• Robotech: Reconstruction is the next Robotech title from publisher Strange Machine Games, following Robotech: Ace Pilot, Robotech: Attack on the SDF-1, Robotech: Brace for Impact, and Robotech: Cyclone Run.
In this 3-4 player game from designer Dr. Wictz, you have a half-ally, a half-enemy, and a full enemy, and you need to achieve the goals of your faction before anyone else in order to win.
• I wrote about Pandemic: Hot Zone – Europe in January 2021 when news of the title appeared during the online Spielwarenmesse trade fair, and in mid-May 2021 publisher Z-Man Games officially announced this Matt Leacock and Tom Lehmann title.
What was new in that announcement is that Hot Zone – Europe is the second in a series of six titles — I will stand by my prediction that Antarctica will be excluded — with each game in the series having its own characters and events. Writes Leacock: "You can play with a mix of characters and events on any board and add whatever mix of challenges you like for additional variety or difficulty." More from Leacock:
Z-Man Games has posted a print-and-play (PDF) version of Pandemic: Hot Zone – Europe should you want to read the rules and start playing now.
• Now that Mac Gerdts has finished designing Concordia Solitaria, an expansion that allows you to play the Concordia base game or any expansion on your own (and covered in more detail here), he has moved on to Transatlantic II, which is probably not the final name of this title — which might be an expansion for the 2017 release Transatlantic and which might be a standalone title.
Gerdts notes that the game has been thoroughly tested with two players, but testing with up to four players has been on hold due to COVID-related lockdowns in Germany.
• In December 2020, Pegasus Spiele announced that it would release Port Royal: Big Box in 2021, an item that would contain all things Port Royal from Alexander Pfister: the original base game, the expansions Just One More Contract... and The Adventure Begins..., the Gambler promo card, and the separate standalone game Port Royal: Unterwegs!
Pegasus Spiele has now revealed the look of this item, which features new art and graphic design.