Watch out, this latest batch of first impressions might give you a bit of whiplash!

CloudAge

2 Plays

CloudAge is not great with first impressions and it struggles to stay engaging after the honeymoon phase. It was a bit of a hassle to grok the rules after my initial read through. I believe more images and examples could have made things much clearer.  Honestly, the core gameplay is quite simple once you get into the groove of playing it, so the rulebook does feel unnecessarily difficult.  

Additionally, I had heard from multiple people that Chapter 1 of the campaign isn’t even worth playing because it cuts out too much juicy goodness for relatively little improvement in accessibility.  I can fully appreciate the intention of improving accessibility and easing gamers into the full experience.  Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, The Crew, and Undaunted are just a few recent designs that have successfully accomplished this.  But it sounds like the creators of CloudAge took things too far as some players are coming away from barebones Chapter 1 with a bland taste in their mouths.

Thus, we skipped Chapter 1 and dove straight into Chapter 2.  The main changes from Chapter 1 to 2 that I noticed include the opportunity for players to choose some of their starting cards (instead of a completely random deal), players receive private objectives to pursue, and the game is longer in both board length and round count for an even bigger finish.  If you’re the type of gamer who wants a big payoff for your custom-built airship, or who shuns designs that don’t provide an excellent first play, or who can handle any medium-weight game with general ease, then I too advise that you skip Chapter 1.

During our first play, my skepticism with the game started to fade as I taught the game to my wife and we made it through the initial rounds.  While a session starts out with a feeling of aimless wandering, things become more tight and intentional as participants grind the gears of efficiency.  The three phases—Production, Movement, and Actions—make for a rather addictively smooth gameplay loop.  Designers Pfister and Steinwender sprinkle just the right amount of luck and mystery across the navigation cards, combat mechanism, and city cards to keep things engaging.

The city cards, tucked within the cloud sleeves, are particularly notable.  Edges of the city peek out from around the clouds that cover most the landscape below.  These clouds challenge players to observe the visible details on the card, predict which resources will be most profitable, and commit to one resource based on that prediction and their own needs.  When your entire turn’s plan revolves around having the perfect amount of resources or taking advantage of the potential bonus action, it feels especially good when you slide that card out from behind the clouds and find that you have earned exactly what you need.

Mr. Pfister’s latest design doesn’t stray too far from its popular siblings, Great Western Trail and Maracaibo.  Much of the interlocking mechanisms and overall feel shares an undeniable resemblance with those two games.  Yet folks who are looking for a third gargantuan Euro to round out the trilogy might be in for an unpleasant surprise when they catch CloudAge flirting with a significantly less depth and lighter complexity.  The creators have made it clear since Day 1 that CloudAge is a simpler game than GWT and Maracaibo, but I still see people acting disappointed that it’s not also a heavyweight.

Personally, my biggest issue with CloudAge is the shoehorned campaign.  This element is so forced, clunky, inelegant, and bland that it actively detracts from the enjoyable parts of the game.  Part of the reason the rulebook is a mess is because it flips and flops and stumbles between the unique setups and rules of each scenario.  

The legacy cards also make way for critical errors.  For example, a Chapter 2 card states: “put ALL legacy tiles in the active bag” when it really means “put USED legacy tiles in the active bag.”  This poor wording teed us up for a messy Chapter 3 when the setup instructed us to place out all the active legacy tiles and left us to flounder in the resulting mess of random new tiles with no context to them.

The addition of growth tiles in Chapter 3, a mechanism that is supposed to be exciting and evolutionary to the experience, is perhaps the lamest add-on I’ve ever seen a game.  It is a unique strategy that you can incorporate into your play, but it’s far less interesting than the other options.

By separating the game out into an introductory scenario, an intermediate scenario, and a fully-fledge scenario, CloudAge sabotages itself by sandwiching its meat between two slices of underwhelming bread.  By stretching and segmenting itself to try and satisfy both casual gamers and hardcore hobbyists, it feels like butter scraped over too much bread.

Despite the design’s relentless attempts to make itself replayable, it struggled to stay fresh after our first play.  The forced variety either frustratingly muddies or shamelessly rehashes the existing content.  And the core design just doesn’t lend itself naturally to refreshing dynamics from one play to the next.  Sadly, we found CloudAge to be a rare bungle from Capstone Games.

Current Rating: 6/10

Maracaibo

2 Plays

Speaking of Capstone Games, I also have some good news!  My second play of Maracaibo was just as enjoyable as my first.  This one is very similar to Great Western Trail with perhaps an extra layer of complexity added on.  It’s also an absolute monster to setup and teardown, but both times that I’ve played, another person as done all the hard work of setting it up for us.  I still don’t feel the absolute necessity to own a copy of Maracaibo when our copy of Great Western Trail scratches a similar itch and hasn’t grown old.  But it’s a game that I wouldn’t avoid the chance to play even more.  

To put it simply: Maracaibo is initially overwhelming, mysteriously satisfying, oddly familiar, undeniably fun, and undoubtedly Pfister.

Current Rating: 8/10

The Shores of Tripoli

Note: A review copy of The Shores of Tripoli was provided to me by the publisher.  

1 Play

The Shores of Tripoli is a card-driven historical game set in the early 1800’s that sees one player commanding President Thomas Jefferson’s American troops against another player who controls the forces of Tripoli.  I’ll leave the thematic summary at that as there are plenty other folks with much more knowledge on these events who can really bring this subject to life.

In fact, that may be The Shore’s of Tripoli’s greatest compliment and strength.  Not only does it come with an entire booklet containing historical supplements and designer’s notes, but the art, gameplay, and actions across the cards evoke the period drama to great effect within a production of solid components.  

For those who love historical settings and themes within their tabletop games, you’ll be right at home here within The Shores of Tripoli.  If you find yourself to be more of a Hopeless Historian, like me, then the most enjoyment you’ll get from the theme might simply be when you finally declare, “It’s time to bring out the big guns…. Thomas Jefferson, I CHOOSE YOU!!!!!” As you slide your massive fleet of ships into the harbors of war with childlike glee.

Indeed, for those who are unfamiliar with the enormous niche of historical war games, The Shores of Tripoli may offer a great introduction thanks to its short playtime (under an hour) and medium-light complexity.  Although, if Shores of Tripoli was aiming to be the quintessential gateway historical game, it didn’t exactly stick the landing.

My biggest beef with Tripoli’s accessibility is the barebones rulebook.  Outside of initial images of the components, we’re talking about a rulebook that provides zero examples, zero visual aids… nothing, nada, zilch.  Now again, this isn’t all that complicated of a game, but the cognitive load that is dumped on a complete newcomer who is trying to absorb the rulebook is unnecessarily brutal thanks to the lack of graphical and hypothetical assistance.  This wall of text quickly becomes a jumble of terms—frigates, infantry, corsairs, Algerine, Marines, Tripolitan, Ground Combat, Harbors, Naval Combat, Patrol Zones, Morocco (Tangier), Preble’s Boys Take Aim, etc. etc.  The text’s insistence on thematic authenticity actively works against the game’s approachability.

To the publisher’s credit, they did invest in a great How to Play YouTube video that was an essential supplement to both keeping me from getting a headache and allowing me to sit down and play the game.  It’s no excuse for a difficult rulebook, but it’s a welcome aid nonetheless.  And maybe I was just a weak-sauce rules reader, but I still believe that this rulebook could have been much more digestible, especially when comparing it to the hundreds of other rulebooks I’ve consumed with little to no problems.

Unfortunately, that pattern of historical authenticity coming with a cost also carries over into the gameplay itself.  As the American team, the first few rounds gave me the feeling of biding my time until the mid-game where the real action kicks in.  My early decisions felt scripted and predestined, as though there was nothing I would ever do differently given a different situation or hand of cards.  Add some Swedish boats here of course (because that’s all the card lets me do anyway), put down some enemy boats there (it’s basically my only target at the moment), pull a couple more ships from the supply, undo my enemy’s event card, and save the rest of these event cards for when they are actually useful and/or usable.

When the action finally picks up, it all boils down to each player grabbing a fist full of dice, sending them cascading across the table, and hoping a few sixes show up, because otherwise there ain’t nothing happenin’ at all!  Pack up and go home, your turn is over.  Essentially, you’re trying to keep a few areas clear of the enemy for when you can finally force a treaty that requires certain areas to be uncluttered.  Or, you can opt for the go-for-broke option of blasting Tripoli’s home base to smithereens near the end of the game. 

Meanwhile, the Tripolitan player finds themselves laboring to build up defenses while sending out pirates on raids in hopes of either crippling the Americans or pirating enough gold to earn their way to victory.  It’s the more straightforward faction of the two options where less experienced gamers will feel more comfortable.

If I understand correctly, The Shores of Tripoli takes inspiration from classic historical war games such as Twilight Struggle.  But to be frank, I know almost nothing about Twilight Struggle except that it is a big, sprawling, meaty 2-player game that has thus far sounded too exhausting for me dive into.  I’m much more familiar with a compact, streamlined version of its style in the excellent 2019 release, Watergate.  And sure enough, while playing The Shores of Tripoli, I found some parallel mechanisms between these two similar-weight designs.  

Both games have a tug-of-war like vibe where the progress of one comes at the detriment of the other.  Both are 2-player games with asymmetric decks and objectives.  Both see players using their cards in multiple possible ways, and both require powerful cards to be completely removed from your deck when used for their feature ability.

Yet this similarity is also where Shores of Tripoli suffers within my collection, as both games scratch a similar itch, yet if The Shores of Tripoli is a wooden back scratcher from the dollar store, then Watergate is Zeus’s personal Olympian Masseuse.  

A card in Tripoli can be discarded to take a generic action, or it can often be trashed to take a powerful action, but the loss of a trashed card to use its one-time benefit never mattered to me.  I was going to use it eventually, so why not now?  Meanwhile, cards in Watergate have very specific “generic” actions whose value match that of their powerful action… meaning that I can either keep milking an amazing card for its amazing generic action, or I can take the plunge and lose it forever for a quick shot of tactical adrenaline, all the while hoping that I don’t regret my giving up the card so soon.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of reasons why I would never choose to play The Shores of Tripoli over Watergate.  Watergate has always played out in uniquely dynamic ways, while Tripoli feels more on-the-rails and scripted.  Watergate grows in tension and suspense as both players inch toward victory, while Tripoli meanders around during the first half before ending in a quick flash-bang of lucky dice rolls in the second half. Watergate provides players with aids and helpful reminders that make it easy to revisit even months after the previous play, while Tripoli begs players to remember all of the many exceptions and differences without even the slightest helpful hint from any of the components.  

Sadly, I find no compelling reason to get Tripoli to the table again.  I’m sure that historically savvy players will find much to appreciate within the thematic richness of The Shores of Tripoli.  As for myself, I’m content to leave it in the past.

Current Rating: 5/10

Age of Steam: Deluxe Edition

3 Plays

Age of Steam is a tight, tense, and thrilling strategy design.  The training wheels are off and the sleeves are rolled up in this cutthroat game.

To start off, I was pleasantly surprised to find the rules and complexity were more accessible than expected, yet the skill ceiling seems incredibly high.  The round phases are clearly laid out across the display boards.  Thus, each round flows smoothly across issuing shares, bidding for player order, selecting actions, building track, moving goods, collecting income, paying expenses, adjusting income, growing goods, and advancing the round marker.

The amount of freedom that Age of Steam offers is deliciously liberating.  One can choose to take loads of shares and rake in tons of immediate money to benefit them in the turn order bidding and building costs, but they’ll be paying for it dearly when expenses come around for the rest of the game.  Turn order bidding cannot be ignored, as player order can mean the difference between gaining the bonus action, building track on the spaces, or moving specific goods that are essential to your strategy and easily stolen away by other opponents if you don’t claim them first.  Budgeting your finances and the costs associated with your plans is vital as well, as excess money is strategically wasteful while having not enough money is brutally punishing.  

If you enjoy a good Splotter game or Brass: Birmingham, then this should be on your radar.  Just watch out for costly mistakes and hope that you or your game teacher can help navigate newcomers away from crushing punishments long enough for them to get hooked.  The most soul-crushing aspect of the design is the bankruptcy and player elimination.  As long as you can avoid that (which is usually the case), you’re in for a treat.

Current Rating: 10/10

Lost Ruins of Arnak

1 Play

Lost Ruins of Arnak is a solid euro with a gorgeous production and a good amount of card/action/ability variety.  On the flip side, I don’t find Arnak to be a standout game in any particular way.  

It’s basically a low-interaction resource converting point salad where you can either move up the tracks, purchase more cards, or hit new action spaces—or a combination of the three—to acquire points and bonuses.

I get why Arnak has its fans.  It just provides me no compelling reasons to love it or hate it.  For me, it’s a fine but forgettable game all around.

Current Rating: 6.5/10

Sleeping Gods

2 Plays

I have to accept at this point that sprawling cooperative adventures (dungeon crawlers, narrative-driven games, etc.) are not exactly my jam.  These games always feel like work to me, and that’s never a desirable feeling when I’m seeking entertainment.  It’s especially difficult to enjoy these types of games when I see them trying to scratch an itch that a good novel or video game can scratch 1000 times better.

One particular aspect that bogs down the experience is the messy rulebook. With so many mechanisms and effects going on in the design, we’ve found ourselves frequently turning to the rulebook for clarity during our initial plays. There has never been an instance where referencing the rulebook wasn’t slightly cumbersome and irritating. It’s just difficult to find what you are looking for, and such instances always bring a game to a screeching halt. On top of that, within days of the game arriving on backer’s doorsteps, Red Raven had to put out five pages of errata, FAQ’s, and advice to try and patch up all the leaky holes in the game’s rules. I just struggle to see a session of this game ever going smoothly for us unless we are playing it multiple times a week and remembering all the tiny little details across the many pages of rules. And for how long it takes to setup and teardown, it doesn’t lend itself well to being an easy go-to game on a consistent basis.

Sleeping Gods can be played solo, and playing with more people simply divides up the abilities, so there’s not a massively compelling reason to gather a group around for this game in particular (outside of experiencing the adventure together).  That just brings me back around to my soul-searching question: Why not just read a killer fantasy novel or play a killer adventure video game instead?  At least for me, both of these options are far more convenient, streamlined, exciting, and memorable.

That said, Sleeping Gods is a pretty solid option within this genre. It really shines in those moments where you find yourself immersed in the experience and not dealing with the bookkeeping or rules referencing.  Stunning artwork, superior storytelling, and some solid mechanics help push this one into tolerably enjoyable territory for me.  When both my wife and I are in the mood for the storytelling, it’s quite fun to get into the spirit of the adventure.  The combat and challenges are constantly tough decisions with weighty consequences, which is an essential element to keep me engaged in any game.  We saved our last session at a point where our entire crew is banged up pretty badly, desperately in need of some good morale and nourishment.  I can’t promise we’ll survive or even finish the adventure, but we haven’t given up yet, and that’s certainly worth something for a demanding game outside of my wheelhouse!

Current Rating: 6/10

A War of Whispers

1 Play

This circular track worker placement game is all about manipulating the warring empires on the board so that your secret favorites come out on top.  My first impressions are that the neat things going on here are mixed with a heaping of flaws. But as always, my opinion of what appears to be “flaws” should be taken with a grain of salt, as I’ve only played A War of Whispers one time.

Secret incentives are fun, but randomizing them allows for an uneven playing field.  If the other 3 players want blue to be crushed and blue is your highest scoring empire, then you’re already starting at a disadvantage.  

Area control on a circular board is nice, but the restrictions imposed by the movement rules and map make it a scripted and sluggish affair.  Military units can only move one space at a time and are funneled through very specific connections.  

The worker placement track is nifty, but jumping between players and actions and decisions is laborious.  The worker placement actions all take place in clockwise order around the board, but the 20 actions jump around between players and force them to make more decisions each time the action arises.  It’s not quite as smooth and fast-paced as the action resolution phase of other worker placement games like Caylus or Bus.

The cards feel valuable, yet they lack imagination.  The obvious optimal use for them seems to be to save them until the game end and then blast your opponents with the take-that abilities. 

Our final scores were tight, but it felt less like a close race and more like a gentle merry-go-round.  Players simply revealed their tokens, tallied their scores, and somebody had one more point than second place and two more points than third place and so on.

I would suggest that Dogs of War, Blitzkrieg, and The King’s Dilemma explore the same territory of political influence and incentivized tug-of-war in more interesting and less flawed ways.

Current Rating: 6.5/10

Article written by Nick Murray. Keep an eye out for his first published design, Social Grooming, which will debut in a Kickstarter bundle alongside two games from critically acclaimed designer, Reiner Knizia! Don’t miss out on this killer filler bundle coming in 2021! Subscribe to the Bitewing Games monthly newsletter to stay in touch.

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Not much of a reader? You’re in luck! This post also exists in podcast form shown below. Happy listening!

It’s about time to kiss (or more appropriately, kick) 2020 goodbye! As we hopefully look forward to a new year of long-awaited returns to normalcy, what better way to get hyped than to peek behind the curtains and get a glimpse of the most exciting board games to come!

I’ve cooked up quite the list with a variety of promising titles that might just deserve a spot on your wishlist. Several of these games were also explored in my Kickstarter Case Study: How to Win Backers and Fund Projects. Let’s see what’s on the 2021 menu…

Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile – Q2/Q3 2021

We might as well start off with my most anticipated game of 2021. Cole Wehrle’s magnum opus is right around the corner. With the publishing passion of Leder Games, the artistic flex of Kyle Ferrin, and the design chops of one of the industry’s hottest designers, we’ve got a recipe for success in Oath. Along the lines of Root and Pax Pamir, Oath is a highly strategic, cutthroat, and political game that best suits a group of regular players.

This title innovates upon legacy and campaign designs by taking the results of one game and integrating them into the objectives and setup of the next. Nothing is scripted or predetermined, rather the game organically follows a meta narrative controlled entirely by the decisions of the players. The ripple effect of players’ actions will be felt by all for games to come, and they can even keep record of this fascinating history in the Chronicle Session Journal (included in the kickstarter copies or likely to be available directly from Leder Games).

Kemet: Blood and Sand – Summer 2021

The area-control darling, Kemet, has been an established favorite for nearly a decade now. In 2021, Matagot will be releasing version 2.0 with a completely revamped presentation, improved rules, and new gameplay. Matagot’s legendary dudes-on-a-map trilogy has proven its worth to me with the incredible card-drafting Inis and solid auction-style Cyclades; Kemet is the remaining classic that I have yet to try, and Blood and Sand appears to be worth the wait.

Hibachi – Fall 2021

Hibachi flew a bit under the radar when it recently launched on Kickstarter, but it appears to be firing on all cylinders as a family-friendly set collection dexterity game. The design is a reimplementation of 2010’s Safranito that retains the core fun it presented.

Players toss poker chips onto a large board in an attempt to center the poker chip’s hole over ingredients and bonuses that will help the fill orders. The catch is that your poker chips are also used as a sort of blind auction for drafting order and other privileges. The value of your chips will stay face-down as you toss them onto the board, so a combination of skillful tosses and wise chip selections will ensure that you come out on top when the chips are flipped and the ingredients are claimed.

Grail Games promises that the leftovers from this Kickstarter will go to retail (or you can late pledge here), so keep your eyes peeled come Fall 2021 if you’re hungry to jump in on this fun feast.

Coffee Traders – May 2021

Capstone Games has gone all out with their debut of Coffee Traders. This heavy economic Euro from the makers of Wildcatters boasts over 650 deluxified, colorful components including wooden donkeys and plastic coffee beans! More importantly, the design promises a meaty, interactive competition within the sprawling coffee industry of the 1970s.

While we’re likely to see a more affordable, standard version of the game down the road, it’s hard not to get behind such an ambitious, beautiful project spearheaded by a highly capable publisher. If you can’t get enough sprawling Euros in your life, then this one is a no-brainer for any group of 3-5 players.

Whale Riders – Spring 2021

Dr. Knizia is on another hot streak spanning back to 2017 with the likes of Quest for El Dorado, Babylonia, My City, and more. Whale Riders brings us another team up of old faithful designer Knizia, ever stalwart artist Vincent Dutrait, and the consistently solid publisher Grail Games.

In this economic race, players must decide how to spend their 2 actions each turn as they ride whales along the arctic coast. You can sail ahead to claim the greatest treasures for yourself, but you’ll be missing out on golden opportunities along the way.

Next year, if you find yourself in need of a simple strategy game with enough subtle tension to satisfy everyone at the table, then you’d be hard pressed to bet against Reiner Knizia.

Undaunted: Reinforcements – August 2021

For fans of the Undaunted series, Reinforcements is the modular expansion you never knew you always wanted. This title will include new scenarios, units, and rules to keep the fun rolling. Compatible with both Undaunted games, this expansion even provides 4-player and solo modes for owners of either version. While the details are still sparse, this series already earned its right to the title of Undaunted when it initially debuted among the top board games of 2019. Undaunted will go down as one of my all time favorite deck builders thanks to its elegant flow and painful decisions. I’m thrilled to have more reasons to dive back into this excellent system.

Anno 1800 – Q1 2021 (English Version)

While the game setup isn’t exactly easy on the eyes, Anno 1800 doesn’t need to look amazing when it boasts the design talent of Martin Wallace, creator of Brass: Birmingham and Age of Steam.

Anno 1800 is based on the popular PC game from Ubisoft, but I’m more interested in what Mr. Wallace has done to create a city building tech-tree game. The German version is already on the market, and early buzz around this medium-weight Euro is positive.

Switch & Signal – 2021 (English Version)

Speaking of German games that have yet to make it overseas, Switch & Signal is a cooperative train game from one of the designers of Undaunted: Normandy. This game is as simple and accessible as Pandemic, yet thankfully it is not another Pandemic clone. Switch & Signal sees players guiding trains across a map of Europe or North America to deliver cargo to its destination before time runs out. Each turn involves deciding how to spend your cards to move trains, adjust signals, and switch tracks to keep engines along the most efficient paths possible.

There’s no official date for when this game hits North America, but we can safely assume that Kosmos is planning to localize and release it sometime next year, as it debuted in Germany just a few months ago.

Don’t Get Got: Shut Up & Sit Down Special Edition – Apr 2021

Don’t Get Got is a clever party game that has been around since 2018. It received high praise from popular critic site Shut Up & Sit Down in their highly entertaining review. Thereafter, Big Potato Games reached out to the funny folks at SU&SD and pitched a collaboration for a special edition which successfully funded on Kickstarter this year.

Don’t Get Got is a meta-game that can be sneakily tucked into the background of a game night, group party, or work environment. Each player receives a small wallet with unique objectives that typically require harmless but ridiculous tasks. These tasks span from “Get a player to compliment your hair” to “Make up a word and get a player to ask what it means.” The catch is that if players suspect foul play, they can call you out on your odd behavior and cause you to fail that mission. The first player to complete three missions wins the game.

I’m hoping to receive this game while I’m still at my General Practice Residency program with 7 other dental residents, where the setting is ripe for getting got!

Ra (New Versions)- 2021

Ra, one of all-time greats of the auctioning genre, has been criminally out of print for years. It’s a game that perfectly mixes agonizing auctioning with precarious push-your-luck mechanisms. 2021 is the year where that changes. Dice Tree Games is a South Korean publisher known for its deluxe productions of Knizia classics including Modern Art and Winner’s Circle, and they have a version of Ra ready to release seemingly any day (the game is listed as a 2020 planned release).

25th Century Games, best known for its Splendor-like 2017 release, Space Explorers, is a US-based publisher planning to release an English version of Ra in Summer 2021 as well. Details are sparse, but this release will be one to keep an eye on for anyone looking to jump into this masterclass design. I reached out to Chad (25th Century Games) and learned that he’s aiming to “create the nicest quality and visual art version of the game to date.”

It sounds like a fantastic way for new fans to jump in or old fans to update their copy. Although for those who already own a copy (Alea, Rio Grande, or Uberplay versions in particular), Board Game Geek will be offering delectable Geek Up bits in the spring! All hail the year of Ra!

Tutankhamun – Jan 2021

Speaking of 25th Century Games, they’ll be releasing another Knizia design that has been refreshed and revitalized in Tutankhamun. Players travel down the Nile and collect artifacts in a race to 30 points. The rules are easy enough for any friends or family, simply move your boat downstream and collect the tile you stop on. The key is to have majority in artifact types and lunge for the special power tiles when the timing is right to end up on top.

Dead Reckoning – May 2021

Dead Reckoning is nothing short of ambitious. This mega-project from AEG and John D. Clair (Space Base, Mystic Vale) takes their card crafting concept to the next level. Transparent cards will be combined, flipped, and rotated within sleeves to create a deck-building experience that sends players on a 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXtort, eXterminate) journey through piratism.

It also features a wildly creative combat system where cubes are dropped onto a battleship that sends them cascading across a battle board, giving a cannonball-like effect that determines the result of the attack by where the cubes land on the board.

This game has so many mechanisms and pieces crammed into it that I’ve opted to leave it on my radar and wait to strike if the reviews come in overwhelmingly positive. It won’t be simple or cheap, but it promises quite the epic adventure.

Kabuto Sumo – June 2021

BoardGameTables.com is back at it with another novel design and gorgeous production. Kabuto Sumo is inspired by coin-pushing arcade games and real-life rhinoceros beetle wrestling. That’s pretty stinking awesome if you ask me.

Players will be shifting the push platform around the sumo ring to line up their move of pushing a piece into the ring in hopes of shoving opponent beetles off. This combination of physics, tactics, and dexterity promise to be a breath of fresh air for any game night. The world can never have too many refreshing dexterity games, and Kabuto Sumo is teed up to be the next one.

So, You’ve Been Eaten – 2021?

That’s right, the game is titled So, You’ve Been Eaten. With a name like that, it has to be good!…. Right?…

After initially rearing its head and riding high on the hotness wave of BGG, news on this title seemingly vanished… like it had been eaten. But more recent updates indicate that they’ve been quietly cramming even more tasty content into the game as they prepare for a Kickstarter launch.

The game claims that it is for 0-2 players. You read that correctly, zero players. A bold miner takes on a massive beast by burrowing into its intestines for crystals as the beast’s immune system fights back. Players can take on the role of either the miner or the beast… or neither?… in a 1v1, 1vGame, or GamevGame showdown.

Bristol 1350 – April 2021

The Dark Cities games have always taken the bones of a classic social deduction game and dressed them in various thematic mechanisms. From witch trials to pirate mutinies to wild west bank robberies to now escaping the Black Plague.

I’ve already played Bristol 1350 plenty of times leading up to my written preview of the design. The timing of this plague-themed game is uncannily coincidental, but the design has been a blast ever since I first tried it two years ago. I’m looking forward to experiencing the full vision that Facade Games had in mind for this quick, engaging gem of a deduction game.

John Company (Second Edition) – 2021?

Wehrlegig Games, the publisher of Pax Pamir (Second Edition), is cooking up their next project in John Company (Second Edition). Designer Cole Werhle’s most recent update reveals that the design has received a complete overhaul to help streamline the rules, focus on the game’s strengths, evoke the period art, and presumably deluxify the production. This heavy political economic romp is sure to be a strategically engaging and historically informative exploration of the British East India Company.

Railroad Ink Challenge – Q1 2021

One of our household’s favorite roll & writes makes an explosive return with Railroad Ink Challenge. The Shining Yellow and Lush Green editions promise player interaction, special structures, and new dice to help keep the puzzle fresh and interesting for series veterans. The development team has also cooked up a cornucopia of extras from an Epic game board to loads of expansion dice.

Iberian Gauge – Summer 2021

Like the previous two games in Capstone’s Iron Rail series, Iberian Gauge already exists among many other cube rails options. These cube rails games possess a common thread of stock investment, railroad expansion, and shared incentives. The key differentiator with the Iron Rail series is that publisher Capstone handpicks a solid design from the many options, gives it the Ian O’Toole makeover, and brings it to the masses. These slim, gorgeous boxes contain a single sheet of rules but pack a huge punch in roughly 1-hour of fun.

Sleeping Gods – Q1 2021

Sleeping Gods was on our most anticipated games of 2020 list, and it’s back again for another round of hype! The good news is that this cooperative exploration adventure is right around the corner, with fulfillment planned to begin in January. Players will be chipping away at this epic adventure a little bit at a time, and they can save their progress and pack it back into the box at any time. I spoke more about how Red Raven convinced me to back their project in my Kickstarter Case Study: How to Win Backers and Crowdfund Projects.

The Crew: Mission Deep Sea – March 2021

Ooo baby, designer Thomas Sing is dipping back into the well in an effort to satiate my unquenchable thirst for more of his brilliant cooperative trick taking. All we know thus far is that we’re going from space to sea, but hopefully Mr. Sing still has a few more tricks up his sleeve to mix up the formula. Either way, I’m all in on this sequel to one of the greatest cards games of all time.

Publishers To Watch

That’s right, we’re not done quite yet! Many publishers like to play their cards close to the chest, meaning that there are surely more hype-worthy games waiting to be announced and planned to be released direct-to-retail than the 19 we’ve already covered. We’ll point you toward a handful of publishers that have been on hot streaks recently and show no signs of cooling down.

• Capstone Games: At the time of this writing, I’ve had the chance to try ten of Capstone’s releases of 2018-2020, and they have all been killer games. 2021 releases will include Coffee Traders, Iberian Gauge, Pipeline Emerging Markets (expansion), and more.

• Leder Games: Most famously known for the deceptively charming and deeply asymmetric war-game Root, Leder Games is banking on their next mega-hit being Oath. But with Oath development wrapping up, they’ve shared that their next big project will be another Root expansion featuring militant factions of a Rat warlord and Badgers (expect a Kickstarter in Q1)! Patrick Leder is also working on his own spin on Twilight Imperium known as Void Lich. And who knows, maybe we’ll get a Fort expansion as well…

• Boardgametables.com: I’ve found that the best approach to take with Boardgametables.com’s publications is to expect the unexpected. They’ve brought us a band touring roll & write, an unchained auctioning game, a thinky pirate treasure deduction game, a trio of pretty fillers, and soon a coin-pushing style dexterity game. Whatever they cook up next, it’s sure to be unique and well-produced.

• Eagle-Gryphon Games: With recent killer deluxe versions of Rococo and Age of Steam, heavy hitters like On Mars, on upcoming refreshes such as For Sale Autorama, Eagle-Grypon games is not a publisher to be dismissed.

• WizKids: WizKids has been bringing their A-game recently with the incredible Sidereal Confluence: Remastered Edition, spicy Tournament at Avalon, and juicy Super Skill Pinball 4-Cade, all from 2020 alone. I’m hoping they have just as good of a lineup for 2021.

• Grail Games: This Australian publisher has earned a spot on my radar because of their ability to dig up and dust off the underdog games of yesteryear. Thanks to them, I’ve been able to discover and enjoy Knizia classics including Stephenson’s Rocket and Medici, and I’m excited to try Yellow and Yangtze and Whale Riders. Outside of Hibachi, they have many more exciting plans in the works for 2021 and beyond, including a Yellow and Yangtze expansion, an updated version of cult fan-favorite Fjords, and a two-player climbing card game known as ChuHan from the designer of Race for the Galaxy.

• Osprey Games: This publisher is based in Great-Britain and has drummed up at least 1 killer title every year for the past few years. Those games include Cryptid, the Undaunted series, The King is Dead (Second Edition), and more. They certainly deserve our attention for whatever else they have in mind for 2021 besides Undaunted: Reinforcements.

Designers to Watch

We’ll top this post off with a list of designers that, much like the above mentioned publishers, are on hot streaks of their own. Whenever I catch wind of a new release coming from one of these creative folks, my ears always perk up:

• David Thompson: I’ve talked plenty about David’s upcoming Undaunted Reinforcements and Switch & Signal, and that merely scratches the surface of David’s designs that are hitting the market in 2021. Others include War Chest: Siege (an expansion to Undaunted-like abstract game, War Chest), Soldiers in Postmen’s Uniforms (a WWII inspired solitaire game), Sniper Elite: The Board Game (a hidden moment design based on the video game series of the same name), and Dire Alliance: Horror (a cooperative/competitive tactical deck builder). And those are just the ones we know of. Needless to say, he’s certainly one to keep on the radar.

• Paolo Mori: We’re big fans of Ethnos, a family-weight area majority game that was #8 in my most recent top 50 games of all time list. We’ve also been digging 2019’s Blitzkrieg, a 2-player tug of war game that made a fantastic 1st impression and still holds up after several more plays. There’s no telling what Paolo will do next, but odds are it will be amazing.

• Alexander Pfister: This is the legend who brought us the excellent Great Western Trail, Isle of Skye, Maracaibo, and much more. His latest release, CloudAge, should probably be among the list of games up above seeing how the North American shipment appears to be delayed into the new year (thanks for nothing, Covid!). Regardless, the man is a machine who continues to impress with his designs. I expect to see another big one from him in 2021.

• Wolfgang Warsch: From The Mind to Quacks of Quedlinburg, from Wavelength to That’s Pretty Clever, you know him, you love him, he’s Wolfgang Warsch! After seemingly bursting onto the scene in 2018, Wolfgang has been on a design rampage ever since. Hopefully he hasn’t run out of steam for 2021. You can do it, Wolfgang!

• Kramer & Kiesling: Like Peanut Butter and Jelly, Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling have been tearing it up together for years with classics such as Tikal or Mexica and more recent releases including our Holiday Board Game Gift recommendation, Renature. Not that they actually need each other, as Mr. Kiesling is the genius behind Azul and Heaven & Ale while Mr. Kramer is mastermind behind El Grande and Downforce. Indeed, these gentlemen should already be on your 2021 watchlist.

• Cole Wehrle: I started this entire post out with Cole’s upcoming design, Oath, and quickly followed it up with his returning hit, John Company (Second Edition), so you already know where I stand here. He’s both a lead designer/developer at Leder Games and he runs Wehrlegig Games with his brother, so anything coming from either company is going to have his fingerprints on it. Why do I appreciate his handiwork so much? Aside from him owning two spots in my top 10 games of all time, I’ve found Cole to be more interested in creating immersive experiences than tossing out gimmicky, shallow designs. He’s churning out arguably the most fascinating designs in the industry with the help of many talented colleagues. Keep it coming, Cole!

• Ryan Courtney: Ryan is the newest published designer among those on this list. In fact, his first game, Pipeline, was categorized as a Lover in my recent revisit of the best games of 2019. His other design, Curious Cargo, continues to impress as well. The man takes “thinky” to the next level, and I’m there for whatever he cooks up next.

• Uwe Rosenberg: It’s breeding!… It’s polyominoes!… That’s right, it’s Uwe Rosenberg. Uwe is one of the all time greats in the industry, and his most recent hits, including New York Zoo and Nova Luna, prove that he’s still got it. He’s always a safe bet when heading into a new year of releases.

• Reiner Knizia: Alongside Cole Wehrle, Reiner Knizia is my absolute favorite board game designer. I own and love more games from Dr. Knizia than any other designer (15 and counting)! He’s best known for his decades old evergreens including Tigris & Euphrates, Lost Cities, and Ra, but he’s been on another hot streak with recent bangers including Babylonia, My City, and Quest for El Dorado. This man is the Willy Wonka of board games, with over 600 titles to his name. Of course they’re not all going to be amazing at that kind of output, but the sheer number golden designs that have come from this one mind is staggering. I’ll take three more decades of Knizia releases, please and thank you.

Hungry for more board game hype? Then continue on to PART TWO of my Most Anticipated Board Games of 2021!

Article written by Nick Murray. To learn more about his tabletop gaming tastes and preferences, check out his blog series: Tabletop Tastes: My Favorite Flavors in Board Games. To follow his designs as they come to fruition, subscribe to our newsletter and follow Bitewing Games on social media!

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