Watch your Back: Week June 4 to 10
Greetings from Greece on a cloudy Sunday. I had planned to go to the beach today but the weather feels like early October, and I'm having second thoughts. So let's instead talk about what we're here for: board games.
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Perhaps some of you remember ICE: a 1-5 player worker placement game in which archaeologists embark on expeditions in frozen lands. It had launched a couple of years ago but the creators are apparently facing trouble with shipping costs. They are now launching a second campaign to raise funds for the delivery of the boxes.
Current backers will get a chance to order the game (it is in limited stock) and some goodies. In terms of gameplay, you are spending action points to dig through layers of ice to discover artifacts. In the solo mode, you are given an objective to meet in order to win. It is launching on Gamefound on June 6.
Personal opinion: ICE has very nice artwork but I'm not sure it's worth it for solo. I will wait for people's reviews before I make a decision.
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12 Patrols was originally a solo PnP game in which you are making a grid of cards and trying to meet the requirements of each card as you place it down. Cards have different specifications as to the number and colour of items (dice and cubes) that can be placed between them.
The game is coming to Kickstarter on June 6 along with two other soloable nano games: Asteroid Miners and CLIN9IC.
Personal opinion: Out of the three games on offer, I'm mostly interested in checking out Clin9ic. 12 Patrols seems more thinky than fun, and Asteroid Miners is better as a two player game.
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Holdout is a solo roll and write game in which you are managing a settlement in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. You will have to manage your resources -food, water, weapons, shelter- and your community in order to survive 7 rounds and fulfill the given objectives. It is launching on Kickstarter on June 6.
Personal opinion: Great theme but I'm not particularly fond of R'n'Ws. I'll take a look.
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Third Crusade is a 1-4 player wargame in which you are either attacking or defending Jerusalem during the third crusade. You will be managing your units and resources while battling for the Palestinian lands.
It is launching on Kickstarter on June 6 along with Kartini: From Darkness to Light - a 1-6 player worker placement game in which you are managing the education of Indonesian girls.
Personal opinion: Both of them most likely better multiplayer.
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And the last one for today is the Turukhan expansion for the 1-4 player competitive action point and set collection game Stroganov. The expansion includes four modules: chipmunk furs, hunting plans, new landscapes, and the diplomacy track. You can add any and all of these to the base game for a more varied experience. It is launching on Gamefound on June 5.