New Game Round-up: Deploy Animals, Make Patterns, Collect Trophies, and Carry Stuff

Long before sages battled in the arena, Aldr, the first High Sage, mastered the elements and passed his teachings on to his students. However, even the most powerful cannot train every day. Aldr himself created this game of strategy to reinforce sharpen their minds and reinforce is hard-won lessons.

ALDR: The High Sage is a card game unlike any other. Tactically place drafted cards to build the four elemental patterns before your opponents can. Place your sages strategically to restrict the options of other players, and move Aldr himself to further thwart your opponents. Be the first to place your four sages and claim victory in this unique card game of area control.

Although ALDR: The High Sage is a standalone game, rules are included to use ALDR as an expansion to Element!

Trophies is a quick, easy-to-learn party game for 2-30 players.

In the game, the judge holds the deck, reads a topic from the back card, and shows the group a random letter on the front card. Be the first to say a word that matches the topic and the letter and you win a trophy card! The player with the most trophies wins the game and gets to hoist the tiny metal trophy high above their head in triumph! The person who "tried their best" gets a participation trophy.

Your day has finally come — a famous adventurer has hired YOU to be their squire! When your hero completes quests, defeats baddies, and takes all the credit, they also earn loot, which you get the great honor of carrying!

Squire for Hire is an 18-card, tile-laying inventory management game for 1-2 players that takes about 15-20 min to play. Players compete to get the highest scoring bag of items for their hero by the end of the story deck.

Each player takes on the role of a random squire card, taking turns completing story cards and adding loot to their bag for points. You can complete story cards one of two ways: 1) having enough item value (the combined number of spaces an item type takes up in your bag) or 2) using an item (covering up an item in your bag with a new loot card). If you can complete a story card, you get to pick one of two loot cards to add to your bag; to do so, at least one full item must be placed within empty or full squares. You can cover any number of other items in your bag as long as the entire item is covered.

Once all story cards have been exhausted, players add up their scores. Add 1 point for each regular item, 1 point for each pair of identical items side-by-side, and extra points for conditions met on your squire card. Visible junk items reduce your score by 1 point each, so cover them up whenever possible! Play solo to beat your own high score with all of the cards.

In Animal Kingdoms, each player takes on the role of a house leader, battling to gain control of the five kingdoms. Cards in your hand represent noble beasts that have pledged their allegiance to you. Over the course of three ages, you must deploy your beasts to the various territories – making sure that you adhere to each kingdom’s decree – to try and improve your influential position in the kingdoms. The house that gains the most influence by the end of the third age is declared the one true leader of the realm.