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• Another new edition on KS right now is The Estates, this being a (slightly?) changed version of Klaus Zoch's bidding and stock game Neue Heimat, which was released in 2007. Publisher Capstone Games, which is releasing the game through its Simply Complex brand, is taking heat for having colorblind accessibility be one of the stretch goals — since the colored blocks will have patterns silkscreened on them only if the project nets at least $80,000 — so let that be a lesson for publishers considering something similar in the future. (KS link) Update, April 12: Capstone Games has now updated its project to include a sticker sheet with color-specific patterns that can be applied to the floor blocks to make them colorblind-friendly. The silkscreening of the sides of the blocks remains as a stretch goal since it would make them snazzier.
We already had a similar lesson in 2018 with Werewords Deluxe about not having "more female representation" be a stretch goal, and it would behoove publishers to think of diversity, representation, and accessibility beforehand instead of making such issues seem like afterthoughts.
• The Bark Side is a trick-taking game of sorts from Kotaro Kanda and Korea Boardgames, with players trying not to win the final trick. In many ways the gameplay is similar to Five Cucumbers, which is itself based on a public domain game, but it differs in several ways, such as players passing cards at the start of each round, which allows some hand customization, and players being able to play sets of cards (pairs, triples, etc.) once someone has been forced to play under the round's current high card. What's more, the loser of the round has to keep three cards from the final trick, and the game ends when someone has collected seven different cards, with the player who has the fewest cards winning. (KS link)
I've played The Bark Side four times now, and the shrinking deck size due to cards being pulled out of it provides some interesting a-ha moments when you realize that certain numbers are out of play, so a pair suddenly becomes more valuable as it's less likely to be beaten or low cards become more precious for avoiding the final trick due to others being sidelined. My one real complaint, to continue this post's running commentary on KS projects, is that the cards are indexed on only one corner. What kind of monster does that?!
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• We also beat creatures up in Godtear from Alex Hall and Steamforged Games Ltd.. More specifically, you take your warband of champion and followers and cull, conquer, claim, carbonate, capture, and crush your enemies within one of the game's scenarios as you work your way toward having five victory points. (KS link)
• Beating people up is also the goal in Street Fighter: The Miniatures Game from Alex Tune, Joe Vargas and Jasco Games, which is a Kickstarter exclusive project. Guess that's becoming a regular thing these days, which makes sense from a publishing perspective as you don't have to bother with the tedium and actual work of distribution and retail sales. You collect all the money in one go (aside from convention sales), then push everything out the door months later, and hang up the "Closed for business" sign. (KS link)
• Terminator Genisys: Rise of the Resistance from River Horse Ltd. lets you relive the movie that nobody wanted, except that the action all takes place in 2029 and Sarah Connor doesn't even appear in the 1984 crossover pack that includes alternate sculpts of Kyle Reese and the "Guardian". That's right — alternate sculpts for the dudes and not even one sculpt of the most important character in the movie series. (KS link)
• We shot an overview of Daniel Alves's Galaxy Hunters from IDW Games at the 2018 GAMA Trade Show, so the best way to check out this space exploration game that starts with you drafting pilots and mechs might be to watch that video — except that the project was cancelled within a day of its launch, so never mind. (KS link)
• A totally different type of mini awaits in Rescue Polar Bears: Data & Temperature from Jog Kung, Huang Yi Ming, and Mayday Games, with 1-4 players attempting to complete missions in the Arctic Ocean and prevent polar bears from sinking into the water, which is a little strange since polar bears can swim dozens of miles in extremely cold water, but maybe they're felon polar bears wearing balls-and-chains, which inhibits their swimming ability. (KS link)
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• Philip duBarry's Rice Dice from APE Games is a streamlined version of his Spirits of the Rice Paddy from 2015 with players once again needing to plant, drain, weed, and harvest rice — but now with dice. (KS link)
• Tramways Engineer's Workbook is a laminated book from Alban Viard and AVStudioGames that allows two people to play a pick-up-and-deliver game by writing on the pages, with 33 different set-ups included. The book also has 38 set-ups for solo play, which challenge you to best the high score of the current CEO of Tramways Company, the mysterious Nabla Draiv, whose name sounds like he could be a James Bond villain from the 1980s or perhaps even a French game designer from the 21st century. (KS link)
• Heart of Crown: Fairy Garden is a standalone expansion for ginkgo's Heart of Crown deck-building game from Japanime Games, with players once again trying to place their princess of choice on the throne. Why she won't just stay there I don't know. Maybe she has other things she'd like to do, but you're insistent upon her taking a seat and ruling. (KS link)
• Nestor Tyr's Tour Operator from Keep Exploring Games puts you in charge of a travel agency, managing employees to get tourists where they want to go to make them happy and make you money. (KS link)
• Star Crossed: The Two-Player Game of Forbidden Love is an odd design from Alex Roberts and Bully Pulpit Games that overlays a role-playing set-up on Jenga-style gameplay in a way that's not entirely clear from the introductory video. Maybe this is a game you need to experience first-hand to get. (KS link) An excerpt from the KS project:
Quote:
In Star Crossed, you and your fellow player will craft characters who are powerfully attracted to each other, but have a compelling reason not to act on their feelings. You'll watch the attraction between them grow as you play out scenes, taking turns describing what your character says and does. Some of the things you'll want your character to do are going to increase that attraction — and when that happens, you are going to pull a brick out from an increasingly shaky tower and place it on the top.
If the tower falls, your characters act on their feelings! You decide what happens; the rules will tell you what that means. How many bricks you've pulled will help determine if your love is doomed, triumphant, or something in-between.
Of course, that tower may never fall. If you make it through the final scene and the tower is still standing, the character never act on their feelings. Sometimes that's the right thing to do.
Editor's note: Please don't post links to other Kickstarter projects in the comments section. Write to me via the email address in the header, and I'll consider them for inclusion in a future crowdfunding round-up. Thanks! —WEM
If the tower falls, your characters act on their feelings! You decide what happens; the rules will tell you what that means. How many bricks you've pulled will help determine if your love is doomed, triumphant, or something in-between.
Of course, that tower may never fall. If you make it through the final scene and the tower is still standing, the character never act on their feelings. Sometimes that's the right thing to do.
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