Fall of the Mountain King: Securing Your Legacy

By Sean Jacquemain Marketing Director Burnt Island Games

T

his battle has been brewing for a long time. The signs of aggression were clear. For a while, peace and diplomacy were the correct course of action but now, the drums of war beat in earnest. The Gnomes have launched their attack, and every Troll must stand up to defend our ancient mountain home. It won’t be easy and many great warriors will fall in battle.

However even in defeat, new heroes will arise and the greatest Troll leaders will take their place beside the Mountain King.

Draft new Ancestry cards and add them to your growing tableau. How you place your cards will have a direct effect on the actions you can take and how powerful you can make them. You are limited to creating a tableau of symbols in a 6x6 grid. During the action phase, you cover symbols in your Ancestry to perform actions. Covering adjacent symbols allows you to take stronger actions and chains together new adjacencies as you fill up your Ancestry. Advance on invading Gnomes or take control of caverns from rival Trolls, Bolster your troops in the mountain adding new Trolls to your faction, influence great Troll Champions to fight on your side, and manipulate the Gnome wheel for wild abilities.

Glory comes at a cost, and sometimes falling in battle is the best way to secure your legacy. Each wave, the Gnome Swarm launches offensives at different mountain gates. Position your troops in the line of attack to earn the reputation of a tough and calculating leader. As you wrestle for control of mountain caverns, you’ll earn votes from the various clans.

The final battle culminates with a last stand in our sacred great halls.

Fall of the Mountain King is an intense strategic puzzle unlike any other.

Every round offers a variety of challenges, forcing you to adjust your strategy to the situation in front of you. Building an effective Ancestry allows you to recruit the right Champions, defend vulnerable gates, and fight for glory. We may not win this war, but we’ll give these evil Gnomes something to remember us by!

Fall of the Mountain King plays 1-5 Trolls and it’s available in your FLGS now!

Fall of the Mountain King is the prequel board game to the critically acclaimed In the Hall of the Mountain King. It tells the story of the ancient war between Gnomes and Trolls. You take on the role of Troll heroes, leading your faction against your rivals and the invading Gnome army.

Only one Troll will gain the respect of the clans and earn the right to lead them in exile. Across three brutal waves you execute powerful and strategic actions that will earn you votes and glory.

The unique Ancestry action system is built over the course of the game; it is the key to every decision you make.

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GAMA

news

GAMA EXPO UPDATE

Save the date for GAMA EXPO 2023!

April 24-27, 2023 @ The Peppermill Reno GAMA EXPO Badge and Hotel Block Registration Is Now Open!

Badge registration for GAMA EXPO 2023 is now open. Each voting member company receives two (2) complimentary badges to the show. Additional badges are only $100 per person. You must be an active member of GAMA to register and attend EXPO. We have a group discounted room block at the Peppermill. The rates are available for April 22 to 29 for those that wish to arrive a little early or stay an extra night to enjoy the resort. The GAMA rate will only be available through the hotel as we do not use any third-party housing services. Any solicitation from these types of companies are scams and should be avoided.

Once again, we are offering our Book A Night, Get A Night Promo for retailers at GAMA EXPO. For each night booked, GAMA will pay $99 towards a second night stay, with a maximum of two nights paid towards your final hotel bill. Please note that when you reserve your room, your total bill will show that you are paying for all nights booked, but you will not be charged prior to your stay. The two additional nights covered by GAMA will be removed from your total when you check out. Details on how to qualify for this promotion will be listed on our website.

Badge registration and hotel information is available on our website at www.gama.org/page/gama-expo.

ASTRA Toy Boat Discounts for Members!

ASTRA is offering an amazing special for GAMA members to join them on their ASTRA Toy Boat, February 20-24.

The four-day cruise to the Bahamas is sailing roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale and features networking with specialty toy peers, exhibitors and special events!

GAMA members receive a 50% discount on any cabin you choose. Learn more about the Toy Boat and see the cabin offerings, visit https://bit.ly/ASTRAToyBoat For more information or to register, call Michael Foldeak at 312-283-4255.

Welcome GAMA’s New Exhibitor Manager!

We’d like to introduce Exhibitor Manager Julie Yeager, the newest member of the GAMA team. Julie was most recently employed with Steve Jackson Games where she spent the past four and a half years as the MIB Volunteer Coordinator & Marketing Support. Prior to that she was with Mayfair Games, where she spent five years managing the long-standing Game Shepherd Volunteer Program, and two years as the Director of Marketing & Community Engagement, overseeing their marketing and social-media efforts.

Julie is originally an Ohio native and now resides in Michigan with her game-industry husband (and Amigo Games COO) Alex Yeager, where they both work from home (or one of the local coffee shops). Julie attended Siena Heights College and Bowling Green State University, where she studied Fine Art and Recreation Programming. She then spent her first 20+ years of adulting working for the Girl Scouts, where she ran traditional and outdoor programs while working with many adult volunteers. Then, she joined the game industry in 2012 with Mayfair Games, eventually becoming a shareholder. The game industry has afforded her so many opportunities and adventures that she would have never thought possible.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends, playing traditional board and card games, photography, crocheting, being outdoors, gardening, exploring and appreciating the arts, and traveling with her husband. She is excited to be joining the GAMA team!

Julie will be the primary contact for exhibitors and sponsors at GAMA events. She can be reached at julie.yeager@gama.org.

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GAMA Reception @ Essen Spiel, October 8, 2022 We would like to thank the nearly 200 people who attended GAMA’s industry reception during Essen Spiel in Germany. It was great seeing game professionals from around the world together networking and enjoying each other’s company. The evening was a success in large part of the efforts of our sponsors: Japanime Games, Vesuvius Games, Forever Stoked Creative, Post Scriptum, and Meijia Games Factory!

As GAMA works to support our international members, we will offer more of these type of programs in the future.

International game companies are among the fastest growing membership segment in the association. GAMA has members in more than 25 countries. If you would like to be involving in this outreach program, please contact us at john.stacy@gama.org.

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GAMA

news Origins Awards Are Back!

GAMA is proud to announce the return of the Origins Awards! Since 1975, the Origins Awards have been celebrating excellence in the tabletop gaming industry. Although we took a brief hiatus due to the pandemic, we are ready to continue highlighting the amazing work industry professionals are doing.

To align with our expanded membership, we have added a few award categories to ensure the amazing work of artists and media professionals are also represented.

The 2022 Origins Awards will feature the following award categories: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

Tabletop Game of the Year - Best of Everything Best Board Game - The primary play experience is centered around a board with components placed upon it.

Best Card Game - The primary play experience is based around cards.

Best Children’s Game - Gameplay is designed to appeal to players younger than 12 years of age.

Best Miniatures Game - Gameplay is centered around miniatures placed on a table.

Best Collectable Game - Game is designed around randomized packs or boxes of components.

Best Roleplaying Game Core Book - RPG books that introduce a new or revised set of rules.

Best Roleplaying Game Supplement - RPG Books that add material or adventures to an existing system.

Best Game Illustration (2D) - recognition of a single illustration or other type of artwork used as part of a published game product.

Best Game Graphic Design (2D) - recognition of the overall layout and graphic design that enhances the user experience of a single game product.

Best Game Artwork (3D) - recognition of a miniature figure, sculpt or terrain used as part of a published game product Best Game Review – written, multimedia or actual play review of a game product Best Game Accessory – recognition of an item used to enhance a published game product For more details on how to submit nominations and jury process, please visit: https://www.originsawards.net/

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INDEX OF advertisers Company........................... website

adverstory page

ad page

1985 Games..................................1985games.com.................................................................... 66 Ad Astra Games............................adastragames.com............................................................... 68 All Game Terrain..........................woodlandscenics.com......................... 30............................ 31 Arcane Tinmen ApS.....................arcanetinmen.com............................... 16............................ 17 Arcane Wonders...........................arcanewonders.com............................................................IFC Ares Games SRL...........................aresgames.eu......................................... 69.......................... IBC Bezier Games...............................beziergames.com.................................. 12............................ 13 Brotherwise Games, LLC............brotherwisegames.com....................... 48............................ 49 CrowD Games...............................crowdgames.us..................................................................... 27 Czech Games Edition..................czechgames.com................................... 56............................ 57 Elf Creek Games...........................elfcreekgames.com............................... 20...................... 21-23 Floodgate Games........................floodgategames.com........................................................... 19 Geoffquest....................................geoffquest.com...................................................................... 65 Golden Plume Comics.................................................................................... 3............................FC Imagining Games........................imagininggames.com........................... 38............................ 39 Indie Game Studios.....................indieboardsandcards.com.................. 24............................ 25 Japanime Games........................japanimegames.com............................ 40............................ 41 KTBG/Burnt Island Games.........kidstablebg.com.................................... 62............................ 63 Leder Games................................ledergames.com.................................... 50............................ 51 Lucky Duck Games......................luckyduckgames.com.......................... 70........................... BC Magpie Games.............................magpiegames.com............................... 36...................... 34-35 MyHealthily...................................myhealthily.com.................................................................... 67 Pegasus North America..............pegasus-web.com................................... 4.............................. 6 Pine Box Entertainment.............pineboxentertainment.com................................................ 64 Restoration Games LLC..............restorationgames.com......................... 32............................ 33 Smirk & Dagger Games...............smirkanddagger.com........................... 42............................ 43 Steve Jackson Games................sjgames.com.......................................... 10............................ 11 Turbo Dork, LLC...........................turbodork.com....................................... 44............................ 45 Upper Deck...................................upperdeck.com..................................... 54...................... 52-53 USAopoly Inc................................usaopoly.com..................................................................37, 55 Van Ryder Games LLC.................vanrydergames.com............................. 28............................ 29

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

AROUND THE

®

A Publication by the Game Manufacturers Association

2023

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Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Deadline Jan. 13 Apr. 14 Jul. 14 Sep. 29

Mailing Date

Feb. 17 May 19 Aug. 18 Nov. 3

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Ares Games

Beyond the Best Sellers with classics and innovative board games

by Andrea Fanhoni, Ares Games PR & Communication

W

ar of the Ring, Sword & Sorcery, Wings of Glory: Ares Games is known by these popular and acclaimed game lines, but the publisher has a wide catalog with games of different types, including Euro and Thematic games, easy to learn, but deep in strategies. Three releases are coming in late 2022 and early 2023: the reprint of the classic Inkognito, a new edition of another classic, Hab & Gut – The Rich and the Good, and the fun economic game Orconomics.

Inkognito – Conspiracy in Venice is a deduction board game with beautiful components and light mechanics that tie perfectly to the theme – spies sent on a mission during a Venetian carnival, in a romantic age of spies, microfilms, hot-air balloons, and fast speed-boats. Designed

by Alex Randolph and Leo Colovini, the game has been popular since 1988, a staple of its category. Ares Games relaunched the game in 2013 with a new look and a new and exciting 5-players variant. Sold out for years, this new edition is coming back in the 100th anniversary of Randolph’s birthday.

In Inkognito, competing pairs of Spies are sent on a mission, to complete a secret objective, but neither player knows their aresgames.eu

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objective or their ally at the outset of the game. As a secret agent, or the mysterious Ambassador, they must collect clues, deduce who their friend is, confound their foes, and discover the secret mission that will give victory to their team. Wearing a mask, they move stealthily through the city’s streets and canals, searching for top secret information.

The Rich and the Good brings back Carlo Rossi’s cult classic in an edition that every lover of euro games will want in their collection, with high level components, an eye-catching new graphic design, Michael Menzel’s great art, and a new 2-players game mode. It’s an economic game with an unusual “shared card hand” mechanic and an original victory condition - getting rich and being a benefactor at the same time.

In the game, up to 5 players trade in commodities from all over the world, having access to inside information to aid their investments and manipulate the markets - each player plays with two hands of cards, sharing a cardholder with each neighbor. However, personal wealth is not all it takes to rise to the top. To gain the respect of their peers, players must prove to be unselfish by making huge dona-

tions to charity. The player with the most money at the end of the game wins, unless they are the player who donated the least money to charity.

Orconomics is also an economic game, but with a completely different approach: players enter the chaotic economic world of modern Orcs, where all is legit - backstabbing, ripping off opponents, taking away their industries – without any ethical concerns.

Two to five players compete to establish Companies in ten different industrial sectors, using their actions to create Startups and develop them to become proper corporations, or getting a presence in an industry by winning auctions. Companies in each sector generate income or losses, and grant abilities to players. To win the game a player needs to be the first to found 10 companies - or sometimes even fewer if they successfully fulfill some business quests of Greed, Rage, or Dare.

With its peculiar setting, orcish humor, and great artwork, Orconomics will appeal to players due to its high re-playability, clever game mechanics, easy to learn rules, and high level game components.

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Area Control Meets Trick-Taking

Tidal Blades: Banner Festival

By Bree Goldman, Director of Marketing for Lucky Duck Games

T

idal Blades: Banner Festival is a standalone game of area control, watercraft racing and trick-taking in the beautiful Tidal Blades universe. Play cards simultaneously and aim to be highest, middle, or lowest to get your best outcome from each bout.

Flags of all colors dance in the wind as Navirians converge to Trawl for the longawaited Banner Festival.

Generate the most profits for your trading house by selling goods, befriending the right suppliers, and making bets at the watercraft race. Opportunities abound in the floating market, but only the keenest trader will prevail!

Tidal Blades: Banner Festival is designed by J.B. Howell and Michael Mihealsick with art by Mr. Cuddington and is published by Lucky Duck Games and Druid City Games.

The game is played in a series of bouts, with players simultaneously choosing a card from their hand to play, trying to control regions of the board with banners, collect fruit, and race watercraft to gather Profit (victory points).

ones in towers are cleared from the board each round!

Fruit Scores Too! You can collect fruit from banner placement rewards or from card effects.

You’ll get to take the action on the bottom of a card when you play the lowest card in a bout. When the fruit in the center of the board runs out, the player with the most fruit scores 1 point per fruit, while everyone else only gets ½ a point per fruit!

The Watercraft Race can be Lucrative Every time your watercraft passes the starting line, you get to advance your personal cards, which increase in value throughout the game. They also offer rewards for completing stunts by landing on specific spaces. You can earn fruit this way too! Move your watercraft by playing the highest card in a bout, and also through some card effects.

Everyone Does Something There are lots of ways to earn Profit in Tidal Blades: Banner Festival, which means no matter where you come in the card play, you’ll get to do something every bout. The secret is to plan your cards so you get the best outcome.

Tidal Blades: Banner Festival is a competitive game of area control and trick taking for 1-5 players. It will appeal to gamers who enjoy hand management and simultaneous play, and fans of the Tidal Blades universe. It is available now from all major distributors with an SRP of $39.99.

Banners Control Regions When your card comes in the middle of the other players’ cards, you will get to place a banner in the region where the Trade Gate is! Have the most banners in a region at the end of each round to earn the most Profit. You’ll earn a reward from each spot you place a banner in except for the towers. But remember: all banners except the

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WOTR10 1 • WAR OF THE RING — THE CA RD GAM E • SRP $ 44.90

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Middle-earth, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The War of the Ring, and the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises and are used under license by Sophisticated Games Ltd and their respective licensees.

War of the Ring – The Card Game © 2022 Ares Games Srl. © 2022 Sophisticated Games Ltd.

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