Watch your Back: Week March 11 - 17
Let’s all pretend it’s yesterday, and I’ll tell you what soloable games will be launching on crowdfunding platforms this week. Just ignore that most are live already. Or wait. We can do even better! Just pretend you've read this post yesterday. As soon as you’ve read it, it’s in the past anyway. So you only have to push it back a bit further, mentally. Then I would have been right on time and you would have been all surprised. Deal?
Inventors of the South Tigris (1-4 players) by Shem Phillips and Sam Macdonald is, according to themselves, their heaviest game to date. In 850 AD Baghdad inventors were developing, constructing, testing, and publishing clever devices for victory points, and the game puts you in this historical setting to test your wits. For solo you will do so against a card-driven opponent.
The campaign for this game launched on Kickstarter today, Tuesday March 12. A free promo pack is included.
Personal opinion: I’ve played a few of their games multiplayer and did not really care for them. If I did though, I’d wait for retail. The series is popular enough to get localized versions.
Also live already (😬) is the coop fire-fighting game Flash Point: Legacy of Flame (1-6 players). You'll play through scenarios, unlocking special abilities for your characters and making decisions in a narrative campaign that will influence future sessions. Everything can be integrated with existing Flash Point content once you're done.
The campaign can be found on Kickstarter as of today, Tuesday March 12. You can add the normal base game and any or all expansions to your pledge. Also available are cardboard maps and neoprene player mats.
Personal opinion: I enjoy playing coops, with my family and solo. I own Flash Point and all expansions. I like playing legacy games. So, yeah, I am getting this, no-brainer. However, I may wait for retail. Unless I decide I need the cardboard maps.
FantasyForm (1 player) is the fantasy-themed spiritual successor to Lucas Gentry's SpaceShipped. You'll play as an Alchemist, resolving encounters and hopefully gaining shards or essences so you can buy upgrades. You'll then use these upgrades to fight a bad, evil, rival Alchemist and beat them. Easy.
The campaign went live on Kickstarter earlier today, Tuesday March 12. A free expansion is included in the pledge and SpaceShipped can be added.
Personal opinion: I've heard good things about SpaceShipped, I guess I'll finally get the print and play files for that game from PNP Arcade now and try it. Backing or buying Button Shy games is a bit expensive for Europeans, so I'll skip the crowdfunding campaign as usual.
Moving over to Gamefound. In post-apocalyptic coop game Under Our Sun (1-6 players) you will explore, scavenge and craft while trying to survive in one of four scenarios.
Went live on Gamefound earlier today, Tuesday March 12. You can pledge for the base game, include miniatures or extra characters. Dice and neoprene mats are available as add-ons.
Personal opinion: So I left out the rather important part "semi" when I wrote "coop". But they say it is possible to play this without a traitor which makes it perfectly soloable. I do like post-apocalyptic settings and enjoy crafting stuff in games. I didn't get a fuzzy feeling about how it looks though, it leaves me a bit cold. It's probably best to check a video and see how it plays.
Third in the wonderful Solo Game of the Month series is dice roller Quests over Coffee (1 player). It has been available as a print and play game for a while, but this is a limited edition print run, shipped to backers straight from China.
New for this edition are an adventure mode, deluxe tokens, and extra cards. You can find it on Gamefound as of today, Tuesday March 12.
Personal opinion: I'm cheap. $30 + VAT is a bit much. I do think I'll get the P&P edition though as it looks fun.
Gearworks, a puzzly card game mixing hand management and area control is back on Kickstarter. It's not a reprint, but rather a sale of leftover copies found in a warehouse. It does have an improved solo mode now though, and 3 new promo cards.
You can find this on Kickstarter (I can't type fast enough, projects keep popping up), from today, Tuesday March 12. Standard and deluxe versions are available, and a free playmat is thrown in with every pledge.
Personal opinion: I found I don't really like puzzle games.
And right when I am working on this post, Wroth (1-4 players) should go live. A game by Manny Trembley (of Dice Throne fame), published by Chip Theory Games. If you've backed a Dice Throne or CTG campaign before, you might think it's only for the super rich, but it's noth. What's more: Wroth is an easy to learn area control game that plays in an hour. Solo or coop you'll play against an AI.
Like I said, it launched on Gamefound today, Tuesday March 12. You can pledge for the base game or include two expansions with extra factions. To not disappoint the original CTG supporters there's also an expensive pledge, with an art book and metal prints.
Personal opinion: Just when I'd decided to get rid of all my Chip Theory Games they do this. Publish a game that may be accessable and fun. I'll grudgingly check it out.
I was going to announce Algae, Inc. and Baseball Highlights: 2045 - Bases Loaded Edition, but you know what, let's skip them. It's a bit confusing to suddenly include games that aren't live yet.