Crowdfunding Round-up: Exploring Catacombs, Playing with Time, Running the Field & Fighting Stalin

In the real-time game Chronos Conquest, an expanded version of Witty Chronos that shares the same core game mechanism, the Gods of Mount Olympus do battle with sand timers!

Each player has two or three sand timers and (at any time) may flip them onto cards from the board. A flowing sand timer may never be moved. When a player moves an empty sand timer from a card, he gains that card – provided that no other sand timer is on that card! When two players both have a sand timer on a card, the player ready to wait longest will gain it. Bargaining is allowed, though, so if you're not content to wait, try to strike a bargain.

Each card shows points (with one of the winning conditions being to reach 200 points), monsters, winds (which is another path to victory), or plagues (allowing you to, for example, place opposing sand timers in Hell).

The Greek Gods get into the game as well, with six of the forty God cards in play each game; each God card has a special power that a player can activate by offering some of the cards he's acquired. In addition, two of twelve City cards are in play each game, each with a special power that a player can activate with a sand timer.

Matsuri is an expansion that will bring new cards and tokens to the game. With this expansion, the players will live the Japanese feasts and festivals. These cards will modify the way each section of the road will be played. This won't transform the game but it will add even more depth and strategy to it in the same way that Crossroads did.

Catacombs is an action/dexterity-based adventure board game. One player controls the Overseer, controlling the monsters of the catacombs; the other player(s) control the four heroes who cooperatively try to defeat the monsters and eventually the Catacomb Lord. Each of the heroes has special abilities that must also be used effectively if they are to prevail.

The main mechanism of Catacombs is for the players to flick wooden discs representing the monsters and the heroes. Contact with an opposing piece inflicts damage, but missiles, spells, and other special abilities can cause other effects. When all of the monsters of a room have been cleared, the heroes can move further into the catacomb. Items and equipment upgrades can be purchased from the Merchant with gold taken from fallen monsters. The Catacomb Lord is the final danger that the heroes must defeat to win the game; conversely, the Overseer wins if all of the heroes are defeated. The game is designed for quick set-up and fast play within 30 to 60 minutes.