Tag: board games

Whatcha Playing, Geekly: August 2026

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Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. Today, our writers share what they’ve been playing over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been playing this month, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get this post started with what I’ve been playing over the past month.

Kyra’s Video Games

Die in the Dungeon is a dice version of Slay the Spire. Die in the Dungeon is a roguelite where players choose a path in a branching dungeon. Instead of building a deck, you’ll build a dice pool. The computer rolls your dice for you–so that’s a tactical goodness you’ll miss with Die in the Dungeon–and die placement on a 9-space grid shaped like a diamond can be the difference between victory and defeat.

Because it uses dice, Die in the Dungeon feels like it has fewer parts than Slay the Spire. I may be wrong. But dice can only do so much, and each die type is color-coded. Red attack. Blue block. Green heal. Purple dice give bonuses. There are more die types (that have various actions), but usually, if a die has a similar hue to the base dice, the die will be a variant of one of those three basic die types. For example, pink dice are typically splash attacks (attack all enemies). I’m just getting started with Die in the Dungeon, but I can see this one as a good candidate for a Quirky Video Game Review sometime next year.

If you like Slay the Spire, you should give Die in the Dungeon a try. A free demo does exist on Steam. You can try before you buy. I can see Die in the Dungeon getting its own tabletop game adaptation. I really like rolling dice, and while you can reroll dice in Die in the Dungeon, it doesn’t hit the same as clicking a button to roll the dice at the beginning of combat. Sure, Die in the Dungeon saves time by autorolling your dice before each round of battle. But I want to roll dice.

I’ve been keeping up with Apex Legends. The new legend, Axle, is fun. Per usual (for skirmisher legends like Axle), she was released in an overpowered state, and Apex Legends has since nerfed her in line with the rest of the roster. With the launch of the E-District map last season, Apex Legends feels like it’s gained some positive momentum. I wouldn’t mind Respawn alternating new legend, new map, new weapon, and new game mode each season (which spans three months), but it’s Respawn, this is a not-so-sudden influx of new content. While some live-service video games flood their games with an abundance of content (ahem, Fortnite), Apex Legends drags its feet. Longtime fans of the game don’t ask for much. They just want consistent new content.

Apex Legends releases a new legend and map every year and a half. I stopped playing the game for three years, and the weapon pool remains the same. Sure, the game has made tweaks like making the RE-45 an energy pistol, and it added akimbo for the Mozambique and P-2020, but Apex Legends has not had a new weapon since the Bocek. The Bocek was released during the pandemic. The pandemic. That feels like a lifetime ago. I’ll admit. New weapons affect Apex Legends’ gameplay the most. Every character can pick up any of the weapons, so you need to get the balance right. But Apex Legends also hasn’t released a new way to play the game since Gun Run in 2022. The game is still fun. Stale but fun.

Vantage Board Game Logo

Kyra’s Board Games

I’ve been playing a bit of solo Vantage. The game plays well as a solo experience, but more players make the game interesting. Like so many board games, the optimal player count rests somewhere in the middle of the lowest and highest player counts. Solo is too lonely. Six players would slow Vantage to a crawl. Three to four players is the happy place.

I may offer to GM Vantage at a future board game convention. If you’re in the Omaha area during Nuke-Con (first weekend in October), stop by and say hi. And if you want to explore a strange and exciting alien planet, we can launch a round of Vantage. I love the game’s system. Vantage’s combination of storybooks and cards makes each session an adventure.

Monster Chef 01 Board Game Logo

Typically, I don’t mention my games that I’m playtesting, but I will for this month’s post. Monster Chef works as a hand management game. Omitting the card drafting helped. The new ability (Cleaver) allows players to zip through the decks more effectively. Maintaining the same hand helps players plan their next turn. I do wonder if Monster Chef plays better at three players and above. I’ve played plenty of two-player Monster Chef, and it doesn’t have the same pizzazz. It’s still good. But I prefer Monster Chef at 3-5 players. At any player count, Monster Chef doesn’t overstay its welcome. I may have found the right pacing.

Switching Rustbucket Riots from a dice rolling game to a bag building game threw off the game’s balance. At first, I also struggled with the players feeling less powerful. That won’t do. So, I made some crazy rebalancing for the game. Adding minions to player bags is brutal. Players can bust and don’t get what they want. That’s a double whammy. I’m keeping that dynamic–for now–and trying to add fewer minions to the bags each turn. We’ll see where this leads. I love Rustbucket Riots’ bag building. This mechanism allows for quicker onboarding for gamers. Most of an initial teach would be explaining what happens when players roll, lock, place, and spend dice. Now, you grab tokens, place, and spend. Rustbucket Riots is far more streamlined. Now, I just need to finish rebalancing the game.

That’s all I have for this past month. Let’s see what Season and Skye have been playing.

Season’s Video Games

I’ve also been playing Apex Legends recently. I haven’t played in years, so it feels fresher to me than it does for someone who’s played consistently. Normally, I don’t care for FPS games, but Apex Legends is the one exception for me. Seriously, I can’t aim to save my life. I can’t even utilize V.A.T.S well in the Fallout franchise. That’s how bad I am. I like Apex Legends because of the squad element, ping system, and interesting characters.

I’ve been playing Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time for a couple of weeks, and I’ve been having a blast. It’s an adventure, farming simulator, dungeon crawler, has MMO elements for multiplayer, and has Animal Crossing aspects to it. It has so much content that I AP’ed trying to figure out where to start. So far, I’m 71% finished with the main story, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a lot of fun, and it encourages players to play the game how they’d like.

Skye’s Video Game

I laser-focused on Stardew Valley for weeks. Stardew Valley is a game that’s been in my PlayStation library for years now, but I remembered after coming out of my surgery that I never technically “finished” it. I hadn’t completed all the community center bundles, I hadn’t unlocked all the house upgrades, I hadn’t obtained every variety of livestock, I hadn’t finished the museum collection, and I certainly hadn’t been to every location. After these few weeks, I’ve made it nearly to summer of year 3 and have spent an obscene amount of time managing my farm, building relationships, and desperately trying to renovate the community center. All I have left to do is donate a Fiddlehead Fern and a Pufferfish and it’ll be done, but it’s been more difficult than I expected. Eventually I’ll have the community center back to its former glory. Just you wait.

Hey, hey, Kyra Kyle here again. Those are the games our writers have been playing over the past month. Let us know what you’ve been playing in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: August 2, 2027; New Releases

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. I’m still taking a break with headlines. Let me know if you’d like to see more headlines in the future. Instead, we’ll be covering new releases for board games and video games. Let’s get to the games.

Garden Dragons Launches on GameFound

The Great Migration of dragons is coming and it is time to prepare the fields for their arrival!

Plant flower dominoes of the same type together to make the garden beautiful while discovering flower dragon tiles hidden in the fields from last year’s migration.

You will place one of your newly found dragons in the community’s Hatchling Nursery and the other you will take home to raise as your own.

However, you will need to choose wisely. The more common a type of dragon is in the nursery, the less prestigious and valuable they become.

They better you are at grouping flowers together, the more successful you will become. Once you are happy with a flower bed you have planted, place a helper to claim it as your own.

Have the most bountiful gardens and the rarest dragons to become the best flower dragon gardener in Garden Dragons.

Thank you, B A Games, for the description. I’ve actually demoed Garden Dragons. I love this title. I’m definitely backing this GameFound project. We didn’t have the full display (shown above) because space was limited, but I caught the gist of this game, and it’s every bit the whimsical pairing of dragons and gardens as you would think. Season is a gardener, and she happens to love dragons. This is playing into my “need” to back this GameFound project. But even without her, I love players’ abilities to dictate how much a dragon will score points. The image above has a overall board pictured in the top lefthand corner. The numbers are where players place dragons they don’t want. Placing a dragon on those spots lowers the dragons of the corresponding type’s point value. Brilliant.

Garden Dragons has two pledge levels at $38 and $65. If you’re interested in Garden Dragons, check out its GameFound page.

Cult of the Lamb: The Board Game Launches on KickStarter

Cult of the Lamb: The Board Game is a competitive dungeon-crawling and worker-placement game for 1 to 4 players, packed with the dark charm, humour, and unmistakable style of the hit video game from Massive Monster and Devolver. Whether you’re discovering the Land of the Old Faith for the first time or returning as a devoted leader of the flock, you can now experience Cult of the Lamb on your tabletop!

Crusade through dungeons, defeat Bishops, build your Cult, manage your Followers and become the most powerful prophet – balance the risks of adventure with the demands of leadership as you carve your path and shape the future of your flock.

Faith will be tested. Followers will dissent. Poop will absolutely become a problem.

The Land of the Old Faith is yours to conquer!

Thank you, Paper Fort Games, for the description. Paper Fort Games is a relatively new gaming company, and they have experience with adapting video games into board games: Terraria. Video games turned into board games are a far better bet today than they’ve ever been before. The Slay the Spire Board Game inspired the video game to incorporate a multiplayer, cooperative gameplay for the video game sequel. I don’t know if Cult of the Lamb: The Board Game will reach those heights, but Paper Fort Games’ Terraria was well received, and some of the mechanisms sound interesting. Crusades and base building sound fun.

The Cult of the Lamb: The Board Game offers multiple pledge levels, ranging from $81 to $335. If you’re interested in Cult of the Lamb: The Board Game, check out its KickStarter page.

Cook It Launches on KickStarter

Cook It! is a card-drafting and hand-management party game played over four menu rounds: Appetizer, Entree, Dessert, and an Open round

The deck consists of 100 unique ingredient cards. There’s an additional deck of Attack cards to disrupt you friend’s recipe. On a turn, a player draws from the central deck to modify their five card hand, aiming to craft a meal description that fits the active round’s category.

After three rounds, all players simultaneously reveal their five card hand and pitch their completed culinary creation to the table. Players then cast secret votes using Frying Pan tokens to determine the best dish. Players cannot vote for themselves

Tiebreakers are resolved by totaling the raw Pan Points on the matching ingredient cards. After each of the first three rounds, all cards are gathered and reshuffled. The game ends in the fourth Open round, where players who have not been eliminated face off in a final showdown

The player who wins the final open round wins the game. An optional real world variant challenges the winner to actually prepare and cook their winning five card recipe in real life.

Thank you to the designer (Ovi Nedelcu) for the description. Cook It! sounds like a hilarious party game with some mild take that elements. Players draw five cards, they can “attack” players by stealing their ingredients or adding an undesirable ingredient to the mix. But that doesn’t matter. The art is in selling whatever dish you plan to make. Can you make a gummy bear gumbo sound appetizing? If so, your dish may be voted as the best recipe of the bunch. Cook It! has a simple concept, but it also sounds hilarious. If you’re interested in Cook It!, check out its KickStarter page.

Cirque Releases on GameFound

Cirque is a game about the joys and wonders of the circus. In Cirque, players take on the role of a Ringleader as they scout for talent, hire performers, build the reputation of their circus, and carry out performances. Each player builds their circus individually on their circus boards, and the main action tiles provide spaces of interaction and competition.

Cirque is designed around friendly competition, immense replayability, and appreciation for the circus and its craft. Alongside 180 unique performer cards, game setup includes randomized individual and shared goals to make each game a unique experience.

Thank you, Lithic Studios, for the description. Cirque features a unique mechanism where each circus performer has two values, depending on which performance occurs. This varies gameplay from one round to the next. If you notice, the gameplay ranges from 30 minutes to two hours. When Lithic Studios says 30 minutes per player, they’re referring to solo play as well. Crazy! There’s a lot going on in Cirque, but it looks like one of those games where the individual parts are easy to understand, but the full game plays out in various ways. Cirque is a point salad style of game, meaning players earn points in various ways. This leads to multiple paths to victory. Leveraging your performers during the best possible moments can mean victory or defeat. If you’re interested in Cirque, check out its GameFound page.

Truxton Extreme Releases

Take down hordes of alien invaders with your Power Shot, Truxton Beam, Thunder Laser, Homing Shot, Star‑mine Shot, and more! Don’t forget to breathe as you face off against gigantic bosses in the ultimate battle for humanity’s survival!

Ah! Truxton Extreme gives me mad flashbacks to Galaga or 1942. Truxton Extreme has received positive reviews. It accomplishes what it sets out to do: update fixed shooters to modern consoles. Truxton Extreme’s graphics look great for a fixed shooter. It definitely scratches that nostalgia itch. Truxton Extreme is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series S/X.

Mistfall Hunter Releases

Mistfall Hunter is a dark fantasy extraction ARPG. Combine skills, talents, and gear for each class in thrilling combat! Whether you team up or go solo, one thing remains certain—only by fighting your way through can you return with a full haul. Good luck, Gyldhunter.

Mistfall Hunter looks pretty. With the exception of a couple of Obsidian titles (The Outer Worlds 2 and Avowed), the Action RPG genre of video games hasn’t seen too many good releases. Mistfall Hunter looks to change that. While I can’t speak to the gameplay itself (I have yet to play the game), the graphics look solid. I just hope Mistfall Hunter has the gameplay fluidity to match. Mistfall Hunter is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

That’s all the geek news we have for this week. Which game looks the most interesting? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: July 26, 2026; New Releases

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We don’t have a headline for this week of Geek News; I’m still setting up JK Geekly’s Instagram presence. We’ll be on the Gram in August. Woot! Even though we don’t have a headline, we have plenty of new releases for board games and video games. Let’s get to the games.

Rosalie Launches on KickStarter

In Rosalie, players are aspiring rose breeders competing to build the most magnificent rose garden and earn renown as the finest nursery grower in town.

Each player begins with a small plot of land and a dream. Over the course of the game, players plant roses, crossbreed new varieties, cultivate their soil, and adorn their gardens with fountains and windmills. New and exotic roses are temperamental — neglect their care, and they will wither. To help tend the garden, players can recruit caretaker robots, powering them with electricity to keep their precious roses alive and thriving.

Workers are at the heart of the operation. When their hands are free, players direct them to carry out essential tasks: planting, breeding, tilling, and decorating. Every decision shapes the garden, gradually transforming a modest patch of earth into a source of pride.

Money is always available — the town is generous with its loans, and players can borrow freely whenever funds run short. But beware: at the end of each year, interest quietly accumulates. Debt begets debt, and what once felt like a lifeline can become a chain that strangles your ambitions. Managing finances wisely is just as important as cultivating beautiful roses.

Balance your budget, breed striking new varieties, and build the most captivating rose garden to claim victory.

Thank you, uchibacoya, for the description. Wow! Just wow! Rosalie: A Rosy Game of Gardening looks amazing. The image above showcases a player board. These boards are double-layered, and the one pictured depicts the character Nana. But Rosalie’s double-layered player boards have inserts. You can change Nana for another character, allowing for multiple character abilities and replayability. I like the recent trend in nature-themed board games. Rosalie looks like another solid title. It’s not for the faint of heart. As you can probably tell in the picture above, there’s a ton of strategic depth in this game, and uchibacoya is no stranger to garden-themed games. They have a history with their Garden Trilogy (Dinosaurs, Birds, and Fish). A game like Rosalie is in their wheelhouse. This game looks amazing.

uchibacoya is an up-and-coming board game publisher. While I have yet to play one of their highly regarded games, I have full confidence in uchibacoya delivering with a game like Rosalie. The game boasts several strategies and an intriguing action-selection mechanism. Pledges range from $88 to $169. If you’re interested in Rosalie: A Rosy Game of Gardening, check out its KickStarter page.

Shakeup Adventures Launches on KickStarter

What happens when party game designers make a dungeon-crawling RPG? You get all the adventure and none of the homework.

ENTER THE DUNGEON THAT DOESN’T STAY STILL
Gather a party of up to six heroes (or foolhardy friends) and dive into this ever-changing dungeon. With billions of possible map configurations, you’ll never explore the same dungeon twice.

Build your character abilities, analyze the map, and draw your unique path through monsters, curses, and spike pits, racing fellow adventurers to complete quests and conquer each floor.

Learn, set up, and begin play in under 10 minutes, but don’t be fooled: the possibilities and strategies will challenge even seasoned gamers.
Light enough to explore with the family, but deep enough to spend hours crawling with your gaming group… ready for adventure?

Thank you, Very Special Games, for the description. I almost dismissed Shakeup Adventures when I first saw it. I thought it was a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) peripheral. I was interested in a randomizer for a dungeon crawl (D&D and other TTRPGs I play and DM) and marked Shakeup Adventures for later, thinking I’d add it to my TTRPG repertoire. And then I saw that it was a standalone board game. What? Despite thinking Shakeup Adventures was a TTRPG add-on, and JK Geekly doesn’t typically cover TTRPGs because there are so many releases each week, I still wanted to cover this project. Since it’s a board game, I don’t have to justify covering this game. Yes!

Just yes! Shakeup Adventures takes little time to set up. I love the randomization. Shakeup Adventures claims its game sessions take thirty minutes to an hour. If so, I don’t know of too many dungeon crawlers that take so little time to learn the rules, set up, and play than Shakeup Adventures’ claim. You had me at variable dungeon floors, Shakeup Adventures. And the fact that players shake the castle (pictured above) to randomize the dungeon floors is insane. The toy factor is through the roof. Shakeup Adventures pledges range from $39 to $269. The entry level isn’t as high as I would’ve thought. If you’re interested in Shakeup Adventures, check out its KickStarter page.

Stag Launches on KickStarter

Stag follows the life cycle of beetles — a game of planning and resource management, culminating in a social deduction showdown where you can lose it all if you’re too greedy!

Players plan their actions using their action tiles, then resolve them simultaneously. The aim is to score the most points
by progressing your beetles through their life cycle, going up the trait track and fulfilling personal and universal objectives.

Each stage of the beetle life cycle is represented by the card mats and rings circles on the board (with the middle ring rotating each round). Once two or more beetles reach the final stage, a showdown is triggered! After 5 showdowns points are scored to determine the winner.

Thank you, Split Stone Games, for the description. We have a stacked release for board games this week. GenCon is right around the corner, so we’ll see even more great games launching on KickStarter and GameFound. Each of these projects should still be active when the largest board game convention of the year begins. I’m stoked for Stag. The circle above is a rondel whose layers rotate. That’s so cool. The tiles pictured at the bottom are on top of a player board. These tiles can be moved to cover or reveal the symbols (like the double circle and red teardrop). Wow! Just wow! I said it before, I could say it for each one of this week’s board game titles. Split Stone Games has outdone themselves. Stag’s production value is fantastic.

You don’t see it in the picture, but those player boards have spaces underneath where players can slip cards into place, giving them extra abilities. You may be able to trigger more than one. I’m unsure of that. Stag has an intriguing design. It’s the second game this week to use double-layered player boards in a new way. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Pledges range from $60 to $129. Well, there’s also an opulent edition set at over $1000. I can’t believe that pledge level has seven backers. Wow! If you’re interested in Stag, check out its KickStarter page.

Dinoblade Releases

Dinoblade is an intense action RPG set in a prehistoric world forever changed by a cataclysmic event. Step into the role of a young Spinosaurus, wielding a colossal Great Sword. Confront rival dinosaurs, some armed with weapons of their own, all in a desperate fight to prevent a looming extinction.

At first, I thought Dinoblade was a joke, but you’re playing as a sword-wielding dinosaur. Yes, please. Dinoblade has received good reviews, so somehow Team Spino made this mashup work. I’m certain Season wouldn’t mind playing a game with samurai dinos. Dinoblade sounds right up her alley. And at less than $20 on Steam, Dinoblade has an enticing price point. $20 sounds like a good price for sword, dino hijinx.

Gurei Releases

Gurei is an unforgiving game with precise combat. Fight challenging bosses in any order, acquire their unique powers, and succeed on your own terms.

Okay. I learned a new video game term this week: boss rush. Gurei gives me crazy Cuphead vibes (in terms of its gameplay), and that’s because it’s a boss rush game, which is the same game type as Cuphead. Gurei’s aesthetic is closer to Hollow Knight. Gurei is yet another video game title this week that has received good reviews. Publisher Astrolabe is a prolific studio. They’ve put in a lot of what they’ve learned from previous titles into Gurei. The game looks slick. Gurei is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5.

Splatoon Raiders Releases on Nintendo Switch 2

Splatoon Raiders differs from other Splatoon titles. It features a single-player story. Gamers can choose between playing an Inkling or an Octoling. Accompanied by members of Deep Cut (introduced in Splatoon 3), players explore a region known as the Spirhalite Islands.

I’ve played very little of the Splatoon franchise, mostly because I didn’t have enough friends on the Nintendo network to play multiplayer games. Splatoon Raiders hits different. I’ve always liked the polish of Splatoon games, but I’ve been reluctant to pick up a copy because I didn’t think the games had much of a story mode. Splatoon Raiders changes that, and like most Splatoon titles, it’s received high marks. I may need to watch out for Splatoon Raiders.

Those are all the new releases for board games and video games for this past week. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Tabletop Games from 2002

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another Top 5 Tabletop Game List throughout the years. 2002 has more than one big name game. We’ll see some familiar names—both designers and game series—but 2002 also saw some new blood. We’ll get to the board games in a bit, but first, let’s review our list’s criteria.

1: Cultural relevance plays as much of a factor as overall quality. A game might make a list that doesn’t hold up to others of its type, but you must admit the game is everywhere.

2: Only one game from a franchise makes the list. This will become more of an issue the closer we get to games with expansions.

3: Longevity plays a role, too. A game doesn’t have to fly off the shelves today, but it had to have some widespread appeal for a decent time.

Honorable Mention: Pirate’s Cove (2002)

Pirate’s Cove has been out of print for a while; I hope it returns to print soon because it’s a great light-to-mid-weight game, featuring pirates. Who doesn’t love pirates? Players simultaneously select which island they’d like to visit. Each island allows players to upgrade parts of their ship.

But if two players land on the same island, they fight. The goal of fighting is to scare off your opponent and be the last ship on the island, so you can upgrade your ship. Ultimately, you’ll want to have the most fame. While Pirate’s Cove can be a little mean at times—I’ve picked islands I knew a weak opponent would choose—the game plays fast.

5: Mexica (2002)

That’s a clean sweep. Each one of Michael Kiesling and Wolfgang Kramer’s games in the Mask Trilogy made one of these lists. Don’t let Mexica’s ranking at five fool you. It’s a well-regarded game and a fitting end to the trilogy. Players score points (El Grande style) based upon their dominance in a district.

During the first round scoring, only districts score points. In the second round (at the end of the game), all land areas and districts score. This adds some spice to the way scoring occurs. It also allows players to recover from a weaker first round. Unlike Java, Mexica has seen a recent reprint. And I love the building play pieces.

4: Wallenstein (2002)

Wallenstein introduced—or at least popularized—the dice tower, even if its dice tower is more of a cube tower. Players place cubes at the top of the tower, and eventually, the cubes fall to the bottom, granting resources. I don’t know why more games haven’t used the cube tower. If you tear open the cube tower, you’ll find landing spots for the cubes to get stuck. Clever.

This mechanism would receive an update with two recent games: The Loop and Dead Reckoning. This adds to the mystique of this game mechanism. Every game that has used this mechanism has been highly regarded. Does the game have a cube tower? It must be great.

3: Bang! (2002)

Bang! is easily the weakest game on this list—and that includes the honorable mention—but Bang! may have the largest cultural impact. Bang! solidified the hidden role game. You know what your role is and you must figure out who everyone else is playing. The Sheriff (whose identity is known to all players and has an extra health point) wants to kill all Outlaws and the Renegade. Deputies protect the Sheriff and kill Outlaws. Outlaws want to kill the Sheriff. And the Renegade wants to be the last one standing.

Bang! has seen its share of spin-offs, too, including the even better Bang! The Dice Game, which speeds up the already brisk gameplay.  And so many themed versions of Bang! the card game. There’s even a Bang! card game based on Marvel’s Secret Invasion. Eek! Bang! can be a good time. It’s thematic; you’re playing out a Spaghetti Western. I call Ringo.

2: Age of Steam (2002)

Martin Wallace and train games go togetherlike board and game. The game that claims BoardGameGeek’s top spot is Brass: Birmingham, a train game by Martin Wallace. Age of Steam is only the second time Wallace made a train game. It improves on Voldampf (2001) in almost every way.

Age of Steam set the tone for what a mid-to-heavy-weight train game could accomplish. Heck. Case in point, the only designer who could outdo Martin Wallace was Martin Wallace. Even though another Wallace train game tops BGG’s list, Age of Steam still sees play. I’ve seen countless people create new maps, keeping the game alive.

1: Puerto Rico (2002)

Puerto Rico easily takes the top spot. It’s the highest-rated game (on BoardGameGeek) and maintains a spot in the Top 100 games. But more importantly, Puerto Rico may have more influence on how games are designed today than when it was first released. Each round, players take turns selecting a role card from the display. When a role is chosen, every player gets to take the action appropriate to that role, but the player who selected the role also receives a small privilege. For example, choosing the “Builder” role allows all players to construct a building, but the player who chose the role may do so at a discount. So much of modern board game design adapts this concept in exciting ways.

Flamecraft comes to mind. Players upgrade spaces (shops) on the board that benefit everyone at the table, but the player who made the upgrade gets an additional kickback. Having your play benefit or affect someone else’s forces to players to pay attention to what their opponents are doing. Puerto Rico turns up the ante. Everyone gets some variation of the action you choose each turn. This small twist heightens the tension of each choice. Brilliant!


Did we get the list mostly correct? Let us know which games you’d add in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: July 19, 2026; New Releases

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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.

Geekly News 05July2026 Sony Ends Physical Game Discs

Geekly News: July 5, 2026; Sony Ends Physical Game Discs

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. After the family emergency (surgery), we’re getting back into the swing of things with Geekly News. We have plenty of new releases for board games and video games, but first, let’s cover this week’s headline. And Sony makes yet another headline. Sony Interactive Entertainment just can’t stop making news, can they?

Sony Ends Physical PlayStation game discs in 2028

I know. I know. I’ve mentioned Sony numerous times during this year. When I first learned Sony had made the news, I wondered what they did this time. You may tire of Geekly covering Sony and PlayStation news, but we’re tired of the company making news. We’ll begin by being as objective as we can and then editorialize a little bit.

In a blog post this week, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced it will end production of physical game discs in January 2028. Sony cites gaming trends as the chief reason for making this change. Games released before January 2028, along with existing physical titles, will not be affected. Players will still be able to purchase and play those games as they do today. Sony said the move will allow the company to “align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.”

In a separate announcement, Sony stated that they will close the PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in July 2027. The digital storefront will shut down even earlier in some countries across Latin America and the Middle East. Sony claims the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita can no longer support their updated payment processing standards. Players will still be able to re-download games and other content they have already purchased for the “foreseeable future,” the company said.

Some of that may ring true. The PS3 and PlayStation Vita are aging systems. But the fact that Sony can cut off the digital libraries of those gaming systems proves why physical media matters. Players don’t own games they “purchase” digitally. Sony can yank player access to games on their digital store at any time. And while I do believe more gamers “purchase” their games online, “purchasing” games online is more like renting them. Players will need to pay full price for a game they don’t even own.

I know I’m in the minority here, but I hate the direction video games are headed. I may purchase older systems and get back into retro gaming. One may believe the PS3 is an old system. Who cares? But the PS4 and PS5 aren’t backwards compatible with the PS3. When those games disappear from the PlayStation store, some may vanish forever. That’s the thing about retro gaming and why I’m considering buying some of those older systems. I don’t have to worry about Sony (or some other video company) clicking a button and deleting my access to those older games. I own those games. Isn’t just big business to deny customers to own anything.

Okay. I’m done ranting. Let’s get to the fun stuff. New releases. Yay!

Sprout Launches on KickStarter

Sprout is a cozy, yet thrilling push-your-luck strategy game for 2-5 plant parents. Players take the role of roommates trying to sprout their newly adopted houseplants.

Choose how long to stay in your apartment collecting nutrients including Sunlight, Water, Plant Food, and even Love! The longer you care for your plants, the more nutrients you add into your pot.

Use nutrients to sprout your plant babies by meeting their picky needs. Every plant you sprout not only earns you bragging rights, but they also have unique sprout effects that help you further grow your plant family.

But be careful! If the same nutrient shows up too many times, you overwhelm your plants and wilt them! You’ll then need to give a little Love to bring them back to life.

You can also use Love to adopt new plant babies from the nursery. And with over 100 unique plants to choose from, there are infinite plant collections waiting for you to sprout.

Sometimes you’ll lend your roommates a helping hand by playing Roommate Cards. But other times, you’ll have to do what’s best for your own plants. Because at the end of the game, only one of you can claim bragging rights to the best plant collection!

Thank you for the description, Rabble. Nature-themed games have dominated the tabletop space. Sprout has plenty of competition. I’ve even recently played Verdant with a similar theme. But I like Sprout’s inclusion of push-your-luck and semi-cooperative game mechanisms. Semi-cooperative games are difficult to pull off. Believe me. I’ve tried. I’m interested in seeing how Sprout tackles the balancing act of players working together but having a reason to go against the good of the group. Rabble has a short but strong history of delivering solid games. Sprout looks charming. I’ve heard great things about the game’s player interactions. I’m keeping an eye on this project. Pledge levels range between $39 – $127. If you’re interested in Sprout, check out its KickStarter page.

Rolling Deep Launches on KickStarter

Rolling Deep is a Balatro-inspired roguelike dice-building adventure featuring a cornucopia of unlockable content, addicting challenges, and delicious combos. Each round, you roll dice representing your team’s daring actions as you push deeper underground. Decide when to act (scoring a roll) and when to try your luck (rerolling individual dice in pursuit of a stronger outcome).

When you score a roll, its value advances your progress toward a target score, the difficulty required to overcome the current stage of the journey. Each set of 3 rounds is called a chapter. Each chapter raises the challenge, and the final round of every chapter features a boss — a dangerous encounter that alters the rules for that round.

Between rounds, you visit the shop, where you spend coins to acquire upgrades and consumable gear. Some upgrades permanently alter the sides of your dice, changing their values and allowing them to generate coins or reroll potions when scored. Others boost your score, either every roll or when you score specific result ranges, rewarding careful control over how boldly (or cautiously) you push forward.

Your most valuable resources are time and reroll potions. Time determines how many opportunities you have to score your dice and accumulate a total score for the round, while reroll potions allow you to take a chance and — you guessed it — reroll individual dice before committing to a result.

Your goal is to survive 5 chapters and reach the volcano’s core. If you can overcome the final boss, you claim the treasure of the deep and escape, winning the game (and possibly discovering more mysteries to pursue in another expedition). If you fail to meet a round’s target score, you lose. Better luck next expedition!

Thank you, Bitewing Games, for the description. Bitewing has a strong history of delivering strong games. Rolling Deep looks to be another great game for their catalogue. Look at those components (pictured above). They look amazing. Rolling Deep allows players to modify dice. This concept has been tried with varying degrees of success. If anyone can pull off this feat, it’d be a publisher like Bitewing Games. I also like that Balatro serves as the basis for Rolling Deep’s DNA. I stink at Balatro, but I love how much strategic depth the game possesses. I wouldn’t mind if a board game attempted to adapt Balatro at face value. Adding the twist of a dice builder makes Rolling Deep an intriguing game combination.

And I love the Cuphead-inspired art. Yes. It may be a little overplayed, but Rolling Deep’s visuals look amazing. Bitewing Games is known for its production value, and Rolling Deep is no different. This is definitely a game you should have on your radar. Pledge levels range between $59 and $149. If you’re interested in Rolling Deep, check out its KickStarter page.

Artifox Launches on GameFound

Step into the bustling city of Artifox Famous for it’s beautifull Artifacts. As a fox living on the street, life is tough, but your cunning and courage can take you far! You dream of more, and you know that by perfecting the art of stealing, you can amass great wealth. Do you dare to take on the challenge?

Artifox is a strategic and interactive card game for 2 players that takes you on a whirlwind adventure full of cunning and deception. Start with a base deck and traverse the city to steal from various shops. Each card stolen will be added to your hand and eventually your deck. Use these tools, tricks or traps to manipulate the field and steal valuable loot. Guards are on the lookout so be carefull!

However, you are not the only one eyeing the city’s treasures. Your opponent is after the same loot and will do everything possible to outsmart you and steal your findings!

Have you gathered a Trick, Tool & Trap? Then it’s time to steal Mayor Silverfang’s treasures! These valuable artifacts are added to your deck and can be stolen by your Opponnent. When no Artifacts are left at Silverfang Manor, the fox with the most Artifacts wins!

Thank you, Octo Push Games, for the description. At first, I thought Artifox would include deck building. It does not. It’s more of an open drafting card game with plenty of hand management and a healthy dose of take that. If you know me, you know I don’t typically care for take that games unless they have a short run time. Artifox takes about thirty minutes to complete, which is on the long side of short. But Artifox is also a two-player only gaming experience. I don’t mind a longer take that game if it’s two-player only. Yes. I target you with all my nasty abilities, but since the game is two-player only, it feels less like I’m picking on someone because I choose to pick on them. They’re my only opponent. Great!

I love Artifox’s theme of sneaking through a bustling city and stealing items. Not enough board games include stealth. I’m interested to see how Artifox expresses this idea. My guess is that players will “push their luck” and journey deeper into the city. It also looks as if Artifox may have workers, but their write-up doesn’t include “worker.” I wonder if the meeples (pictured above) are guards. If so, neat. We have a healthy collection of board game new releases this week. If you’re interested in Artifox, check out its GameFound page.

Council of Serpents is a manipulative tug-of-war game with hidden objectives. Three noble Houses are vying for power, but you are not one of them… You are a member of the Council of Serpents, and manipulate these Houses to achieve your own ambitions.

You scheme to orchestrate the triumph or collapse of one of these great Houses by manipulating their three attributes; the strength of their army, the amount of gold in their coffers and their popularity with the people. If one of these attributes ever reaches the top of its track, the game is immediately over, and that House triumphs. Whereas if an attribute reaches zero, the game is also immediately over, and that House collapses.

You achieve this by playing Influence cards to cause Conflicts, escalate Conflicts into Wars, prepare for these Wars by playing facedown Intrigue cards, make Peace and orchestrate support from powerful Guilds. After playing an Influence card, you enact the top card of the timetrack, often causing the Houses themselves to act. When the timetrack runs out of cards you collectively build it anew, shaping the plans of the Houses for the turns to come.

Thank you, Wulfhorn Games, for the description. Council of Serpents sounds like a variant of a party game like We’re Doomed with more political intrigue. It features multiuse cards (always a favorite mechanism of mine), hidden roles, and negotiation. I’m not the best with negotiation, but I love it when a game uses the mechanisms. I can’t wait to see how I’ll screw up this mechanism. Council of Serpents’s production value looks amazing. That’s to be expected, most board game that launch on GameFound tend to have higher quality production values. Council of Serpents sounds like one of those games I’d love to play but wouldn’t be very good at. Still, color me intrigued. If you’re interested in Council of Serpents, check out its GameFound page.

Star Fox Releases on the Nintendo Switch 2

The original Star Fox gets its glow up with a brand new release on the Nintendo Switch 2. While I would’ve loved a new entry into the series (Nintendo has put Star Fox on the back burner for far too long, and his appearance in the recently released Super Mario Galaxy movie should’ve been accompanied by a new game, in my opinion), I’ll take a remaster or remake. The graphics look phenomenal.

Star Fox for the Nintendo Switch 2 is more of a remaster. It doesn’t take long to finish, but finishing the story is only part of the game’s joy. Star Fox’s multiplayer modes offer extensive replayability. Players can play cooperatively to complete challenging missions, or they can challenge each other in a competitive mode. I don’t know if I care for Star Fox’s more “realistic” graphics. The game loses a little bit of its charm by deviating from its cartoon art design. Still, it’s Star Fox. If you’ve always wanted to play the original, the Star Fox remake on the Nintendo Switch 2 may be a great way to experience this classic.

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.

Geekly News 21June2026 New Releases

Geekly News: June 21, 2026; New Releases

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We’re forgoing any headlines for new releases in board games and video games. I have some family obligations over the next few weeks, so Geek News may need to be new releases for a little while. But it’s games. Who doesn’t like new games? Let’s get to this week’s crop of new board games and video games.

Shiver Me Timbers Launches on GameFound

Shiver Me Timbers is a highly thematic, strategic sandbox game set in the Golden Age of Piracy. The game is heavily Euro-inspired: It uses a tactical card-based combat system and takes lots of strategic planning to use your available actions to optimal effect and become the most notorious pirate of your era.

Each playing will vary as you randomly reveal five of ten vastly different victory conditions: One game, you’ll be rescuing your lost family, the next you might have to conquer enemy ships and fortresses or face the hideous Kraken.

At the beginning of the game, each player secretly chooses two of the revealed conditions as their personal goals. After all players have chosen, they set-up the fully modular board, each of them trying to find a constellation that optimally supports their hidden agenda. Then they outfit their modable ship miniatures, select their starting abilities and equipment and set sails to fight, conquer, trade, loot, hunt for treasure and much more.

During play, every achievement is rewarded with victory points. The game continues until all five victory conditions have been met. There’s a final scoring in which players collect extra points if they managed to achieve the goals they chose, and highest point total wins.

Thank you, Weltflucht Verlag, for Shiver Me Timbers’ description. This game looks amazing. This will be a theme with this week’s board game new releases, but I don’t have too many pirate games. Shiver Me Timbers looks like a pirate game I wouldn’t mind owning. Exploration? Check. Cool pirate ship minis? Check. Shiver Me Timbers even throws in some dice chucking. Except for the description above, I have no idea how this game plays, but I’m interested in Shiver Me Timbers. Players’ ships are supposed to be customizable. What? I like the idea of building my own pirate ship. Yo ho! If you’re interested in Shiver Me Timbers, check out its GameFound page.

Siege Perilous Launches on GameFound

In this expansive (and expandable) Euro-style board game, 1 to 4 players will traverse 12 kingdoms that compose Arthur’s Britain, each kingdom containing unique interactable locations, including castles, churches, training towers, ports, markets, fountains, dungeons, and the famed Forest Sauvage. The map itself changes throughout the game, as new events arise, foreign campaigns become available, and Merlin appears with a task that needs doing.

As a player, you will choose from among 6 Player Characters: Dame Britomart, daughter of King Rience; Sir Claudin, son of the Gaulish tyrant; Sir Galleron, proud son of the Northern wilds; Dame Marfisa, warrior queen of the East; Sir Morien, hailing from distant Africa; Sir Priamus, descendent of Judas Maccabeus and Hector of Troy; Sir Sadok, former vassal of the foul King Mark; Sir Wigalois, a lost son of Camelot. Each character begins with a unique set of statistics, which you will endeavour to increase throughout play, plus a starting quest unique to them. From there, embark upon your knightly career as you see fit.

I don’t know much about Siege Perilous, but Play to Z makes phenomenal games. I don’t have too many Arthurian-themed board games. There are plenty of them on the market. But I personally don’t have too many of these types of games. Siege Perilous looks involved. It’s a heavy Euro-style board game. And Siege Perilous may be worth it for the art alone. The artist, Jay Johnstone, uses traditional medieval art methods to create these images. Ah! Siege Perilous looks amazing. If you’re interested in Siege Perilous, check out its GameFound page.

Sovereign: Shōgun Launches on GameFound

Sovereign: Shōgun is a competitive strategy game set in feudal Japan, where rival daimyos struggle for political dominance, military strength, and imperial legitimacy. Each player leads an asymmetric clan with unique advantages, competing to shape the future of the realm while a young heir sits at the center of shifting power.

On their turn, players select a single action using a River-style action track. Actions grow stronger the longer they remain unchosen, creating constant tension between acting early at lower strength or waiting for greater impact while risking that another player claims the opportunity first.

Core actions include Harvest to generate income from developed lands, Move to reposition armies, Develop to expand infrastructure and territories, Mastery to recruit and strengthen military forces, and Diplomacy to gain favor with temples and increase influence. Timing, positioning, and reading opponents are just as important as raw military strength.

The game ends when a player reaches the required threshold on either the Points or Glory track, or when a Harvest-related condition triggers the endgame. Victory belongs to the clan that best balances economic growth, military power, and political influence.

Thank you, PHALANX, for the game description. Wow! Look at Sovereign: Shōgun‘s miniatures. This looks like a highly interactive dudes on a map board game. Sovereign: Shōgun has the look of Risk or Axis and Allies, but the base building separates the two. I have yet to play Sovereign: Shōgun, but it sounds like players will need to balance their economy, military might, and political influence to win. A lot is going on with Sovereign: Shōgun. Publisher PHALANX is known for Brass: Birmingham and Scythe. Both of those games are near the top of BoardGameGeek’s all-time greatest games list. While I don’t put that much stock in BGG’s Top 100 Games, it is a good benchmark for a baseline great game. PHALANX can deliver on a game like Sovereign: Shōgun. If you’re interested in Sovereign: Shōgun, check out its GameFound page.

Survivalist: The Board Game Launches on KickStarter

Survivalist drops two to six empty-handed players into the brutal wilderness for ten nights. Each day forces a decision: stay warm at the fire, recover in the nearby clearing, or push into the backcountry and gather what’s needed to prepare for seven threats. As the game progresses, these threats grow worse and nearer: thirst, storms, hunger, illness, wildlife, fatigue, and isolation. The game plays out as a tense survival simulation where every round is a balancing act of action selection and resource management, shaped by limited time, limited backpack capacity, and the constant threat of injury.

The game ends when only one person is left standing. Whoever endures the longest is the true survivalist—and the winner.

Thank you, Homestead Games New Zealand, for the game description. I love the idea of a survival board game. Survivalist: The Board Game offers Push Your Luck, Risk Mitigation, Resource Management, and even Worker Placement. I love these mechanisms in board games. I have yet to play Survivalist: The Board Game, but the combination of game elements sounds interesting. The one mechanism that gives me pause is Player Elimination. I don’t care for games that feature player elimination if the game lasts too long. Fortunately, from what I’ve heard, Survivalist: The Board Game lasts no longer than an hour and a half. I hope this is the case, because Survivalist: The Board Game sounds like a game Mrs. Geekly would enjoy.

Survivalist: The Board Game offers plenty of pledge levels, ranging from $60 – $500. The $500 price tag sounds like a lot, but backers who choose this option can offer feedback for Homestead Games New Zealand’s next release. I have yet to see that offered in a KickStarter campaign. Curious. I’m keeping an eye on that to see if it takes off. You never know if Geekly may start a KickStarter campaign. If you’re interested in Survivalist: The Board Game, check out its KickStarter page.

Is That Sheep Looking at Me? Launches on KickStarter

Make sheep out of sheep heads and butts; you can even make weird ones. Use action cards to stymie your opponents or help you build the biggest flock in the flock-building party card game, Is That Sheep Looking at Me?.

Is That Sheep Looking at Me? has a quirky theme and game pieces to match. It sounds as if Is That Sheep Looking at Me? has plenty of Take That. While I’m not the biggest fan of Take That as a game mechanism, Is That Sheep Looking at Me? takes little time to set up and play, so I’ll give it a pass. And the artwork is hilarious. Is That Sheep Looking at Me? also has a reasonable set of pledge levels: $25 and $35. It’s worth a gander–wait, that’s geese. If you’re interested in Is That Sheep Looking at Me?, check out its KickStarter page.

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Releases

A brand-new action RPG from the creators of Octopath Traveler and Bravely Default. In The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, open new paths as you explore this untamed continent and reveal the world’s mysterious history. Enjoy intuitive and rewarding action-based battle with a healthy dose of strategic support abilities from a fairy.

Publisher SquareEnix states that The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales serves as a spiritual successor to Chrono Trigger. I’d like a true sequel to Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross or at least an HD remaster of Chrono Trigger. In lieu of that, I’m down with a title like The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. Who knows? If The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales does well, SquareEnix may publish a true sequel in the Chrono series. Regardless, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales looks amazing. Its HD-2D graphics are on point. What else would one expect from the creators of Octopath Traveler. While I haven’t picked up a copy yet, I will in the coming days. Let us know if you’d like Geekly to write a review of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. It’s available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and the Nintendo Switch 2.

Turn tactical, turn-based strategy on its side in R-Type Tactics I • II Cosmos! Making its debut on modern consoles, this two-game collection features revamped visuals, multiple campaigns, and branching missions!

I didn’t play the original release of these two games, almost forty years ago today. Yikes! The updated graphics look amazing. R-Type Tactics I * II Cosmos has a rather hefty price tag ($50) for a remaster, but you do get two games for the price of one. From what I’ve heard, R-Type Tactics I * II Cosmos has massive strategic depth. These games challenge gamers to use their wits and adapt to their environment. Experimentation is key. I love the sound of that. While I may not spend $50, especially without a playable demo, I’ve wishlisted R-Type Tactics I * II Cosmos. Like The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, you may hear more about R-Type Tactics I * II Cosmos. R-Type Tactics I * II Cosmos is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.

That’s all the news we have for you this week. Which game sounds the most interesting to you? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.