New Game Round-up: Create Tranquil Rainforest of Succulents, Then Welcome Free Peoples to War of the Ring

Years before the War of the Ring, the Dark Lord Sauron tried to bend the will of the kings and rulers of the Free Peoples with subtle machinations. His goal was to turn them into powerless puppets, or at least to weaken them in preparation of his plans for conquest. When the war came, they fought the Dark Lord valiantly, but for some of them the weakness that Sauron nurtured proved almost fatal.


The role of the rulers of the Free Peoples, and their weaknesses, is the focus of Kings of Middle-earth, the third expansion for War of the Ring. The part they played in the story is greatly expanded, with new figures and rules that bring to life Theodén, Denethor, Daìn, Brand, and Thranduil. Additional rules for siege battles, including siege machine figures, and new units to expand the Shadow Armies are included.

Succulent: having thick fleshy leaves or stems adapted to storing water.

And from Wikipedia: The word "succulent" comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning "juice" or "sap".

Your succulent garden is amazing! Through thoughtful selection, delicate pruning, and tireless care, you've earned a reputation as a master horticulturist. In Succulent, you compete against your peers for lucrative and prestigious projects that will cement your place as the community's premier succulent gardener.


The game is played over a series of turns during which players collect succulent cuttings from their gardens along with water crystals and use them to complete projects which grant various benefits, including earning points. Most victory points at the end of the game wins!

Jump on board the good ship Tranquility and set sail for paradise. Take care, though, because in a land where the day blends into night it's easy to lose track of time and you still need to find that special little island to call home.

Tranquility is a co-operative card game in which players must fill the sea with islands — specifically island cards with numbers on them — and guide the ship home before any player runs out of cards. Note that in the world of Tranquility, the only way to play is in silence.

In more detail, the island cards are numbered 1-80 and are distributed equally among the 1-5 players. You will play island cards into a 6x6 grid, and the cards must go from low in the bottom-left corner to high in the top-right corner, with numbers ascending along the bottom row from left to right, then the second-most bottom row left to right, and so on. Players start with a hand of five cards.


On a turn, either you discard two cards from the game, then draw two cards, or you play one card somewhere into the grid following the placement rules. If you play a card that's adjacent to one or more other cards — even if above or below a card — then you must discard cards from your hand equal to the difference between the number on the just played card and whichever card would make the smallest difference. If this difference is more than four, then you can't play this card.

Each player has a "Start" card shuffled into their deck, and if you have one in hand and one hasn't been played, then you must play it into the corner to the lower left of where the first number card will go, then all players must collectively discard eight cards from their hands. Subsequent "Start" cards can be discarded from play as with any other card. Five "Finish" cards are shuffled amongst the island cards, and once the 6x6 grid is finished and a "Start" card in place, the next player must play a "Finish" card to win the game. (Until that time, of course, they might just choke up your hand.)

Canopy is a game in which two players compete to grow the most bountiful rainforest. The jungle ecosystem is full of symbiosis and mutualism, and players must grow tall trees and lush jungle plants to attract the most diverse wildlife. By carefully selecting what grows in your forest, you can create the ideal balance of flora and fauna and develop a thriving rainforest.


In the game, players take turns selecting new cards for their forest from three growth piles. Each time you look at a pile, you may select it and add those cards to your rainforest tableau, or return the pile face down, adding one additional card to it. As the piles grow, you must search for the plants and animals that will benefit your forest the most — but choose carefully as the jungle also contains dangers in the form or fire, disease, and drought.