Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We’re in the middle of convention season. So, we’re sticking with new board game and video game releases for the week. And we have plenty of big releases to talk about. Let’s get to the games.

Kabuto Sumo Dice Launches on KickStarter

In Kabuto Sumo Dice, you’ll be forcefully throwing dice into a 3D arena with the goal of knocking out your opponents or getting the correct combination of pips to pin them. Last bug standing wins.

Each wrestler uses signature moves and pieces to try and gain an advantage!

Thank you, All Play, for the Kabuto Sumo Dice’s description. I have yet to play Kabuto Sumo, but I’ve always liked the game’s king-of-the-hill style of play. I also like Kabuto Sumo’s theme of bug combat. Yay! Kabuto Sumo Dice continues that trend with–well–dice. Combining dice chucking with a dexterity element is excellent. Love it. And All Play has a long history of creating some great, approachable board games. Kabuto Sumo Dice’s pledge levels range from $39 to $249. Quite the spread, but gamers have plenty of options. The lowest level only includes the base game. Add another $40 or so dollars, which includes two other games, Wild Berries and Imp. If you’re interested in Kabuto Sumo Dice, check out its KickStarter page.

Elementary Launches on KickStarter

Welcome to Monster Elementary, a mystical grade school where Snax are social currency and every lunchbox is a chance to make new friends. Bluff your classmates, collect delicious treats, recruit quirky monster friends, and build the lunch table every monster wants to join.

Elementary is a family-friendly bluffing and tableau-building dice game. Each round, players secretly shake and roll custom Snax dice inside their lunchboxes before taking turns raising the stakes, calling bluffs, and competing to earn first pick from the cafeteria’s vending machine.

The Snax you collect can be traded to recruit monster friends, each bringing unique abilities and elemental synergies to your growing friend folio. As your circle of friends grows, so do the powerful combinations you can create, rewarding clever planning as much as daring bluffs.

Over the course of the game, you’ll collect Snax, outwit your classmates, and make new friends.

Thank you, Littlest Lantern, for Elementary’s description. Flamecraft’s dream team, game designer Manny Vega and artist Sandara Tang, return. That tandem, along with Elementary’s theme of a monster elementary school, has me hooked. From what I see, players can convert items into other items, which could–ironically–make Elementary more complex than Flamecraft. And that’s okay. Flamecraft is already a great game for gamers who want to dip their toes into more complex games. Who knows? Elementary could further that concept. Elementary is definitely on my watch list. If you’re interested in Elementary, check out its KickStarter page.

The Isle of Penguins Launches on KickStarter

The Isle of Penguins is a competitive open-drafting and penguin-placement board game.

As a citizen of Squalls End, your expedition to the frozen lands of the north has suddenly become a rescue mission, and you must rescue as many penguins as possible before the ice melts. To succeed, you’ll travel to ice floes, gather fish, study ancient lessons, and clear rocks from your uniquely shaped raft. As you rescue penguins, you must find a way to fit them all on your raft while protecting their eggs and keeping families together.

The game features:

• Open Drafting: Manage your speed to stay ahead in the rescue, and claim the discoveries you need most.
• Penguin Placement: Rescue penguins, create families, and protect eggs, as you try to fit everything onto your raft.
• Simultaneous Play: Everyone searches the ice together, placing tiles onto their raft at the same time.
• Multiple Modes: Family, advanced, and expert modes, from young explorer to seasoned rescuer.

In The Isle of Penguins, every penguin matters. Will you master the ancient lessons, fill your raft, and bring every penguin home?

Thank you, The City of Games, for The Isle of Penguins’s description. Many gamers (Season is one of them) may have been fooled in April with an Icecraft meme, but The Isle of Penguins is a real game. I’m still holding out hope that we will get an Icecraft game from Manny Vega and Sandara Tang. The Isle of Penguins furthers concepts found in 2019’s The Isle of Cats. The Isle of Cats is yet another game I have yet to play. Season picked up a copy several years ago, and I’m still waiting for her to bring the game to the table. I like the theme of rescuing animals. Polyominoes are always fun. The Isle of Penguins’s simultaneous play has me intrigued. Games may not take too long, and simu-play tends to let games scale well at various player counts. The Isle of Penguins is yet another banger release this week. If you’re interested in The Isle of Penguins, check out its KickStarter page.

Culdcept Begins Releases on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2

A hidden classic that fuses board and card games, Culdcept features a unique, innovative system that has captivated fans since its debut. Players become Cepters, wielding cards in intense battles where luck and strategy collide. After ten years, a brand-new story begins once again.

Oh…my…ghost! For the first time in over ten years, we get a new Culdcept game. Early last year, Season covered the Culdcept franchise’s history. Ah! I love it. In short, Culdcept combines elements of Monopoly with Magic: The Gathering. This combo shouldn’t work, but it so does. Graphics for the older Culdcept games haven’t aged the best. They were never bad, but they could’ve used an update. I like what I’ve seen from Culdcept Begins. Judging from the picture above, it looks as if Culdcept Begins upgraded the game’s interface. Upgraded lands appear to have levels to them, and that’s fantastic. I’m certain Geekly will pick up a copy. This may be one of the games we cover in 2027. I’m always down for a new game of Culdcept.

Moss: The Forgotten Relic Releases

Moss: The Forgotten Relic is an emotional and atmospheric adventure set in the pages of a living storybook, brimming with myth and ancient magic. Guide a tiny but determined hero on a heartfelt journey of challenge, courage, and connection.

Moss: The Forgotten Relic takes the popular VR game Moss and gives it a 3D platform puzzler twist. I’m a sucker for a cute and engrossing platformer. The platformer genre has seen some great additions in recent years. Ori and the Will of the Wisps, anyone? Moss: The Forgotten Relic has received solid reviews. At $20 on Steam, Moss: The Forgotten Relic may be worth the value. I don’t know if platformer games (outside of Nintendo titles) can charge full price. But at that price, I’ve added Moss: The Forgotten Relic to my wishlist. Moss: The Forgotten Relic is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.

That’s all the geek news we have for this week. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.