Scale a Mountain, Survive the Ghosts of Saltmarsh, and Fight Zombies in Las Vegas

Scale a Mountain, Survive the Ghosts of Saltmarsh, and Fight Zombies in Las Vegas
Board Game: Tranquility
• Designer James Emmerson debuted in 2020 with the co-operative game Tranquility from Board Game Hub, a design in which 1-5 players must assemble a grid of cards that flows from low numbers in one corner of the playing area to high numbers in the opposite corner.

In 2021, the designer-publisher team is launching a sequel game that features similar gameplay — Tranquility: The Ascent, with players once again assembling a grid of cards in order, but this time as a mountain that they are climbing. Here's how it works:
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Starting at the bottom of the mountain, players are tasked with completing a pyramid-shaped grid from the base to the summit. The base of the mountain is nine cards wide, the row above that is eight, and so on, with the top row consisting of a single summit card played once the rest of the grid is complete. On your turn, you must play a card onto the mountain or discard two cards. Cards are numbered between 1 and 12 and feature one of three different types of terrain. You may not play cards of the same terrain type next to one another, and you must also discard the difference between cards when played next to one another, e.g. placing a 7 next to a 4 would require you to discard three cards.

Rows are completed from left-to-right, and the numbers on the cards can ascend, descend, or remain the same. Rows can include any number barring this one restriction: the number on a terrain card must be equal to or higher than the number of the row, which means that a 1 can be played only in the first row whereas numbers 8-12 can be played on any row.

You can start a new row once at least the first two cards in the row below have been placed. Cards must always be "supported" by the two cards immediately below them, but they do not relate to the rows above or beneath in any way, i.e., the first row could start with a 10 while the next row starts with a 1.

Board Game: Tranquility: The Ascent

If players complete the mountain and top it with a summit card, they win; if a player cannot take an action on their turn, everyone loses.

Tranquility: The Ascent includes three mini-expansion modules that can be added separately or together. "The Green Path" requires players to form a continuous path from the bottom to the top of the mountain. "The Panorama" module gives players specific number sequences to photograph. And finally, herd "The Mountain Goats" up to the summit where the grass is greener in the final module.
• In case you want more zombies at your game table, suck the brains out of all your opponents.

No, I mean, keep an eye out for Army of the Dead: A Zombicide Game, which publisher CMON Limited has announced in partnership with Netflix, producer of the Zack Snyder-directed film of the same name. Here's how CMON described first the film, then the related game in its announcement:
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It's been six years since the zombie outbreak. While certain areas are no-go zones for anyone with a pulse, much of the world still turns as it did before. Las Vegas is one such no-go zone: chock-full of the undead and surrounded by shipping containers to keep everyone else out...and the dead in. However, a group of mercenaries is headed there for one thing that the damned don't give a damn about, but the living sure do: a boat-load of money. A casino vault full of cold, hard cash is ripe for the picking if this group of badasses can work together long enough to get it.

From gallery of W Eric Martin

In the tabletop adaptation, players take on the role of the well-equipped and well-trained mercenary company as they infiltrate into zombified Las Vegas and search out the bank vault. Each of these mercs has their own, unique skill set based on characters from the movie. As players make their way through the game's many scenarios, they'll be recreating scenes from the film, as well as venturing into many "off-screen" situations designed specifically for the game. But be careful, the zombies of Las Vegas aren't going to just shamble slowly towards them. This will be a non-stop fight if the players expect to get away with the money...and their lives.

The standalone game will be perfect jumping on point for people new to Zombicide and present an exciting take on the system for gamers familiar with the game.
• U.S. publisher WizKids has an unusual expansion due out in August 2021 for the board games in the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure System series — yes, for all of them. Here's how it works:
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Ghosts of Saltmarsh features new adventures, map tiles, monsters, traps, and spells. To use this expansion, select your favorite heroes from one of the existing Adventure System games, then dive into this new campaign!

Board Game: Dungeons & Dragons: Ghosts of Saltmarsh Board Game

The King of Keoland, after unsuccessful expansion to the north, has turned his eyes southward, to Saltmarsh, with the intention of turning this village into an important port to increase the stature of his kingdom — but not everyone in the village is happy about the new developments, and old enemies fight for control, unaware of a new enemy about to rear its ugly head.

You come through the town gates and cross Sharkfin Bridge...to the screams of townsfolk and the unmistakable sounds of fighting. You do not know the situation but you are sure you are needed.

Return to the classic gameplay of the D&D Adventure System, with some exciting new changes! You'll still take on the role of a D&D hero, with thematic skills and abilities, either on your own or as a group of up to five adventurers. You'll face multiple scenarios in an overarching campaign, evolving and leveling up your character on the way. You'll explore treacherous dungeons, avoid deadly traps, and defeat terrifying monsters. You can also play your favorite scenarios on their own as a standalone experience!

Board Game: Dungeons & Dragons: Ghosts of Saltmarsh Board Game

Ghosts of Saltmarsh includes eight new highly-detailed Sahuagin miniatures, including two powerful new villains to encounter in your adventures! You'll add these to the miniatures from your Adventure System games to populate the board, using included tokens to represent any monsters you may not already have. (If you do own the related games, feel free to replace the token with the appropriate miniature!)

In addition to the "exploring" adventures familiar to fans of Adventure System games, where tiles come out one by one, there are adventures that take place in the town of Saltmarsh itself, a set map made up of six double-sized tiles, where you'll fight to keep villagers safe from monsters after their own ends. It's an exciting and different game mode, where without exploration, the new Adventure deck provides the challenges and surprises that stand between the Heroes and success.
As has been the case with other Adventure System titles from WizKids, this item will be released in two editions, with unpainted miniatures in the standard edition and painted minis in the "premium" edition.

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