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In IUNU, 2-4 players attempt to build a society in ancient Egypt, getting a (mostly) new hand of cards each round, playing one or more cards of the same type from that hand to either collect taxes, gain influence, create art, feed your population, and control access to the afterlife. (KS link)
We shot an overview of the game on a mock-up during SPIEL 2016, which shows more of the game than that short description above:
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• Tim Heerema's Archmage from Game Salute is described by the publisher as "a hybrid of euro-style and thematic board games, featuring exploration, resource gathering and management, area/map control, and a spell system where players shape a tableau of player powers over the course of the game." Lots going on in the familiar setting of players aiming to become the new archmage to replace the still revereded, but now-retired Joe Merlin. (KS link)
• Vesuvius Media's description of Luís Brüeh's Covil: The Dark Overlords mentions that the game is "a tribute to awesome 80s cartoons, filled with references to our favorite and unforgettable characters", but I don't recognize anyone depicted, despite spending far too many hours in the 1980s watching cartoons. In any case, in the game you're a dark overlord who is commanding minions and using special powers to dominate the lands — all for the benefit of those who live there, of course. (KS link)
• Coincidentally, Savage Planet: The Fate of Fantos from Darth Rimmer, Travis Watkins, and Imp House bills itself as a "beautifully illustrated, dark fantasy card game inspired by comics and cartoons from the 80s". Are they talking about Heavy Metal here? I could see that influence, but that's hardly the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the phrase "comics and cartoons from the 80s". As for gameplay, 3-6 players use Shards build up Personal Tableaus to shield themselves from the Whims of Zodraz and its Excessive Capitalization. (KS link)
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• Another cooperative challenge comes courtesy of Stephen Avery, Christopher Batarlis, and Everything Epic Games, with Metal Dawn presenting players with a Skynet-style revolution that threatens the extinction of humanity unless they can corner the rogue electronic intelligence and keep it from mutating to freedom. (KS link)
• Pocket Ops from Brandon Beran and Grand Gamers Guild plays like tic-tac-toe with bluffing as rival spymasters try to claim a row of squares for themselves, while using specialist agents that bring unique powers to the game. (KS link)
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• Rise of Tribes from Brad Brooks is Breaking Games' first go on Kickstarter, and the campaign seems to be a breakout success, with the game having a simple gameplay hook: Roll two dice, slide them into the leftmost space of two of the four actions (bumping out the rightmost die in each case), then take those two actions at a strength determined by the three dice now visible there. What are you trying to do with these actions? Get your tribes to rise, natch. (KS link)
• Radiant from Randal Marsh and Tin Shoe Games is only the second trick-taking area-control game with which I am familiar (with 2015's Joraku being the other). In each of the three ages, players start with some cards in hand, draft additional cards, then move around the game board, competing to control areas with the location of a battle determining which suit will carry the day. (KS link)
• The final title this week isn't a game, but rather a logic-puzzle-style code-teaching device called Turing Tumble (KS link) that is easier to see in action that describe, so here's an overview video from the creator:
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
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