Live Crowdfunding Campaigns Overview

Once a week we check which soloable games are live on crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter, Gamefound and Backerkit. At least, we did - until we didn't. But we're back to tell you what you can back. Here's an overview with links to the campaigns.

Last update: July 31.

And soonish™ you'll find upcoming campaigns in our Watch Your Back posts again.

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Ending This Week

I am not sure if I am able to publish this before the campaigns for DC Super Heroes United (1-5 players, on Gamefound) or the Arcologies expansion for Small Cities Deluxe (1-4 players, on Kickstarter) have ended. They only had about 24 hours to go when I started writing this post. 😬 The superhero minis look like they could live in a very small city, so this would seem like a great combo to pick up. I'll type fast!

Image source: Zoo Tycoon Kickstarter page

Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game – New Shores (1-4 players) is on Kickstarter until August 1. It's an expansion for the zoo building game. Silkscreen printed animeeples in the deluxe version are the main attraction. In the solo variant an opponent takes away cards and competes for some scores, then at the end you compare your own score to a table to see how well you've done.

Monster Kill (1-3 players) is on Kickstarter until August 1. A print & play dark fantasy boss battler, primarily designed for solo. There are 8 scenarios in the core pledge, with the all-in pledge adding more plus a long story campaign. The previous print & play games by the same designer are available as well.

The Cursed Castle (1 player) is on Gamefound until August 2. This dungeon crawler is the current "solo game of the month" title. There's a print & play and a boxed edition available. Could be fun, I should check a playthrough.

Jim Henson's Labyrinth: The Board Game – 40th Anniversary Collection (1-5 players) is on Gamefound until August 4. Supposedly there's not much game, but certainly a lot of stuff in this big box: the core game plus expansions, minis, a card game, a RPG, another game... Great if you're feeling nostalgic.

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There's Still Time

Historica Arcanum: Cults of London (1-4 players) is live on Gamefound until 5 August. It's described as a cut-troat area control game, set in Eldritch history. The solo variant pits you against an opponent with its action and events deck.

Image source: Pandora Celeste Gamefound page

Pandora Celeste (1-6 players) is on Gamefound until August 6. Semi-coop sci-fi adventure in which you try to survive emergency protocols and escape your spaceship, while there are monsters lurking in the shadows. When playing solo there's a lot less backstabbing, but just as much horror. Pledges range from print and play via deluxe to a copy with a monster of your own design.

Burgle Bros 3: Future Flip (1-4 players) is on Kickstarter until August 6. The coop heist game in a cyberpunk setting this time. An expansion featuring Netrunner characters and the previous two games are available as well.

Kemet: Rise of the Gods (1-6 players) is on Gamefound until August 7. Expansion for the strategy game in which you are an Egyptian god, aiming to crush your opponents in battle. A big box, big minis and exclusive content are on offer. In the solo variant you take on Amon and his action, event and plunder decks.

Rise of Babel (1-4 players) is on Kickstarter until August 8. Build your deck, then place tiles and erect the tower. With the deluxe tiles and tower levels you can reach a long way towards heaven. The solo mode uses a deck of cards, so is probably against a competing AI builder.

Wandering Galaxy: A Crossroads Game (1-6 players) is on Kickstarter until August 8. A narrative campaign game of space exploration and completing jobs. Either use an app or add the entry book to your pledge. For solo you control two "apprentice" characters next to your own. According to the rulebook your apprentices do not gain any nicknames, but I don't think they'll notice when you call one Chewbacca.

Luthier (1-4 players) is on Kickstarter until August 8. Build lutes and become the luthiest luthier in this worker placement game. You play against an AI in the solo mode, which is apparently very good but I hate AIs so I didn't check. There are several pledge levels, with increasing amounts of luxury items like a huge playmat, a complete pipe organ and a conductors baton that serves no purpose whatsoever.

Ascension Legends (1-4 players) is on Gamefound until August 8. A new stand-alone expansion for the classic deck-building game. Center deck sets from previous expansions are available (the cards without starting hands, counters or boards) to add on, as is a storage box and it's also possible to pledge for the whole lot.

Fantasy Map Maker - Improved Edition (1-many players) is on Kickstarter until August 9. In this print & play roll & draw you make a cool map and then score your quest cards. There's also an expansion available that doubles play time to somewhere between two to four hours.

Dead Reckoning: Port of Call (1-4 players) is on Kickstarter until August 10. The newest expansion for this card-crafting pirate adventure game. For solo you play against an AI opponent. Previous expansions are available as well, or if you already have everything, there's a large empty wooden chest to store your loot.

The Button Shy Reprint Campaign Summer 2024 is on Gamefound until August 10. It features Death Valley (1-2 players) and adds a new standalone expansion Death Valley: Highs and Lows. It also has Super Slopes (1-3 players). And you can add the inevitable Sprawlopolis (1 player) to your order. For EU citizens I heartily recommend PnP Arcade though, it's just 18 cards to print and Button Shy games are very expensive, even if you buy them through Gamefound.

Quiltable: The Card Game (1-4 players) is on Kickstarter until August 11. As a follow-up to the roll & write Quiltable: Paper Quilts, it is going in the exact opposite direction than usual so I predict a full-blown board game in 2025. The rulebook is not yet online, so I can't tell you how the solo mode works.

Bastion Run (1-2 players) is on Kickstarter until August 11. A two player coop print & play dungeon escape game - for solo you just control both characters. There are two pledge levels, where the more expensive one adds two maps, tokens and standees. There are also extra maps you can add on.

CARACAS (1-5 players) is on Kickstarter until August 11. This is the new ALL CAPS tile laying game by Corné van Morsel, this time a reenactment of the historic expedition of Alexander von Humboldt. Older games can be added to your pledge. Solo plays exactly the same as multiplayer, except the scoring is a bit different (not that it matters, as you always win).

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EPOS: A Gentes Game (1-4 players) is on Gamefound until August 12. Scenarios and a campaign based on the civilization game Gentes. Six scenarios can be played solo. The game may not be available in retail later.

Diabolical Dave's Rumble Throwdown (1-6 players) is on Kickstarter until August 14. It's a strategy board game about pro wrestling. Solo mode is a recent addition added by popular demand. You just swap out some cards in the opponent deck, then get into the ring and do your thing, quoting Austin 3:16.

Image source: Yonder Kickstarter page

Yonder (1-4 players) is on Kickstarter until August 15. A fantasy worker placement game in which ogres, dwarves and skeletons all happily work together. You can back either the Kickstarter Edition or the Deluxe Edition. The solo mode will have an AI, but no details about it have been given yet.

Sprocketforge (1-5 players) is on Kickstarter until August 15. It's an engine builder where you get to turn actual cogs and have to manage used resources before they clog up your machine. Solo you compete with an AI. There are several levels of deluxification available and a mini expansion is completely free if you sell your soul.

Survive Alive (1-4 players) is on Gamefound until August 16. A post-apocalyptic draw & write survival game. My browser crashed when I was reading the rulebook, but I think in solo you compare your score to a table to see how well you played.

Dungeon Rummy (1-4 players) is on Kickstarter until August 16. This coop monster battler is based on Rummy as you might have guessed from the name, the card suits now adapted for a role as tank, damage dealer, support, and healer. Two expansions are available as well, with Golems vs Goblins specifically aimed at solo players.

Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom (1-4 players) is on Kickstarter until August 17. This campaign features tree new expansions for this coop adventure game that's famous for its artwork. The base game is available as well, and if you sell your house you can also pledge for all content ever.

• Athena's essay on the art and theme: Garden of Degenerate Delights

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Guadalcanal: The Battle for Henderson Field (1-3 players) is on Kickstarter until August 22. Game #5 in DVG's Valiant Defense series and the first one not to be designed by David Thompson. First and foremost a solo game, despite what it says on the box. Heavily inspired by Pavlov's House, one of our favourite games.

Legacy at Sea (1-4 players) is on Kickstarter until August 23. A pirate game based on historic events from 1716 to 1718 in which you go adventuring in the Caribbean. In solo you use special player boards, and go for a high score that you compare to a table at the end to see how well you've done.