Ravensburger is no stranger to Disney. The games publisher has made a mark on the world of trading card games with Disney Lorcana, which first launched in August of last year. Before that, there was Disney Villainous. This time, the game company is combining Disney with RPG-style gameplay in Chronicles of Light: Darkness Falls (Disney Edition). The tabletop game will feature Disney and Pixar heroines joining forces to conquer a darkness threatening the world. This new Disney game is an immersive adventure that combines roleplaying, storytelling, and cooperation. All of that comes in an approachable board game package.

The game’s cover art shows Disney heroines Maid Marian, Belle, Moana, and Violet. We do not see enough of Maid Marian from Robin Hood, and I’m happy to see her here wielding a badminton racket like a weapon. We don’t know too much about Chronicles of Light: Darkness Falls, but here’s a brief description from Ravensburger:

In Chronicles of Light: Darkness Falls (Disney Edition), players work together to form dynamic alliances of Disney and Pixar heroines, including Moana (Moana), Violet (The Incredibles), Maid Marian (Robin Hood) and Belle (Beauty and the Beast). Materializing as radiant crystal versions summoned into the realm, the heroines drive back shadows of infamous Disney Villains and restore the Realm of Light. Along the way, the team explores a brand-new illustrated world and encounters familiar characters, items, and creatures on their quests. Fully designed and illustrated by women, the game’s diverse missions and modular board generate new adventures every time it’s played.

Ravensburger recommends the game for four players ages eight and up.

We look forward to seeing more illustrations and discovering more about the gameplay.

Chronicles of Light: Darkness Falls (Disney Edition) is now available for pre-order at Target.com. It will then be available for purchase at Target and hobby stores nationwide on July 21. The MSRP is $29.99.

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Did you ever play games of Risk or Axis and Allies with the maximum number of players? How about a seriously loaded game of Arkham Horror complete with all expansion packs? Sometimes playing board games with our families or friends should be an all-night affair. This is one of those times. Short games that only take 15 to 20 minutes are a blast. They give everyone a chance to try new strategies, or you can cycle through your library. But we can make the case for games that take all evening: You travel through time (at the pace of regular time, sure, but it doesn’t feel that way).

Once your crew hooks into a long game, rivalries develop, and witty banter flows. They also allow you to take a step away from the table and return later. During epic Axis and Allies games in my past; it was common for us to break into separate rooms for tactical sessions between rounds. With these ideas in mind, here is a list of three games (it’s by no means exhaustive) that you and your gaming crew can spend an entire evening playing.

City of the Big Shoulders

A euro-style, resource management, and worker placement game—City of the Big Shoulders is best played with top hats. You experience Chicago’s golden age over the course of five decades starting from 1875. The entire aim is to hire workers, invest in companies, and end the revolution richer than your other business partners. Starting with a single company (like Quaker Oats), you complete objectives to create your goods and bring them to the market. That increases your fame, which in turn increases your stock.

It has a steep learning curve at first. The most confusing part is which money goes in your pocket or your companies. When stock shares are on your company card and you pay dividends—give your company money. Our first play, we didn’t do this. We still had an absolute blast. Several games in and it has become an evening staple that we schedule once a month to drink and play in top hats. City of the Big Shoulders has enough strategy, depth, social barter, and long-term development that the game is fun even when you lose. Even if you come in last place, you will enjoy just developing your company and playing the mini-game. That is the secret to the success of this game: everyone has fun at the table.

Fury of Dracula

Fury of Dracula has been around for a while. A fourth edition of the game came out in 2019, and it is delicious. A “One-vs-Many” style board game; the player of Dracula attempts to elude four other players as hunters. It retells the classic Bram Stoker’s novel with a few twists (obviously, in the board game Dracula can win). Since this is a deduction game, one team must work together and use their characters’ abilities while Dracula does his best to bluff and outwit the party.

Dracula has a stacked deck in his favor and is vastly more powerful in combat, but he can only move at night. Given this set-up, the game can be over quickly if players catch Dracula. That person is clearly not cut out for the life of an immortal. Let someone else be Dracula and try again. The more likely scenario is that you spend the evening plotting and scheming together while trying to hunt down your friend who is two steps ahead. Victory for the hunters always feels well earned and losing as Dracula always feels like you were so close.

Dice & Dragons

Dice & Dragons is a unique way to spend your evening. The game itself is hella simple. You pick a hero class: Wizard, Warrior, Ranger, Cleric, or Rogue. Then you pull up a dragon you want to defeat and take turns rolling some dice. Matching the dice to your characters’ abilities determines what effect you achieve and in one round of play everyone will be an expert. Killing your first dragon will probably take about 10 minutes—which is impressive considering the life span of most dragon hunters.

Where an evening can be spent playing Dice & Dragons is in campaign mode. Have one player take on the role of your game host, and then have everyone else create their characters. There’s a campaign book with dragon after dragon and a bit of story for each one. Between adventures, you get gold and can level up your characters. The dragons get progressively harder and by the end of the campaign, you will have to strategize to win. It’s like Dungeons & Dragons had a Roguelike child and crossed it with a board game. When you finish with one campaign, there are others you can download off the website for free. The best part about Dice & Dragons is how easy it is to pick up, but how complex and in-depth it gets the further on.

Originally published on April 13, 2020.

Rick Heinz is a storyteller with a focus on D&D For Kids, and an overdose of LARPs, and the author of The Seventh Age: Dawn. You can follow RPG or urban fantasy related thingies on Twitter or reach out for writing at RickHeinzWrites@gmail.com

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The world of tabletop board games has lost a legend. Klaus Teuber, who created the mega-popular Catan multiplayer board game, has left us. He passed away after a brief illness, according to a family statement. He was 70 years old. The game, originally named The Settlers of Catan, sold in the millions, and is available in over forty countries. This year, it becomes a VR game. In the gameplay, the players compete to build settlements on a fictional island. Teuber’s family released a statement, which you can read down below:

“It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that the Teuber family announces their beloved husband and father Klaus Teuber passed away at the age of 70 on April 1, 2023 after a short and serious illness. The Teuber family asks for the opportunity to say goodbye to a loved one in peace for the moment and to accept that they need this privacy.”

Klaus Teuber was a dental technician in Germany during the 1980s, when he decided to design board games in his basement just for fun. In 1995, he created The Settlers of Catan, a multiplayer game where players use five resources to build their colonies: wool, grain, lumber, brick, and ore. Teuber’s love of Vikings and their history inspired the game. Catan was so successful, a mere three years later he was able to quit his day job. After that, Catan became the new family business.

The game became an institution. By the early 2000s, college campuses were hosting Catan tournaments. There was even a Catan World Championship in 2002. The game even inspired a novel in 2011. More recently, sales for Catan boomed during the pandemic, as people rediscovered it during lockdown. In a message to the fans, the Catan team urged fans to honor Klaus Teuber’s memory by “being kind to one another, pursuing your creative passions fearlessly, and enjoying a game with your loved ones.”

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Going out your door can be a dangerous business. However, opening a beautiful board game and stepping onto the road of adventure is the opposite. Your path can still have a sense of discovery, thrill, and being part of something big—just with minimal risk. It’s the only way we’d want to join Frodo on his quest. If you also find that appealing, then Ravensburger’s upcoming game is for you. The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game is a chapter book-style game that makes you part of the Fellowship. Nerdist is happy to share this exclusive news, along with a first look at the game.

Like Ravensburger’s other Adventure Book Games for The Princess Bride and Wizard of Oz, The Lord of the Rings gameplay goes chapter-by-chapter. Eight total chapters will take you from the sleepy Shire to the fires of Mordor—as long as you don’t draw the Eye of Sauron. The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game‘s official synopsis states:

Sauron’s shadow has fallen across Middle-earth, and the One Ring must be destroyed. Leave the Shire’s green pastures to travel to fair Rivendell, survive the Mines of Moria, march on Isengard, and finally reach Mordor. Avoid the temptations of the One Ring as you work together to complete challenges… or risk drawing Eye of Sauron Cards…

Only then can you ensure the One Ring is delivered to the fiery heart of Mount Doom and destroy it once and for all!

Click To View Gallery

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is epic, so capturing it across eight chapters came as a challenge. Ravensburger Game Development Manager Shanon Lyon told Nerdist, “We started by having one of our designers, Jay Little, sketch out the beats of the book, looking for the moments fans would expect and want to see and the ones we’d need to make it feel cohesive so that players really feel like they’re playing through the story. Chapter 8 was one of the most difficult in terms of design. In the movies, there is so much going on. Our designer, Marcus Ross put a lot of hard work into making sure the chapter evokes the same feeling but also makes sense mechanically and narratively.”

Along with the eight-chapter game board, you’ll get seven character miniatures, a corruption track, 88 game cards, 52 counts, and four reference cards. The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game is for 1-4 players, ages 10 and up.

The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game will cost $34.99. It is officially on sale as of February 2023.

Originally published on January 23, 2023.

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We continually run out of space on our board game shelves, but that doesn’t mean we stop buying new ones. And luckily for us and all you tabletop enthusiasts out there, 2023 has plenty of exciting games in store. From games connected to big franchises to ones featuring cute woodland critters, the tabletop games coming out in 2023 cover a little of everything. Below are the 10 tabletop games we’re most looking forward to this year.

A couple of notes: these recommendations don’t include tabletop RPGs because that’s a whole other list. Additionally, we’re including games according to when retail stores will have them in stock. Any games that shipped through Kickstarter campaigns in 2022 but aren’t arriving in game shops until 2023 count.

Slay the Spire: The Board Game

Popular video game Slay the Spire gets a board game adaptation this year. Crushing its Kickstarter campaign in 2022, this cooperative game is a deck-building adventure. For 1-4 players, Slay the Spire is all about discovering relics, battling creatures, and gaining what you need to slay the Spire.

You can order through a late pledge for the Kickstarter campaign here.

The Fox Experiment

Like cute critters? Us, too! The Fox Experiment, from the same folks who designed the popular game Wingspan, puts you in the role of a fox geneticist. It’s based on the Russian Farm-Fox Experiment, a study of animal domestication. In this game for 1-4 players, you’ll breed domesticated foxes. We know it sounds weird, but it looks and sounds super charming. If nothing else, we’re into it for the art.

Stationfall

What if humans, robots, and other beings get turned loose on a space station that’s crashing towards Earth? And on top of that, everyone has their own intentions and their own skills. In Stationfall (for 1-9 players), you play one of these characters and the others are collaborators you have on hand ready to assist you in achieving your goals. But… they could be waiting to betray you.

You can pre-order Stationfall here.

Frosthaven

We all know Gloomhaven, the winner of the heaviest single tabletop game box (seems like it, at least). It’s getting a sequel in Frosthaven. It should be widely available in 2023. Frosthaven carries forward the combat-focused campaign style of game play with over 100 new scenarios, new playable classes, and minis galore for 1-4 players. Admittedly, we’re still working through Gloomhaven, but not being finished with a game never stopped us from buying another one.

Scotland Yard: Sherlock Holmes Edition

Scotland Yard is a classic board game, but in 2023, it gets a Sherlock Holmes twist. We can never resist a little Sherlock. In this game for 2-6 players, Professor Moriarty is on the run, escaping in a hot air balloon. You have to use your deductive reasoning to catch him before he plots even more nefarious schemes.

Pre-order Scotland Yard: Sherlock Holmes Edition here.

Thunder Road: Vendetta

Remember 1986’s Thunder Road? This a restoration with all kinds of added touches. For 2-4 players, Thunder Road: Vendetta has new hazards, damages, and an overall update to the post-apocalyptic setting. The board and the minis look like a blast.

Disney Lorcana

A trading card game but with Disney characters? Please and thank you. The art on this game with “unique and magical” gameplay leans into its setting of Lorcana. The players become sorcerers called Illumineers. We don’t know much about the actual game play yet, but we already want to collect the cards.

Hickory Dickory

A game for 1-4 players in the worker rotation style, Hickory Dickory is a royal scavenger hunt. Players control a team of mice that must ride around a cuckoo clock looking for matching cards. The game play looks straightforward and charming. It’s nice to have a low stakes game to balance out the more intense ones.

Pre-order Hickory Dickory here.

Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread

It’s an absolute yes to another ongoing campaign board game. Arydia, a cooperative game for 1-4 players, is set in an open fantasy world. While it has components of a legacy game, it’s designed to be replayed at will. You’ll interact with characters, build the game board, fight monsters—usual campaign things. It’s the world that has us intrigued.

Septima

A 1-4 player game, Septima is all about witches. You lead a powerful coven and you want to be the best so you can succeed the High Witch Septima. This game’s design looks impeccable. And the story? Witches enthralling townsfolk (among other things)?! Sign us up.

You can still slide in a late pledge for Septima at this link.

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Guests are cordially invited to a dinner party at a fancy mansion. They each have a secret and come dressed in imaginative and colorful outfits. The party quickly turns into a murder mystery. No, we’re not talking about Glass Onion, Rian Johnson’s recent Benoit Blanc whodunnit. Rather, this is the classic board game Clue, which is the first murder mystery many people experience. And now Clue is getting an update. The new version comes complete with upgraded gameplay and character backstories.

Murder mysteries are more popular than ever. With the many true crime podcasts and crime procedurals on every channel and streaming service, it’s no wonder Clue is making a comeback. The game still has plenty of classic touches, like all the characters we know and love. But each character now has a motive to kill Boddy Black, the owner of the mansion. Will you play as Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard, Mayor Green, Chef White, Solicitor Peacock, or Professor Plum? Players can explore the glamorous Tudor Mansion, discover clues, and make wild accusations. What could be more fun than interrogating your friends and family on game night?

Clue is also master of the mashup board game if you’re looking to switch things up and hang out with a different group of troublemakers. The many versions include a Brooklyn Nine-Nine Halloween heist, an escape room set, and even a crossover with Dungeons & Dragons.  

If all of those options still don’t provide enough Clue content for you, don’t worry, there’s plenty more coming. An animated series is in development as well as a feature film starring Ryan Reynolds. We don’t know much more about either project, but hopefully they show off this new diverse and intriguing cast of characters. But can anything ever top the hilarious and classic 1985 movie? 

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

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Rise, Tarnished! There’s a new way to venture through the Lands Between of the much-loved Elden Ring game. A tabletop version is coming, and there’s still time to pledge your support (and runes) to the Kickstarter campaign. More than 13,000 showed their enthusiasm for the Elden Ring: The Board Game project, raising nearly $4 million towards the relatively modest $180,000 goal. So get ready for Elden Ring’s quests and open-world exploration to come to the realm of tabletop hex tiles, attack cards, and sculpted miniatures.  

The Elden Ring video game, which was just released in February 2022, blends two popular styles of fantasy. George R.R. Martin was involved in the world-building aspect, while Hidetaka Miyazaki directed the game itself. With that pedigree, it’s no surprise that it became one of the most popular and award-winning games of the year. Steamforged Games designed the upcoming tabletop version. The company previously brought Miyazaki’s Dark Souls board game to life. Now that the Kickstarter is successful, Elden Ring: The Board Game will debut around May 2024. But you can still be a part of the journey with a late pledge on several levels.

You can see the highly-detailed prototype Elden Ring board game in the gameplay clip above and unboxing video below. The main quest is called Realm of the Grafted King, but there are, of course, going to be multiple expansion packs. Steamforged Games promises over 90 hours of possible gameplay!

There is no shortage of tabletop adventures, with many more on the way. Besides the Elden Ring board game, we also recently saw the news that another popular property, Gloomhaven, is getting the tabletop treatment. It’s a good time to be a gamer ready to explore mysterious fantasy worlds. It’s also probably a good time to invest in a separate gaming table so the rest of your family can go about their normal lives while you and your fellow adventurers take on these quests. 

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.

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The wildly popular board game Gloomhaven had elements of a role-playing game from the start. Its choose your own adventure style and massive worldbuilding leads to intricate characters, epic quests, and grand battles. Now it’s officially getting an RPG version. Gloomhaven: The Role Playing Game is getting its own crowdfunding campaign starting in April 2023. If it’s anything like the original game or its sequel, Frosthaven, it’s likely to raise millions. If you’re ready to step into the role of Gloom Master and start a new epic journey, here’s your chance to get in on the ground floor. 

Cephalofair shared the news that the RPG will launch on crowdfunding platform Backerkit. The game will continue using cards instead of dice, rewarding player ingenuity rather than relying on luck. According to the game’s designer Isaac Childres:  

…this isn’t just the board game with a GM. First of all, we’ve opened up the playing field to allow for any class and ancestry combination. You can be an Inox Spellweaver, an Orchid Cragheart, or anything else… And this newly developed system integrates card management into the role-playing experience. That’s right, we’ve added a third skill check action to these cards, which lets you perform great feats out of combat, but also opens up a new dimension in combat, letting you swing from chandeliers, kick through walls, or even convince the bad guys to stop fighting.

For those who have already spent countless hours playing Gloomhaven games, there’s yet another way to update the experience. A second crowdfunding campaign will also launch in April 2023. This one is for a line of miniatures that can be used in the role-playing game or any of the other titles, replacing cardboard pieces in the board games. There are more than 500 figures in all and they work with the original board game and its sequel and multiple spinoffs. 

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.

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Video games, even the best of the best, don’t always translate well to live-action. We’re not worried about HBO’s upcoming The Last of Us series living up to expectations, though. It has an absolutely amazing cast to bring its incredible story to life. And everything we’ve seen from the show so far looks amazing. But if it doesn’t live up to the hype, it won’t be the end of the world. We’ll soon have another new way to get our fill of Clickers. Naughty Dog has announced it has partnered with Themeborne on a new The Last of Us: Escape the Dark board game.

The Kickstarter for Naughty Dog’s new The Last of Us board game will go live on November 9. We’ll have to wait until then for more specifics on the game, including its supporter tier prices. But we have some idea of what to expect. Naughty Dog’s announcement cited Themeborne’s previous Escape the Dark entries, which include Escape the Dark Castle and Escape the Dark Sector.

Naughty Dog also highlighted how Themeborne’s series “values cooperative and easy-to-understand gameplay” and features “seriously beautiful black-and-white illustrated chapter cards that players work to resolve together, overcoming challenges and creating new paths each time they play so no two games are quite alike.” The co-op element is a fitting one for this story. And the black-and-white aesthetic will make for one gorgeous The Last of Us board game. (Who knew a world overrun by disease and monsters could look so good?)

The game will also include the franchise’s two most important characters. The tabletop adventure will provide a “fascinating take on Joel and Ellie’s adventure.” So expect to cry at the game’s conclusion.

If you’re eager for yet another way to explore this post-apocalyptic world, get in early. The Kickstarter will give fans an opportunity to buy an exclusive collector’s edition of The Last of Us‘ board game. And if HBO’s The Last of Us is everything we hope it will be, that will be quite an unexpectedly delightful combo for video game fans.

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When you think of the Disney theme parks, aside from the castles, one icon probably springs to mind: Space Mountain. The indoor roller coaster is one of Disneyland’s and Magic Kingdom’s signature attractions. For over four decades, the line queue has never gotten shorter. Now, the folks at Ravensburger are unleashing a new board game based on the legendary ride, Space Mountain: All Systems Go. The game features art from all five Space Mountain attractions from around the world and is now available everywhere. You can check out several far-out images below.

In Space Mountain: All Systems Go, players take on the role of pilots who adventure to the furthest reaches of space. To complete their mission and win the game, players must visit all five Starports. They must do so while zipping over wormholes, avoiding asteroids, performing daring twists around flying comets, unknown planets, and more.

Chris Leder and Kevin Rodgers were the game’s designers. Included in the game are standees of all five Space Mountain attractions from Disney Parks around the world. The game’s components also nod to fan-favorite parts of the ride. These include a “Launch Bay” dice tower and four colorful rockets.

Click To View Gallery

Although Walt Disney passed away before they constructed Space Mountain, it was one of the last rides he oversaw development for. The first Space Mountain opened in 1975 in Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World resort. A second, smaller version opened in Disneyland in the summer of 1977 (that was a very intergalactic summer). Now, it’s impossible to imagine a Disney theme park without a Space Mountain of some kind.

The game is suitable for two-to-four players, ages 8+, and plays in roughly 20 to 40 minutes. Space Mountain: All Systems Go is now available for $29.99 MSRP at major retailers and local game stores.

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Settlers of Catan is one of the best-selling board games of all time. The many editions, variants, and expansions have proven popular since its initial release in 1995. There’s even a card game version. You can play it on the go via a smartphone app. And there’s even a holographic augmented reality version coming in 2023. But thanks to a fan, there’s now also a LEGO version. Catan and LEGO enthusiast Eli Boschetto’s build of a fully-playable game had a simple inspiration—the LEGO sheep that come in the barnyard and farm sets. Once he had the wool, he knew he could put together the rest of the wheat fields, forests, and roads needed to build a LEGO Settlers of Catan.

The above video from Beyond the Brick shows off the Settlers of Catan build on display at BrickSlopes 2022, a LEGO fan event. Each hex tile shows off a unique land, including deserts, quarries, and mountains. On top of the sheep and snakes, the builder also included a robber sneaking around.  

Some of the LEGO pieces, like the plants and animals, are used for their intended purpose. But Boschetto also had to improvise. The grains of wheat in the fields are actually gold claw pieces that can be found in LEGO sets including Eternals‘ Deviants and the Outriders, a.k.a. space dogs, that attack Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War. It’s an ingenious repurposing that really makes the LEGO Settlers of Catan board visually stunning.

The Beyond the Brick YouTube channel has plenty more videos from BrickSlopes 2022. They also highlight fan builds displayed at other events, including an enormous LEGO Jedi Temple and Tyrannosaurs rex scene with a working waterfall!

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.

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From horror movies and trick-or-treating, to costume parties and haunted houses, the Halloween season gives us so much to enjoy. But there’s another great way to get into the spooky spirit, too, all while enjoying a cup of Witch’s Brew with your friends and family. You can host a Halloween-themed board game night with a tabletop adventure that embraces the best of Halloween. If you’re not sure which one is right for you, though, we have you covered. Here are seven spooky board games to play this October.

Mysterium

Mysterium brings a silent ghost to the table, as one player serves as a murder victim speaking to the living through visions (a.k.a. picture cards). Over the course of the game, which runs around 45 minutes, you’ll try to solve the mystery as a medium deciphering these unspoken clues. Set the light lows and keep communication to a bare minimum and you’ll start to feel the intensity of the moment. However, if you keep the lights on this is also a great game to play with kids, too, especially since it’s easy to create “teams” of mediums rather than have individual players. This is a fantastic party game that an accommodate far more than 2-7 players.

Last Friday

It’s obvious which slasher horror movie franchise inspired Last Friday. A machete wielding sociopath will hunt you down at a remote summer camp for a weekend in 1980. That is unless you play as the dangerous supernatural sociopath. Running anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, the hidden movement game features four chapters. Over the course of play you’ll go from hunted to hunter, back to fighting for survival. And while you won’t actually die, you’ll still feel the terror of a killer sneaking up on you.

Betrayal at House on the Hill

This spooky list wouldn’t be complete without Betrayal at House on the Hill, a terrific haunted house game you can enjoy with your family, at parties, or alongside more serious board game devotees. In (roughly) 60 minutes of gameplay you’ll create your own haunted abode with tiles and detailed game pieces, making each sit down unique. But the real fun comes during the endgame. That’s when one of the (up to six) players learns they must work against everyone else. The others must stop the betrayer before they ruin everything. That twist adds a whole extra layer of excitement to an already suspenseful and spooky game.

Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game

It doesn’t get much spookier than trying to survive inside a small colony in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. That setting provides a real sense of dread and terror while playing Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game. Two to five players, each overseeing their own group of characters, must deal with dangers both inside and outside the colony. That involves making some hard choices over one to two hours that will have you questioning your own morality. But while everyone must work together to survive, what makes Dead of Winter so good is that each person has their own secret objective. To win you must also achieve this goal, which might mean working against everyone else. Zombies, starvation, and disease aren’t the only things to fear with this game,

Tiny Epic Zombies

Not every Halloween-appropriate board game has to be terrifying. They can also be fun, quick, and easy to play. That’s what you’ll get for 30 to 45 minutes when you sit down to the addictive Tiny Epic Zombies. Designed for 1-5 players, the game features five different game modes. You can also opt for a cooperative play through or compete against each other. You can even decide if the game itself or players control the zombies. And whether you’re attempting to survive the living dead from inside a mall, save everyone, or trying to kill the living, you can enjoy both sides of the battle. Especially if you die during the game. The fun isn’t over if that happens, you simply become a zombie. Now that’s an appropriate way to celebrate Halloween.

Letters from Whitechapel

Who was Jack the Ripper? History might never know, but for anywhere from 90 minutes to more than two hours someone at your table will be the infamous killer. Letters from Whitechapel puts two to six players in the middle of his 19th century killing spree. The person playing as Jack the Ripper has one goal: claim five victims (the Wretched) before the game ends. The others all work as police detectives trying to cross paths (literally) with the serial killer before he strikes again. The only thing missing from the unsettling Letters from Whitechapel is Jack’s top hat. And, fortunately, actual victims.

Pandemic

There are many versions of Pandemic you can play, but for 45 minutes two to four people still can’t go wrong with the original co-op game. It features what may now be the scariest premise in all of board game history. Terrible diseases are running rampant across the planet, and you must work together to help stamp out hot spots, build research labs, and find cures before humanity succumbs to these killer viruses. But no matter how well you’re doing, Epidemic! cards will make things worse when you can least handle the pressure.

Just make sure if you do sit down to play it everyone is fully vaxxed and healthy. A spooky board game is a great way to celebrate Halloween. But only because the terror is limited to your tabletop.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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The multiplayer board game The Settlers of Catan, has been one of the most popular games for over 25 years. In the game, players build cities and roads on the titular island of Catan. And now, this ever-popular game is about to take a big leap into the future. According to a report coming from The Verge, Catan is transforming into a new augmented reality gaming system, Catan — Tilt Five AR. You can check out the announcement video below.

In this 3D holographic version of the game, players can use wand controllers and interact with virtual content brought to life on the game board via a pair of AR glasses. An augmented reality version of Catan has been in development for nearly ten years now. But they finally ironed out all the kinks and made this happen. Tilt Five is creating this game in conjunction with the original Catan creators, and it is due to arrive in spring, 2023.

Back in March, Tilt Five announced a partnership with Asmodee Group, the French publishers of several games, including Catan. Together, they plan to bring several of their classics out as AR augmented reality games using holograms. Aside from Catan, they’re working to update other games in their library to this new format. These include Gloomhaven, Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, and Terraforming Mars.

According to the original report, these next-generation AR headsets project their light onto a retroreflective game board. One that bounces it right back at you. This allows for a wide range of different kinds of games getting this augmented reality upgrade, including 3D board games, video games, and interactive RPGs. This is the kind of stuff we saw the Jetsons do in TV as kids, and now, it’s a reality. There’s no actual gameplay footage yet, but with Catan coming next year, we imagine fans won’t have long to wait.

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The online word game Wordle took the world by storm. It seemed like for a few months there, you couldn’t log on to any social media account without seeing those green and yellow blocks everywhere. Wordle had just about everyone under its spell. Although Wordle fever has died down somewhat, it’s still extremely popular. So popular that we’re getting a Wordle board game.

We learned via Polygon that Hasbro Gaming and The New York Times have announced that Wordle is getting a physical board game edition. Wordle: The Party Game will be available to purchase in North America starting this fall. It’s already available to pre-order via the game’s official website. You can watch a fun Wordle: The Party Game teaser below:

According to the official description, Wordle: The Party Game allows for two to four players to compete against each other to solve word puzzles. During each round, a player is designated as the “Wordle Host.” They must then write down a secret word that the rest of the players have to try and guess. Similar to the original, players will only have six tries to figure out what the word is. The fewer tries someone needs to guess the word correctly, the less points they score. Whichever player has the fewest points by the time the game ends is the winner.

Wordle: The Party Game will set you back a mere $19.99. Included in the board game box are three Wordle boards, three shields, and a Secret Word board. It also comes with three dry-erase markers, 45 green tiles, 45 yellow tiles, and the game guide. Wordle fans can pre-order from the Hasbro Pulse site, Target, or Amazon. The estimated shipping date is October 1 of this year. Just in time to make this someone’s gift for the holidays. Or even a gift for yourself.

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Imagine putting yourself in John Hammond’s shoes. You’ve purchased Isla Nublar and made a series of questionable decisions. But it’s done. You have made the choice to bring dinosaurs back to the world and build a theme park like no other. Dinosaurs and humans? Nothing can go wrong! Adventure, chaos, and a lot of management await you. But what if all that was a fun, only slightly stressful romp? That’s what Funko Games’ Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar offers. With Jurassic World Legacy you can play in a beautifully designed game that plops you into various roles in the park.

The Prospero Hall-designed board game is a sprawling legacy game with 12 adventures. As players navigate through those adventures, they unlock characters and dinosaurs and permanently change the board and its components.  Funko Games sent Nerdist a copy of Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar for review purposes, and because we want to avoid spoilers, we only discuss the tutorial adventure for now.

Jurassic World Legacy Set Up and Design

As you pull out the tutorial items, you’ll notice a bunch of carefully labeled packets that tell you to stop until you receive instructions to proceed. The design makes it very clear what to open when. Tempting as it may be to look at everything at once, I followed the rules.

The pulp adventure art style for Jurassic World Legacy jumps off all the printed components. Character cards, the round cards, items, the guide books—they all fit the theme. The attention to detail is apparent throughout from faux, but convincing, weathering on the sector cards to the carefully applied Ben-Day dots. Even the packaging for the different adventures and additional components catches the eye.

Looking at such lovely art makes setting up rewarding. It doesn’t feel like a task. And at least for the tutorial adventure, set up was straightforward and didn’t take too much time. You will need to clear a fair amount of space for this one, though.

The tutorial features a handful of unlocked characters and dinosaurs. You have the Tyrannosaurus rex, Brachiosaurus, Velociraptor, and Triceratops. Then you can choose to play one of five characters. Playing two tutorial rounds with two players, we tried most of the characters. None of the special actions seemed particularly weighed in favor of any single character. However, I did really like the ability to remove injuries from dinosaurs to help keep them alive.

Jurassic World Legacy has a pile of components but not so many as to be unwieldy. The dino minis are detailed and begging for paint. The characters have cardboard tabs you place in a plastic holder. I would prefer plastic miniatures, though I understand the game has a lot of characters and that may not be practical. Maybe plastic minis for the major characters from the films would have been a good compromise. Similarly I would like if the buildings had miniature options instead of cardboard tokens. That’s just a wish though; the designs as is don’t detract from the game at all. Plus, I know that elements will change since it’s a legacy game. I might place stickers on the board for those locations in future adventures.

I definitely recommend enhancing the mood by playing the scores from the Jurassic films while you set up and play.

Jurassic World Legacy Gameplay and Mechanics

Players can replay this adventure over and over to learn the gameplay; you don’t make any changes to the game just yet. As such, I recommend playing through a couple of times or until you feel confident about the game play. My coplayer and I lost the first time, so a replay was necessary.

As with wrapping your head around any new game, getting the lay of the land takes a minute. The instructions are direct and helpful. The tutorial has five rounds, so you can get into the swing of things. We stumbled through the first couple rounds but remembered the order of events in no time. One of the aspects I found most challenging was the number of actions. With two players, we each had four actions, plus a bonus action for nine total actions. It seems like a luxurious number, but that’s where they get you. At one point I thought, “Is this too easy?” It’s not—aside from perhaps the tutorial’s mini-games inside the Visitor’s Center and the Genetics Lab. I just wasn’t considering all the factors at play. I had to think through my actions more carefully than I assumed given I had so many of them.

Actually juggling the various objectives while remembering to use item cards and special character actions took me until the second playthrough of the tutorial. You lose an adventure if you turn over five or more consequences, so it’s a good idea to have a full understanding of how you can incur those consequences. Obvious? Probably. But I was too excited to jump in and didn’t learn until too late (as in the final round) that dinosaurs getting removed from the board leads to consequences. (I’m sorry I didn’t protect you, little Triceratops.)

Without using item cards and special actions, your character or dinosaurs will die. Bring in all the aspects you can and deploy them wisely. And as it’s a cooperative game, take a few to strategize with your fellow players. You don’t each need to expend all your actions at once and taking turns back and forth is helpful when trying to achieve objectives. Cooperative games are my favorite kinds of board games so I liked plotting each turn and anticipating the dinosaurs’ movements. The more you know about where they’ll go and what they’ll do, the better.

And while Jurassic World Legacy comes with plenty of elements to keep in mind, it didn’t feel overwhelming for too long. It all made sense and clicked the more we played. While moving my character away from a dinosaur on the game’s board wasn’t as intense as watching Jurassic Park for the first time, the threat did have a sense of urgency and intimidation. I took my responsibility of keeping park workers safe and uneaten quite seriously. I felt like part of the team bringing the theme park to life. The objectives put me in the middle of building and operating the park, and I look forward to seeing what future adventures have in store.

One aspect I quite enjoyed throughout play was referring to the rules. Normally I don’t like needing to do that, but Jurassic World Legacy comes with a ring of rules that makes answering a particular question about a dinosaur hunt or herding a snap. Every game should have a ring of rules. It’s not significantly faster than flipping through a rule book, but it is more enjoyable for some reason.

Adventure #1

I went into the first Jurassic World Legacy adventure feeling confident. I’d learned a lot from playing the tutorial twice. I knew the game mechanics. But I think I got thrown by placing stickers on the board. Before beginning the adventure, it was time to place stickers for the Visitor’s Center and the Genetics Lab. That answered my question about why the game doesn’t include miniature buildings. We placed additional stickers for barriers and roads. It’s a part of legacy games I am not yet used to. I considered cutting out the stickers instead of permanently putting them on the board, but that is not the point, so I got over myself and affixed stickers.

The adventure added an additional component of gameplay with the field research option too. It made planning your handful of actions each round all the more vital. We struggled a bit to juggle the round goals with the overall adventure goals. A few rough sector card incidents didn’t help. That randomness fits with the Jurassic franchise though. Some days you check every task off your list. Other days the raptor ambushes your unsuspecting triceratops and you have to rescue it repeatedly. Helpfully this adventure also brought in goat tokens—perfect for giving the carnivores something besides people or other dinosaurs to attack.

Clinging to a fear of losing dinosaurs and flipping consequences, we got a little lost in the weeds. We didn’t look closely enough at the Genetics Lab task to account for how many actions we’d need to solve it. So we got all the way to the end of the adventure but couldn’t check it off.

The frustration of losing because of an incomplete objective and not because of consequences was real. We were so close to accomplishing everything and winning the adventure. But the Genetics Lab task did us in. Remember when I thought the mini-games were too simple? Good one, Past Amy.

Outcome: Lost

Adventure #2

Adventures after the first one come with some additional preparation and set-up, so build that into your play time. I joked that we played for an hour before we actually started playing. You’ll make some adjustments based on the outcome of your previous adventure. And don’t worry, even if you “lose,” which I felt quite concerned about, you still get new aspects to unlock (we unlocked another herbivore!). You’ll also have a budget for the first time, and though the rules stress this, make sure you spend every point. Leftovers don’t carry over.

We used our budget to build additional barriers around our carnivores, but I wish we would have used some funds to train park employees. This feature enables park employees to help with mini-games in the genetics lab and visitor’s center. The first adventure taught me you can’t have enough assistance in that arena.

The second adventure also introduced weather effects. It’s one more thing to stress about as you play. Sector cards show the weather, and we made it to the fourth round before the tracker moved enough to cause a power outage. However, we didn’t have any electric barriers in place. We didn’t have anything the power affected, thankfully, so we just left it off instead of scrambling in the last round.

In the second adventure, I felt like I really got into the groove. We made time to conduct field research (I encourage this as it unlocks helpful features) at the expense of not searching the sectors/having less item cards. I thought we would lose this adventure. Especially after the first adventure loss. The number of objectives we needed to complete felt impossible. Impossible! While I wondered at times during the tutorial if Jurassic World Legacy would be too simple, I can emphatically say it is not. I find it quite challenging. But with teamwork and strategic planning (and the luck of favorable sector cards), it is doable. Completing tasks and winning the adventure without any consequences was all the more satisfying after feeling overwhelmed.

Outcome: Won

Keep this post bookmarked, as I’ll return with reviews of the Jurassic World Legacy adventures as I play through them.

Originally published April 7, 2022.

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of A Kid’s Guide to Fandom, available now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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Unleash your inner rawr because it’s time to go on a dinosaur-filled adventure. Funko Games’ Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar has stomped onto Kickstarter as the first-ever legacy game based on a major motion picture franchise. It also marks Funko Games’ design studio Prospero Hall’s first legacy game. The sprawling game will tell the entire Jurassic World franchise’s story in 12 one to two hour-long adventures. It starts before the events of Jurassic Park and goes all the way through to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom with original stories to fill the gaps between the films.

If you’re new to the concept of legacy games, they’re a variant of board games in which the game changes permanently as you play. So as you explore the world and progress through adventures, you’ll place buildings, develop dinosaurs, and more. It’s a concept that takes a little getting used to. The first time I ripped a card in half as part of a different legacy game, I nearly panicked.

Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar‘s designed for two to four players, but they do have rules available for solo play. In this cooperative game, you’ll join a team to build the park. Players can unlock up to 12 dinosaurs and more than 21 characters, both new and familiar. The abilities, knowledge, and powers you unlock will help you in your campaigns.

Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar is available for pre-order on Kickstarter now for $120. The Kickstarter exclusive edition comes with a deluxe alternate art cover sleeve. The box weighs over seven pounds, so you know it’s packed with materials. Those include dinosaur miniatures, adventure scenarios, stickers, and plenty of surprises. Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar has an estimated delivery date of October 2022.

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of A Kid’s Guide to Fandom, available now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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If you’ve ever wanted to fight alongside Aang as he battles Fire Lord Ozai, here’s your chance. You don’t even need element bending abilities. The Op Games’ new Avatar: The Last Airbender cooperative board game focuses on stopping Fire Lord Ozai. A firebending master, Ozai wants to conquer the other nations. The Hundred Year War still rages in this game. And it’s up to you and your fellow players to prevent Ozai from achieving his goal of total domination.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Fire Nation Rising puts you in control of the world’s destiny. The cooperative game play uses cards and dice to save the four nations. As you fight for the Earth, Air, Fire, and Water nations to prevail, teams led by starting heroes will help you. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko lead the teams with their own dice pools and special abilities. Having those characters on your side means you have a better chance at victory. At least it should. You’ll have to complete objectives along the way in order to be prepared to stop Ozai.

And you have to stop the Fire Lord before the Day of the Black Sun. The celestial event plays a key role in the animated series, as it does here. This Avatar: The Last Airbender board game is made for one to five players, ages 10 and up. Winning the day involves some strategy, hence the older age group.

Let’s also just note this board game comes with a highly sculpted Fire Lord Ozai figure.

It’s the only figure that comes with the game, but you know what, it doesn’t need any others.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Fire Nation Rising costs $49.99 and will arrive this summer. Find out where to buy it here.

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of A Kid’s Guide to Fandom, available now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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Alfred Hitchcock’s classic ’50s thriller Rear Window isn’t the type of film one usually associates with licensed products. We can’t imagine many people want a Jimmy Stewart action figure with binoculars. (Actually, that does kind of sound cool when you think about it). But a Rear Window board game? That makes all the sense in the world. And that’s exactly what’s coming from the folks at Funko Games and Prospero Hall this summer. You can read the official description of the game below, as well as check out the first images.

The quintessential nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat Alfred Hitchcock thriller has been transformed into Rear Window Game – coming to a tabletop this summer from Funko Games’ acclaimed design studio Prospero Hall. One player assumes the role of the Director and “Master of Suspense” himself who must communicate using clues and signs (and without ever uttering a word) to help the other players figure out who the murderer is or if there was even a murder.

This new game finds direct inspiration, of course, in the classic 1950s film style of Hitchcock himself. The Rear Window board game includes the likeness of Hollywood icons Jimmy Stewart (as L.B. “Jeff” Jefferies) and Grace Kelly (as Lisa Carol Fremont). It transports the players into the fabled apartment with all of its curious neighbors. This game is suited for an older audience, ages 13 and up.

Rear Window is a cooperative game that contains all the usual tropes we associate with the tense and suspenseful classics of the late, great Alfred Hitchcock. Hey, maybe this all leads to North by Northwest: The Game, or Psycho: The Game. Although we’re not sure how one would “win” that game. But To Catch a Thief? There’s one just waiting for the board game treatment.

The Rear Window board game arrives in summer, 2022.

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It’s time to embrace the dark side. Ravensburger is making a new board game that caters to our villainous minds. Yep, we’re getting a Star Wars-themed edition of Villainous. In the game, players take on the role of beloved Star Wars foes from across all areas of the galaxy. They’ll go on a quest to defeat the Jedi and resistance fighters. Being bad has never felt so good.

Here’s a little more about the game:

The Star Wars Villainous game utilizes the same game system as previous Villainous releases, with new gameplay elements to fully immerse players in the Star Wars galaxy. Depending on their villain’s unique power, players will use their Villain’s “Ambition” to perform actions that power effects based on the Villain’s use of the Force, strategic leadership, or sheer luck. The game also incorporates Villain-specific missions and rules for iconic ships and transports from all corners of the Star Wars galaxy.

Players ready to take on the dark side, get ready. When you settle down for a night of Villainous, you can choose from a bevy of evil. The villains include Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, General Grievous, Asajj Ventress, and Moff Gideon. The Star Wars franchise overflows with bad characters. Plus, it’s really cool to see villains from across the Star Wars canon. That includes baddies across the films to Clone Wars foes to our latest big bad, The Mandalorian‘s Moff Gideon.

Each playable character comes with their own set of goals and objectives. The game requires just two to four players ages 10 and up.

“Fans have been asking for a Star Wars-themed Villainous game for years,” Florian Baldenhofer, International Category Manager for family and strategy games at Ravensburger, said in a press release. “Our team spent more than a year diving into the characters and their stories in order to respectfully translate them into gameplay and we’re thrilled with the outcome.”

Ravensburgers’ Disney Villainous game is a fun way to get into the mindset of our favorite villains. And, of course, our Loki-loving hearts love playing as the Trickster God in Marvel Villainous. Adding the dynamic foes from a galaxy far, far away is a dream come true. An evil dream, that is.

Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side debuts in August 2022 at all major retailers. So start flexing those dark side muscles now. The time to break bad is fast approaching.

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This upcoming Clue title brings a new environment but some familiar characters and components. It’s suitable for one to six players and for ages 10 and up. The story? Well, it involves an untimely death.

You’re a guest at Mr. Boddy’s mansion when suddenly you hear a shriek, the lights go out and you find Mr. Boddy dead! You and your fellow players are then put to the ultimate test: Work together to escape the mansion, as well as determine who killed Mr. Boddy, where they did it and with what weapon.

Don’t you hate when you visit someone else’s nice estate and murder happens? As the title says, this version of Clue sticks to a nice mansion. Gameplay can begin with minimal setup. Players build the dynamic gameboard room by room as they explore the mansion, draw cards, solve puzzles, unlock new rooms and uncover clues. After escaping the mansion, players review the clues they’ve gathered to make a correct accusation and win the game. Everyone has a role to play in this collaborative experience. Even if players don’t get every single clue, they still have a shot to deduce the solution to the mystery with the evidence at hand.

Clue Treachery at Tudor Mansion Escape & Solve Mystery Game will arrive at retailers in fall 2022

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of A Kid’s Guide to Fandom, available now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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It’s the latest find in a project examining Northern Oman’s Qumayrah Valley and the development of settlements during the Bronze Age and Iron Age. Prof. Piotr Bieliński from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archeology, University of Warsaw (PCMA UW) and Dr. Sultan al-Bakri, Oman’s Director General of Antiquities at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) are leading the project.

The discovery occurred in December 2021, towards the end of dig season, near the village of Ayn Bani Sa’idah. The settlement is from the Umm an-Nar period of the Bronze Age, which dates to around 2600-2000 BC. And while the board game was the most surprising find during the excavation, it was just one of many discoveries. Others included several towers and—one of which would’ve been 20 meters, or around 65 feet tall—and evidence of copper work. (Professor Bieliński noted in a press release that copper trade was especially prevalent in Oman during this era.)

Still, though, the board game was a pretty exciting find, given how rare they are to stumble across. Belinski noted, “Such finds are rare, but several examples are known from India, Mesopotamia and even the Eastern Mediterranean basin. The most famous example of a game-board based on a similar principle is the one from the graves from Ur.”

Now, the ancient board game discovered in Oman isn’t the oldest recorded game. That belongs to a game found in the Royal Game of Ur, which Belinski mentions above. But still, it’s pretty dang old.  It’s always incredibly interesting to see how settlers who lived thousands of years before Mr. Monopoly entered our world passed the time. 

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It’s a golden time to be a fan of The Goonies. The last few years has been a non-stop celebration of the 1985 kid’s action-adventure classic. There’s been new artwork paying tribute to the film. As well as movie-inspired ice cream. Josh Gad reunited the cast to entertain us during quarantine. And new Goonies games let you go on your own quests. Now you’ll also be able to find riches for yourself. The Op’s new board game, The Goonies: Escape with One-Eyed Willy’s Rich Stuff, will bring pirate’s treasure to your tabletop.

The third installment in The Op’s at-home escape room Coded Chronicles series—“where players are guided to unlock clues and solve puzzles by a unique code-revealing mechanic”—pays tribute to Richard Donner’s beloved film. It also puts you in direct conflict with the Fratellis. Here’s the game’s official synopsis:

“The Goonies: Escape with One-Eyed Willy’s Rich Stuff takes players on an epic adventure through the trap-filled caverns of Astoria, Oregon. Using the treasure hunting skills of Mikey, Brand, Mouth, Data, Andy, Stef, Chunk and Sloth, players will navigate their way to finding One-Eyed Willy’s rich stuff! Can you get the gang to the Inferno, nab the treasure, and get to freedom all while staying one step ahead of the nefarious Fratelli family?”

The game is also designed to be re-playable. It comes with 8 narrative journals, 8 secret envelopes, 43 clue cards, 7 map tiles, a doubloon, a dry erase map, a dry erase pen, an intermission envelope, and an adventure guide. You can go solo or play with friends. And it has an unexpected playtime of two-plus hours. We also suggest putting the movie on in the background while you do.

If you’re looking for even more adventure, The Op’s all-new Disney Kingdom Hearts Perilous Pursuit co-op board game will let you team up with some other memorable characters. As you “take on the role of Sora, Goofy, Donald and Kairi & Riku on a journey through the memorable worlds of Kingdom Hearts and rid them of Heartless!” Players will collect sets of dice. As you work together “protect each other, attack Heartless, collect potions, and seal the door to save six worlds without letting the darkness take over.”

You can order both games now ($29.99 each). Either for yourself or for any fellow Goonies in your life. It is the holiday season after all. We won’t judge if you keep every copy of The Goonies board game for yourself though. It’s hard to pass up One-Eyed Willy’s rich stuff.

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We’ve all seen deluxe replica versions of on-screen props. But they’re often nowhere near as authentic looking. Case in point, the Spin Master’s deluxe Jumanji game. It is indeed a tricked-out board game, with relief images on the front. Not to mention electronic sounds and lights. Very much like the Jumanji board game we see on screen. But in terms of details, it still can’t touch the cinematic version.

But now, thanks to i09, we’ve learned that someone has indeed upgraded that Spin Master game to make it look as close to the one from the movie as humanly possible. You can see the transformation in the video below:

Watching the timelapse video, we must say, we are very impressed. We’ve showcased the work of sculptor extraordinaire and YouTuber Steven Richter here before. Most notably, his “dusted” Thanos sculpture timelapse video. Not to mention his creepy melting Freddy Krueger head. But for Jumanji, he didn’t do any melting, just refurbishing. With just paint, wood, and some spray paint. And a whole lot of time. It’s so authentic looking, that we wouldn’t be shocked to see wildlife emerge around the players!

For starters, Richter replaced the plastic paneling with actual wood. That certainly gives the Jumanji board game a realistic feel to it. But the painstaking detail for painting the relief images is really what sells this. It really feels like a century-old board game, something that someone unearthed in an attic. The artist even sold the final product via his Etsy shop, for a very reasonable $200.00. We hope the lucky owner displays it proudly because, at that price, it was a steal. Especially since the video above shows the amount of hard work that went into it.

To see more of Steven Richter’s incredible work, be sure to head on over to his YouTube channel.

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It’s the day before Gen Con kicks off in Indianapolis. The convention celebrates all things tabletop gaming and usually comes with a plethora of announcements. But you don’t have to wait for exciting news because we’re kicking things off early here at Nerdist. We have the exclusive reveal for two Funko Games titles: Jurassic World Legacy and The Warriors: Come Out to Play. Keep scrolling for details about the games and some tantalizing first looks.

Jurassic World Legacy

Behold, Jurassic World Legacy (title pending). This title from Prospero Hall covers the entire Jurassic Park franchise—going back to the inception of the dinosaur park. Players will explore a whole new experience designed from the ground up. Take a look at the impressive T.rex mini!

Funko Games

More details about Jurassic World Legacy will come in the future. For now, sign up for the Funko Games newsletter to get the latest updates.

The Warriors: Come Out to Play

The 1979 movie The Warriors, the novel of the same name by Sol Yurick, and the Greek story Anabasis all influence Funko Games’ The Warriors: Come Out to Play. The two to four player tabletop game digs into the story and themes that made the film a cult classic. The premise: you have to prove your innocence and return to your home of Coney Island—all while being hunted. It’s a cooperative gameplay experience, so players will move together as a group and fight together against enemy gangs… unless a player chooses to take the risk of going off on their own.

Funko Games

You can pre-order The Warriors: Come Out to Play now for $24.99. It arrives on January 1, 2022.

Featured Image: Funko Games

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of A Kid’s Guide to Fandom, available now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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The Op

Hasbro and The Op’s new Clue: Brooklyn Nine-Nine takes board game players to the 99th Precinct. Not just on any old night though. It’s the best night of the year, Halloween. You won’t be solving a grisly murder either. The gang is holding one of their classic heists. And you have to find the real prize to win.

“It’s Halloween, and the officers of Brooklyn’s 99th Precinct have planned the heist of all heists to determine who really deserves the title of The Ultimate Human/Genius! Taking on the roles of Jake Peralta, Rosa Diaz, Terry Jeffords, Amy Santiago, Charles Boyle, and Raymond Holt, work to solve the mystery of WHO last had the trophy, WHICH trophy is secretly the ultimate trophy, and WHERE they’ve stashed it!”

Instead of a ballroom and conservatory, players will search through nine memorable spots at the station. The game’s custom board includes The Bullpen, Captain Holt’s Office, The Break Room, Evidence Lock-Up, and more.

The Op

The game also includes six Suspect Movers, six Personality Cards, 21 Rumor Cards, 25 Intrigue Cards, a score pad, envelope, dice, and six tokens. Fans of the show will recognize those tokens: Scully’s medical bracelet, Holt’s watch, the heist plaque, Holt’s Medal of Valor, a crown, and a championship cummerbund.

Designed for ages eight and up, the 2-6 player game has an estimated runtime of an hour plus. You can get your copy now at The Op for $39.99. Anyone who busts this out at a Brooklyn Nine-Nine series finale party will definitely be the Ultimate Amazing Human/Genius.

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Americans have long fetishized the mob and all things related to organized crime. We’re not sure when this started. Possibly the gangster movies of the 1930s. But it really came to a head with the Godfather films. Also known as “your dad’s favorite movies ever.” Since then, we’ve had Scarface, Goodfellas, Casino, and many more. All leading up to the GOAT of modern mafia stories, HBO’s The Sopranos. So, of course, it was only a matter of time before Tony Soprano got to headline his own Monopoly game. Just like Spider-Man, Luke Skywalker, and Queen.

Hasbro

Thanks to The A.V.Club (via Indie Wire), we’ve learned that the official Monopoly: The Sopranos description goes something like this. “Buy, sell, and trade popular locations like Tony Soprano’s House and Satriale’s Pork Store. All before wheeling and dealing at The Bada Bing!”

The collectible tokens featured in the game include a baby duck from the show’s very first installment and the Stugots boat. Also, Bobby Bacala’s toy train, Satriale’s pig, Dr. Mefli’s chair, and a Barone sanitation truck. “Stashes” are what all the houses are now called, while the hotels go by the name “contraband.” And we’re sure there are many more details to be discovered.

Some people might feel icky about a board game celebrating the mafia. But, of course, Tony Soprano and his family were all fictional characters. So this is no different really than having a Monopoly game based around horror movie monsters. Maybe it’s just offputting because there are criminals just like this in the real world. And not so many real immortal slashers killing teenagers. Hopefully, the Sopranos theming for this Monopoly game isn’t so complete that you can’t finish the game before cutting to a black screen. Although that sure would be franchise-accurate.

You can order Monopoly: The Sopranos for $39.99 by clicking on this link.

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In space, no one can hear you scream. When you’re sitting at a table with your friends and family, though? Yeah, they can definitely hear you yelling. And they soon might, when you experience one of Hollywood’s most iconic sci-fi horror films in a whole new way. Alien is getting its very own board game.

Ravensburger

Ravensburger is launching Alien: Fate of the Nostromo (first announced by BoardGameGeek). The co-op tabletop game, designed by Scott Rogers and developed by Steve Warner, will put players right in the middle of the chaos that struck the ship in the 1979 classic. From Ravensburger:

“Executive Officer Kane is dead and the Alien stalks the halls of the Nostromo. Players must work together in this cooperative strategy game to craft items, fulfill objectives and complete one of five final missions. Choose your next move carefully; the Alien could be just around the corner.”

You can either play the game solo, or with up to five people. You can also add Science Officer Ash to the proceedings for “a true challenge.” Which hopefully does not mean the Ash figure will lose its head and spill white liquid all over the board.

The game comes with illustrated cards and six sculpted miniatures. That includes a great Xenomorph. The board also features a “rendered isometric view” of the Nostromo.

Ravensburger

As for gameplay, crew members will creep around the ship’s halls to “collect scrap, craft items, and fulfill different objectives.” That will involve trading with other players. But the crew will also “lose and gain morale as they encounter the Alien and other situations.” If morale hits zero, everyone loses. That stinks, but at least no alien babies will burst out of your chest. We hope.

To win, players have to complete initial objectives. They will then be tasked with “one of five final missions, each with a unique set of requirements.” Players must complete their last mission to win. Never forget though: the Xenomorph could be anywhere.

Designed for ages 10 and up, the game ($29.99) is now available to pre-order at Target. It will be in stores startin August 1. Before you play though, practice not yelling when you’re scared by something unexpected or terrifying. In space, no one can hear you scream. But you’ll be playing this game on Earth.

Originally published on February 24, 2021.

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We all have moments when we’ve simply had enough of people. Maybe you had a long day at work or just got back from a particularly loud outing with the family. No matter the reason, there’s nothing wrong with wanting a little time to yourself. But five minutes into your quiet retreat, you’ll probably find yourself wondering, “Now what?” That’s the best time to break out a solo tabletop game that you can escape into—alone.

Forget Solitaire. We’re talking mystery, murder, monsters, and minotaurs to take on all by yourself. We have five picks to get you started on your adventures while you recharge during “me” time.

Field Guide to Memory

Jeeyon Shim and Shing Yin Khor

Many solo tabletop games employ quiet journaling and creative bouts of imagination as gameplay mechanics. Field Guide to Memory easily stands out as one of the best in this category as a keepsake game. The brilliant connected path game from Jeeyon Shim and Shing Yin Khor explores the life of the fictional Dr. Elizabeth Lee. You’ll stretch your imagination to create dreams, draw cryptids, collect real artifacts, and more. When you’re done, you’ll have a unique book chronicling your journey through the story.

Field Guide to Memory comes with writing prompts and accompanying short fiction in one digital download.

Hunt a Killer: Murder at the Motel

Kelly Knox

You probably already know all about Hunt A Killer and their incredibly immersive mystery subscription boxes. But did you know they also offer detective experiences packed into a single box? Murder At The Motel is their most recent murder-in-a-box that you’ll find only at Target and Target.com.

The non-linear experience begins however you want it to. Simply open the box and dive into letters, evidence, and a tantalizing locked box to start unraveling the mystery. Murder At The Motel is the story of the fictional Sunset Motel and the grisly fate of its handyman. As you go deeper, the details begin to form the big picture, and you’ll find yourself completely engrossed in an investigation that feels very real. If you’ve never tried to solve a mystery on your own before, Murder At The Motel is a fantastic way to start your detective career. (Sorry, Mr. Handyman.)

Into the Dungeon

Simon and Schuster

Remember Choose Your Own Adventure? Into the Dungeon blends the branching path concept beautifully with a good ol’ fashioned dungeon crawl. All you need is a pencil to begin your adventure.

Creator Hari Conner crafted a story in the crumbling ruins of a gorgeously illustrated castle that feels like all of your favorite sessions of D&D. Choose your character or roll your own. Then embark on your fraught-filled journey into the dungeon where you’ll find treasure—or your doom!

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective

Space Cowboys

Ready to take your detective career to the next level? Step into the world of Sherlock Holmes! Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective is a classic tabletop game that will put your deduction skills to the test. There are several installments in the iconic mystery series. Pore through notebooks and maps of the London streets to chase down leads and crack a case worthy of Holmes.

While designed to be cooperative for a team of detectives, a solo player will find a worthy challenge in every case. The most recent entry in the series, Irregulars of Baker Street, is a standalone game with a playable demo to test your sleuthing skills before you buy.

Solve Our Shirts

CU Adventures

This isn’t a t-shirt from an escape room; the t-shirt is an escape room! Read that sentence more than once? We don’t blame you. An entire escape room and puzzle experience on just a t-shirt sounds unbelievable, but CU Adventures has done it with Solve Our Shirts.

While this isn’t your typical tabletop game, we think you’ll love the experience just as much. Suss out the hidden clues in the details of the two-sided shirt as you escape from the minotaur’s maze. The deluxe edition comes with additional puzzles and clues to complete the experience.

Starting to feel lonely? Almost all of these solo tabletop games can also be played cooperatively for extra brainpower. No matter how you play, adventure is waiting for you!

Featured Photo: Kelly Knox

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her book Marvel Monsters comes out in July from DK Books. Follow her on Twitter for bad puns, pop culture coverage, and more.

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Want to add some spice to game night? Looking to beef up your tabletop adventures? Ravensburger has just what you need. With the all-new Taco Bell Party Pack Card Game. It features a buffet of activities for groups of hungry players. However, you might want to make sure you have some real Taco Bell to feed your friends when they arrive. Because when they see the game’s packaging they’re going to expect actual food.

Ravensburger

The Taco Bell Party Pack Card Game comes inside a party-pack style box from the fast-food chain. It looks like it could be full of Crunchwrap Supremes and Black Bean Chalupas. Instead, it’s full of card games “ideal” for large groups. From Ravensburger:

“In Taco Bell Party Pack Card Game, players make Taco Bell runs to gather crunchy tacos, bean burritos, Freezes, and other menu items to feed their Crew: Supreme Superfans, Happier Hour Heroes, Drive Thru Divas, and more. Players who satisfy their Crews’ specific cravings earn crave chips, chip-shaped tokens worth a surprise number of extra points at the end of the game. Sauce cards give players special abilities.”

It will also make you very hungry. We know without even playing it. Just reading about the game has us ready to hit the drive-through.

Ravensburger

“We were delighted to work with Taco Bell on this game,” says Florian Baldenhofer, International Category Manager for Family Games at Ravensburger, in a statement. “Our team enjoyed capturing the essence of Taco Bell’s fun, witty, and colorful brand in a game with the same qualities.”

Designed for ages eight and up, the game is already available at Target ($16.99). Starting August 1 you can also pick up your order at Amazon. As well as at other retailers and local game shops. The actual food you’ll want to provide for your group of two to six players will have to be purchased at an actual Taco Bell though.

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Funko Games

Head back to the ’80s this summer with the new “story-driven strategy game” from Prospero Hall design studio. They’ve turned the beloved film into an action-packed tabletop journey with nine different quests to play through, some entirely original. But with all the characters you know and love. (Along with some you love to hate.) From Funko Games:

“Embark on a perilous adventure full of dangerous booby traps and treacherous treasure-filled caverns! One player is the Goondocks Master, controlling fearsome foes, from the outlaw family, the Fratellis, to the legendary pirate, One-Eyed Willie. The other players take on the role of the Goonies — Mikey, Mouth, Chunk, Data, and Sloth — overcoming cryptic puzzles and deadly challenges with teamwork, strategy, and Data’s clever contraptions! Will the Goonies discover the legendary riches that will save their homes, or will they follow the fate of Chester Copperpot… and never see the light of day?”

Funko Games

In The Goonies: Never Say Die, players either win or lose as a team. The Goondocks Master either wins or loses individually. Designed for ages 12 and up and two to five players, it has an expected runtime of 50 minutes.

It also features eight sculpted miniatures: Mikey, Mouth, Chunk, Data, Sloth, the Giant Octopus, the Fratellis, and One-Eyed Willie. It also comes with an illustrated game board “that changes from adventure-to-adventure” as you play. The nine custom dice are “inspired by the pirate gems” seen in the movie. And it also features four adventure tiles, one hourglass tile, eight character placards, 22 foe movers with bases. 116 cards, 10 reference cards, 120 tokens, and an adventure guide. And play is even inspired by “classic adventure games of the ’80s,” for another nice touch of authenticity.

Funko Games

You can pre-order the game at Target ($34.99) now. It sails into stores early this summer. Which is the perfect time for older fans of The Goonies. When the weather gets warm we much prefer to relax with a pretend adventure than go exploring ourselves.

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We’re always hearing stories about new homeowners, stumbling upon hidden treasures when remodeling their recently purchased house. It sometimes feels like half the shows on HGTV are about this. Thanks to Modern Met (via Laughing Squid), we’ve learned about one such story that’s a little out of the box. Out of the board game box, that is.

A Redditor named Yamaha234 recently shared a photograph of what his in-laws discovered in their home after they ripped up the old carpet. Underneath it was a rather large Monopoly board, completely hand-painted. Park Place, the Boardwalk, jail, they are all there. You can see a photo of the massive Monopoly board right here.

This painted Monopoly board is totally accurate to the layout of the original Parker Brothers (now Hasbro) game. Were the original homeowners just incredibly huge board game fans? Well, perhaps they were. But according to a comment from another Redditor named Nrith, in mid-century America, this was actually a bit of a fad.

In their comment, they said “Showed this to my wife. She reminded me that there’s a whole neighborhood near us, built in the mid-50s. One that has game boards painted or tiled onto their basement floors. Seems to have been a selling point or something.”

Hasbro

The original Redditor who posted the photograph is now trying his best to get his in-laws to keep the basement Monopoly board intact. After all, even if it wasn’t totally unique, how many can be left these days? They said “trying to convince them to cover it in epoxy and do the rest of the flooring around it how they originally wanted.”

We hope they succeed. And If this really was a larger fad, we’d love to see the homes that have Candyland or The Game of Life in their basement.

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But hardcore fans of Rat Queens such as myself may have noticed a pretty big face missing from the lineup. No shade on the initial lineup of Queens, but we must pay respect to Braga the brutal Orc barbarian. While Braga is not an original member of the Rat Queens, she is a major character in the first comics’ storyline. She lends her sword to their aid after the deaths of her squad the Peaches. Her eventual induction into the group is a mere formality by the time it happens. By the end of the comics’ run, Braga remains a member; she even takes on the duties of training a replacement when one of the initial characters steps away. 

Deep Water Games

Braga’s omission from the game seemed glaring to me. For one thing, Braga was revealed in a one-off comic to have been assigned male at birth, having transitioned off the page prior to her first appearance in Rat Queens #1. This does bring an often unseen perspective to the fantasy setting. But Braga’s story is not about being transgender, it’s simply a detail about her past. 

It turns out that the makers of Rat Queens: To the Slaughter had no intention of leaving this vibrant character in the dust, and they have let Nerdist know in an exclusive reveal that when the game launches, Braga will be the first playable character added to the game in her very own expansion pack that features details from her own comic story arc and even a brand new boss for the game players to fight. We also received this exclusive reveal of her very own game piece design:

Deep Water Games

The gameplay mechanics of the Braga deck will lean into her ability to charge through the battlefield. But it will also make use of her intelligence. The game gives her a tactical skillset that allows players to cut through the fodder of the battlefield in order to get to the main prize. So, not unlike her membership into the Rat Queens, she might be a little late to the party, but when she gets there is going to come out swinging. 

What most drew us to Braga as a character, even more than the sheer force of her great axe, were the moments where she would dismiss her own intellect. Not as if she doubted it, but as if she were afraid of it. She’d lament that she was better with a sword than a sentence; but it’s easy to imagine that Braga may have made a better Bard than a Barbarian had the dice landed differently. 

Despite being the most brutal member of the team, she rivals Betty as the Rat Queen with the most heart. As we observe, the Rat Queens quickly become the exact home that Braga always wished for. It seems likely that she’d remain with them forever, training new members and serving as something of a den mother. 

More information on Rat Queens: To the Slaughter’s upcoming Kickstarter campaign will be announced soon and can be followed on the official website. The final volume of the Rat Queens comic run will be released on April 7. 

Featured Image: Deep Water Games

Riley Silverman is a Nerdist contributing writer. She can be found on Twitter and Instagram. Her comedy album ‘Intimate Apparel’ is available digitally online.

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The galaxy far, far away is enormous, and full of countless planets and species. Yet, despite all of the many diverse creatures and cultures that populate it, they all seem to mostly play the same two games. There’s the card game Sabacc, which just looks like space poker. It’s allure pales in comparison to Star Wars‘ first and most enticing in-universe game, Dejarik. It looks like holographic chess combined with Dungeons & Dragons. But with the added bonus that you have to worry about a wookiee ripping out your arms if you win. Unfortunately—or fortunately, for some—we doubt we’ll ever get the chance to play Chewie. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want our own copy any less. And this 3D printed fan version might be the most beautiful one we’ve ever seen.

The YouTube channel Mighty Jabba’s Collection created their very own version of Star Wars‘ holochess set, Dejarik. (Which we first saw at Boing Boing.) The game first appeared in A New Hope, when C-3PO (foolishly) chided Chewbacca for “screaming” about R2-D2 making a “fair move.” It’s also appeared in other films and projects from the franchise, including a wooden copy in Rogue One.

This 3D printed version—which is much bigger and nicer than the toy version sold at Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge—includes both a board and all eight monsters. It’s roughly half-scale.

Mighty Jabba’s Collection

The printing design for the figures comes from Build It And They Will Come. But if you want to make your own you’re also going to need some serious patience and skills. A printer might create these, but they don’t sand them and then painstakingly paint them. If you want to try, though, you can find the correct color scheme for each figure from Adam Savage’s old Tested video. Also, just like in this video, we recommend putting felt protectors on the bottom of your monsters.

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With so many old cartoons getting modern reboots, Gargoyles viewers remain hopeful the beloved ’90s animated series will get the revival they have long wished for. (Maybe someday, right Disney+? Right!?) Until then though, fans will be able to revisit the world of stony warriors in a whole new way, with a new cooperative board game, Disney Gargoyles: Awakening.

Ravensburger Games

Ravensburger is launching an original Gargoyles tabletop game (which we first learned about at ComicBook.com). It takes its name from the first episode of the show, which premiered on October 24, 1994. It will also replicate the art of the series to create an authentic experience. From the official press release:

“In the game, players take on the role of one of six heroes: Goliath, Brooklyn, Lexington, Broadway, Hudson, or Detective Elisa Maza. Working together, they’ll take on Xanatos and Demona in four different scenarios. Players do battle on three-dimensional cityscape board showing Manhattan as it was presented in the cartoon, complete with Xanatos’ castle—topped skyscraper, the police clock tower, and more.”

Ravensburger Games

Each of the four scenarios will also provide players with a “unique challenge.”

• Reawakening: “Players face off against Xanatos and Demona, and must save Coldstone’s mind.”
• Temptation and Magic: “Demona has stolen the Grimorum Arcanorum and used the magic to enslave innocents.”
• Information Warfare: “Players must collect three stolen data disks.”
• Battle with the Steel Clan: “One player takes the role of Xanatos and the Steel Clan and tries to either defeat a hero or destroy the police tower while the other players (as the Gargoyles) try to defeat Xanatos.”

Befitting the show, the game is designed to be a family game. Ravensburger says it’s suitable for two to five players, ages 10 and up. You’ll have to wait a little bit longer to get more Gargoyles in your life though. Awakening ($34.99) will be available nationwide at Target starting this summer, on August 1.

Maybe while we wait Disney will finally announce a revival of the show. That would be a win for everyone.

Featured Image: Ravensburger Games

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It doesn’t matter how many farms I’ve started in Stardew Valley; I’m always game for choosing a new plot of land and settling into my routine. It’s soothing to me and endlessly playable in a way no other video game has been. And now I can enjoy my beloved farming sim in a new fashion: as a board game! Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone shared on Tuesday afternoon that he’s been working on this version of his game for over two and a half years with board game designer Cole Medeiros.

The Stardew Valley board game is cooperative, so all the players work together. Your goal: to protect the Valley from the evil Joja Corporation. One to four players will work together through a full year in the game. Barone stated they brought all the elements from the video game they could to this tabletop version: villagers, crops, fishing, mining, etc.

There is a way to build relationships, but as it’s a board game, you won’t get any of the terrific and often random-as-hell cut scenes that the video game brings. However, I think all the game’s resources will work wonderfully for this iteration. And the goals for each play through are randomized so you won’t get bored of multiple games.

Stardew Valley Shop

The brightness and playfulness of Stardew Valley‘s design definitely comes through in the game board and all the tiles. As you might guess from all the pieces visible in the image and the trailer, it’s not a simple game. But Stardew Valley is more complex than many people give it credit for, so that fits.

And the best part of this news is that the game’s available right now. You don’t have to mess around with a pre-order. You can buy your copy from the Stardew Valley shop.

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of The Jedi Mind, available now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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We’re big fans of the movie Clue here at Nerdist. So much so that we even hosted a watchalong for the cult classic last March, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clue is an excellent whodunnit. It’s hilarious and full of iconic lines and moments. It’s also famously based on a Hasbro board game of the same name, proving that films based on games can be good.

And soon, we’ll get even more Clue goodness. According to Deadline, the game will be adapted into an animated series. The project comes from Fox Entertainment, which will develop the series with Hasbro’s content studio Entertainment One and Bento Box Entertainment. Entertainment One is also working on a TV series based on the board game Risk.

Hasbro

We don’t know much else about the Clue show at this point. No details have been revealed, and we’re not sure if this will be a miniseries or an ongoing program. But we’re definitely curious either way. Clue is such a major part of global culture. Anthony E. Pratt, an Englishman, developed the game back in 1949 as a way to pass the time during WWII air raid drills. (If you’re from England, then you know the game as Cluedo.)

If you’ve never played, the premise of Clue is quite simple. It’s set during a dinner party, when the party’s host Mr. Boddy turns up dead. Players use a series of clues to uncover which of the six dinner guests—Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlett, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green and Dr. Orchid (née Mrs. White)—committed the murder, and how. Whoever decodes the mystery wins.

Time will tell if the Clue animated series is any good. But it has all the necessary ingredients for a hit: nostalgia, iconic characters, and a classic whodunnit premise that’s just about irresistible. We’ll have our eyes on this one.

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CD Projekt Red, the studio behind The Witcher game franchise, is teaming up with Go On Board for “The Witcher: Old World.” It will bring the Continent to your tabletop and recreate the experience of being a monster hunter on the prowl. All set during a time period ripe for exploration. From the official press release announcing the game:

“‘The Witcher: Old World’ is an adventure board game for 2-5 people that thrusts players into a story set long before the times of Geralt of Rivia, as they take on the role of professional monster slayers. Having recently completed their brutal training in their witcher school, they must embark on a journey spanning the Continent. Along the way they will face difficult choices, take on contracts, battle monsters—and perhaps find themselves brawling with another witcher in order to defend their school’s honor! Portraying the world of The Witcher as it once was, Old World will let players live out their own epic story where they’ll meet witchers of the five different schools and discover mysteries and locations up until now unexplored.”

CD Projekt Red/Go On Board

Designed by Łukasz Woźniak (“Valhalla,” “Titans”), the game will involve building your own unique deck. Players will choose cards with a “wide range” of abilities. That includes: attacks, dodges, and witcher combat magic (known as Signs). “Through card synergy,” players will try to achieve powerful combos. They’ll do that by using their school’s “hallmark abilities” to reach their full potential. That will mean going on quests, fightings both monsters and witchers, and even giving dice poker a roll, all to earn money, obtain items, and sharpen their skills. In the ultimate quest to become the greatest witcher in the land.

“Our goal with ‘Old World’ is to provide a deeply engaging experience which evokes the same emotions and atmosphere found in The Witcher books and games—but do so in a board game format,” said Łukasz Woźniak, co-founder of Go On Board, in a statement. “For a while now, we’ve been testing the game with fans of The Witcher universe, as well as with board game experts, and we’re very happy with what we’ve managed to accomplish so far. CD Projekt Red’s input into the story, and insight into the mechanical aspects of the project, have been invaluable.”

CD Projekt Red/Go On Board

If you want to be a monster hunter, the game’s Kickstarter will launch in May 2021. Both base and deluxe versions will be available. And the companies promise there will also be “extra content” for supporters unlock.  If the campaign is successful, it will start shipping in April, 2022.

But we imagine this is more a matter of “when” its successful. The Continent has been an amazing place to explore in novels, video games, and on TV. Fighting magical monsters on our tabletop is an idea that would even make Geralt smile.

Featured Image: CD Projekt Red/Go On Board

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Purgatory is defined as “a place or state of suffering inhabited by the souls of sinners” prior to their ascent to heaven. And while the term obviously has a religious connotation, what better description than that for The Longest Game Ever edition of Monopoly? Because, as its name implies, The Longest Game Ever edition offers games that seemingly last an eternity. Or until somebody decides to sell their soul for Park Place.

Hasbro

Technabob reported on the kitschy, and potentially maddening, version of the classic board game. Gaming and toy company Hasbro highlights on its site that the $20 game is lengthened in multiple ways, including the addition of 38 properties, as well as the disallowance of property auctions.

On top of those two changes, The Longest Game Ever also only utilizes a single die, and has money players can rip in half to increase total in-game cashflow. (Do we sound business-y? We hope we sound business-y.) In this version of the game, players can also continue playing after bankruptcy, as at least one version of the rules requires potential winners to own every single one of the board’s 66 properties.

Hasbro

As far as actual playing time people should expect, estimates are unclear. Hasbro doesn’t imply potential runtimes for games, but one could venture a guess based on anecdotal data. For example, this Quora thread contains a lot of people saying their games run from 60 to 90 minutes. Considering The Longest Game Ever has more than double the properties versus the original, it likely lasts—at least—twice as long. And probably much longer considering the rule changes.

Hasbro

But, perhaps, a board game odyssey lasting four, five, or six hours is exactly what some people need. After all, the term purgatory can also refer to the “quality of cleansing or purifying” something. And, for some sore board-flippers out there, what could be more cleansing than an endless game of Monopoly?

Feature image: Hasbro

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We’ve seen some awe-inspiring gaming tables lately, the most luxurious of which sell for more than $10,000. But while all those tables aimed to enhance the tabletop gaming experience, none of them did much for condensing it. And that’s where the Infinity Game Table, a touchscreen table capable of storing more than 50 board games, enters the picture.

Arcade1Up

Gizmodo reported on the new gaming table, which arcade game-maker, Arcade1Up, recently unveiled. 1Up, based in Los Angeles, has launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to bring the table to market, and has already met its goal. In fact, as of this writing, contributors have pledged approximately $540,00o to the campaign. Toward an original goal of $50,000.

The tables are essentially large, durable touchscreen computers attached to legs, although that description doesn’t do them justice. In fact, the tables have a sleek, handheld-console vibe to them, with built-in speakers and tactile feedback. The tables also have built-in Wi-Fi, and come in multiple screen sizes, including 24″ and 32″. And while the base model doesn’t have a battery, all of the other options do.

In terms of games, all the classics are there. The tables come loaded with 50+ board games, including Monopoly, Scrabble, Battleship, Life, and Trivial Pursuit. The tables also offer access to card games like Blackjack and Texas Hold ’em, as well as multiple chess and checkers games. On top of that, the tables also have a library of 20,000 comic books, and an online store for additional games.

Arcade 1Up

Unfortunately, all versions of the Infinity Table are pricey, with the base 24″ model going for $600, and the top-end 32″ for $900. People who pledge will also have to wait until March 2021 to receive their table. Those caveats aside, however, it seems like the Infinity Table would be great for groups who love to game. And by March of next year, that’ll hopefully be a common occurrence again.

Feature image: Arcade 1Up

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It seems every property from our childhoods is getting the “gritty reboot” treatment these days. It doesn’t matter how lighthearted it originally was. And never mind that some things were truly intended for children. But one artist has taken that trend to its most absurd conclusion: horror movies based on classic board games. We actually don’t hate this idea.

Via Geekologie, we discovered the work of artist Justin Bryant. This professional merchandise designer took several iconic board games of yesteryear, and gave them posters that resemble modern horror movies. Think Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley, only by way of Blumhouse. You can check out the best examples below:

Hungry Hungry Hippos was an ’80s favorite for kids across the country. Now, Bryant imagines it as a cross between Jaws and any one of a number of Syfy original movies about mutated animals that only want to eat people. Interestingly, these are just hungry hippos, not hungry hungry hippos.

Justin Bryant

Mouse Trap seemed like such harmless fun when we were kids. But now imagine it as the next incarnation of the Saw franchise, and it feels a whole lot less wholesome.

Justin Bryant

Speaking of the Saw films, Chutes and Ladders now has that early 2000s “torture porn” genre vibe. Forget creepy hostels; just don’t go to the playground!

Justin Bryant

If Tim Burton were ever to direct another horror film, we have to admit that Candy Land actually seems like a perfect fit. In fact, if any one of these ever became real, we’d wager it would be this one. Michelle Pfeiffer as the evil mistress of Candy Castle anyone?

Justin Bryant

Cooties is giving us some serious Evil Dead remake vibes. Maybe they can get Sam Raimi to produce this one?

Justin Bryant

If you love these wild mashups as much as we do, you can buy prints for each of these in Justin Bryant’s online store for just $15 a pop. And to check out more of his work, head on over to his Instagram page.

Featured Image: Justin Bryant

The post Children’s Board Games Reimagined as Horror Movies appeared first on Nerdist.

Bill & Ted are getting their own board game, and it’s designed to travel anywhere.

Barry & Jason Games and Entertainment

Barry & Jason Games and Entertainment has announced its all-new Bill & Ted’s Excellent Historical Trivia Travel Game. Packaged inside a phone booth, it will put you in the pair’s shoes as they travel through time collecting historical figures so they can give their oral report and graduate high school. The first player who “collects” six historical characters from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and then returns to San Dimas High School wins. To take back a famous face you must answer a question from their historical category.

The figures and corresponding categories include: Genghis Kahn/geography, Abraham Lincoln/U.S. history, Napoleon Bonaparte/world history, Joan of Arc/women in history, Billy the Kid/”heinous” history, and Beethoven/music history.

Barry & Jason Games and Entertainment

The game also includes “Wyld Cards” that serve as “conversation starters and pallet cleansers in between trivia rounds.” So don’t worry, Socrates is along for the ride too. As is Death from Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. He’s always up for “a quick mini-game.” And, in the most perfect touch, the game also features magnetic pieces, so you can easily play it on the go.

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Historical Trivia Travel Game is already available for preorder on Amazon for $24.99, and it launches on September 9. That is unless you have a time machine phone booth of your own and can go get your copy now. If you do travel to the future, do us a favor and see what other sweet Bill & Ted merchandise is coming next, because we want all of it.

Featured Image: Barry & Jason Games and Entertainment

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Ravensburger

Ravensburger has announced a new family cooperative game (ages 10+ and up) inspired by the iconic fantasy film (which we first heard about at io9). The Princess Bride Adventure Book Game can be played solo or with up to four players. The most exciting feature though is its non-traditional—though totally conceivable—format. The game mirrors both the movie’s plot and its bedtime story framing. From Ravensburger:

“In this chapter-based board game, players need to work together to keep the plot of the story on course and tell all six chapters despite constant interruptions from a sick Grandson and interference from Vizzini, Count Rugen and Prince Humperdink. Players cooperate to complete challenges by moving the seven paintable character miniatures and discarding Story cards from their hand. Once all chapters are completed, the players win the game and true ‘wuv’ prevails.”

Not only will players cross six different boards posing different challenges—including overcoming obstacles like Shrieking Eels, the Fire Swamp, and the Cliffs of Insanity—they’ll have to cope with a sick grandson interrupting them along the way. Perfect.

Ravensburger

And even beyond the fun spirit of the game, this looks like an incredible collectible for fans. The gorgeous art captures the look and feel of the movie. And the miniatures are amazing too. The seven paintable figures include: Westley, Princess Buttercup, Prince Humperdinck, Count Rugen, Vizzini, Inigo Montoya, and Fezzik.

The game ($25) will go on sale nationwide at Target starting on October 4th. And we expect some of the movie’s biggest fans to suddenly be “ill” on October 5th. A double feature of The Princess Bride and this game is the type of sick day we wish to have.

Featured Image: Ravensburger

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Your next game night can double as a movie night when you celebrate the 35th anniversary of Back to the Future! Back to the Future: Dice Through Time is a cooperative adventure through time for two to four players. Doc Brown needs your help collecting items Biff Tannen stole from 1885, 1955, 1985, and 2015 to restore the timeline. It will take teamwork and a little luck to restore temporal balance–and watch out for those Biffs! (That’s really some evergreen advice there).

Ravensburger

Ravensburger’s Dice Through Time is a neon-colored love letter to everyone’s favorite time-traveling movies. Each timeline on the game board features five iconic locations from the venerable Back to the Future films. Of course there’s the clock tower, Twin Pines Mall, Café 80s, and more.

You’ll move your DeLorean from location to location to resolve the event cards on each space with a roll of the dice. Match the icons on the card, and you’ll clear the event and claim an item Biff has stolen. But you might need a little luck on your dice rolls and some smart planning with your friends to tackle each event as the timeline begins to crumble.

Ravensburger

Dice Through Time boasts detailed mini DeLoreans, bold illustrations on the item and event cards, and player mats that are as helpful as they are fun to look at. Plus, Doc’s dog Einstein even gets his own tokens. How can you resist that? All of the high-quality, colorful components make playing Dice Through Time an unforgettable game night experience that will make you want to re-watch the movies the moment you open the box.

Back to the Future: Dice Through Time is available now exclusively at Target at a retail price of $29.99. Pick it up, blast some Huey Lewis, and get ready to roll through time with the family.

Featured Images: Ravensburger

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Follow her on Twitter.

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Pan American World Airways defined a generation of accessible, stylish air travel. In Pan Am The Game, from Funko Games, you’ll take control of a fledgling airline and turn it into a business empire over the course of four decades. Do you have what it takes to go up against Pan Am? Becca Scott shows you the ropes in this edition of How to Play!

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Originally a best-selling strategy and resource management game by Fantasy Flight Games, A Game of Thrones: The Board Game puts you at the head of Westeros’ Great Houses. Lannister, Stark, Greyjoy, and more are at your command as you set your sights on the Iron Throne.

Dire Wolf / Asmodee Digital

Based on the events of the books rather than the television series, players can go solo against AI in A Game of Thrones: The Board Game or play with a total of six players online. King Robert Baratheon has just died and the Iron Throne is up for grabs. Naturally it will take wits, resources, and money to conquer King’s Landing and claim it for your own.

Dire Wolf / Asmodee Digital

“Winning requires more than just military might to win: players must either take power through force, use honeyed words to coerce their way onto the throne, or rally the townsfolk to their side,” says the game’s press release. “Through strategic planning, masterful diplomacy and clever strategic decisions, players can spread their influence over Westeros.”

If resource management and war strategy is your cup of milk of the poppy, A Game of Thrones: The Board Game might be the epic PC game you’ve been waiting for. Through ten rounds of diplomacy and warfare, about an hour of gameplay, you’ll find out if you have what it takes to claim the throne. Will you win, or will you… you know.

Featured Image: Dire Wolf / Asmodee Digital

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Follow her on Twitter for bad dad jokes and more.

The post The Sprawling GAME OF THRONES Board Game Goes Digital appeared first on Nerdist.

This might be the first escape room you want to escape into. The Emerald Flame, currently in the middle of its Kickstarter campaign, is a narrative adventure that blends the mechanics of escape rooms, puzzles, and interactive fiction into one tabletop experience. Tackle the game solo or cooperatively with friends. No matter how you play, the game promises to be an enchanting step into a magical world of alchemy and mystery.

What’s hidden inside The Emerald Flame? Let’s take a peek inside the game box to find out.

The Emerald Flame

As if the gorgeous components alone aren’t enough to pique your curiosity, wait until you hear the premise. “Commissioned by the Koschei Historical Society, you will take on the role of a historical expert and embark on a quest to piece together a recipe for a transformative elixir by deciphering messages, interpreting alchemical diagrams, and manipulating mysterious artifacts,” describes the campaign website.

The Emerald Flame

The narrative game is created by Rita Orlov, who also designed another successful and critically acclaimed tabletop game called The Tale of Ord. Like its predecessor, The Emerald Flame blends story and puzzles to create an engaging experience. The story was inspired by medieval alchemy and ancient manuscripts, giving the game an ethereal, almost otherworldly feel.

How much does Orlov love puzzles? You’ll find hints in the Kickstarter page and the video above that will unlock secret community forums in which new puzzles will be posted. (Not to brag, but we solved it and feel very smart now.)

If you’re a fan of escape rooms that you can play without leaving the house, don’t miss your chance to lend your support. Independent game makers typically create games in small runs, so this could be your only opportunity to grab a copy of The Emerald Flame. Designed for three chapters that run about two to three hours each, this looks like the perfect puzzle game to plan your next game night—or nights!—around.

Kelly Knox is a freelance writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Follow her on Twitter.

Featured Image: The Emerald Flame

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Finding new games can be hard when you’re stuck at home self-isolating. But a team of archeologists at the University Museum of Bergen discovered a new (old) game that is almost two millennia old! How cool is that?

As reported by Kotaku , the crew “excavated a site in Norway last month, and among the pots and glass they found there was also something a lot cooler: the remains of a board game dating back 1700 years. They found 18 double-sided pieces, or tokens, and one die, which rather than being the squat, cube shape we’re used to was an elongated, skinny rod. The game was found in an Early Iron Age grave cairn at Ytre Fosse, in Western Norway, and is thought to have been both inspired by the Roman game Ludus latrunculorum, while also serving as a predecessor of a more famous Viking age game Hnefatafl.”

If you’re familiar with either of those archaic games then you’ll be one step ahead of the rest of your competitors!

University Museum of Bergen 

It’s always intriguing to see the origins of things that we love. While this game looks miles away from our favorites, it’s an awesome artifact. There’s also a chance that we may get a playable version at some point. Both Hnefatafl and Ludus latrunculorum have been quite widely played since their discovery. How do you think this game would have been played? Would you want to play it if you could? We would definitely give this unexpected die a roll if we had the chance. With the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, we’re open to unconventional ways of entertaining ourselves. And what better way to entertain ourselves than by playing an ancient game we’d never even seen before today?

If you need us we’ll be carving some pieces and putting our gamemaster hats on!

Header Image: University Museum of Bergen 

The post We’re Obsessed With This 1700-Year-Old Game appeared first on Nerdist.

Sometimes all you want is a nice relaxing night at home in the Shire. But sometimes 13 uninvited dwarves and a giant wizard show up and take over your dining room. And while that might not make for a fun night for Bilbo Baggins, it sure does make for a memorable moment for everyone else. Now you can experience that messy musical meal with the new The Hobbit: An Unexpected Party board game.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Party is the “fast, fun, action-based” new family tabletop game (ages 10 and up) from Weta Workshop. Enlisting two to four players and lasting 40 to 60 minutes, the game takes place during the opening scenes of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. It’s the moment when thirteen Dwarves arrive “unannounced at Bag End much to Bilbo’s dismay,” kickstarting what proves to be a life-changing journey for the Hobbit. The game also features fantastic artwork from senior concept artist Daniel Falconer, who worked on Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy.

Weta Workshop

An Unexpected Party lets players “step into the Dwarves’ shoes” to try and earn points by performing lines of the song, “The Things Bilbo Hates.” As they move around Bag End, they collect items and “generally make a mess of the place.” However, they have to be careful not to push Bilbo too far. Even Hobbits can only handle so much. Everything ends when either all 15 lines of the song are completed or Thorin arrives. The player with the most points at the end (a.k.a. “who did the best job arousing Bilbo’s curiosity and shaking up his sheltered life”) wins.

“We wanted to show the lighter side of Tolkien’s world—those humorous, light-hearted moments where you fall in love with the characters just being themselves, no battlefield in sight,” said Daniel Falconer in a statement. “The impromptu Dwarf feast at the beginning of The Hobbit is the perfect embodiment of that.”

Weta Workshop

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Party features…

–In-world gameplay and authentic artwork by The Hobbit senior concept artist Daniel Falconer
–Game design by NZ board game designers Ian Luxmoore and Jarratt Grey (Endeavor)
–Open Edition
–Asymmetrical gameplay

Weta Workshop

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Party comes with…

–1 x Bag End Playing Board
–15 x Character Standees with Stands
–21 x Curious/Furious Tokens
–1 x Supply Bag
–26 x Item Tokens
–13 x Dwarf Cards (63mm x 88mm)
–30 x Party Cards (63mm x 88mm)
–11 x Bag End Cards (63mm x 88mm)
–60 x 1-Point Tokens
–15 x 2-Point Tokens
–4 x Player Boards
–1 x Rulebook

The game is available for pre-order now ($39.99 U.S.) and will ship September 2020. Not only should the game make for a fun night, it’s something to do when uninvited guests stop by. Board games are a lot more enjoyable for a host than watching people throw dishes around while singing about how angry you are.

Featured Image: Weta Workshop

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Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel Dune is getting a new big screen adaptation this year thanks to filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. So, “spice fever” is overtaking fandom once again. We recently reported on a new Dune tabletop game coming this year from Modiphius Entertainment, but it’s not the only game in town. The folks at Gale Force Nine (GF9) are resurrecting the long lost Dune board game from the ’70s. It will be available in August.

Gale Force Nine

The Avalon Hill Game Company published the original game, Frank Herbert’s Dune , in 1979. Growing up, GF9’s Peter Simunovich was a fan of the game. Legal limbo entangled the rights for decades, but GF9 eventually acquired the rights to the original board game. And now, GF9 released images and updates for the new 7-8 player expansion for Dune: A Game of Conquest, Diplomacy & Betrayal, which you can check out below:

According to the official synopsis, this expansion will add two new houses, the Ixians and the Tleilaxu, to the game. Both the Ixians and the Tleilaxu are integral to the economy of CHOAM—The Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles—and the Imperium. The royal family of Ix used to be one of the wealthiest in the Imperium. The Tleilaxu and the Emperor’s Sardaukar launched an invasion of the Ix. And then many years later, Ixian and Atreides forces liberated Ix. So long story short, the Ixians and the Tleilaxu are mortal enemies.

The rules and pieces for this iteration of the Dune game are completely different than the original Avalon Hill expansions, as well as from most fan-made builds for the print and play versions. Over the years, many fans made their own versions of these factions, including one that uses “Cymeks,” or artificially intelligent machines. It looks like those maybe influenced the Cyborg and Suboid soldiers for Ix. For fans of Frank Herbert’s classic series, this game might be just what the doctor ordered until the film is released later this year.

Featured Image: Gale Force Nine

Editor’s note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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Ticket to Ride – 2-5 players

Days of Wonder

Ticket to Ride for 2-5 players runs on a fairly simple concept: collect train cars and build routes from one destination to another. Each player receives train cards, route cards, and a bag of train cars they’ll inevitably set up in elaborate patterns between turns. To build a route’s segment, the player must collect however many cards equal the number of cards in the segment, all in the color matching the segment.

The goal is to complete all your routes—composed of those segments you claimed. Whoever’s routes are worth most reigns victorious. Routes you miss are counted against you. If you’re into it, you can get a number of different Ticket to Ride games and expansions. My favorites are Europe and 1910 (Big Cities), respectively, but all versions have their charms.

Arkham Horror – 1-2 players

Asmodee

Spooky single players, rejoice! Arkham Horror, with its multiple decks, three-part campaign, and seemingly infinite turn phases may look intimidating. However, once you start your journey through the New England town of Arkham, you’re going to have a hard time getting out—for better or worse. Arkham is a suspiciously quiet town with more than a few secrets, all of Lovecraftian nature.

It’s up to you as an investigator to puzzle out what’s going on and help keep the Old Ones at bay. Once you get the hang of the rules, you can easily spend an hour and a half making your way through each individual playthrough. Not only is it time-consuming, it’s intellectually stimulating. Think of it as a welcome break between rounds of Rocket League and watching the second season of Fleabag for the sixth time.

Stratego – 2 players

PlayMonster

The X-Files introduced me to Stratego, which Fox Mulder and his sister Samantha are playing when she’s abducted by aliens. Naturally, that has nothing to do with the game itself, but it’s of note to me. In the game, you and another player face off, setting up armies on opposite sides of the game board. Each soldier piece is assigned a different value. So when your opponent sends one of their soldiers to infiltrate your forces, you’ll be able to determine whether you’ve succeeded in that individual combat.

This is all in pursuit, and to protect, your two flags. Whoever claims the other player’s flags wins. As its name indicates, Stratego is entirely driven by strategy. That’s why I’ve never won a game. But I love it anyway. It’s a classic for a reason.

Mage Knight – 1-4 players

Sergey Ovcharenko/BoardGameGeek

If you’re in the mood for something fantastical, then Mage Knight will scratch that itch. You, the titular Mage Knight, cast spells, slay monsters, storm castles, and, generally, forge your own path through an epic landscape. It’s possible to play with multiple people, but Mage Knight is ideal for a party of one, thanks in large part to the solitary nature of the character you’re taking on. Also, it’s long. A single session can go for hours on end as you blaze your own trail, opting for adulation, notoriety, or some combination thereof. When the Discord you’ve been relying on for Dungeons & Dragons inevitably encounters server issues, you can turn to this.

Love Letter – 2-4 players

Christy Admiraal

Love Letter features the tagline “5 Minute Fun!” And while that is accurate (it is, indeed, fun for five minutes), that says nothing of how clever it is.

Driven by both luck and strategy, Love Letter includes seven kinds of cards. Each card has a different action and comes in various quantities: the more common, the less helpful. You’ll use actions to claim your opponent’s cards, and whoever claims seven cards first (signified by tokens) wins. It’s fast, it’s fun, and it’s infinitely replayable. Plus, it comes in different fandom-friendly editions, so if you don’t want to go with the Victorian-inspired original, you can opt for Adventure Time, Archer, The Hobbit, or, my personal favorite, Batman.

Spirit Island – 1-4 players

Greater Than Games

Area-control games have been a staple since Risk, and Spirit Island builds on that basic model in innovative ways. It transports you to an alternate history in which colonizers are attempting to disrupt the tranquility of your island home. It’s up to you, a spirit, to defend the land, sometimes with the aid of the peaceful, respectful islanders living there, sometimes in spite of them.

You can choose from eight different spirits, and make your way across the island, reclaiming the land as your own. It may sound more esoteric than something like Ticket to Ride, but it’s just as easy to get into (and possibly get obsessed with). Plus, it’s particularly well-suited to solo play, as many co-op board games are.

Sushi Go! – 2-5 players

Christy Admiraal

I’ve saved the cutest game for last. Sushi Go!, a game just as fun for two players as it is for more, is a card game featuring adorable illustrations of sushi with different point values and powers. The object is to gain the most points. That’s it. That’s all you have to do. That and coo over the illustrations, debating which is the cutest. I vouch for the dumpling, but there’s an argument to be made for wasabi.

Featured Image: Christy Admiraal

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