Around the Table Summer 2020

summer 2020

IELLO

Follow the IELLO brick road to Scorpion Masque HUB Games Virtual World Tour Demoing games in stores during lockdown

Consent and Safety How social-emotional learning fIts in

summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 1

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 1

9/8/20 3:35 PM

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 2

9/8/20 3:35 PM

AROUND THE

A Publication by the Game Manufacturers Association

BOARD OF DIRECTORS & STAFF PRESIDENT Stephan Brissaud IELLO VICE-PRESIDENT Chris Spivey DARKER HUE STUDIOS TREASURER Gary Alaka GAP CLOSER GAMES SECRETARY Jeff Tidball ATLAS GAMES DISTRIBUTOR CHAIR Sito Sanchez PEACHSTATE HOBBY DISTRIBUTION RETAIL CHAIR Dawn Studebaker THE GAME ANNEX DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE Julie Ahern GREENBRIER GAMES DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE Andrew Chesney CHIP THEORY GAMES DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE Nicole Lindroos GREEN RONIN PUBLISHING DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE Jeff Pinsker AMIGO GAMES EMERITUS BOARD MEMBER Will Niebling KOPLOW GAMES

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

The Game Manufacturers Association

summer 2020

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

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

Egg Embry Egg Embry is a freelance RPG journalist writing for EN World, Knights of the Dinner Table, RPG News, d20 Radio, the Tessera Guild, the Open Gaming Network, the AetherCon Convention Magazine, GAMA’s Around the Table, and more. His areas of focus are RPG crowdfunding projects and RPG reviews.

As well, he conducts interviews talking to a range of gaming professionals from freelancers to CEOs. Beyond journalism, he dabbles in freelance writing and producing gaming zines for the roleplaying zineaissance including POWERED by the DREAMR and Love’s Labour’s Liberated (5e). facebook.com/egg.embry

Crystal Mazur By day, Crystal is a mildmannered educator with an affinity for superheroes and anything geeky. By night, Crystal is a freelance writer and artist who is inspired by horror, fantasy, and New Orleans. She is passionate about using games for education, and one of the genres she likes to write for child-friendly games. She is also a freelance writer for Third Eye Game’s Ennie award-winning Pip System Core Book.

She is also the Pip System Game Developer, creating Pip System Primer content each quarter, and helping other games create their world using the Pip System. You can find more of her work at TheGeekyPanda.com

Becky Ottery Becky Ottery is co-owner of Eclectic Games, alongside her husband Darrell. Eclectic Games is a multi-award-winning board games store in Reading, Berkshire, in the UK. She’s been doing this for fifteen years, after getting bored of a post-university cycle of office admin jobs.

She’s been a gamer since the age of 3 when her mum taught her the basic chess moves, was a massive fan of Fighting Fantasy game books, played Magic and Netrunner in sixth form, and discovered RPGs at university.

She’s had a column in Tabletop Gaming Magazine, is a frequent contributor to Toy News’ games focused issues and generally tries not to make the same mistake twice.

There’s so many new ones out there to learn from, after all!

John Stephens John Stephens is a writer, publisher, and activist who recently relocated to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he lives with his rescue pup Lily and two recently rescued cats; Josh and Donna.

In the past ten years in the game industry he has been a retailer, a member of the GAMA Retail Board, and a publisher, currently working as part of the team at IELLO USA. When he’s not working on board games or playing board games, he’s heavily involved in the political process, currently working as a rapid response social media specialist and speechwriter on several local campaigns.

258 East Campusview Blvd Columbus, OH 43235 Phone: 614-255-4500 Fax: 614-255-4499 www.gama.org • media@gama.org summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 3

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 3

9/2/20 2:49 PM

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 4

9/2/20 2:49 PM

AROUND THE

A Publication by the Game Manufacturers Association

summer 2020

Features

Adverstories

10

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

16 40

Diversifying Into Diversity

Publishers share efforts to reach every type of gamer

The Rise of Good, Accessible, Licensed Board Games

Licensed Games? Aren’t they usually rubbish?

Not anymore.

HUB Games Virtual World Tour

Demoing games in stores during lockdown

56

Consent and Safety

60

The Drafting Games I Love

How social-emotional learning fIts in

John Stephens looks at his five favorite games

Departments 3

GAMA Board and Staff

3

Contributors

6

Letter from the Executive Director

7

Letter from the President

50-53

New Products

62, 64

GAMA News

66

New Members

68

Index of Advertisers

36

Andrews McMeel Universal

14

Bezier Games

44

Big Kid Games

18

Candor USA

54

Czech Games

70

Floodgate Games

8

IELLO

46

KTBG/Burnt Island Games

28

Lucky Duck Games

38

Pegasus Spiele GmbH

24

Rainbow Starlight

26

Renegade Game Studios

48

Rio Grande Games

58

Steve Jackson Games

12

Top Shelf Fun

20

Van Ryder Games LLC

42

Vesuvius Media

Around the Table © 2020 The Game Manufacturers Association Published by Fahy-Williams Publishing P.O. Box 1080, 171 Reed St. Geneva, NY 14456 P 800-344-0559 F 315-789-4263 To advertise, contact Ashley Cavanagh at 315-789-0473 or email ashley@fwpi.com. summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 5

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 5

9/2/20 2:49 PM

FROM THE executive director

Dear GAMA members,

W

ith summer just about over, we are turning our sights on what the fall will bring. GAMA is working on several initiatives to help our members during the remainder of 2020.

In September we will publish the 2020 Winter Wishlist holiday ordering guide. Last year more than 90 publishers participated in the program to help retailer learn about their latest releases, what was hot for the holiday and explored evergreen products that every store should consider stocking. We received a lot of positive feedback on the program in 2019 and are excited to bring you this year’s edition. In October we see the return of the ESSENtials Retailer Summit back for its fourth year. This mini-trade event allows retailers and publishers to connect and get ready for the holiday shopping season. Given that Essen SPIEL will be online this year, so too will the summit. The program is free for retailers to attend. Read about both of these member programs in the GAMA News section of this issue.

In addition, we are featuring an article by Crystal Mazur discussing social and emotional learning in gaming, Corina Cretu writes about how Belfast, UK based Hub Games organized and conducted a virtual world tour of game stores to promote their products, Egg Embry explores how increased diversity can lead to greater success in your company and Becky Ottery talks about embracing licensed games.

In each issue we strive to curate articles that will stimulate your imagination and foster a lively exchange of ideas. If you would like information about submitting content for Around the Table, please send an email to media@gama.org.

Be safe!

John Stacy Executive Director GAMA Manufacturers Association

With Color It! & 5er Finden, you can have roll & write fun with the whole family.

For ages 4 and up, color the world of Kaleido in Color It! and be the first to finish coloring one of the four included scenes. If you're look-ing for something with more strategy, give 5er Finden a play with players ages 7 and up.

ROLL & WRITES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY USA_Around_the_table_GAMA_20HE0179.indd 6 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 6

1

info@HABAusa.com www.HABAusa.com 800-468-6873

01.07.20 08:27

9/2/20 2:49 PM

FROM THE president

Dear GAMA members,

A

s our industry is adapting to the new world order under a global pandemic, let us remind ourselves of the human race’s resilience. It is encouraging to witness our industry striving, as gamers stay home and play games. History has shown that the game industry flourishes in times of crisis.

Following our Vice-president’s suggestion, I have re-instated the GAMA Board weekly calls to facilitate and expedite the support provided to our Executive Director and the staff. It allows us to advance the many projects they are working on without waiting for another month.

Please remember to thank our Board members for graciously giving once again more of their time to the association.

Our Treasurer has picked up a project started by his predecessor, defining policies to handle financial matters in the day-to-day operations. The final document will be available soon in the GAMA Governing Documents part of our website.

One of GAMA’s missions is to monitor the state of our industry continually. When it came to our attention that the United States Postal Services was in duress, we call the membership to express support and reach to the legislators. Our friends at ASTRA and The Toy Association have joined our efforts.

Feel free to attend our monthly Board meetings to see what it takes to administrate the association. Maybe it will inspire some to join a committee.

We are, as always, eager to serve and help. Do not hesitate to contact us, and we will do our best to provide support and guidance.

Be excellent to each other.

Stephan Brissaud President of the Board of the Game Manufacturers Association

Volunteer Opportunities One of the best ways to be engaged with the association and our industry is to volunteer for a committee or workgroup.

GAMA is currently looking for members to serve on the following committees: •

Academy, Origins Awards, and Hall of Fame Review and Restructure Committee – Charged with exploring ways to increase the relevancy and representation of the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design including the Origins Awards nominations, review and award ceremony and the Hall of Fame.

•

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

•

Bylaws Reconciliation Committee – Reviews current organizational bylaws and provides recommendations to the board for presentation to the general membership for adoption.

•

Diversity Committee – Investigates how best to reach out to underrepresented communities within the game industry and to create pathways of success within the organization.

•

Education Advisory Committee – Work with GAMA staff to identify educational topics and opportunities to create a robust training program to assistretail stores, distributors, manufacturers, and designers in effectively operating in the hobby games industry.

For more information on these committees or to volunteer, please email john.stacy@gama.org

summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 7

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 7

9/2/20 2:49 PM

IELLO Games adverstory

Follow the

Brick Road to the

SCORPION MASQUÉ

By Emma Recher, Executive Assistant IELLO USA

I

n 2010, Stephan Brissaud met Christian Lemay, ‘Grand Poobah’ of Montrealbased board game publisher Scorpion Masqué, at a gaming convention before IELLO USA had been established.

According to Brissaud, “sharing a language and culture (French) brought us together!”

Three years later, when Lemay decided to have his ‘Little Monsters’ line of children’s games translated into English, it was a natural choice to turn to IELLO USA, which Brissaud now had up and running.

IELLO USA has since been the exclusive distributor of Scorpion Masqué games in the United States, the world’s largest board game market.

In 2014, the American market welcomed the ‘Little Monsters’, which include The Legend of Wendigo, Terror Eyes, and Friday the 13th, as well as Think Again, all translated into English. 2014 also saw the release of Antoine Bauza’s Monster Chase, a wonderful memory game that gets children to both scare away monsters from under their bed, and clean their room! The 2018 success story of Decrypto, by designer Thomas Dagenais-Lesperance, further tightened an already close partnership between IELLO and Scorpion Masqué. This global hit was closely followed, in 2019, by the release of Zombie Kidz Evolution, which is, to this day, the first and only ‘Legacy-style’ game for children. It has been translated into 15 languages, and sold more than 150,000 copies in over 30 countries since November 2018.

8 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 8

The success of the partnership between IELLO and Scorpion Masqué is without a doubt the result of extensive collaborative work. “The trust-based relationship built over time in a saturated market of game releases has been a long-term endeavor, and to this day constitutes a true achievement for both companies,” said Lemay. Brissaud added, “Scorpion Masqué is one of our best partners. They understand the challenges and specific needs of the American market.

Our teams closely collaborate, and as far as IELLO is concerned, Scorpion Masqué games are an integral part of the IELLO USA catalog. They are part of the IELLO USA overall business strategy.”

The two teams work in close collaboration, from production all the way to the planning for the game’s release into the American market. “I am thankful to IELLO for the space offered to us at their booth during major conventions: it shows that IELLO cares about us by drawing attention to the Scorpion Masqué brand in the United States,” said Lemay. Brissaud added, “We make a point to include the Scorpion Masqué team in all events and marketing operations in the U.S. Our goal is not only to sell Scorpion Masqué games in the U.S., but also to really promote Scorpion Masqué as a brand. We often copublish.”

One of Scorpion Masqué’s unique selling points is publishing games that only require a minute to explain, as Lemay likes to point out, “Wouldn’t you like a game

where I don’t need to explain the rules to you?” This March, Stay Cool from Julien Sentis, a hilarious, unique, and intense multitasking game was released in the United States and will most definitely end up being as successful as some of Scorpion Masqué’s numerous best-sellers. In the same spirit as Decrypto in concept, it is an engaging game with simple rules and it is exquisitely entertaining to play with friends.

Scorpion Masqué enjoys surprising players by using already-familiar concepts… with a twist. This principle was closely followed once again for their two new games this summer, Flash 8 which is a dynamic and easy-revisited version of a sliding-tile puzzle game, and Mia London and the Case of the 625 Scoundrels, a children’s game with strongly intuitive mechanics and charming design, including a notebook that children can use outside of the game a great imagination-building toy.

In Santa Claus’ sack this year you will find Master Word from Gerard Cattiaux, in stores as early as September, another great party game, fully cooperative, where you team up to come up with clues to find a Master Word. deduction game guaranteed to bring everyone together! Finally, Zombie Teenz Evolution by Annick Lobet, will pick up where its predecessor, Zombie Kidz Evolution, left off, in providing entertaining and surprising gameplay that ‘evolves’ the more you play. This exciting title will be releasing in October. iellousa.com

9/2/20 2:49 PM

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 9

9/2/20 2:49 PM

Diversifying into

By Egg Embry

10 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 10

9/2/20 2:49 PM

RPG publishing companies include women, individuals of color, and members of the LGBTQIA community who create a variety of content. Several publishers share their efforts to reach every type of gamer.

How does your company build bridges to underrepresented gamers?

Teri Litorco, Senior Marketing Manager at Renegade Game Studios: We’re fortunate enough to be in a position to work with talented individuals who selfidentify in underrepresented communities within gaming in every aspect of our operations; from the start of production (including diverse designers and artists) all the way down to our marketing and demo team. We can’t expect to build bridges to the diverse community of gamers if we ourselves are not diverse.

Aaron Shanks, Marketing and Media Manager, Paizo Inc.: Paizo believes Gaming Is for All. We provide guidance for players to create stories that are fun for everyone, and our core rulebooks state that “Pathfinder is a game for everyone, regardless of their age, gender, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other identities and life experiences. It is the responsibility of all of the players, not just the GM, to make sure the table is fun and welcoming to all.” We followthrough by publishing diverse stories and commissioning representative art. We hire diverse writers, editors, developers, artists, and more (both on-staff and via freelance).

Sarah “Sam” Saltiel, Director of Marketing and Sales of Magpie Games: I think above all, we want our hiring and publishing practices to reflect our desire to build communities with a diverse range of experiences. For example, we’ve developed our ashcan program specifically to publish games by new designers. It can be difficult for new designers to find a niche for themselves within the industry, particularly if they come from a marginalized community. We want to do what we can to aid them in that process. continued on page 30

summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 11

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 11

9/2/20 2:49 PM

CUBE: THE TAKE-AN-ACTION FIGURE FOR TABLETOP GAMERS

T

oday we are hanging with Flip Florey, the host of Flip Florey’s Super Saturday Board Game Serial, and William Faust, the CEO of Top Shelf Fun. They have teamed up to bring you the most “unique” collectible in the hobby board game market.

much more. It’s a block of wood you can put in a diorama and dress up!

William Faust: Flip, what exactly is CUBE?

FF: Absolutely. Like the meeple, cubes are an integral part of board gaming, which at its heart is a welcoming community for everyone.

CUBE represents the fun and (at the same time) function that a simple tiny piece of wood can bring to a game table.

Flip Florey: CUBE, simply put, is akin to a “Pet Rock for Gamers.”

CUBE is a resident of BoardGameLand on my podcast. CUBE is a character that represents how a simple game component can be ANYTHING! It is practically magical.

FF: So, how did CUBE finally come to life?

WF: Flip whipped up the original “CUBE - Inaction Figure” for Granite Games Summit as a giveaway. As a fan of the show I was smitten by BoardGameLand and the residents within it. I immediately saw CUBE’s potential as a unique product that blurred the lines between toys and board games. I approached Flip about a CUBE collaboration and proceeded to spend an inordinate amount of time figuring out how to make it a real product for gamers.

WF: So... for the readers…what exactly is CUBE again?

FF: As any gamer knows a cube can represent anything. It can be livestock, coal, a monster, an idea, or your best friend! It’s a conversation starter, it’s an integral part of a gamer’s collection, and it’s just a fun thing to have around ALL AT THE SAME TIME! This concept is just being carried one step further and now you can own a giant CUBE of your very own. Non-gamers might look at it and say “It’s just a block of wood,” but gamers know that it’s something

12 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 12

WF: Is CUBE for every gamer?

FF: I can’t wait! Where can I get my very own CUBE? WF: You will be shipped your very own set, it is in our contract.

FF: True. But where can gamers get their own CUBE? WF: CUBE is available at topshelf-fun.com. There are six different CUBES available in Series 1 based on popular board game themes such as zombies, pirates, farming, and more. Each one comes with a large 3” wooden CUBE, punch board accessories, Rules of Play, and some other fun surprises. Not to mention amazing thematic art by Kiril Tchangov that is uniquely thematic to each CUBE.

WF: We are running out of time. Any last questions, Flip?

FF: Just a few… When is CUBE going to drop his next album?

Is it true CUBE is dating an Icosahedron? Can I eat CUBE as one of my “Square meals a day”? Which is CUBE’s favorite Starfleet captain? topshelf-fun.com

9/2/20 2:49 PM

C

CUB CUB and gro It’s ship hom

CUBE IS THE ORIGINAL INACTION FIGURE FOR TABLETOP GAMERS! CUBE is not confined by its physical shape, size, nor its color.

CUBE is a warrior that has endured countless adventures and lived to tell those stories. CUBE is the most horrific and grotesque monster of which its very sight will drive you mad.

It’s the coal for your power plant, or the fuel for your spaceship to travel the stars. CUBE is the very wood to build your home, but is also the vegetables to feed your family. CUBE can be anything you want it to be!

CUBE is a mashup of board games and actions figures designed for display or play.

SERIES #1 AVAILABLE JULY 2020 www.topshelf-fun.com

CONCEPT AND RULES BY FLIP FLOREY -BOARDGAMESERIAL.COM WITH ART AND DESIGN BY KIRIL TCHANGOV - KIRILOT.COM

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 13

9/2/20 2:49 PM

W

histle Mountain is a tile-laying, workerplacement, and resource management game from Scott Caputo (Whistle Stop) and Luke Laurie (Manhattan Project: Energy Empire). These two have created an intense strategy game like no other, where the locations and availability of resources ebbs and flows throughout the game as a result of the progress of the players.

The game starts innocently enough, with each player building a series of scaffolds with resources on them, and then taking their airships out to gather those resources (as well as to gain other abilities, such as additional scaffolds). When enough scaffolds are built, the players start building a wide array of machines directly on those scaffolds that provide additional resources and special abilities to the players’ airships.

As they build, however, the weight of the structures causes the water below them to rise, slowly submerging the original scaffolds and machines. Once the water reaches a certain height, the game ends, with some of the players’ workers getting caught up in the rushing water below.

Whistle Mountain shares some DNA with Whistle Stop, not just that it’s by the designer of that game, but also because of the freeform sandbox nature of the board, which grows and changes throughout the game, making additional resources and technologies available based on what the players build. It also has one of the great things about Whistle Stop: freedom. One of the

14 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 14

things we always hear when players are playing Whistle Stop for the first time is “Am I allowed to do that? It seems too powerful and maybe even game-breaking.”

The answer is pretty much always “yes,” which makes players’s eyes open wide as they consider all of the possibilities of a virtually limitless set of parameters in which to build a strategy. That same feeling is captured in Whistle Mountain, where you can set yourself up for a huge payday of resources and special abilities if you set up scaffolds and machines the right way, typically before your opponents have figured out what’s going on. Of course, they’re probably also up to the same sort of creative construction, and you’ll have more trouble deciding which of the great options that are available to you are the right ones at each point in the game. It’s this feeling of “I can do anything” that keeps players wanting to play game after game, as they slowly start to learn how to make incredible combos and take advantage of all the game has to offer.

Like any great strategy game, the rules to get started are pretty straightforward, and it isn’t until a lot of the components have entered the game, such as individual player upgrades, three different sizes of airships and machines, powerful cards and medals, that players get a sense of the complexity that is below the surface.

And there are so many of each of those, that you won’t experience all of them until you’ve played several games, keeping the experience fresh each play. Whistle Mountain picks up were Whistle Stop left off, and moves the strategy game genre forward as a result.

beziergames.com

9/2/20 2:49 PM

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 15

9/2/20 2:49 PM

The Rise of Good, Accessible Licensed

Board

GAMES

H

arry Potter Cluedo. Pokemon Monopoly. Game of Thrones Risk.

How many of you automatically flash to those sorts of titles when you hear the words “licensed board game”? There was a time when almost all the tie-in, licensed IP board games were in the simple model of ‘change the names and images on an established classic and call it good’.

Things have moved on somewhat from then.

Why should we care about Licensed Board Games at all?

There’s a veritable avalanche of games coming out all the time. There’s games on every topic under the sun, in so many different forms. The quality is higher than ever, too. So amongst this, why should a games store care about a segment that has historically been regarded by hobby gamers as ‘not very good’? There are two main reasons from my point of view.

Actually, they’re surprisingly good!

By Becky Ottery

16 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 16

9/2/20 2:49 PM

The first is the change in design and development effort spent by publishers on these games. Licensed Monopoly editions will always be with us, but more and more games based on strong IPs are being designed to fit with that particular IP, conceptually, mechanically, and thematically.

My poster child for this is Villainous and its expansions, published by Ravensburger. This is a game that takes asymmetric roles, with differing goals, and marries the goal and mechanics of each role to the story arc of the particular villain. The level of design and effort that’s gone into each one means that if you are a player that doesn’t have a strong emotional connection with a specific Disney villain (although who doesn’t have at least one Disney bad guy they can identify with?) there is still enough to engage with, and a clear variety to try to pick your favourite from. For a Disney fan, it’s fantastic. From the card

in Captain Hook’s fate deck with the Crocodile that forces him to discard his hand, to the fact that Pete in the latest expansion has all his cards in black and white, there is so much to connect with.

The design team has gone to great length to evoke the films, and make them matter in terms of gameplay.

Villainous was in our top ten games sold in 2019, as our highest placed boardgame with 100 copies sold, beating Pandemic at 87. (Best selling game for 2019 - The Mind, 190 units, second place Spot It!/Dobble with 116) Another major hit for us has been the Harry Potter Co-operative Deckbuilder Hogwarts Battle, and later the two player, headto-head duel using the same mechanics, Defence against the Dark Arts, both from USopoly/The OP. The Hogwarts Battle co-op has a lot going for it, being an introduction to the deck building genre of games that most new gamers won’t have encountered. The first three

‘years’ of Hogwarts function to explain the mechanics of the game in easy steps, and then year 4 steps up the difficulty noticeably!

This ‘teaching functionality’ brings me to the second reason games stores should be excited by the new and improved wave of licensed games.

They are an easy introduction to modern board gaming.

Selling games is about the players making a connection with the experience.

How much easier is it to sell a game where your customer already has a positive connection with the theme?

When an average member of the public walks into a specialist store, it’s important that they can find something that they recognise, that makes them feel that they aren’t in the wrong place.

Walking into somewhere and looking around going “I don’t recognise anything here, I don’t know what to ask for, I’m afraid of looking stupid” usually continued on page 32

summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 17

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 17

9/2/20 2:49 PM

m

Technology

Can be Your Greatest Asset strategic

Accessible “worker bee” placement game.

Take advantage of technology via the GameManufacturersHealthcare.com marketplace and access crucial healthcare coverage information.

H

istorically, asking everyday Americans to navigate healthcare coverage was like asking passengers to fly the plane.

Actually, that’s really not much of an exaggeration. Chances are good that you can relate to the problem, whether you obtained your healthcare coverage through an employer, through a broker, directly from an insurer or through one of the public exchanges created after the passage of the ACA. Health economist expert, Austin Frakt, published an article in the New York Times detailing his inability to estimate the true cost of the healthcare plans offered by the federal employee program, and the difficulties he faced in picking the proper plan. He pointed out that there is a striking lack of transparency and great difficulty in comparing how much each plan would pay for various services.

One of the issues often faced has been that the prices quoted for plans aren’t the “real” prices: Monthly premiums aren’t all that you pay. There are deductibles (the amount you have to pay out of pocket before insurance pays anything at all), co-insurance fees (the percentage you have to pay per doctor’s visit, no matter what), copayments (the fixed amounts you have to pay per visit), and out-ofpocket maximums (the total number of real dollars you have to spend before insurance covers everything).

Comparing the “real” prices of plans is nearly impossible. It can take hours to estimate the “real” amount you’ll have to pay for coverage under one plan.

better prices, than would be available otherwise. To be clear, a private marketplace is very different than the public exchanges set up by states after the implementation of the ACA and are far superior.

Today’s advanced technology, available with GameManufacturersHealthcare.com has made it much more efficient, more accurate, and a pleasure to use.

Here’s how many of the difficulties we’ve listed are mitigated or eliminated through your Association private healthcare coverage marketplace.

Unique engine “hive” building gameplay.

The Solution; Technology and GameManufacturersHealthcare. com marketplace.

A Harvard study found most Americans are not completely sure what is covered by their health insurance, understandably so.

The average health plan is filled with hard to understand jargon (for instance the difference between co-insurance and co-payments?), and online summaries are often worded where you have to scroll through dozens of pages to gather information for a single plan.

A unified marketplace for healthcare coverage plans.

A private marketplace is typically able to have many more choices available to participants. Because insurers are likely to offer a larger number of plans to their more important partners, and the power of the marketplace’s large customer base can be leveraged into a robust selection of healthcare coverage options. All of these plans are fully detailed on the one marketplace website so there’s no need to go shuttling around the web to every provider’s website.

Better pricing The large, combined member base of your Association private healthcare marketplace does not just mean more choice. It also means lower prices than are generally available to the public, because providers will always offer their lowest costs when there is a high volume of business to be written.

BEE-utiful blend of familiar mechanics.

Comparison tools The advanced technology of this healthcare coverage marketplace makes it possible to set up comprehensive comparison tools and cost estimators. Many of these tools can show you side-by-side displays of those nasty deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance charges, as well as readouts of “real” prices. This advanced private marketplace even offers “modeling” tools which can accurately estimate the true costs of real-life events like a pregnancy or a sprained ankle, for each plan you’re considering.

Health economist expert, Austin Frakt, also offered up a “With the amount prescription for the problems listed above: Use modern technology to of replayability in access crucial information regarding healthcare coverage offerings.

It’s no wonder that most Americans are confused by–and is unhappy“[Honey with–their Buzz] health insurance, or a large number of packed full “buyers’ of decisions, people experience remorse” after choosing a plan. and -marketplace maybe takes advantage of economies Atiming, private healthcare “[Honey Buzz] is a contest cards, AI of scale to greatly benefit those shopping most importantly - it for healthcare coverage.

WONDERFUL melding deck, and the overall Here is the good news.

It allows Associations,all smaller integrates of companies, these and individuals to use of atsuper-sharp this That prescription exists andpuzzle is availablegameplay, through your Association their combined purchasing power to obtain better plan options, innovative mechanics worker-placement and at GameManufacturersHealthcare.com. is everything a solo extremely well with

the theme.”

Joel Eddy

18 AROUND THEThru table • summer 2020 Drive Review

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 18

delightful tile-laying!”

gamer could ask for!”

GameManufacturesHealthCare.com Richard Ham Jeremy Howard

Rahdo Runs Through

ManVsMeeple candor.insurance

9/2/20 2:49 PM

4

Save now.

Save in the future.

Help the Game Manufacturers Association

SAVE!

Saving 8-12% on your healthcare coverage means that you and your fellow GAMA members can put that money toward the experiences in life that matter most.

Save

$3,600 per year!* *Based on the annual healthcare costs of an average family of four.

With healthcare plans that offer such substantial savings, imagine what you can do and where you can go with all that extra money.

Visit GameManufacturersHealthCare.com to start saving!

An exclusive member benefit provided by

Untitled-1 1

9/8/20 3:42 PM

Adventure Starts Here!

by Shaun Varsos

al

ng!

20 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

Untitled-1 2

I

n the midst of social distancing people are playing games digitally across various conferencing platforms and other virtual tabletops, as well as deep diving into solo gaming.

Sherlock Holmes: Baker Street Irregulars is the best of both worlds.

In Sherlock Holmes: Baker Street Irregulars you will take on the role of one of the Irregulars and work to prove yourself a worthy ally to Sherlock himself. The challenges cover everything from finding things hidden in the art to solving cases by pinpointing the guilty parties through deductions and interrogations.

The game comes with four books and one map of London for you and your friends to explore. Each book is for one of the four Irregulars as they each play out the events from their perspectives. Ike is particularly good at brutish activities, Wiggins is Sherlock’s apprentice and a talented detective by his own rights, Vicky is incredibly agile and great at getting helpful vantage points through her climbing skills, and Myrtle is master of disguise that would give Irene Adler a run for her money. The art in the books reflects the unique skills each character has and how the choices you make play out due to them.

This plays solo with the player taking on the role of one character, or you can play with up to four with each player controlling one of the characters. There’s plenty of reason to go back through and replay as a different character and see what you might have missed when previously aiding Mr. Holmes. As a multiplayer experience, and with the rise in need for social distancing and other activities to do together while apart, Sherlock Holmes: Baker Street Irregulars fits the order perfectly.

Owners of the game can send one of the other characters books to their friends and you can play together easily over your favorite chatting platform. The key elements of communication and relaying the unique insights of your character can become even more impactful long distance.

Fans of our other Graphic Novel Adventures will feel right at home in this game, and it’s one that will feel even more familiar to fans of The Crusoe Crew, which was the first cooperative Graphic Novel Adventures game.

Whether by yourself, or with your friends (together or apart!), Sherlock Holmes: Baker Street Irregulars is a great choice for game night!

Sherlock Holmes: The Beginning picks up immediately after the famed happening at Reichenbach Falls.

Sherlock has returned to work and Watson has resumed his chronicling of their stories. Can you help Sherlock return to glory? Your choices shape your story and make your adventure in this, the newest Graphic Novel Adventure. vanrydergames.com

9/8/20 3:42 PM

The Lantern ThemayLantern Fade, but themay CoinsFade, Still Shine. but the Coins S

1-4

60-120’ 13+

1-4

60-120

In Merchants of the DarkIn Roads, Merchants assume the of the D role of a brave merchantrole preparing of a your brave caravanmerchant with heroes and goods with to travel heroes the dangerous and dark goods roads to trave between cities in the between Kingdom of cities Lumi. It’s in athe perilous Kingdom job but of Lu untold fame and untold fortune await fame youand on thefortune other side. await you on the

For For more more information information about these andabout all of ourthese Games, visit andElfCreekGames.com all of our Games, Untitled-1 3

9/8/20 3:42 PM

Accessible strategic “worker bee” placement game.

Unique engine “hive” building gameplay.

BEE-utiful blend of familiar mechanics.

“[Honey Buzz] is packed full of decisions, timing, and - maybe most importantly - it integrates all of these innovative mechanics extremely well with the theme.”

“[Honey Buzz] is a WONDERFUL melding of super-sharp worker-placement and delightful tile-laying!”

“With the amount of replayability in contest cards, AI deck, and the overall puzzle gameplay, this is everything a solo gamer could ask for!”

Joel Eddy

Richard Ham

Jeremy Howard

m

Drive Thru Review

Untitled-1 4

Rahdo Runs Through

1–

45–

10

ManVsMeeple

9/8/20 3:42 PM

The bees have discovered capitalism!

t

f s.

1–4 45–90′ 10+

The Queen be liev find peace and es they will p they sell their rosperity if honey to the bears, badger s, woodland crea and other tures. Spring has arrived a nd it’s time to build the hive , find the nect ar, make honey, a nd, for the fir st time ever, set up shop! summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 23

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 23

9/2/20 2:49 PM

Rainbow Starlight adverstory

Hooch Stooges – Signed with a Bullet!

by Sam Alschuler, Game Designer

Power Will’s eyes shifted.

Across town, Jimmy strutted down the street.

With gloved hands, Mal Contempt slowly drew the hammer back.

24 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 24

M

al Contempt had her name engraved on her pistol. Along the side, in cursive lettering it read, “Mal Contempt”. With gloved hands, she slowly drew the hammer back, smiling.

“You won’t need that on this mission,” said her partner in crime for the day, Power Will, “The God-Grandma wants us to obey the cartoon code on this one. So, we can’t use real bullets, only cartoon ammunition.”

“What difference does it make?” asked Mal, “The Big Man is dead! There’s no one to impose the cartoon code.”

Power Will shifted his eyes, “Look, The God Grandma has been planning on killing Big Man for years, but it never seemed like the right time. Suddenly, he’s gone and everybody wants to be the new crime boss of Megacityopolis. Things are going to get violent, but there’s no need to rush it. The God Grandma just wants to send our target a message!”

“Well, Jimmy certainly has it coming to him after what he pulled!” Mal frowned as she slipped her shiny pistol away; her favorite pistol; her only pistol; her signature pistol. She paused, and a smile grew across her face, “Power Will, I think I have just the thing!”

Across town, Jimmy Locke strutted down the street, singing to himself, “Du doo da da diddily doo!” His red suit glistened below the moonlight. Out of the corner of his ear, he heard Mal Contempt screaming at him!

“This one’s for you Jimmy!” Mal yelled out of the window of the black sedan. Jimmy turned to see Mal and Power Will coming at him in a black sedan; and on the back of the sedan was a catapult – a catapult loaded with a ten-foot diameter cherry pie with whipped cream! Jimmy knew he was in big trouble.

Jimmy Locke turned to run the other way, but it was too late!

Mal had already pulled the catapult lever, launching the pie straight at Jimmy! The cherry filled shot was too big to escape! Jimmy was eclipsed in shadow for an instant, and then he was covered in pie!

His head popped out of the center of the sweet mess. His eyes were spiraling and blue tweeting birds circled his head.

It took a long second for Jimmy Locke to come to his senses; and when he did, Mal and Power Will were standing over him.

Power Will shifted his eyes at Jimmy, “There’s a train that leaves Megacityopolis at ten tonight. Get on it and don’t come back!”

Jimmy squinted up at Will indignantly, “What if I refuse?”

Power Will smiled, “Then Mal here will show you how she signs her name!” Jimmy glanced at Mal’s holstered pistol. He didn’t want that. rainbowstarlight.com

9/2/20 2:49 PM

summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 25

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 25

9/2/20 2:49 PM

A 5E-Compatible Role-Playing Campaign Guide of Magic and Unlikely Heroes

I

n the land of Ne’Oor, adults have forgotten their natural ability for magic as they take on the burdens and knowledge of their new responsibilities.

The youth of Ne’Oor, however, are uncorrupted by the vices of their elders and can perceive the magic of their world.

These Wardlings are the unlikely heroes to confront the evils that threaten their existence!

The Wardlings Campaign Guide is compatible with the 5th edition of the most popular RPG, offering a seamless transition between the two games and the ability to bring characters from either game into play. Wardlings also adds elements of game play that are sure to satisfy veteran gamers while also appealing to first-time RPGers.

New Magical System As children with magical powers, Wardlings are attuned to the Oor which flows throughout their world. Before they become adults and lose their sense of magic, the Wardlings can use Oor, no matter what class they are, and can perform magical maneuvers.

Unlike other RPGs, your character’s level does not equate to your spell level. Each character has spell slots that can be used to cast spells above their current level.

26 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 26

New Creatures and Familiars The continent of Ne’Oor is found on the planet Or’Mya, a world of magic that contains all creatures big and small. Wardlings can tap into the magic of Or’Mya with the help of their familiar, a protective spirit creature that can communicate telepathically with your character. Familiar types such as cats, falcons, mice, stone golems, and tree companions can help you on your adventures. Like your characters, they begin at level one with one Oor (the name given to magic by the native people) and the familiar ability to escape death. Your familiar is like your ace up your sleeve, ready to save you in the most dire of situations.

New Races/Class Features Living in the lands of Ne’Oor are five main races: Human, Finfolk, Squatch, Snowcap, and Midbari. Human Wardlings are the most common, but are still a very diverse group. Finfolk come from the water environments, while the Squatch are forest-dwelling people. Snowcap people live in Northern Ne’Oor, in the icy land where they thrive and the Midbari are desert nomads from the Southern part of Ne’Oor. Each of the races can have heroes in various classes that break stereotypes: your druid may not be from the forest, but be a Finfolk, or your

wizard could be a Midbari who’s actually afraid of magic.

Pre-Painted Miniatures from WizKids With the pre-painted miniatures from WizKids, it’s never been easier to get a features-laden tabletop gaming experience.

These collectible figures include their familiars, such as a girl cleric with a winged cat, a boy ranger with a wolf, an ice orc with ice worm, and creatures including treefolk, ghosts, goblins, and dragons.

Introductory Wardlings Adventure Players can jump right into the world of Ne’Oor using the Campaign Guide’s introductory adventure, Trouble at Farrowwind Farm. Along with this adventure comes pre-generated characters, each with a detailed back story and their character sheet. The Game Master has everything they need to get their adventurers into the game, with information on the locations, NPCs, and other details needed to launch into either a one-shot or as part of a longer campaign.

Ruel Gaviola is a writer, podcaster, and content creator based in Southern California.

A regular contributor to Geek & Sundry, The Five By, iSlaytheDragon, and other websites, he’s also on the Board of Directors for the Tabletop Writers Guild and on the American Tabletop Awards committee. His family recently joined him to play board games on Tabletop Tonight, a daily live stream on his Twitch channel. Connect with him on Twitter @RuelGaviola and find links to his work at ruelgaviola.com. renegadegames.com

9/2/20 2:49 PM

© 2020 Dire Wolf Digital, LLC. All rights reserved. © 2020 Renegade Game Studios.

www.renegadegames.com

• Includes 6 new starting decks with thieving identities!

• A new boss, Hexavultus, will challenge all adventurers seeking his treasure!

• React cards play during an opponent's turn to expand your hand!

Ages 13+

60-120 min

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 27

RGS02146

MSRP $30

9/2/20 2:49 PM

Worker Placement Meets Secrecy and Skullduggery in

By Az Drummond, Director of Marketing for Lucky Duck Games

T

he nobles have their rich palaces, the bourgeoisie their lavish homes.

As for us, we have our Court of Miracles. Seedy courtyards to anyone else, but for us beggars, scoundrels, and paupers, they’re little pieces of heaven.

Who knows, if you have a mind for it, you may well ascend to the throne someday.

Tell me, wouldn’t that suit you, to become the Penniless King?

In The Court of Miracles, players lead a guild of Rogues

28 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 28

using worker placement and area control to vie for the influence of neighborhoods in an attempt to take over 16th century Paris. They will scheme with sinister plots and use trickery to build their presence in the city, leading inevitably to Standoffs where Renown can be won or lost. Plot Cards and the secret strength of Rogue Tokens allow for deceptive tactics, while a large mix of abilities and actions gives a huge variety to every game.

Not All Workers Are Created Equal In The Court of Miracles, all players will start with the same set of four Rogues: two Henchmen, one Beggar, and one Right-Hand. As Rogues (workers) are placed into neighborhoods on the board to yield rewards, their identities are concealed inside a tactile wooden disc.

If a Rogue’s usefulness has run its course, you can dispose of them in the River Seine and delve into the streets to recruit someone new. Within the cotton bag, players can find Pickpockets, Defrocked Priests,

and a variety of other Rogues with unique abilities to send out into Paris. Once a neighborhood becomes full or when the Penniless King reaches a Wrath space on his path through the city, a Standoff will occur.

Gameplay Highs During Standoffs In a Standoff, players will reveal the strength of the Rogues they have sent to the neighborhood. Henchmen, Brutes, and skilled Swordsmen can all contribute to winning a Standoff, however, other Rogues such as Beggars, Soothsayers, and Courtesans may have also been secreted into position by foes to sow disruption.

Standoffs are recurring and rewarding gameplay moments for the players involved and those eagerly watching on as their opponents weaken one another. Standoffs can generate great excitement around the table and in your store during game demos.

The Plot Thickens Players also have access to Plot Cards which have a range of effects such as strengthening their ranks of Rogues or stealing coins from the players gaining Renown. Choosing how and when to use these adds a layer of strategy to your ascent to the throne.

Playing in only 40 minutes and with a concise 8-page rulebook, The Court of Miracles offers players an engaging and exciting game that combines worker placement, area control, and the sort of scheming and swindling that would make even the lowest pickpocket blush.

The Court of Miracles is available to order now and releases September 2020.

luckyduckgames.com 9/2/20 2:50 PM

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 29

9/2/20 2:50 PM

Diversity from page 11

How do you present tabletop gaming as a fun and safe form of entertainment?

TL: An important part of our motto is, “Everyone is a Gamer...”.

From the start of a game’s design and production, we’re also thoughtful of representation and accessibility across all our titles. In specific cases where a game’s theme is made directly to encompass a particular underprivileged heritage or culture, we also utilize cultural consultants to ensure we are respectfully representing that culture.

Finally, we are conscious about how we represent the people who play our games and utilize a diverse set of gamers on our videos and streams, as well as with our demo team. It’s easier for underrepresented minorities in gaming to feel like they’re welcome at the table when they see people like them already sitting at the table.

AS: We try to both “talk the talk and walk the walk.” We provide clear community guidelines for our online forums, social media accounts, and the organized play activities of the Pathfinder Society, Starfinder Society, and the Adventure Card Society, and we actively moderate these spaces.

We hold seminars and panels on diversity at conventions and post them to YouTube for all to share. We partner with businesses that share our values to bring amazing gaming products to life in both the physical and tabletop forms.

SSS: Some of our games deal with difficult issues—domestic abuse, drug trafficking, etc.—and we strongly recommend the use of safety tools while playing them. We want players to always have the tools they need to take responsibility for their own safety at the table.

What are some of your most inclusive products?

TL: We make fun games for gamers, to suit the myriad of tastes and interests. We

intentionally do not categorize our games based on identity; we instead try to focus on creating fun and compelling gaming experiences that are appealing to gamers based on what they like rather than who they are.

AS: We try to integrate age, gender, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation inclusion into all our products so no one product stands out. Both the Pathfinder and Starfinder roleplaying games have iconic characters that represent a wide swath of diversity to ensure that no matter who you are you’ll see yourself in these classic characters.

SSS: Recently we’ve worked with Brandon Leon-Gambetta to launch Pasión de las Pasiones on Kickstarter, a tabletop RPG based on Latin American telenovelas.

We are always excited to work with marginalized designers to create a wide variety of tabletop games that depict various aspects of their own cultures, and Brandon’s game is a fantastic example of what a Latinx designer can bring to our industry. Of course, there’s no singular game that’s up to that task of representing a whole community, but we hope to start a trend of games that aren’t necessarily tailored to the white American male perspective as a default.

How can retailers position your products to reach diverse audiences?

TL: We believe in the quality of our games and trust our retail partners to cultivate welcoming gaming spaces and gaming communities by providing top-tier customer service and a safe and inclusive gaming space. To support them in engaging with their diverse customer base, we host multiple weekly video streams, create monthly recap videos to keep fans in the loop, and release monthly free content for several of our titles that they can share as a value-add to products they sell.

AS: The most important thing for retailers is to ensure that their stores are a fun, safe, and inviting space to gamers of all backgrounds.

Hold weekly events for the Pathfinder Society, Starfinder Society, and Adventure Card Society (by signing up on the Retail Locator, stores receive free scenarios for those games every month). Let them discover themselves reflected in our work, organically.

SSS: Running events that include our games would be a wonderful way to start!

We would love to see more events tailored to inviting in people from marginalized communities. Part of building a diverse community is making people feel actively welcomed, instead of just tolerated.

I want to thank Teri, Aaron, and Sam as well as their companies, Renegade Game Studios, Paizo Inc., and Magpie Games for creating content for every type of gamer. These publishers, as well as others, build games to connect with all communities whether established or newly blossoming. To partner in building diverse audiences, publishers offer free retailer specific content, video streams, and organized play. For retailers, these products can be utilized to attract a wide range of customers and enjoy the potential diversity offers. Combining these tools with the retailer’s customer service expertise, the gaming industry can realize the benefits of bringing joy to every gamer at the gaming table.

30 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 30

9/2/20 2:50 PM

It’s Telestrations, but upside down! This fun new twist on the award winning Telestrations game gives a whole new meaning to laugh out loud miscommunication. This game puts a teamwork spin on “The Telephone Game Sketched Out” by putting the pen in one person’s hand, and control of the board in another’s! Only through “up” or “down” directives can the team put the pen and board together to guess the clue first!

Team based

Telestrations

Reusable

Game

dry erase

player boards

From award winning

designer

Kane Klenko 12+

4-12

20 Min.

Order Today! @theopgames TheOp.games The Op and USAOPOLY are trademarks of USAopoly, Inc. © 2019 USAopoly, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Manufactured & distributed by USAopoly, Inc., 5999 Avenida Encinas, Ste. 150, Carlsbad, CA 92008. MADE IN CHINA.

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 31

9/2/20 2:50 PM

Board Games from page 17

means turning round and leaving.

This is something that licensed games can help with no end. Jaws, Game of Thrones, Scott Pilgrim, Power Rangers, Pokemon, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, The Thing, Villainous, Firefly, Star Trek Fluxx, Batman Fluxx, Kingdom Hearts Talisman... popular culture and boardgames are becoming more and more intertwined.

Where hobby stores have been perhaps been perceived as a ‘geek’ haven, full of complicated things like Dungeons and Dragons, a strong IP can overcome this possible barrier. It also helps with getting good, modern boardgames into more mass market and nonspecialist retailers, increasing exposure of the hobby to the general public.

While ‘geek’ in general is becoming more mainstream, and the perennial perception that ‘games are for children and Christmas’ is finally beginning to die out, there’s still cause to celebrate anything that gets more people consider picking up and trying a board game.

Good licensed games are now available at all levels of the gaming ecosystem. From Spot it!/Dobble (Star

Wars, Harry Potter, Disney Princesses) and Fluxx (Batman, Star Trek, Monty Python, Jumanji, Firefly), through family games such as Jurassic Park, Codenames (Disney, Marvel, X-Men), up to effectively ‘gamer’ titles such as Villainous, Hogwarts Battle, and Horrified. Once people have played one of these, there is a frame of reference to discuss other games. Enjoyed Hogwarts Battle and Defence against the Dark Arts? Have you seen Star Realms? How about Century Spice Road? Was the ‘one vs many’ aspect of Jaws or Jurassic Park a great feature for you? Here’s Castle Panic or Fury of Dracula to scratch that itch.

Gamers have always had options for licensed play, from various Star Wars games, superheroes in all forms

(minis, cards, RPG books), video game adaptations from the venerable Civ to X-Com, Fallout, Minecraft... There’s also the tabletop gaming based IPs that have expanded into the broader popular culture - Dungeons and Dragons and Games Workshop’s Warhammer are probably the two most obvious examples. What tended to unite those options were a level of complexity, quite a hefty learning curve and time investment requirement, and a feeling of mild elitism. That was good for players, but didn’t lend itself quite as well to broad appeal and new customers from a retail perspective. What the current landscape has as a beneficial evolution, is the addition of good, intermediate steps between the (sometimes insultingly) simplistic licensed Monopoly and the like, and the intimidatingly complex ‘gamer’ licenses.

So the takeaway for all this? More accessible games, reaching more new customers, who can easily step into a new hobby. We can celebrate the long awaited death of a negative stereotype - “Licensed games? Aren’t they usually rubbish?” Not any more.

32 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 32

Se th 3D an

©C 9/2/20 2:50 PM

Set in Sideshow’s original dark-fantasy world, Court of the Dead: Dark Harvest is a strategic bidding game for 3-6 players. Players vie for power in the Court of the Dead, struggling to save as many souls as possible from annihilation in the Celestial War.

Age 13+

Players 3-6

30-45 Mins.

AVAILABLE NOW! Š Copyright 2019 Skybound Tabletop and Sideshow Inc. All rights reserved.

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 33

9/2/20 3:45 PM

34 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 34

9/2/20 2:50 PM

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 35

9/2/20 2:50 PM

Andrews McMeel adverstory Adventures in

by Daniel D. Fox - Executive Creative Director, Games, Andrews McMeel Universal

Y

ou have likely heard of Neverland at some point in your childhood.

Whether it be from books read to you by parents, from a play or even a

the game table with friends – ones who remember the stories from childhood?

This is where Andrew Kolb’s Neverland: A Fantasy Roleplaying Setting comes in.

“All children, except one, grow up.” graphic novel, the stories of Peter Pan, the Lost Boys and Captain Hook are endearingly familiar. These stories are whimsical and exciting, oftentimes told at the bedside to keep children beneath the covers as parents retire for the night.

Every telling of Neverland is different – some filled with high-flying adventure, others aboard the Sea Devil where swords clash.

What the stories tend to gloss over is the true danger. The kidnappings, crocodiles big enough to swallow a castle, and even more sinister outcomes bleed from every page. What if Neverland was a campaign setting in its own right? What if it could be written to be played around 36 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 36

Welcome to Neverland: an untamed island of mischief and intrigue. The island is rife with danger and teeters precariously between chaos and order. As you create characters – or use the pre-generated ones in the back of the book – their entrance to the island will be one that serves as a catalyst for change. What that change is, however, is your story to tell.

Neverland is a hexcrawl setting, layered with pointcrawl mechanics, using the structure of the world’s oldest roleplaying game. Adventures unfold for the characters as they discover the island, with each hex populated with wondrous locations, secrets and mysteries. Players can explore each hex independently and

revisit them as the story is told. Giant beasts and murderous threats stalk the land, standing in the way of order. These agents of chaos haunt the swamps, lurk in the periphery, and no shadow is safe on a bright, sunny day in Neverland.

The tapestry of Neverland is beautifully presented in illustrated format

by Kolb. Like J.M. Barrie’s classic tale, the setting examines the themes of time, growing up, what makes a home, and parenthood. Most importantly, though, this is your Neverland. As with any good fantasy setting, there are many different threads to tug on, as adventure unravels with the choices adventurers make. It is a sandbox to play in. The stories you and your friends will tell will be shaped by your desires.

It’s time to tell your own tales of pirates and mermaids and children who fly. Welcome to Neverland.

Daniel D. Fox is the executive creative director of games at Andrews McMeel Universal. He was awarded two gold ENnies at Gen Con 2018 for Best Game and Product of the Year with the dark fantasy hit ZWEIHÄNDER Grim & Perilous RPG. After a 16-year career in digital advertising, Daniel now spends his days designing tabletop roleplaying games and creating strategies to reach new RPG audiences. He enjoys good whiskey, ZWEIHÄNDER and Dungeons & Dragons (in no particular order). You can find him on Twitter @ZweihanderRPG and at http:// zweihander.game publishing.andrewsmcmeel.com

9/2/20 2:50 PM

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 37

9/2/20 2:50 PM

Into the Woods Get lost in two new games from Edition Spielwiese!

by Johanna Sadkovich Sales & Marketing Executive, Pegasus Spiele

T

he woodland settings of Memorinth and Treelings from Edition Spielwiese couldn’t be more different. Memorinth is a chaotic caper set in a mash-up of fairytale and urban jungle, with classic characters reimagined

by German graffiti artist and illustrator, Hombre. While Treelings is a deceptively simple card game that embraces a childlike sense of wonder at the simple gifts of nature, with gorgeous illustrations by the renowned Michael Menzel.

However, both games offer a perfect mix of simple rules, easy set-up, and quick gameplay – ideal for lazy summer days.

Memorinth

Richi Haarhoff won the Spiel des Jahres Author’s Scholarship grant in June of 2018, at the age of 27. This grant funds several one-week internships for up-and-coming game designers, offering the opportunity to work closely with publishers, artists, game stores, and the German Games Archive in Nuremberg.

As part of the award winnings, Haarhoff was given the opportunity to intern at Ravensburger. There, Haarhoff played many games designed for children and families, including the classic Labyrinth, and Memoarrr! by Edition Spielwiese. It was in the early morning hours following 38 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 38

the internship that Haarhoff first conceived the idea for Memorinth.

Several months later, Memorinth was pitched to Michael Schmitt of Edition Spielwiese. Schmitt had been searching for a strong candidate to follow Memoarrr!, and Haarhoff ’s new game certainly seemed to fit the bill! It wasn’t long before a deal was signed.

Memorinth is a dynamic memory game with a modular game board and simple player actions. Players must navigate an ever-changing forest landscape as board tiles are flipped from day to night and back again during their turns, constantly changing the directions of the paths that could lead to escape – and to victory. An included “Master Memorinth” variant provides additional trickery for seasoned players.

Treelings

Treelings was born of designer Paul Schultz’s love of Dan Cassar’s Arboretum.

Inspired by the depth and complexity that could be achieved in such an outwardly simple game design, Schultz began working on an idea using the cards from Arboretum, testing different possible scoring mechanisms focused only on colors and numbers.

Months later, Schulz settled on a

simple method of scoring points by collecting cards in columns of the same color, with a one-to-one point value for each card in a column that has no higher neighbor.

In June 2017, an enthusiastic Schultz brought the early concept for Treelings to the game designer’s meeting in Göttingen, Germany. There, Schultz shared the prototype with fellow designers and received encouraging feedback and critical advice that helped lead the game toward its final form.

In Treelings, players seek to build the highest platforms in their district from which to release stunning swarms of fireflies during the annual firefly festival.

Intuitive rules and gorgeous art make this game a delightful experience from the ground up!

Both titles will be available in August 2020. Check with your distributor for details!

pegasus-web.com

9/2/20 2:50 PM

summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 39

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 39

9/2/20 2:50 PM

S E M A S G E R G N S TO I

O EM

D H

aving worked closely with retailers and publishers, I understand the importance of in-store theatre for both parties.

Be that organised play events or game demonstrations, they are essential not only for short-term one-off sales but also for creating a relationship with your customers and building a community around your store. Another important aspect of in-store events is, of course, that of secondary sales. When a store runs a card-game event for example, they will likely sell extra boosters, deck boxes or sleeves, as well as the actual product. On the other hand, for a publisher, in-store events mean highlighting your games and creating brand awareness, as well as boosting sales. That is how impactful stores closing their doors is for the industry.

IN

By Corina Cretu, Marketing Consultant & Organised Play and Events Specialist and players in a safe way. This was the inception of the Hub Games Virtual World Tour.

The idea was to create an online space in which players and store staff could interact with each other and with us, in which we could talk and demo games and

interact as we would in a store. We could not do that physically, of course, so we decided to look at virtual options. The natural option was Tabletop Simulator, as we already used this platform for playtesting games. We decided to work with stores to promote the event, as we

The Coronavirus and the idea of a Virtual World Tour Before the pandemic, we had planned to go on a demo tour of the UK to promote two upcoming titles in the Hub Games range: Adventure Mart and Prisma Arena. Faced with the inability to visit stores and the looming reality of lockdown and stores needing to temporarily close their doors, we decided to still go on tour and do our part in supporting local stores in a manner in which we could interact with retailers 40 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 40

9/2/20 2:50 PM

S

g n i dur

n w o d

k c Lo wanted to preserve as much of the normal demo process as possible and direct the demos to each store’s customers. But we also wanted to make sure we were indeed supporting the store in this peculiar time, so we decided to offer attendees a special code, which allowed them to buy products from the Hub Games webshop with free shipping and 20% of the sale would go to the store that was virtually hosting the event. By doing that, we could ensure the store would be able to monetise the event.

Discord was the next natural choice, as it is a platform popular among gamers and would allow us to freely chat and answer questions. Facebook also proved instrumental, as a way of promoting the events. Attendees were then asked to book their demo slot with us. It was as easy as that!

The Tour begins The first event we ran was with Fan Boy Three in Manchester less than a week from deciding to run the Virtual World Tour. It was definitely more of a trial run with a huge learning curve, but Dave, Scott and Heidi were patient and incredibly supportive. Rory, Erin, Michael and I spent the day demoing Flip Over Frog, Holding On: The Troubled Life of Billy Kerr, Prisma Arena and Adventure Mart. After the event itself, Dave, Rory and I did a Facebook Live where we talked about the gaming industry, the pandemic and the future.

Looking back at it, we all thought this might be over faster than it has proven to be. The next two events we ran were with Eclectic Games in Reading and

Patriot Games in Sheffield, and although they were not necessarily the busiest demo days, we had the opportunity to interact with interested gamers, but more importantly we got to spend time with instore staff, teach them the games and what the selling points of each product are. We found this to be an invaluable addition to the tour.

What we’ve learned Though the tour did have to take a short break due to other projects taking on more urgent priority, the Hub Games Virtual World Tour is far from over - it’s here to stay and we are happy to visit your store too! However, no endeavour is perfect from the start, we’ve taken the opportunity to make some improvements for its future. Having understood that Tabletop Simulator, although a great online gaming platform, can act as a barrier for people who do not own it, we have now moved to Tabletopia, and are able to run events on both. A good example of this was the retail launch of Adventure Mart on June 19th, when we ran a full day of demos on Tabletopia.

The most important lesson has been how good a tool an online demo is to train those working in retail stores; that is something you can do for any store in the world interested in your games!

The added value for them is they will understand the game and will be able to sell it better when interested customers come through the door.

Because of social-distancing measures, large-scale events have moved to online platforms, and we will, of course, be attending as many as possible to be able to interact with gamers and

industry folk. The things we’ve learned while setting up the tour can be easily transferred to running a virtual booth at a convention.

This is a time in which the industry and the community need to stay together and support each other as much as possible. I think the most important lesson we’ve all learned is how much we rely on sharing our hobby with each other and how much we miss coming together and rolling dice, moving tiny plastic or wooden bits on a table or shuffling cards. Without bricks-and-mortar stores, the industry would not look the same.

Without events, demos, tournaments, the hobby would not be as fun. Slowly everything will settle into a new normal, but right now we need to make sure that we all come back from this and that our FLGSs are able to weather the storm.

Corina Cretu started as a Business Developer for Portal Games organising all their booths at gaming conventions in the Netherlands and Belgium. She then joined the Asmodee UK team where she thrived working with UK and European retailers, publishers and players, bringing her enthusiasm and passion to the Organised Play and Events scene. She now freelances, supporting companies with socialmedia marketing, reaching retailers with organised play and events and building their brands. For more information, visit her LinkedIn profile.

For more information about the Hub Games Virtual World Tour: média@wearehubgames.com summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 41

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 41

9/2/20 2:50 PM

Vesuvius erupts

in the Tabletop World!

Y

ou may have seen them at Gen Con, SPIEL or GAMA Expo, but now Vesuvius Media is exploding into the board game industry with its new titles MonstroCity, Pacific Rails Inc., and Catapult Kingdoms.

“We are small, but mighty,” said Konstantinos Manos (a.k.a. Contantine Kevorque), CEO of Vesuvius Media. “We pride ourselves on being a communitydriven company, working closely with players, retailers, and distributors. Our community helps shape the future of our games.”

Publishers of the award-winning Dwar7s series of games (Dwar7s Fall, Dwar7s Winter, Dwar7s Spring - Dwar7s Summer coming soon!), Vesuvius Media is also known for Centauri Saga, Covil: The Dark Overlords, and Nocturion.

MonstroCity SMASHES onto tabletops!

Designed by Constantine Kevorque (Centauri Saga, Centauri Saga: Abandoned), MonstroCity is a cooperative,

42 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 42

real-time, strategy boardgame where players control a squad of giant monsters in an attempt to smash Dr. Spotnik’s secret base and foil his plans to conquer the world. Each monster has unique abilities that support its own strategy for asymmetric game play.

“MonstroCity is based on the mobile game MonstroCity:Rampage! and keeps true to its action-packed game play style,” said Manos. “You keep moving your squad through the city, destroying buildings and defending against Dr. Spotnik’s tanks, helicopters, and more. Depending on how well you perform, and whether you manage to reach certain milestones, you gather Victory Stars. You need all three Victory Stars for a complete and total victory!”

MonstroCity is played in a series of 5 rounds that last 2 minutes each.

During the round, each player rolls 4 dice

simultaneously and resolves them as fast as possible, activating their monsters’ abilities.

MonstroCity supports various modes of game play, including turn-based, where it becomes a more challenging puzzlestyle game, and competition mode, where players divide into teams and compete against each other. The game plays in 20 to 30 minutes, with 1 to 4 players.

Make history on your tabletop in Pacific Rails Inc. In Pacific Rails Inc., you play as one of the railroad companies competing to complete the Transcontinental Railroad.

To succeed, your workers need to gather resources (wood, gun powder, and steel), collect bonuses, and build a custom economic engine to power your route building efforts through the harsh terrain.

“Last year marked the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad in the United States, now it’s your turn to make history on your tabletop!” said Manos.

Designed by Dean Morris, Pacific Rails Inc. is for 2 to 4 players and plays in 60 to 90 minutes.

vesuviusmedia.com

9/2/20 2:50 PM

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 43

9/2/20 2:50 PM

Big Kid Games adverstory

Marble Puzzle Fighting!

by MingYang Lu Designer of Sento

P

uzzle Fighters are a niche within a niche. Mashing together two dissimilar video game genres (fighting games and drop puzzles), the original Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo was released in 1996; combining the beloved characters of Street Fighter and the intense head-to-head puzzle gameplay of Puyo Puyo. Since then, the genre has remained a fan favorite for those who know and love it, and Sento: Ultimate Arcade Fighter is a love letter to the genre as a whole.

Using marbles and gravity, Sento takes the core gameplay loop of clearing matching colored marbles and combines it with the crunchy back-and-forth combat of fighting card games. Players take turns activating their character’s unique attacks by clearing various patterns of marbles (via Sento’s Marble Puzzle System) to

deal damage and set up their different resource engines. Taking full advantage of the potential of a spatial puzzle, a player’s health is tied to the different colors that appear on the marble grid.

When one health dial (colored arcade button) is depleted, that player loses access to that color’s set of attacks, and then must clear those marbles in order to repair it. This creates a natural comeback mechanic where “short-circuited” colors become bridging marbles and actually enable a player to create bigger combos.

And being close to death ramps up the intensity of the game.

The back and forth experience of interrupting your opponent’s puzzle box, setting up your own big clears, and grasping victory from

the jaws of defeat through a one-two punch of clever clears are all perfectly encapsulated within Sento.

But a fighting game is only as great as its cast of characters, right?. Here, both the game’s artist and I were given free reign to explore our love for anime fighting games. The resulting cast is a colorful array of characters from around the world. The Singaporean Trickster is an egotistical magician, the Thai Chef is a proud warrior, the Fillipino Dancer is a playful youth, and the fun doesn’t stop there. These characters are given unlikely powers in a world similar to our own, and must face the challenges of possessing such powers as they navigate their stories.

While Sento is a 1v1 fighting game at its core, a solo adventure mode with an enemy AI (powered by the puzzle apparatus) will explore the journey of each character as they come to discover the source of these otherworldly powers, and how they confront their new found responsibilities.

I had a lot of fun with this one and can’t wait for you to check it out! Look for Sento: Ultimate Arcade Fighter on Kickstarter later this year from Penguin & Panda Productions.

images from boardgamegeek.com 44 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 44

playbigkidgames.com

9/2/20 2:50 PM

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 45

9/2/20 2:50 PM

Shifting Sands and Epic Discoveries

W

ith the shifting of some desert sand, the fossil of an enormous tooth is revealed.

Its last meal was chomped on millions of years ago, but this find signals the discovery of a dinosaur bone cache like the world has never seen before! As one of the up and coming experts in the field, you barely have time to grab your shovel and brush before heading off the dig site for an expedition that may just make your career!

Fossilis is a game for 2-5 players from Kids Table Board Gaming. Each round, your paleontologist moves around the beautiful 3D board, digs through layers of different terrain, and extracts bones to complete Dinosaurs.

Your goal is to earn points by delivering the Dinosaurs you uncover to museums!

The board is made up of different pockets, randomly filled with dinosaur bones. These pockets are covered by thick, chunky Terrain tiles of either Sand, Clay, or Stone. As bones are revealed, you can spend plaster to extract them and claim Dinosaur cards which require different combinations

46 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 46

of bones to complete. The more bones required on the Dinosaur card, the more points they are worth. You also have the option of completing a partial Dinosaur. The museums will still accept incomplete Dinosaurs, but they’ll reward you less points for them.

Every Dinosaur has three characteristics that refer to their diet (Herbivore and Carnivore), their era (Jurassic, Triassic, and Cretaceous), or their environment (aquatic, avian, or quadruped and biped land-based).

Collecting sets of the same types of characteristics can earn you end game points and you will also get a bonus for having one of each type. Be sure to pick your Dinosaur cards carefully!

Hidden throughout the dig site are some Lost Tools that can the discovered. Whenever you extract one of these items, you take a Skill tile that can help you with your work. Some allow you to dig more efficiently,

some earn you Plaster at a better rate, and some are just worth points. No matter which Skill you acquire, you are going to be a better paleontologist.

KTBG games are always designed to grow with your gaming family. Many elements can be removed for a simpler experience and added back in as the younger gamers in your life become more experienced. You also have to the option of easily removing elements that cause direct negative interaction.

This can create a conflict-free gaming experience.

Fossilis introduces a mixture of set collection, push-your-luck, memory, and action selection. The rules are very easy to understand and gamers of any age or experience level will have a blast exploring the dig site and finding that elusive bone they’re looking for to complete a valuable Dinosaur card.

While the components are beautiful and tactile, there is no dexterity required in the game. You simply need a curious spirit and a desire for adventure!

Fossilis will be available in your FLGS in Q4 2020. kidstablebg.com

9/2/20 2:50 PM

KTBG_A

AVAILABLE NOW FOR RETAIL

THE HIT BASE GAME AND ITS INCREDIBLE NEW EXPANSION

AVAILABLE NOW FOR RETAIL

KTBG_ATTad_4.indd 1 2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 47

2020-07-05 6:14PM PM 9/2/20 2:50

Beyond the Sun

by Ken Hill, Production/Marketing Manager

R

io Grande Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of BEYOND THE SUN. Beyond the Sun is a game from designer Dennis Chan, with art and graphic design

by Franz Vohwinkel. Beyond the Sun takes you to new worlds as you try to lead your faction off Earth in the 23rd century to new homes in unexplored star systems beyond our solar system.

How it Works

Each player represents one faction from 23rd century Earth.

From the peaceful to aggressive, each faction has a unique style. In the basic game, the faction powers are similar and their boards are symmetrical. In the advanced game, the faction powers are more diverse.

Players take turns to take an action available on the technology board, then produce resources. The heart of the game is the technology tree. The players start with the same 4 technologies available to them at the start of each game. Once each of these basic items have been researched, new actions become available to the player.

There are numerous different technology specializations, but what is researched during the game is up to the players. Some technologies are focus on improving production while others will help with military strength and exploration. As new technologies are researched during the game, it is up to the players to pick the paths they want to follow.

Players use their resource pools to create star ships which explore the nearby solar systems.

Once these systems are discovered, outposts can be established on planets to produce either food or ore.

Ore is needed to make more ships while food is needed to maintain and increase the population.

Players compete to grab the most lucrative planets, hoping to eventually terraform and settle new colonies. If the power of a competing player is stronger in a system than the current 48 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 48

player who controls it, the stronger player takes over the outpost.

No ships are destroyed and the conflict is resolved by a simple comparison of strength.

A certain level of military strength is required to establish a colony. Once reached, a player takes the system card and puts it in their player area. This will score points at the end of the game and will return the military strength to their resource pool. The military strength used to establish the colony settles on the planet and begins providing additional resources to further expand the colony. This unique, cyclical economic mechanism is a key feature in the game design.

Game Features:

Beyond the Sun features attractive art and clean graphic design that is easy to read and understand. The components include custom-made cubes similar to dice from Roll for the Galaxy which are used to track status of the population. All of the resources, population and other items important to each player are tracked and stored on dual-layer player boards. These boards will keep all of the components organized and will keep a casual bump to the table from disturbing the players’ pieces.

Two separate game boards are used to play Beyond the Sun. The first is the main technology game board featuring a technology tree that expands during play. The second board is the exploration board where the star systems are found, explored and colonized.

There are dozens of different technology cards so each game will be a unique experience. The goals for each game also vary depending on which achievement cards are used in any particular game. The result is endless replayability and different challenges.

Beyond the Sun is a game for 2-4 players, ages 14+ with a play time of 30 minutes per player.

For more information on these or other Rio Grande Games titles, please visit our website: www.riograndegames.com.

riograndegames.com

9/2/20 2:50 PM

GA •

I d a t p d

•

R a p p p p

•

M t i m y

C

P P

w

As Earth begins to die, it is time for humanity to look BEYOND THE SUN. The faction leaders that once ruled the planet separately, now work together to develop cutting-edge technology and explore the depths of space.

However, only one leader will truly reign supreme in these new worlds. Will it be you?

GAME FEATURES •

Innovative technology tree - Each developed technology feeds into the next available technology. Dozens of variable tech cards are included which makes the possible technological advancements different from game to game.

•

Resource cycle of life - The game features a unique cyclical economic system that provides interesting challenges. Should you produce more money to grow your economic power or more food to increase the population needed for further expansion?

•

Multiple paths to victory - Become a technological powerhouse, build an impressive fleet of warships, or colonize the most planets. All possibilities are open to you as you strive for the ultimate triumph!

COMING SEPTEMBER 2020!

Players: 2-4, Ages: 14+ Playtime: 90-120 minutes

www.RioGrandeGames.com 2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 49

9/2/20 2:50 PM

In The Alpha from The United States Playing Card Company, players lead a wolf pack on a hunt to become The Alpha pack. When multiple packs hunt the same prey, they must decide to fight or share, bringing heart-pumping excitement to the game. It’s a fun and intense light-strategy game for families and adults. www.usplayingcard.com

CUBE from Top Shelf Fun is the take-anaction figure for tabletop gamers. It is a celebration of collectibles and board games; a mash-up designed for display or play. Series 1 consists of six inaction figures based on popular modern-day board game themes. sales@topshelf-fun.com www.topshelf-fun.com

As the mothership descends to complete her conquest of Earth, enemy ships fill the skies. In your underground research bunker, you are Earth’s last hope. Under Falling Skies from Czech Games is a solo game with a multi-mission campaign. In each mission, take charge of defending a besieged city and save humanity! www.czechgames.com

Silver Coin from Bezier Games is the third installment in the best selling Silver series. Players are trying to achieve the lowest score possible, and doing their best to play tricks on their opponents!

This title is the most strategic in the series by far and available now; check it out at your local FLGS today! www.beziergames.com

Dark Harvest from Skybound Games is a ghoulish bluffing game set in Sideshow’s dark fantasy world of Court of the Dead. Win through altruism or treachery as you attempt to save as many souls as you can from annihilation in the Celestial War. www.skyboundgames.com

50 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 50

9/2/20 2:51 PM

In Exchange from The United States Playing Card Company, players must outwit opponents to corner the stock market and become the player with the highest net worth. It’s a light-strategy and party game all in one, for families and adults. MSRP $19.99 www.usplayingcard.com

Kids on Brooms from Renegade Game Studios is a collaborative role-playing game about taking on the life of a witch or wizard at a magical school you all attend – a place full of mystery, danger, and thrilling adventure. Built using the ENnie awardwinning Kids on Bikes framework. www.renegadegames.com

In Hello Neighbor: The Secret Neighbor Party Game, your creepy Neighbor has something locked up in their basement, and it’s up to you and your friends to reveal their plot. You’ll need to use Objects you find around the Neighbor’s house to locate three different Keys, but there is one problem: some of your friends are secretly villainous Neighbors in disguise! Trade and cooperate as one of the Kids, or steal and lie your way to victory as one of the Neighbors in this thrilling social-mystery card game where you’re never quite sure who’s on your side. sales@arcanewonders.com www.arcanewonders.com

Munchkins & Mazes from Steve Jackson Games is the most elfreferential Munchkin game yet, with cards inspired by the most popular role-playing game ever, the latest live streaming crazes, the gaming hobby in general, and even by Munchkin itself!

This set that’s sure to please anyone who’s ever rolled a 20-sided die. info@sjgames.com, https:// munchkin.game/products/ games/munchkins-andmazes/

Sometimes the strangest concepts become the coolest darned games. Published by Scorpion Masque, distributed by IELLO USA, Flash 8 is one of those wacky concepts in gaming! Each of up to four players competes on their own slide puzzles to form the patterns on cards in a common pool.

If you complete the image, you get the card, and the new card underneath is revealed. It’s fastpaced, raucous, and sometimes wickedly frustrating for your opponents.For age 7+, Duration: 15’ www.iellousa.com summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 51

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 51

9/2/20 2:51 PM

Sherlock Holmes: The Beginning from Van Ryder Games picks up immediately after the famed happening at Reichenbach Falls. Sherlock has returned to work and Watson has resumed his chronicling of their stories. Can you help Sherlock return to glory? Your choices shape your story and make your adventure in this, the newest Graphic Novel Adventure! www.vanrydergames.com

Players of Friday the 13th: Horror at Camp Crystal Lake from USAopoly grasp for as much lifesaving supply as possible to escape the vengeful Jason’s slaughter. They try to make it out alive through five nights in this edge-of-your-seat game of chance, strategy, and survival. Reach into the bag and see what you will find! For 3 to 6 players ages 17+, playtime 60+ minutes, MSRP $29.99 www.theop.games

Players of Celtic from Pegasus Spiele share the travels, win on their own! To prove themselves worthy of becoming the next Celtic prince, they have to reach goals first and makeclever use of their rivals’ turns. Players move across the land with their family members – other players can decide to join them. Available in September. New web shop for retailers – shipping from the U.S. www.pegasus-web.com

Adapted by Andrew Kolb from the beloved tales of Peter Pan, Neverland from Andrews McMeel is a gripping Hexcrawl campaign; an adventure that relies on players exploring a hexagonally gridded area. Each hex is densely packed with locations and mysteries that can be explored and revisited and altered in a number of ways. Daniel D. Fox. dfox@amuniversal.com publishing.andrewsmcmeel.com

In Harry Potter: House Cup Competition from USAopoly, players compete to earn the most points to win the coveted House Cup as they send characters like Harry Potter, Cedric Digory, and Draco Malfoy out on the game board to enhance their skills, complete challenges and earn points. For 2 to 4 players ages 11+, playtime 75+ minutes, MSRP $49.99 www.theop.games

Available in August from Lucky Duck Games and Thundergryph Games, Iwari is an abstract-like euro game where players represent different tribes who endeavor to define their identity by traveling and expanding settlements into five different types of territories in a strategy game of majorities. sales@luckyduckgames.com www.luckyduckgames.com

52 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 52

9/2/20 2:51 PM

Return to the famous Sagrada Familia cathedral in Sagrada: Life, the second of the three Great Facades expansions from Floodgate Games. There are new challenges to test your artisanal skills and enhance your crafting experience.

Gain helpful abilities through apprentice cards, draft masterwork dice to tackle tricky restrictions worth more points, and reap the rewards of new toil public objectives. www.floodgategames.com It’s time to don your disguise and become one of the Cloaked Cats at the masquerade ball! Try to reveal as little as possible about yourself while you to attempt to unmask the other players with skillfully played cards. Can you deduce the most about the other players and win? www.habausa.com

Journey back in time to help connect America by rail for the first time! In Pacific Rails Inc. from Vesuvius Media you are competing to be the first to complete the Transcontinental Railroad. Your workers need to gather resources and build an economic engine to power your route-building efforts through the harsh terrain! www.vesuviusmedia.com

Easy Roller Dice Company is excited to announce a series of Brand New Stone Dice available now. These beautiful dice come in a wide assortment of styles and feature your choice of our Signature Font or Elvenkind Font. easyrollerdice.com.

It is the year 2266. The world is controlled by a fascist police state.

Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect have all been made illegal! In Reggae Revolution from Rainbow Starlight, a group of young revolutionaries plan an enormous underground dance party to bring the message of nonviolent resistance back to the people. www.reggae-revolution.com summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 53

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 53

9/2/20 2:51 PM

Aliens have arrived to conquer Earth. Enemy ships fill the skies. Humanity retreats to underground bunkers located below cities across the globe. As the mothership descends to complete her conquest of Earth, you are Earth’s last hope. Under Falling Skies is a solo game with a multimission campaign. In each mission, you take charge of defending a besieged city. Expand your underground base to gain access to more powerful actions, allowing you to shoot down enemy ships or deploy robots to increase your workforce, but don’t forget to work on your research and watch your energy supply. The mothership draws closer every round, ratcheting up the tension. Can you complete the mission before your base is destroyed ?

By Tomáš “Uhlík” Uhlír, Under Falling Skies Designer, Czech Games Edition

U

nder Falling Skies began as a challenge to design a fun and meaningful game with restrictions, and it all started with the dice. The game was originally designed for a 9-card game design contest, where I needed to get the most out of every component. So, I started to think what can be done with a single die: - You can place it to choose an action.

- The value can determine the strength of the action.

- A high value should have some drawback.

And then it hit me! What if the same value would be used for both your action and for the enemy? I had been working on other ideas at the same time, and one of them was for a tower defense game. Coincidentally, this mechanic suited Under Falling Skies very well. The Space Invaders inspiration came almost immediately.

In Under Falling Skies, your actions are powered by an innovative dice placement mechanic. When you choose an action, you are also choosing which enemy ships will descend. Bigger numbers give better effects, but they also cause enemy ships to descend faster.

While I love some smart light games, most minimalist games are too shallow for my taste. Which provided a conundrum, because this game was initially only 9-cards and a few other components. But I challenged myself to make a game with the similar satisfying flow you usually have when playing heavier euro games the feeling of juggling all possible options, considering the pros and cons of each decision, all while learning new tricks every time you

54 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 54

play the game. The challenge was in making it work with so little components and keeping the rules simple.

I am a studied architect and an amateur graphic designer. I guess this varies for different game designers, but the artwork is an important part of the challenge when designing a game. I believe that doing the artwork is in fact a similar process as designing the mechanics. You need to come up with well suited illustrations supporting the story, the user interface needs to be intuitive and easily understandable, and you need to use the limited space the best way possible.

It has been an absolute pleasure to have Kwanchai Moriya join the team as lead illustrator; he provided us with plenty of sketches we could choose from throughout the artwork creation process.

His colorful attention-grabbing style starting with the design of the enemy ships, all the way to the game’s cover, has helped elevate Under Falling Skies to a new visual level.

I’ve written a number of designer diaries that go into detail on how the game’s components changed from the print-and-play to what they are now (you can read them at the QR code on the opposite page, or by going to https://cge.as/ufs_d2) –but needless to say, every choice made from the enemy ship’s shapes to the room graphics inside the player’s bunkers were painstakingly difficult decisions with a lot of discussion.

I am extremely pleased with what Under Falling Skies has become, and thank everyone who has followed along so far, and everyone now joining us!

Under Falling Skies will be available later this year. For more information, please visit the fact sheet here: https://czechgames. com/for-press/under-fallingskies/index.html

czechgames.com

9/2/20 2:51 PM

c

cge.as/ufs_d2 czechgames.com 2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 55

CRUSHING DOWN ON YOUR TABLE IN FALL 2020.

GET MORE INFO DIG DEEPER 9/2/20 2:51 PM

C

onsent and safety tools have been a hot button issue throughout the gaming industry for some time with the intent of creating a safer space for everyone involved. As an early educator, I have observed a lot of behaviors and reasoning that tie back to social-emotional behaviors both as a child and adult.

The ability to understand and share the feelings of others is called empathy, and that is a huge part of Social-Emotional Learning or SEL. SEL is currently a huge talking point for education but has been a part of adult therapy for many years. SEL needs to be taught at an early age, but also needs to be continued throughout a person’s lifetime. Those who are lacking in SEL skills will lack empathy toward others, fail to recognize their actions and the impact it may have on others, and they may not have many close relationships

Consent Safety How SocialEmotional Learning Fits In

By Crystal Mazur Freelance Writer and Educator 56 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 56

9/2/20 2:51 PM

t

“SEL is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” CASEL SEL has been the backbone of a movement in the Roleplaying Game Industry and Live Action Roleplaying Industry, even if it hasn’t taken the spotlight and it comes in the form of consent. Consent is giving permission for something to happen or an agreement to do something, so in the gaming industry, it may be giving the storyteller permission to use different types of horror to tell a story or may include some trauma-based plotlines that could trigger players at the table.

Many RPGs and LARPs are using check-in systems before beginning play so that players are aware of potential plots that might happen and can choose to opt-out of those plots. Many storytellers are also giving players the ability to X card out of scenes as well since many players do not realize a particular topic is uncomfortable for them until they are in the scene. All of these safety mechanisms are set-up and maintained throughout the run of the game.

The simple suggestion of providing tools for safety brings about pushback in a couple of different ways but generally follows the same pattern.

Breaking down and discussing indepth these patterns is important in understanding why people feel so passionate about this seemingly simple suggestion. Applying SEL will help in figuring out how to engage in these conversations in a way that is productive and a positive learning experience. This is not a ‘fix-it’ for every case and should only be used to provide insight into reactions and how one would approach these conversations.

The biggest factor that a lot of pushback comes from, whether it is realized or not, is there is a power exchange between the game master and

the player. Roleplaying culture has built up that the game master at the table is the omnipotent person who holds all the power with the story, character arcs, and mechanic use. Consent tools is a power exchange, where the players are given the power to limit a game master’s access to certain topics, put a stop to scenes or action, and even completely change the narrative taking place. For people who are used to having control, those situations can be extremely uncomfortable. Recognizing this unwillingness to exchange that control gives a bit of perspective on how to approach from there.

Many conventions are incorporating game master guidelines and safety tools necessary to run games. These conventions have started implementing a code of conduct standard for game masters to follow and safety tools that are used for every game. These standards have helped build safer communities at conventions.

There are other companies that make safety tools use mandatory as well.

Many professional game mastering organizations require their game masters to use a standard safety tool, and any players who choose not to use it are not welcome to play at the table. By basing their company on the grounds of consent and safety, they are fostering healthy table games and positive communities that can thrive.

By putting consent first when coming to the gaming, you are opening up a door that players can choose to walk through and play the game, or consent to not walk through and play somewhere else. Doing this makes even walking away from the table a form of consent, keeping everyone comfortable. With SEL, regular checkin’s and reinforcement of boundaries

is important and necessary for healthy relationships. When you don’t set those limits, it is easy to walk right past a topic you might not consider important but the other person does. And when you flat out refuse to acknowledge someone else’s boundaries, you are creating a hostile environment for them. Consent is not optional. It is an important part of SEL growth and a healthy mindset.

So, in your own games, you are free to play whatever games you want with the people who consent to play with you. But when reaching a larger market, the bigger picture takes precedence.

Companies developing games should keep this in mind depending on how they want to reach their audiences.

Encouraging the use of safety tools or incorporating it into your design model so it is necessary to play the game are easy ways to accomplish consent. If their choice is the issue, provide all options and let them decide what is right for their table.

You can find many different resources for incorporating consent, safety mechanics, check-in systems, and collaboration in your game at the links below.

(Note: These are affiliate links) Consent In Gaming Safety Calibration Cards RPG Safety Cards By day, Crystal is a mild-mannered educator with an affinity for superheroes and anything geeky. By night, Crystal is a freelance writer and artist who is inspired by horror, fantasy, and New Orleans. She is passionate about using games for education, and one of the genres she likes to write for child-friendly games. She is also a freelance writer for Third Eye Game’s Ennie awardwinning Pip System Core Book.

She is also the Pip System Game Developer, creating Pip System Primer content each quarter, and helping other games create their world using the Pip System. summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 57

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 57

9/2/20 2:51 PM

Steve Jackson adverstory

DICE

(and

bags)

For Everyone!

Stylish Randomization From Steve Jackson Games

by Alex Yeager Steve Jackson Games

E

ver since the first dice crawled into copies of Ogre, dice have been a part of the Steve Jackson Games lines.

From roleplaying games like The Fantasy Trip and GURPS, to card games like Illuminati and Munchkin, and board games like the Awful Green Things from Outer Space, dice have provided moments of tension and anticipation to increase the fun of the experience.

Still, ten years ago, Zombie Dice gave us a new way to look at dice. All of a sudden, we were selling a lot of d6s (six-sided dice) that didn’t have numbers on them, and if you counted the twelve-sided dice in Zombie Dice 3, suddenly we were selling dice with brains, street signs, and shotgun blasts instead of numbers! Spyke, the mascot of the Munchkin line, started appearing soon after on the dice included (and sold separately) for Munchkin, and by then we were producing a LOT of custom dice.

As we worked with our suppliers to produce the dice we wanted, we began to learn more and more about how dice are produced, and what can and can’t be done when making custom dice. And we also began to wonder: how can we make more dice for players to enjoy? There are a lot of companies making dice, but some of our favorite dice have not only been functional, but thematic to the game they were being used in. If you’re a zombie in Zombie Dice, you’d much rather see a brain than a number along with a table to look up the result.

So, when we decided to create an entire line of dice and dice accessories, we knew that theme was going to be important. We had done Christmas dice for Munchkin in the past, so doing a set of Halloween dice was a no-brainer. For fans of conspiracy and Lovecraftian gaming, our Illuminati and Cthulhu dice will keep you in the moment. And we made dice with kittens and dragons, because . . . duh.

The more dice we produce, the more we learn about the process of making them. Especially as we’ve started to do more elaborate faces on some of our dice, we go through extensive testing to ensure that they will roll true, provide the

58 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 58

durability required to enjoy them for years, and still provide ever-more-interesting colors and suspensions within the dice.

We’ve worked hard with the factories producing our dice to overcome some of the challenges to make sure that they are not only beautiful, but also useful for their intended role (pun intended).

Where there are dice, there are also dice accessories. For years, gamers had to make do with bags lifted from a bottle of alcohol, but nowadays players expect a bit more themeappropriate artwork for their dice keepers. Our dice bags are built for durability and theme. They are lined, doublestitched, and feature printed patterns that hold up to wear and cleaning. Thematically, our double-sided Fantasy Tripthemed bags have menacing skeletons and liches on them; Cthulhu and the Illuminati also earn their own bags. And, on the lighter side, Lar DeSouza’s cute purple dragon will keep watch over your dice hoard in your absence.

Another special bag release is our Dungeon Survival Pack: Kitten Adventurers bag, illustrated by fan favorite Katie Cook. Not only do you get a charming illustration of cats dressed for adventure, and three kitten dice to start (or supplement) your bag’s dice collection, but three journals are included for you to track and tell the stories that your characters experience. All of our dice bags come with dice, because there’s nothing lonelier than a dice bag without something in it . . .

Our latest dice bag designs feature Festive Owls, Happy Faeries frolicking, and a Cyberskull that’s definitely not frolicking. And, given the success of these bags, even more are in the works!

Whatever your tastes in randomization tools may be, Steve Jackson Games is working hard to bring you fun toys that you can use in your games and campaigns. Especially for dice that help to set and maintain the mood of your gaming experience, consider the Steve Jackson Games accessories line to provide storage, mobility, and the well-timed dice roll needed to keep your gaming going! sjgames.com

9/2/20 2:51 PM

N

di

igns.

New dice designs. rry New dice them bags to carry all! them all!

dice.sjgames.com

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 59

9/2/20 2:51 PM

The Drafting Games I Love

by John Stephens

A

ll games fall into three categories to me, but I think more people should use the same categories, so here they are.

• Category C Games - I’ll stay home and not play games before I play these games.

• Category B Games - If you invite me to play one of these games I’ll show up, but it wouldn’t be the game I’d have chosen.

• Category A Games - The games I recommend when you say “Let’s play a game.”

Here are five Category A draft games, the things I love from my favorite genre of gaming. The genre starts for me with Magic, but has grown to encompass so many other great games from there, with not just card drafting games, but one great dice drafter.

I’ve always loved the thought process of drafting, which goes beyond “I want this” to “What does my opponent want,” and “Can I afford to let them have it?” There’s also my favorite part of it, “If I take X, will Y get back to me, because I want Y too. Do I have to take Y first?”

Here’s a look at five Category A drafting games, which I’d be happy to put on a table with you.

eleven different types of cards (Dragonflys and Wolves being examples) to build a 5x4 grid, your own ecosystem. Diversity is rewarded, and because the draft is only two rounds of ten cards, this beautiful (and it is truly stunning) game from Genius Games plays in only 15-20 minutes.

I love games with depth that play in that time period, as I can fit them in while I wait for other people to show up for game night, or take them to cons and play them during my lunch break. This game has played beautifully with any number of players.

Ecosystem Published by Genius Games Designed by

Matt Simpson, Illustrated by Lindsay Falsone

The newest game, and least expensive game, that makes my list of great draft options, Ecosystem sees players draft from among

7 Wonders

Published by Repos Production, Designed by Antoine Bauza, Illustrated by Antoine Bauza and Miguel Coimbra Antoine’s designer credits are deep (check out Oceanos for another amazing drafting game, or Kraken Attack if you have kids at home), but it’s arguable that in 7 Wonders he designed the most commercially popular drafting game* in the history of our hobby.

Each player takes on the role of leader of an Ancient City, and through the course of three ages (rounds of drafting) we’ll build our military, gather resources, and of course, score victory points.

I find the most joy in 7 Wonders at 5-7 players, but it’s enjoyable at three and four players as well. If you’re looking for a great two-player drafting game, check out 7 Wonders: Duel.

60 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 60

9/2/20 2:51 PM

to experience Magic, but are terrified of the costs associated with it, I highly recommend playing limited formats like Draft and Sealed, which adds an extra dimension to the game that is part of the reason I love drafting games of all types; how do cards interact with one another, and which cards in the pack in front of me interact best with the cards I already have?

The beauty of Magic is that, like clockwork, you get a brand new draft format at least four times a year.

Bunny Kingdom

Published by IELLO, Designed by Richard Garfield, Art by Paul Mafayon

Sagrada Published by Floodgate Games, Designed by

Adrian Adamescu and Daryl Andrews, Art by Peter Wocken

I fell in love with Sagrada the first time I ever touched it, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized why; Sagrada is a Rochester Draft, my favorite no longer supported draft format of all time.

A single player rolls the dice (2 dice per player, plus one extra, which perfectly balances this game) right in front of all the other players, and then we all draft from a common, and known, dice pool. Sagrada features tons of window tiles, various scoring rules that change from game to game, and tools that let you break all the puzzling rules you learned, but only certain rules at certain times.

Endlessly replayable, and stunning, few things are more exciting to me than a completed Sagrada window.

I like bigger games of Sagrada, the chaos of understanding what 3-5 other people will do adds to my enjoyment, but some members of my group like it best at two players. With two expansions on the market, including one that expands the game to six players, Sagrada sees plenty of time on the table because of the puzzles.

Bunny Kingdom is my ultimate Category A game, the A+ game in my library, from the first time I played it about three years ago to today, I’ve never passed on a game of Bunny Kingdom if I was awake when I was asked to play. It starts with table presence, those cute little bunnies with their cute little ears and their cute little castles, but it extends to a draft format that I find engaging and ever-changing.

There is no one way to win Bunny Kingdom, because no matter how many players you are playing with there are some cards at the bottom

Magic: The Gathering

Published

by Wizards of the Coast, Designed by Richard Garfield, Art by Numerous Talented Folks My first draft experience as a gamer is still among my favorites, and draft is something that can be enjoyed on a budget. If you want

of the deck you won’t see, so you can’t just wait endlessly for the one card that will tie your strategy together.

With a two-player variant in the rules that adds an extra layer of fun, and an expansion that adds a fifth player to the game, Bunny Kingdom is my go-to drafting game for any number of players, and my proof that I can teach a great game in five minutes, and play it in forty. *Non-Collectible

John Stephens is the Sales Programs Director for IELLO USA, and lives in Fort Wayne with his dog Lily. If you want to play a great draft game, you can find him at numerous conventions throughout the year, and if you need help with anything else he can be reached at john@iellogames.com. summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 61

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 61

9/2/20 2:52 PM

GAMA

news

Recorded Seminars Did you know there are more than 40 seminars from the retailer, publisher, designer, and general industry webinars available in the GAMA On-Demand Education channel?

This channel will provide on-demand access to content that educates, informs and inspires the hobby gaming industry.

Follow the links below to view these webinars and others! https://www.gotostage.com/channel/ gama-retailer

Growth Planning for Success (Recording from GAMA Expo 2020) Jennifer Ward, Crazy Squirrel Game Store Planning for the future is always important. Properly prepared growth plans help you take a look at trends and analyze opportunities as you break down the big tasks into small tasks. Once you can view the small tasks, you can take a look at the resources needed -- including your time, staff time and money. A good growth plan can help you keep on target in a constantly changing industry. An outline of a final growth plan for a hobby store will be deconstructed and discussed. https://www.gotostage.com/channel/gama-ondemand

So You Want to Be a Gaming Mogul?

Practical Tips for New Designers and Publishers (Recording from GAMA Expo 2020) Brian Chellgren, Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP This presentation is intended for new companies and individuals intending to establish a company in the game industry. An experienced attorney provides advice on establishing your company as a legal entity, funding your new business, and strategic decisions in determining where to locate your business. It is particularly directed for people working in the industry in an individual capacity (e.g., a solo design, a small solo publisher) seeking to expand and/or limit their personal liability.

How We Built a Million Dollar+ Game without Kickstarter A Financing and Marketing Journey (Recorded on August 26, 2020) Jay Bobo, Card for All People Not all games are a great fit for Kickstarter. In fact, it can potentially hurt your business. Jay Bobo of Cards for All People will share his company’s unique origin story and how his team was able to build a million-dollar game brand through rapid product development and trend analysis. He will be sharing low-cost ways to identify customer demand and test new product ideas. https://www.gotostage.com/channel/gama-ondemand

62 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 62

9/2/20 2:52 PM

COMING SUMMER 2020

A ROLEPLAYING GAME OF POST-APOCALYPTIC FANTASY WWW.LOSTCITADELRPG.COM

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 63

9/2/20 2:52 PM

GAMA

news

New Board Members During the June 16 Annual Membership Meeting GAMA elected four new members to the Board of Directors including; • Vice-President Chris Spivey Dark Hue Studios • Treasurer Gary Alaka Gap Closer Games • Julie Ahern, Greenbrier Games • Jeff Pinsker, Amigo Games.

We would like to thank departing board members Anne-Marie De Witt, Alan Hockman and Marie Poole for their service and contribution to the association.

(October 19-21, 2020) The ESSENtials Retailer Summit is returning to the Internationale Spietale for its fourth annual event. Hosted by the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA), publishers and retailers will have the opportunity to grow their businesses by forming new relationships across the globe.

With SPIEL going virtual this year, the retailer summit will also be held online with a mix of recorded and live presentations and workshops.

Publishers will be showing off new releases, sharing sneak peeks of future titles, and offering information on retailerspecific programs and news. Participating retailers are encouraged to open a dialogue with publishers and form lasting professional connections. The program is free for retailers to attend.

For more information visit our website at gama.org.

Winter Wishlist The most wonderful (and stressful) time of the year for retailers is fast approaching and GAMA would love to lend a helping hand to their winter holiday ordering efforts.

Last year we debuted our Winter Wishlist Holiday Ordering Guide for retail members. The project was the brainchild of the GAMA Retail Division and featured products submitted by nearly 90 publisher members and included ordering info through both direct avenues and the services our Distributor members offer.

We are currently collecting and assembling this year’s shopping guide and anticipate it being available midSeptember. Once it is ready it will be available to download at https://www.gama.org/page/ordering-guides

64 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 64

9/2/20 2:52 PM

GAMA

news

summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 65

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 65

9/2/20 2:52 PM

NEW

members

Independent Game Designer, Artist, or Author

Board Game Today Falls Church Virginia boardgametoday.com Boomer's Workshop Cincinnati Ohio boomersworkshop.com Corey Young Dayton Ohio coreyyoung.com

Cravon Studios Civic Square Australian Capital Territory Elizabeth Hargrave Silver Spring Maryland elizhargrave.com Ellie Akers Noblesville Indiana Games of Alkemae L.L.C. Duluth Minnesota

Metal Weave Games Panorama City California Mind Sports Olympiad London London New Perspectives Orem Utah OffDutyNinja LLC Fishers Indiana

PAX Old Bridge New Jersey unplugged.paxsite.com Shane F. Carr St. Charles Missouri sffc.xyz The Africa Memory Game Laurel Maryland theafricamemory game.com

The Game Bocks Ingleside Illinois thegamebocks.com Introductory Retailer Membership

Coventree Games Lufkin Texas absolutelyfiction.com Enid Gaming and Hobby Station Enid Oklahoma eghstation.com

66 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 66

9/2/20 2:52 PM

NEW

members

Gamers-Corps Ellicott City Maryland gamer-corps.com Grandrabbit's Toy Shoppe Boulder Colorado grtoys.com Mozelle Ray LLC DBA Java Game Haus Jacksonville Florida javagamehauscafe.com

Tabletop Gaming New Publisher/ Manufacturer Center, LLC Membership Newington Connecticut Fits & Giggles, LLC tabletopgamingcenter.com Long Beach California The Fourth Place Enfield Green Meadow New Hampshire Games thefourthplacefor Cambridge geeks.com Massachusetts greenmeadowgames.com WhiteDragon Kenly Playability North Carolina Newport Coast wdgamesnc.com California playabilitygames.com

Outcast Games Lewisburg Tennessee

Publisher/ Manufacturer Membership

Funko Games Everett Washington funko.com Retailer Membership

By The Board Games & Entertainment Lowell Indiana bytheboardgames.com DMG Designs Niagara Falls Ontario

Dragon's Roost Holland Ohio thedragonsroost.com Flying Monkey Comics And Games Delaware Ohio flyingmonkeycomics.com Gamers' Haven LLC Jonesboro Arkansas Wine or Lose Board Game Cafe Petaluma California winorlose.com

summer 2020 • AROUND THE table 67

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 67

9/2/20 2:52 PM

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

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

Andrews McMeel Universal...................... publishing.andrewsmcmeel.com............................. 36 ................... 34-35 Arcane Wonders ..................................................................arcanewonders.com.............................................................. 9 Best Coast Pairings ........................................................ bestcoastpairings.com............................................................62 Bezier Games ............................................................................ beziergames.com............................. 14 .........................15 Big Kid Games ................................................................... playbigkidgames.com............................. 44 .........................45 Candor USA .................................................................................candor.insurance............................. 18 .........................19 Czech Games Edition ...............................................................czechgames.com............................. 54 .........................55 Easy Roller Dice Company ..................................................easyrollerdice.com............................................................67 Elf Creek Games ....................................................................elfcreekgames.com...................................................... 21-23 Floodgate Games .......................................................................floodgate.games............................. 70 ........................ C3 Green Ronin Publishing ........................................................... greenronin.com............................................................63 HABA / Habermaass Corp. ............................................................habausa.com.............................................................. 6 IELLO USA ............................................................................................ iellousa.com................................8 ........................ C1 Indie Boards & Cards .............................................. indieboardsandcards.com............................................................69 KTBG/Burnt Island Games ...................................................... kidstablebg.com............................. 46 .........................47 Lucky Duck Games ...........................................................luckyduckgames.com............................. 28 ........................ C2 Parallel Games Inc......................................................parallelboardgames.com............................................................66 Pegasus Spiele GmbH ........................................................... pegasus-web.com............................. 38 ........................ C4 Rainbow Starlight ............................................................ rainbowstarlight.com............................. 24 .........................25 Renegade Game Studios ................................................. renegadegames.com............................. 26 .........................27 Ringtail Cafe Productions........................................................ ringtailcafe.com............................................................65 Rio Grande Games ............................................................ riograndegames.com............................. 48 .........................49 Skybound Games.......................................................................... skybound.com............................................................33 Southern Hobby Supply................................................... southernhobby.com............................................................64 Steve Jackson Games .................................................................... sjgames.com............................. 58 .........................59 The United States Playing Card Company ....................usplayingcard.com......................................................37, 39 Top Shelf Fun ............................................................................. topshelf-fun.com............................. 12 .........................13 USAopoly Inc....................................................................................usaopoly.com......................................................29, 31 Van Ryder Games LLC........................................................ vanrydergames.com............................. 20 ........................... 4 Vesuvius Media ..................................................................... vesuviusmedia.com............................. 42 .........................43 To advertise, contact Ashley Cavanagh at 315-789-0473 ashley@fwpi.com

Issue Fall 2020

Deadline September 25

Mailing Date November 6

68 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 68

9/2/20 2:52 PM

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 69

9/2/20 2:52 PM

Floodgate Games adverstory

Breathing New Life Into A Modern Classic

By Ian Birdsall - Marketing & Brand Management, OffDutyNinja, LLC

S

agrada from Floodgate Games is one of those devious “gateway” titles that get people into playing more and more games and eventually hooked on this hobby.

Designed by Daryl Andrews and Adrian Adamescu and released into the wild in 2017, Sagrada fast became a staple of my collection as it has for many others and is among the first games I share with people who I want to introduce to the wide world of board games!

But more important than being a stepping stone for gaming, Sagrada holds its own as a board game that never wears out its welcome and I think it belongs on everyone’s game shelf. The base game contains enough of a variety to keep even the most avid gamer entertained with continued plays. Floodgate’s recent expansions to Sagrada, a series called The Great Facades, add even more to the successful formula with mix-and-match modules and, wait for it… MORE DICE! Named after the actual facades in Sagrada-Familia Basilica, Sagrada: The Great Facades is a series of three expansions. The first, Passion, was released last year and introduced new modules with new abilities and the Rare Glass Dice. We’re going to have to wait until next year to see the completion of this series when Floodgate releases Glory in all its… glory… But with Passion solidifying its place in my Sagrada game I’ve been chomping at the bit for the second 70 AROUND THE table • summer 2020

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 70

installment - and now it’s here!

Sagrada: Life, like the previous expansion, asks you to return to the famous Sagrada Familia and work once again on your stained glass masterpiece. Life introduces three new modules that you can add to your games with or without other expansions. Of course, you’re always welcome to throw them all together like a crazy stained-glass fruit salad!

There are new Toil Public Objectives, an Apprentice Module with accompanying Window Pattern Cards, and bright orange Masterwork Dice!

Asymmetric abilities that allow players to break the rules are one of my most welcome mechanics to games. The cards in the Apprentice Module allow you to do just that. Including 12 new Window Pattern Cards specific to this module, players will gain Apprentice Cards when they place a die on one of the apprentice symbols either drawing 2 and keeping one, or taking the top discarded Apprentice Card. Some cards are single-use, being discarded, some can be activated once a turn, and some grant additional scoring options. Delicious!

The Masterwork Module introduces

another new dice option to the table, but for the first time with icons instead numbered pips.

Players gain these dice by exchanging a drafted die that corresponds to the color or number associated with the Masterwork Die’s slot of the Masterwork Board. Doing this can also grant you a number of favor tokens, so doublebonus, right? Not so fast. While these dice award points, they only do so if you meet the new restrictions they add. If you don’t, they’ll count against you! In lower player counts the dice don’t refill, so it’s first come, first served! There’s just something so rewarding about drafting a Masterwork Die and having your machinations come to fruition with a beautifully constructed window that also translates into a high scoring game.

The Great Facades expansions add loads of new content without any downsides of overly complicated rules to learn or significantly increasing playtime, and this one is no exception. Sagrada: Life is slated for release September 2020, and if you’re a fan of Sagrada or have been waiting for a reason to add it to your collection, it’s a must-have. floodgate.games

9/2/20 2:52 PM

AN EXPANSION OF DICE DRAFTING & WINDOW CRAFTING Return again to the famous Sagrada Familia cathedral in Sagrada: Life, the second of the three Great Facades Expansions. Life introduces 3 new modules that will challenge your artisanal skills with new dice, abilities, and objectives.

Add everything inside or handpick modules to enhance your crafting experience. Breath new life into your stained glass masterpiece! *This expansion is not stand-alone.

The Sagrada base game is required to play, but other expansions are not required.�

19.95 MSRP FGG-SA04 Case Count: 10

RELEASING

September 2020 Contact your distributor for more information.

1-4

30-45

Players

Minutes

Ages 10+

VIDEOS, REVIEWS & MORE AT

FLOODGATE.GAMES/SAGRADA

/floodgategames | floodgategames.com 2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 71

9/8/20 3:35 PM

Big Box edition including the base game and all expansions of the award-winning strategy game Hansa Teutonica!

Coming Soon.

Pre-order now!

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

Order now at pegasus-web.com!

2020_AroundTheTable_03_Summer_68pgs2.indd 72

9/8/20 3:35 PM