• U.S. publisher Crash Games has gone live with its fifth KS project: Michael Eskue's Council of Verona, which is the first title of Crash Games' "Pub Series" line of microgames. (KS link) Interesting to see publishers like Crash Games, Tasty Minstrel Games, AEG and Level 99 Games pushing microgames given the low price point on them, but from a gamer's perspective, I'm happy to see such experiments released. The problem, of course, is finding the time to play them, but that's hardly a new problem. Eskue's designer diary about the game is in this BGG thread, and here's a summary of the setting and gameplay:
In Council of Verona, players take on the role of influential citizens of Verona and act to use their influence to either add characters to the council or cast them into exile. Through thoughtful hand management of their cards and clever placement of influence tokens, players gain victory points based upon the agendas of the characters at the end of the game. The player with the most victory points wins!
We've all heard the story of Romeo and Juliet – now is your chance to steer the story and determine who will rule Verona once and for all!
• U.S. publisher Jolly Roger Games has launched a crowdfunding campaign for Urs Hostettler's Kremlin. (KS link) The game features all new art "done in 1930s Soviet propaganda style," says JRG's Jim Dietz. "More importantly, the game features both the Fata Morgana and Avalon Hill rules as well as the necessary politicians for both versions (fictional and Revolution). In addition, the game features a third set of politicians and rules for modern Soviet/Russian politics featuring men like Putin. Each of the three versions plays differently from the others in terms of style and deadliness to the politicians involved." Here's an overview of the game, with more details of the gameplay and samples of the new art on the KS page:
The game takes place on a map of Earth. Each player takes the part of one of four factions. At the start of a turn, players Gather Power, then during a series of Action Rounds, they spend this Power to accomplish various tasks, such as moving units, engaging in battle, summoning monsters, building Gates, casting spells, and Awakening their Great Old One. When all players run out of Power, the Action phase ends and the next turn begins. Victory is determined by accumulating points on the Doom Track; the first player to 20 is the lone victor.
Driving the strategy are a player's wish to expand his power base and his need to accomplish six tasks to acquire his faction's spellbooks. Each faction has a unique set of monsters, spellbooks, and special abilities, and has different requirements to acquire its spellbooks. All factions have multiple strategies open to them.
• Cool Mini Or Not has launched its latest KS project – Eric M. Lang's Kaosball: The Fantasy Sport of Total Domination – and it surpassed its $25k goal within forty minutes of its launch. (KS link) For those who don't know, Kaosball is "a new kind of fantasy sports game, combining rugby-style passing finesse and first person shooter domination-style scoring. The result is a tense game of skill, bluffing, luck, and lethal brutality like you've never played before!" Lang described the game in more detail in a March 2013 BGGN post.
• Douglas Morse is crowdfunding Adventures on the Tabletop, a documentary meant to explore board game design in depth. From the project description: "We will get into the nitty gritty of game mechanics, game balance, and game theory. From prototype, we'll bring you into pitch sessions as designers pitch major publishers from Hans im Glück, R&R Games, eggertspiele, and Abacusspiele. We will discover what various publishers are looking for in theme, mechanics, and play... Furthering our exploration, we will then follow the games into the playtesting labs of the publishers in both the U.S. and Germany... Then we follow games to manufacture as publishers and designers look at game packaging, tolerances, and of course consider cost of components." (KS link)
• Domain: Lords of Ether from Beau Langston and Jesse Bull is a tabletop card game "that challenges 2-4 players to take control of mighty Ether Lords and conquer the world of Abhaddon before your opponents do". (KS link) To learn more about the game, download this print-and-play version (PDF) from the publisher.
• The Big Fix, the first design from Alexi Pors, is intended to be "a strategic and psychological card game that puts each player in the shoes of one of film noir's most iconic roles. As the private investigator, the femme (or homme) fatale, the politician and more, players uncover clues and trick their friends, all while searching for their enemies' true intentions." More details of the gameplay are included on the KS page. (KS link)
• Dragon Caster, the first design from Greg Amaral, puts players in the role of a powerful sorcerer who's fighting other Casters for glory and conquest. From the game description: "Your casting numbers represent either the dragons you can summon to battle, or the type of mana that your dragons may obtain. This mana can be used to grant your dragons a variety of special powers. In order to gain victory, you must destroy the area containing your opponent's Caster." (KS link)
• Robert L. Cron and Terry Chiu are raising funds to open GameHaus, a board game café in the Los Angeles area, in the middle of 2013, with traditional pledge drive rewards such as T-shirts, tote bags and mugs. (KS link)
(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)