Tag: Geekly News

Geekly News: September 7, 2025, New Releases

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Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! We don’t have much for geek news this week. Hopefully, we’ll have more headlines in the coming weeks. Instead of a bombshell or two, let’s get right into board game and video game new releases.

The Game Makers Returns to KickStarter

What board game fan hasn’t dreamt of making their own games? The Game Makers puts you in the shoes of a board game company, producing the most and best games you possibly can, and it returns to KickStarter this past week. Only this time, The Game Makers ditches the puns on popular board games and includes hundreds of real-world board games for you to create.

The Game Masters’ central action selection system is amazing. Players take snappy simultaneous turns by moving their forklifts along the four available options for production. This feature allows for games of less than 90 minutes, even when a game includes six players.

I’m also a big fan of dual-purpose cards. The Game Makers has these in spades. The Game Makers pledges range between $149-199, so it’s a little on the pricy side, but the game is well worth the cost. If you’re interested in running your own board game company, check out The Game Makers’ KickStarter page.

Endearment Commences on KickStarter

If you’re a huge Jane Austen and board game fan, Endearment is for you. Endearment allows gamers to become one of Austen’s beloved heroines and recreate many of her classic works in this swoonworthy game for one to four romantics.

Endearment is produced by Dux Somnium Games, which had other hits like Botany, La Fleur, and Artistry. Endearment continues the board game company’s flair for the dramatic. Dux Somnium Games has a reputation for high-quality components and easy-to-learn rules. While I don’t know the specifics for Endearment’s ruleset, I’ve ascertained it’s a scenario-based game (with scenarios based on Austen’s work), and that should add some replay ability for Endearment.

I’m intrigued by Endearment. The components look amazing, and Dux Somnium Games has a knack for capturing a theme. That’ll be much needed for Austen fans. Endearment pledges range from $49 to $329, with plenty of options in between those two price points. If you’re wanting to get your romantic gaming on, check out Endearment’s KickStarter page.

Terrorscape 2 Returns to GameFound

Terrorscape 2 channels Dead by Daylight in this team-based asymmetric horror game. Players take on the role of survivors or the killer in this epic game of cat and mouse.

Terrorscape 2 features a 3D mansion, high-quality miniatures, and variable setups for plenty of replays. Since Terrorscape 2 is launching on GameFound, we don’t know much about its pledge levels, but it will launch on September 9, 2025 and if you’re interested in Terrorscape 2, check out its GameFound page.

Lost Games Launches a Four-Game Package on GameFound

Lost Games joins the latest trend of board game companies offering their entire annual catalogue in a single campaign. Wishland has received rave reviews, and it makes up half of the four games on offer in Lost Games’ four-game GameFound package. That’s a great sign. Lost Games’ other three games have also received favorable reviews. I love the idea of a board game company releasing all of its games in a single campaign.

And Lost Games offers a lot of value with its three or four-game bundle. Dreamwood, Medieval Realms, and Wishland: The Card Game are available with a $39 pledge (that’s three games for about $13 apiece), while gamers can include the Wishland Big Box (with all the expansions) for a pledge of $120. Sure, $80 is a lot for one game, but this is a game with at least three expansions, and you still get the previous three games at the same price. If you’re interested in Lost Games’ three or four-game bundle, check out its GameFound page.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Releases

Hollow Knight fans rejoice. The long-awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong sequel released this past week. Hollow Knight: Silksong won Unity Awards’ “Most Anticipated Game” in 2021 and 2024. So, fans have been waiting for half a decade, and Hollow Knight: Silksong looks like it delivers.

Hollow Knight: Silksong’s protagonist Hornet leaps through the air with ease. Hornet offers more gameplay options than their predecessor. They can flip over huge enemies like a gymnast and pull off insane acrobatic feats, and Hornet will need all of their tricks to make it through Hollow Knight: Silksong’s punishing platforming levels. Fortunately, healing receives an overhaul in Hollow Knight: Silksong. Instead of a slow drip heal like the Knight, Hornet can instantly heal three health nodes and can do so on the move. But beware. Hornet has a silk meter, and healing three nodes of health immediately empties the bar.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is available on multiple platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. There are so many options. Hopefully, one of our writers will get enough hours in-game for an upcoming review.

Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots Releases

The long-running golf video game series Everybody’s Golf/Hot Shots received its first new release in almost ten years, combining the game’s original title (Everybody’s Golf) and North American (Hot Shots Golf) title, Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots. Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots features over 10 golf courses and 25 golfers who (like in former entries) can be unlocked as playable characters.

Honestly, I haven’t played Everybody’s Golf for more than a session or two since the original PlayStation Portable. The series offers a lot of varied and goofy play. From what I can remember, Everybody’s Golf has plenty of depth in play, too. Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots received some backlash for its use of AI-generated images. But according to a GameRant article, Bandai explained AI-generated images were limited to “leaf and tree textures” on the golf courses. Background tree textures can be tedious to recreate, and using AI-generated images to create tree textures is understandable. Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots is available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. I wonder if Switch 2 will get a release date later. Fingers crossed.

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

Geekly News: August 31, 2025, MCU X-Men

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Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We have several new releases for video games and board games, but before we get to those, the MCU made a somewhat major announcement: they’ve started work on their version of the X-Men. Okay. The MCU was going to begin work on the X-Men within the next year, so this may not be the biggest of headlines, but this could lead to future headlines.

The MCU Begins Work on X-Men

Thunderbolts* may not have done as well at the box office as the MCU had hoped, but it was a great recent entry for the MCU. The Thunderbolts*’s director, Jake Schreier, proved he could handle the quirky and dysfunctional family dynamics of the New Avengers. He even explored the team’s mutual trauma and had them bond. Marvel agrees with me. Early this year, Marvel Studios gave Jake Schreier the nod as the upcoming X-Men movie’s director, meaning Marvel’s mutants are in good hands. In a recent interview with Empire Magazine (via Deadline), X-Men director Jake Schreier confirmed he’s already working on X-Men.

Schreier doesn’t elaborate on his statement, so we don’t have much to glean from what he said. He literally said work on X-Men has begun. Okay. Looks like we may need to extrapolate. That’s right. Buckle up, because we’re flooring the gas pedal into MCU speculation territory.

Early this month, we mentioned an unnamed MCU movie scheduled between the two upcoming Avengers movies (Doomsday and Secret Wars). I stand by our reasons for the MCU films we thought could be released between Doomsday and Secret Wars: Deadpool 4, Black Panther 3, Blade, and Doctor Strange 3. Schreier mentioned X-Men would begin filming next year. Taking recent MCU production practices into advisement, this could add X-Men to the list of possible movies to fill the “unnamed MCU” film slot. But I’m reluctant to add X-Men.

The X-Men will need more build-up than a standard MCU film production. While I’m excited for an X-Men MCU film, my enthusiasm rises with the thought that X-Men will receive an additional year of filming, ensuring the film is the best it can be. X-Men will have too much going on for a quick year-and-a-half turnaround. That production schedule may work for Thunderbolts*, not X-Men. Asking the MCU to squeeze in an X-Men movie between Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars is a huge ask.

However, we should expect X-Men casting news to heat up in 2026. Until now, we’ve had mostly speculation. Geekly even did our own fan casting for the MCU’s X-Men. But that’s what most “X-Men Casting” has been to this point, fan casting. With Scheier’s announcement, X-Men will begin filming in 2026, and casting rumors will be more than speculation. I’ll be on the lookout for trusted industry insiders (like Daniel RPK, who has a great track record with MCU casting news) to report on potential X-Men cast members. In short, if we see someone consistently cast in a role for months by a trusted industry insider, there’s a great chance the actor has been cast for the role. This is the time for X-Men rumors to boil.

Stay tuned. 😉

Transecopia Emerges on GameFound

Transecopia adds hidden placement to the dice placement mechanism. Turns go quick with simultaneous play, and multiple win conditions keep the game fresh and exciting. I’m unsure of Transecopia’s theme, but I imagine it has to do with underwater exploration, based on the game’s artwork. Since I’m unsure exactly what you’re doing, I’ll be focusing on the gameplay, which looks fantastic. Transecopia has a relatively simple concept. Players simultaneously roll dice so everyone can see. Then, everyone places screens in front of their player boards and begins placing dice.

Player boards are resolved in areas, positioned top to bottom and left to right. Whoever has the highest value of dice located in each area, earns the resources from that area. Like I said, Transecopia has a simple concept, but you’ll need to outthink your opponents. Armed with the knowledge of what everyone rolled during the round, you can take educated guesses to where you think your opponents will place their dice. The big reveal is a blast and bound to yield audible responses.

Since Transecopia is releasing on GameFound, we have little information on how much pledges will be at this time. If you’re interested in Transecopia, check out its GameFound page.

The Gilded Realms Marches onto GameFound

Harness the unique strengths and skills of your people in the robust kingdom builder, The Gilded Realms. Armed with their own factions, players compete to defend and fortify the crucial region, The Pristine Mountains. The Gilded Realms offers a lot of customization to each game. Faction upgrades come in handy as you try to build the best empire.

The Gilded Realms offers a ton in its box. This second printing, offered on GameFound, features a new expansion for an extra wrinkle. The Gilded Realms has received great reviews. It offers an intriguing hybrid of simultaneous and turn-based gameplay. Again, The Gilded Realms is on GameFound, so we have little information on how much a pledge will cost. My guess would be in the triple figures, over a $100. You’d be getting a lot of game at that price. If you’re interested in The Gilded Realms, check out its GameFound page.

Airport Empire Lands on KickStarter

Who hasn’t wanted to run their own airport? Airport Empire puts you in charge of a small airstrip and tasks you with building it into an airport empire. Events occur to keep you on your toes. You can buy upgrades to expand your tiny airstrip to an airport. The airport pieces look great. But watch out. You must meet your needs to upkeep your growing business.

You score points in three categories: customer satisfaction, profits, and efficiencies. I love Airport Empire’s example of “an air traffic control tower is great to improve efficiency, but does little to improve your bottom line, where as maintenance hangars brings in revenue but go unnoticed by passengers.” I’m wondering if you don’t “need” these structures to run your airport. That’ll be fun. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

I like that Airport Empire keeps each version the same. Too many board game campaigns offer varied game experiences with deluxe versions of the same game. And Airport Empire offers plenty of pledge options, ranging from $49-95. That’s a good range for what appears to be a middle-weight game. If you’re interested in Airport Empire, you can check out its KickStarter page.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Star-Crossed World Expansion and Switch 2 Upgrade Released

Kirby and the Forgotten Land was–and still is–a great three-year-old platformer. Kirby gets his time for a Switch 2 upgrade, but this upgrade comes with an expansion, Star-Crossed World. The 12 new levels add some interesting twists to the fun formula. Hilarious Mouthful Mode transformations and the levels themselves make Star-Crossed World a worthy addition. I am a little worried by the Switch 2 upgrades. Switch 2 upgrades should be free if players already purchased the game for the Nintendo Switch, but this upgrade does come with an expansion. Upgrading Kirby and the Forgotten Land from Switch to Switch 2 does give you the Star-Crossed World expansion. This may be an adequate middle ground.

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

Geekly News; August 24, 2025,

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Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We don’t have much in the way of major headlines this week, but as usual, we’ll break down the board game and video game new releases. Let’s start with board games.

Storybook Saga Opens on GameFound

We’ve been covering every Solo Game of the Month release on GameFound ever since January of this year, because these games, even if they don’t look like ones I’d be interested in, are designed by established board game designers, and this company never fails to deliver. This month’s game, Storybook Saga, continues this tradition. Per usual (for GameFound), we don’t have an idea of pledge costs or Storybook Saga’s game mechanisms. But it looks amazing.

Players assemble a team of classic storybook characters and attempt to survive scenarios. Each card will be tarot-sized–you don’t see much of that. the art looks stunning. Storybook Saga is yet another Solo Game of the Month title that uses top-notch components. And even though we don’t know how the game is played, you know Storybook Saga will be a solo game, and the pledge should land in a reasonable price range. My guess would be $20-35. If you’re interested in Storybook Saga, check out its GameFound page.

Reiner Knizia’s Hanami Launches on KickStarter

As Hanami’s subtitle says, Hanami is an update to the Reiner Knizia classic board game Samurai, and when I say Samurai is a classic board game, believe it. The game still holds an impressive 7.5 rating BoardGameGeek. Yeah. 7.5 on BGG means the game is great.

Hanami celebrates a different side of Japanese culture, but one that’s still steeped in Samurai tradition. Who doesn’t love sakura blossoms? Hanami offers a lot of free add-ons for a standard pledge of $40. If you’re interested in Hanami, check out its KickStarter page.

Restless Spirits Emerges on KickStarter

Restless Spirits puts players in the role of a spirit guide, trying to collect magical totems and release spirits. Restless Spirits’ rules are easy to pick up. Choose a spirit guide, attract spirits to your board, find and play matching totems, use spirit abilities to gain an advantage, and release the most spirits. This game gets really combo-tastic.

Restless Spirits is another game that features tarot-sized cards. I’m always down for that. The art looks amazing, but my favorite feature for Restless Spirits is its story mode. Tales of the Spirit Realm is a collection of 12 short folktales about the Spirits in the game. Before playing, draw a Tale card (either at random or in order), turn to the associated page in the Tales booklet, and read the story. Each Tale has an accompanying gameplay modifier, so you get to learn more about the specific spirit you’re playing, which comes with a fun gameplay twist.

Restless Spirits offers a couple of pledge levels. The standard edition costs about $47 (the prices are in Pounds), while the deluxe version that adds some extra swag runs about $74. If you’re interested in Restless Spirits, check out its KickStarter page.

Herdling Video Game Releases

This past week was a big one for indie video game releases. Herdling is a brand new adventure from Okomotive, who also created the atmospheric and acclaimed FAR games and Firewatch.

Herdling looks stunning. If it follows previous Okomotive releases, Herdling should have more of a focus on immersing gamers in the world it’s crafting. I never thought herding livestock would appeal to me, but Herdling has me second-guessing that opinion. Herdling released on PC, Nintendo Switch, Playstation5, Xbox.

Discounty Lands on Steam

Newcomer developer Crinkle Cut Games released its first video game, Discounty, on Steam. Discounty takes some concepts of games like Stardew Valley and applies them to a discount supermarket. You’ll be managing a local supermarket and getting caught up in small-town drama. Organize and plan your shop’s layout and strike lucrative trade deals as you expand your business empire.

Discounty scratches that resource management itch that I often get. The quirky town looks fun and inviting. And at the time of writing this post, there’s a bundle for Tiny Book Shop (which we covered in a previous Geekly News post and is an amazing video game) and Discounty. If you’re interested in Discounty, check out its Steam store page.

Sword of the Sea Sails onto Systems

I’ve always liked developer Giant Squid’s aesthetic. Giant Squid are the ones behind Abzû and The Pathless, but their art director also worked on Journey and Flower. You can see those influences in Sword of the Sea. Players control a Wraith, who explores abandoned and desolate worlds, hoping to bring life back to them. The Wraith explores the world with a hoversword, which is part snowboard, skateboard, and hoverboard. Needless to say, this world is stunning.

Sword of the Sea plays like an eco-fantasy. In a world as desolate as the one made by the Once-ler in The Lorax, Sword of the Sea has players soar through barren lands, seeding them with life in an art style reminiscent of Journey or Flower. Sword of the Sea’s premise has me intrigued. Giant Squid delivers the graphics we know them for, and that makes for a title on my short list of 2025 video games that I need to try. Sword of the Sea is available on PC and Playstation5.

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: August 17, 2025, Board Game Industry Drama

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Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. It’s another Sunday, and we have another week of Geek News. I mentioned in last week’s post that the board game industry has seen a lot of drama over the past several weeks. I had a week to collect my thoughts and figured I would try to make some sense out of the chaos.

Board Game Industry Drama

Two major incidents occurred over the past month: one involving Devir Games and the other CGE (Czech Games Edition). CGE’s drama will need a little more context and has more layers. Devir’s is more straightforward, so we’ll begin with Devir Games.

Devir Games Ace of Spades

Devir Games’ recent release Ace of Spades includes depictions of white slave owners and (as Devir mentioned in a press release last week) a black person in a state of enslavement. According to Devir Games (in the same press release), their intent was to reference the film Django Unchained. While this can explain the inclusion of these images, the terminology Devir used in Ace of Spades, and the cards’ effects, it doesn’t excuse the behavior. To Devir Games’ credit, they issued an apology and took immediate action.

Ace of Spades is being recalled, the offensive cards swapped out with new art and terminology, and the new cards will be available for anyone who purchased Ace of Spades before this change. The original game will not be available for purchase.

I first heard about Ace of Spades‘ misstep several days before this apology. I hadn’t yet seen the images. Several of the board game communities I’m a part of discussed Ace of Spades in detail. In a post that has since been taken down, one community member posted the offensive pictures and said they didn’t see anything wrong with them. Personally, seeing the images was worse. I figured they were bad. They sounded bad. But they were worse than I imagined. The one titled “Fugitive” looks like it was taken from Birth of a Nation. Wow! Hopefully, board game publishers will hire cultural consultants or community representatives (of the ones depicted) in the future.

Czech Games Edition Codenames: Back to Hogwarts

The Ace of Spades fiasco is straightforward and found a swift conclusion. Czech Games Edition’s (CGE) Codenames: Back to Hogwarts gets a lot messier. While Ace of Spades displayed obviously disturbing images, Codenames: Back to Hogwarts upset a large percentage of the board game community because of Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling’s politics and her hateful actions against a marginalized community.

Quick Thoughts on Themed Versions of Codenames

I likely won’t review the newly released Codenames: Back to Hogwarts because I don’t care for themed versions of Codenames. I’ve read a lot of Marvel Comics, and if you’ve read JK Geekly, you’ll know I keep up with the MCU, and yet, I find little enjoyment in Codenames: Marvel. People who know the intellectual property well will stomp on people who don’t. The same will be true of Codenames: Back to Hogwarts because of the game’s trivia-like nature, but this new version could give the standard Codenames’ formula a new twist.

Full Disclosure: I also won’t purchase Codenames: Back to Hogwarts because I’m non-binary, I have a trans daughter, and J.K. Rowling intends to use her royalties to target the trans community. In fact, I don’t care for Rowling’s moniker sounding too close to JK Geekly, so I’ll refer to her from this point forward as Joanne Rowling.

Quick Note on JK Geekly’s Name Origin

We named ourselves JK Geekly for Jim and Kyra Geek-Weekly (Geekly) or (Just Kidding) Geekly. JK Geekly is in no way affiliated with Joanne Rowling. We’re the jolly, queer, and effeminate JK.

Czech Games Edition’s Response

CGE’s response took longer than Devir’s because the issue is nuanced. Codenames: Back to Hogwarts is the first Harry Potter-themed board game in years. Honestly, it’s the first Harry Potter-themed board game since Joanne Rowling began her hate campaign against trans people. CGE made the decision (to go forward with the game initially) because many of the people in CGE’s staff enjoy the world of Harry Potter, but CGE came to the determination that they can no longer support Harry Potter’s writer, Joanne Rowling.

CGE had gone too far with the production process with Codenames: Back to Hogwarts and couldn’t back out of releasing the game. With Joanne Rowling’s intent clear (per LGBTQ Nation, she’s a billionaire and will donate most or all royalties to anti-trans causes), CGE chose to donate 100% of Codenames: Back to Hogwarts profits to trans charitable organizations. CGE promises its charitable donations will at least equal Joanne Rowling’s royalties.

I like CGE’s response if they were stuck with having to publish the game. I love the board game community who stood up for trans rights and spoke out against Codenames: Back to Hogwarts when it was first announced. You made my daughter and me feel accepted at the gaming table. And while I respect CGE’s decision, this situation is as messy as my toilet bowl after my colonoscopy prep. There weren’t enough disinfecting wipes.

Unlike Devir’s Ace of Spades where no hate group (or person who associates with a hate group) benefited from the sale of their game, Joanne Rowling, a member of several trans hate groups, stands to gain from Codenames: Back to Hogwarts.

Many people grew up reading Harry Potter. I’m not one of them, but this situation reminds me of when I stopped watching American Football, a sport I grew up watching, and more specifically, the NFL, because the NFL lied and covered up CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) findings. Quitting something you love consuming is difficult. If you still love Harry Potter, you don’t need to give it up entirely. Enjoy it. But perhaps you can find a way to avoid lining the pockets of a billionaire hell-bent on destroying a marginalized minority. You could try buying Harry Potter swag second-hand.

Alright, let’s get to some happy topics.

Skyscratchers Pounces on KickStarter

Every month–sometimes every week–another awesome cat-themed board game launches on KickStarter or GameFound, and I’m here for it. Keep them coming. Skyscratchers is the latest fantastic-looking cat-themed board game. Players compete by having their cats climb to the top of a skyscraper. Skyscratchers is a 3D game where magnetic kittens climb on the side of a skyscraper.

You can coax your cat to climb a level by using cat toys. Typically, you’re “safe” when your kitten sits on one of their matching color windows, but staying exclusively on your color is a slower path to the top. Calculated risks are needed to win the day.

Skyscratchers looks amazing. It’s easy to teach, and the toy factor alone has me interested. Pledges range from $30-75. If you’re interested in Skyscratchers, check out its KickStarter page.

Risk of Rain: The Board Game Crashes Onto KickStarter

Risk of Rain adapts the indie roguelike platform game into a replayable, progression-based board game. Your spaceship crashes. Players pick a survivor to guide through the alien planet Petrichor V. Risk of Rain is a truly cooperative game, because players must communicate every step of the way, and the game features some interesting game mechanisms.

I like Risk of Rain’s inclusion of a “Row.” Survivors play cards facedown to the row. While you can’t say exactly which card you played during a turn, you can hint at what you played. Monster cards are also added facedown to “The Row.” When all the cards for the turn are chosen, they all are revealed and then rearranged based on speed. This is a cleaver adaptation to Gloomhaven’s initiative system.

Publisher Nerdvana Games is a relative newcomer, but I’m impressed by their catalogue so far. If you get a chance, you should also check out Nerdvana’s previous game, Everbloom. I like that Risk of Rain plays out swiftly. Most scenarios last about an hour, and Risk of Rain offers a campaign if that’s more your thing. Risk of Rain’s pledges range from $125-235. If Risk of Rain sounds like fun, check out its KickStarter page.

Ducks in a Row Waddles Onto KickStarter

Ducks in a Row takes the idea of Mastermind (one player creates a code and the other attempts to crack it) and turns it into a multiplayer experience. One player (the Conducktor) hides the 7 Ducks of Legend behind their screen in a secret order. The other players use guessing to figure out where these Ducks are. Whenever someone draws the Goose card, everyone gets one final turn. Players score points for the highest uninterrupted row of ducks.

Ducks in a Row has a simple premise that I’m sure will go over well with families and younger gamers. Ducks in a Row pledges include a $25 standard edition and $40 deluxe edition. But you could spring for one of ten $999 pledges and turn yourself (or your character) into one of the 7 Ducks of Legend. If you’re interested in Ducks in a Row, check out its KickStarter page.

Ark Nova 3rd Edition Releases on GameFound

Ark Nova should need little introduction. As of the writing of this post, Ark Nova is the third-ranked board game on BoardGameGeek. Players build the best possible zoo in Ark Nova. And since Ark Nova is launching its 3rd edition on GameFound, game piece upgrades abound.

We don’t know much about the Ark Nova project yet because it has yet to launch, but the third edition should look amazing. If you’ve been waiting to pick up a copy of Ark Nova, you may want to consider backing Ark Nova 3rd Edition on GameFound. But I’ve found more people are willing to unload their current copy of a game at a reduced price when they back the next edition. Hmm. If you can’t tell, I’m making my scheming face on the other side of the computer screen.

Ascension 15th Anniversary Edition Lands on GameFound

I always enjoyed Ascension, but I never owned a physical copy of the game; I played the video game adaptation for Ascension, which I highly recommend. Ascension builds on Dominion’s framework. Ascension managed to add enough to separate itself from Dominion, but not add too much to bog down the gameplay. I may finally break down and purchase the 15th Anniversary Edition of Ascension because the game offers all of the previous expansions.

Ascension has consistently earned awards over its 15 years. The Ascension 15th Anniversary Edition gathers all of the award-winning game into a single package. We don’t yet have Ascension’s pledge details, but you can follow the campaign when it releases on GameFound later this week.

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

Geekly News: August 10, 2025, Spider-Man: Brand New Day Update

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Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. A lot has been happening in the tabletop/board game industry this past week, but I may take another week to gather some thoughts. Something to look forward to for next week. XD Instead, we have a couple of MCU updates this past week, and of course, we’ll discuss this past week’s new releases. There were some good ones. But first, let’s discuss the rumors and leaks for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Several Spider-Man: Brand New Day Rumors and Leaks

We already received word from Michael Mando that he will return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day as Matt Gargan, Scorpion. Mando even teased that he will be sporting a comic book accurate Scorpion costume, he’ll be involved in the alien symbiote story teased during a post-credit scene for Spider-Man: No Way Home. While Tom Hardy may be done with the Venom character, the alien symbiote does exist in Earth-616 (the MCU). The alien symbiote that is Venom has bonded with more characters than Eddie Brock and Peter Parker in Marvel comics. One of those other characters is Matt Gargan, so Mando saying his character will be involved with the alien symbiote makes sense. And Peter bonding with the alien symbiote aligns with the original 1980s Secret Wars, which will be a future MCU movie.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s director, Destin Daniel Cretton, and his camp have already shared multiple leaks about the upcoming Spider-Man movie. They plan to bring two comic books to life: Amazing Spider-Man #134 and Amazing Spider-Man #345.

Amazing Spider-Man #134 has Tarantula on the cover, and Tarantula was confirmed to be in Spider-Man: Brand New Day months ago by Marvel’s merchandising firm. Scorpion was also featured in this comic book, and we’ve received word from Michael Mando, who plays Scorpion in the MCU, that he will be in the next Spider-Man movie, so the leak is accurate, but this brings us to the second comic book.

Amazing Spider-Man #345 has Boomerang on the cover, and he was also leaked in a similar fashion to Tarantula and Scorpion. But look at the top of this issue (pictured above). Venom returns. It looks as though Cretton intends to include Venom, or at least the alien symbiote, in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Spider-Man’s next cinematic outing looks like it’ll be packed with villains. Earlier this year, a savage Hulk was leaked to appear in the film, and Shang-Chi (the protagonist of director Cretton’s first MCU film) is also set to return. We’ll keep you posted if we find out any more about Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Chris Hemsworth Clarifies Recent Thor Video

Chris Hemsworth will reprise his role as Thor for Avengers: Doomsday, and the actor recently shared a video titled “Thank You! The Legacy of Thor,” which ignited speculation that he might be preparing to hang up the hammer for good, after Avengers: Doomsday. Heck, I’ve seen speculation that Thor could be one of the MCU heroes Doctor Doom slays in the upcoming crossover movie.

But Chris Hemsworth clarified that he will return in Thor 5, which will most likely be set in Valhalla. Valhalla is the Asgardian version of heaven, so there’s a chance Thor could perish in Avengers: Doomsday and then star in a fifth Thor installment. Rumors suggest that Natalie Portman will also star in Thor 5, and since her character Jane Foster perished at the end of Thor: Love and Thunder, this furthers speculation that Thor 5 will take place in Valhalla. We’ll have to wait and see.

Gradius Releases on Multiple Platforms

Konami partnered up with M2 to deliver the perfect 40th Anniversary celebration for Gradius. Gradius Origins compiles most entries of the series into a single title. Gradius Origins chronicles Gradius from its arcade roots in the mid-80s all the way to the brand-new spin-off, Salamander 3. The game features over a dozen different game variations. It includes numerous quality of life additions and historical artwork.

Gradius Origins is available on PC, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5.

Tiny Bookshop Releases on Steam

Tiny Bookshop looks like it’ll be right up my alley. I love books and cozy video games. I even like resource management games. Tiny Bookshop includes all three of those things. Leave everything behind and open a tiny bookshop by the sea. Stock your Tiny Bookshop with different books (some of them are real-world classics) and items. Take in scenic locations and run your cozy second-hand bookshop while getting to know the locals.

And what would a second-hand bookshop be without the occasional cat? Yes! Tiny Bookshop gives you the experience of running your own bookstore. If Tiny Bookshop sounds like something you’d be interested in, the game has a playable demo on Steam. Meow!

Prequel Game Mafia: The Old Country Releases

The upcoming Xbox Series X game, Mafia: The Old Country is a prequel to the original Mafia trilogy. It explores the origins of mob life in the United States, transporting players back to the birthplace of one particular crime family.

Set in 1900s Sicily and following one man’s ascent from an underling to a mafioso, Mafia: The Old Country offers a new angle to the Mafia formula. Narrative-driven, Mafia: The Old Country provides a singular Mafia experience. While not Grand Theft Auto 6 (which got pushed back to May 2026), Mafia: The Old Country scratches a similar itch. It’s available on PC, Xbox Series X, and PlayStation 5.

Care Bears: Unlock the Magic Deck Builder Game Launches on KickStarter

Care Bears receive the deck-building game treatment. Care Bears: Unlock the Magic Deck Builder Game has players spread caring and compassion while facing off against unpredictable weather, wild creatures, and the mischievous Bluster and his Bad Crowd. The game features multiple difficulty settings, perfect for younger players and gamers who want more of a challenge.

Like most deck builders, each player begins with a basic deck in Care Bears. You can purchase new cards with Wish (stars), and prevent Bluster and his Bad Crowd from spreading uncaring with Care (hearts). Care Bears hasn’t received a major tabletop game since the Eighties (there have been some reskinned games like Monopoly and an odd Chutes & Ladders-like game a couple of years ago), so Care Bears: Unlock the Magic Deck Builder Game is great for Care Bears fans who’ve been waiting for a deeper Care Bears board game experience.

Care Bears: Unlock the Magic Deck Builder Game has multiple pledge levels that range from $34 (for the base game, plus shipping) to the massive All-In Pledge of $400. But the best bang for your buck may be the popular Care-a-Lot Expansion Edition ($119) that includes all base Care Bears (to include Grumpy and Tenderheart Bear) and a neoprene playmat. If you’re interested in Care Bears: Unlock the Magic Deck Builder Game, check out its KickStarter page.

Vines and Flowers: Blooming Harmony Sprouts on KickStarter

Vines and Flowers: Blooming Harmony offers 3d tile placement. What? Players take turns taking tiles from the offering and then collectively building a pergola. Watch your vines and flowers climb and trigger effects, scoring you points, on your way to victory.

I love how Vines and Flowers: Blooming Harmony turns tile placement on its head by simply adding a vertical axis. The game has stunning table presence. Tell me you wouldn’t gravitate toward this game. You’d have to know what the players were doing.

Newcomer, Whales Entertainment, has done a great job with Vines and Flowers: Blooming Harmony’s production value. While you can enjoy Vines and Flowers with cardboard pieces ($35 pledge), this Kickstarter campaign includes an exclusive wooden pieces upgrade for a $45 pledge. I’m watching this campaign closely. If you’re interested in Vines and Flowers: Blooming Harmony, check out its KickStarter page.

The Voynich Puzzle Set to Launch on GameFound

Publisher Salt and Pepper has been releasing some fantastic games on GameFound this year. We covered The Battle of the Divas, and The Voynich Puzzle looks like it’ll be another amazing game with an interesting theme.

In The Voynich Puzzle, players reconstruct the mysterious Voynich Manuscript. All the art is inspired by this ancient text, and I love that The Voynich Puzzle includes actual puzzle pieces. We don’t know much about the game’s mechanisms yet (it’s set to launch on Monday or Tuesday), but the production value looks fantastic and thematic, and Salt and Pepper has been on a roll. They’re a well-respected board game publisher with titles like Resist! and Witchcraft! to their credit.

I may have to pick up a copy of The Voynich Puzzle for the artwork alone. We don’t yet know what pledge levels The Voynich Puzzle will have, but if you’re interested in this title, too, you can follow The Voynich Puzzle’s GameFound page.

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 Gang.

Geekly News: August 3, 2025, Unnamed MCU Film Set for Release

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Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. GenCon is this week. Several board game companies announce titles at GenCon and/or launch board game crowdfunding campaigns during GenCon, cashing in on the hype caused by demos this weekend. So, our board game releases will see an uptick in the next two weeks. Woo hoo! Not only that, but this week saw a lot of high-profile video game releases. Yes! Before we get into those new game releases, we’ll kick off this post with some intriguing MCU news.

X-Men Cast Update and Unnamed MCU Film Set for Release between Doomsday and Secret Wars

Several sources (including Variety and ScreenRant) have cited the MCU casting a younger group of actors for The X-Men. This makes a lot of sense. Ever since the pandemic, movie-going behavior has changed. Fewer people physically watch movies in the theater (they wait for the movie’s digital release), and superhero movies seldom break the $1 billion mark. This new reality has led film studios to change their tactics. The MCU casting lesser-known actors to portray The X-Men should save the production money. We’re seeing this more with other larger movies with budgets earmarked for special effects (films like the upcoming Legend of Zelda). While I don’t care for the reasoning, I’ve always liked the idea of giving lesser-known actors a chance at playing iconic roles.

In other MCU news, Marvel Film Executive Kevin Feige made an announcement that the MCU has an unnamed MCU film set for release between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. There is a chance the MCU keeps the date, July 23, 2027, available for an MCU movie (between Doomsday and Secret Wars) and chooses not to use the time slot, but there’s a better chance Marvel Studios will fit in a movie between these two Universe-wide and Universe-altering movies. To date, Captain Marvel is one of the MCU’s most financially successful films (at the box office), and it was released between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Captain Marvel benefited from the hype generated by the two Avengers films. The MCU will most likely want to capitalize on the window between Doomsday and Secret Wars.

By my estimation, four films could fill this July 23, 2027, time slot: Deadpool 4, Black Panther 3, Blade, and Doctor Strange 3. I listed these films in the likelihood of their being released, starting from least to most likely.

Even though Ryan Reynolds says he’s not interested in another Deadpool film, Marvel Studios could coax him to do another movie with enough cash. Deadpool 4 will most likely happen, but not right away. Besides, Deadpool is one of the few Marvel film franchises that doesn’t need a Doomsday-Secret Wars boost.

Black Panther is another Marvel film franchise that doesn’t need the boost. Everything Ryan Coogler touches turns to gold. I loved Sinners, Ironheart was better than I expected, and I can’t wait to see his take on The X-Files. Throw in Denzel Washington to Black Panther 3’s cast, and you can see why Black Panther 3 doesn’t need the hype train. It is the hype train. The only reason I place Black Panther 3 ahead of Deadpool 4 in order of likelihood of being released is that it’s further along in its development.

Kevin Feige insists Blade is years away, but he may protest too much. Mahershala Ali has been waiting for his chance to play Blade in an MCU movie. While Blade has been a successful franchise in the past, the upcoming Blade movie will be the first in the MCU. Blade isn’t established within the MCU, so the character can exist outside the universal crossover event. And a Blade film would follow in Captain Marvel’s footsteps of introducing a new MCU character and banking on the hype generated by two connected Avengers films.

But I chose Doctor Strange 3 as the most likely film for a July 23, 2027, release because it’s been in production for a while and doesn’t yet have a release date. At the end of The Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Strange entered a different plane of existence with Clea, so Doctor Strange 3 could explain why he might not be in Doomsday and could tie into his inclusion in Secret Wars. Doctor Strange 3 could also exist outside both movies, or at least the first one, and not screw up the two Avengers films’ storyline.

But what do you think? Do you think the MCU will pass on using the placeholder July 23, 2027, release date? If the MCU uses the date, which film do you think will fill that date? It could be a fifth film I didn’t mention. Let us know in the comments.

Echoes of the Sundering Lands on KickStarter

So much of Echoes of the Sundering’s description interests me. Echoes of the Sundering is a 1-5 player cooperative, open-world, deck-construction adventure. It features simultaneous play and a strong narrative. Cooperative with deck-construction and simultaneous play with a strong story to boot. Count me in. Supposedly, player choices affect what happens in the world. Gamers can customize their characters to suit their playstyle. All of this sounds amazing.

I’m uncertain how players will be able to play their turns simultaneously, but I’m here for it. The game also includes drop-in/out companions. I’ve seen this play out in various other games, but each board game accomplishes this differently. Players can level up their characters like they would in a video game RPG, and while you can play a rogue-lite version, which offers extended replayability, Echoes of the Sundering features a 40-hour campaign.

Build your own unique character and get exploring in Echoes of the Sundering. From the sound of it, Echoes of the Sundering is a more story and character-driven version of Gloomhaven. The above image lists publisher The Wilderforger’s vision board. If this sounds interesting, check out Echoes of the Sundering’s KickStarter page.

Compania Launches on KickStarter

Publisher Level 99 is known for its anime/manga aesthetic. Compania continues this trend, but don’t let the art style fool you. Compania is a clever engine-building worker placement game. I love Compania’s worker placement twist. Players secretly assign their workers to spaces on the board. Each player simultaneously uses six-sided dice to show how many workers they plan to send to each space. Whoever chooses the most workers for each space that turn, claims that space (and its ability) for the turn. Brilliant!

Compania lists its play time as 1 hour, and I believe it. Any time a design includes simultaneous play as one of its mechanisms, play doesn’t take as long because you don’t need to wait for players to take their turn. Everyone takes their turn at the same time. Compania’s auction system has me interested, but I’ve always liked Level 99’s art style; I always know when a game is a Level 99 game. You can back the standard-edition Compania for $50 or go for the deluxe version at $90. Check out Compania’s KickStarter page.

Flip Voyage Emerges on KickStarter

I love flip and write games. I’ve covered a few flip and write games like Draft & Write Records and On Tour. Fliptown, by Write Stuff Games is a fantastic flip and write, and Flip Voyage is the Fliptown’s sequel. It looks just as good. In fact, Flip Voyage’s KickStarter campaign features an expansion to Fliptown. You can pick a pledge that includes the expansion and Flip Voyage.

Flip Voyage’s gameplay looks straightforward and offers plenty of player choice. I have yet to demo Flip Voyage, but the game’s mechanisms make it look as if no two games will ever play out the same way twice. And Flip Voyage’s deck is a modified, standard playing card deck. There’s enough familiarity for newer players to understand the game, while offering something new and exciting. Flip Voyage offers several pledge levels. Most are cost-effective. Check out Flip Voyage’s KickStarter page.

ExoTerra Powers Up on KickStarter

I’ve seen advertisements for ExoTerra for a while, and it looks like something that would interest me. ExoTerra is another cooperative game. This time, you build your own custom mech, a large robot typically found in anime/manga. Player boards are customizable, and the way each one is set up reminds me of Sky Team in a good way.

Of course, ExoTerra features detailed miniatures, but my favorite feature must be the triple campaign map books. Each campaign map includes 30 pages of battle stages. This makes setting up ExoTerra a snap. Just turn to the pages you need and place the three books together. ExoTerra includes several paths to victory. You could replay a scenario, using a different tactic (perhaps a non-combat option), and see if you can win. ExoTerra’s pledges range from $150-260. If you’re interested, check out ExoTerra’s KickStarter page.

Tekken: The Board Game Launches on GameFound

Publisher Go On Board lends their knack for adapting video games to tabletop games to the Tekken franchise. The combat space looks tight, and that’s a good thing. Many combat games provide too many options to run and hide, or allow some characters an unfair advantage to keep their distance and attack from afar. Tekken: The Board Game keeps the fight close. Tekken boasts a short playtime (20-60 minutes). A fighting game of this nature demands a shorter play time.

Tekken: The Board Game features numerous iconic characters from the franchise. While writing this post, the campaign hasn’t yet launched, but by the time you’re reading this, Tekken: The Board Game should be available on GameFound. Check out Tekken: The Board Game’s page.

Grounded 2 Releases in Early Access on Steam

Obsidian’s Honey, I Shrunk the Kids inspired survival game received a sequel this week. Grounded 2 enters early access on Steam. Everything in Grounded 2 is bigger and better than the original, but fear not, fans of the original Grounded, Grounded 2 keeps everything that made the first game fun. The first Grounded was one of the best survival video games on the market. Grounded 2 looks poised to fill those shoes.

I can’t wait to befriend some helpful ants. Check out Grounded 2’s page on Steam.

Tales of the Shire Enters Early Access on Steam

Have you ever wondered what Stardew Valley would look like if it were set in the Shire? Tales of the Shire has you covered. Live your life as a hobbit. Create your own Hobbit as you set forth in Bywater. Though not yet established as an official village in Hobbiton, you will play a big part in helping the quaint town flourish.

Tales of the Shire offers a unique gaming experience. Based on the image above, it looks like we’re getting ready for Elevenses. I’m all for that. For the next ten days, Steam is offering a 10% discount on Tales of the Shire.

Gloomhaven Sequel Frosthaven Releases on Steam

I enjoyed the original Gloomhaven video game. Gloomhaven’s sequel Frosthaven, lands on Steam this week. If you’re like me, you either don’t want to shelve Gloomhaven’s massive box or go through the twenty minutes or more to set up the game. The video game adaptation does a great job of translating the board game into a video game. Frosthaven received the same treatment, and the video game looks great.

Similar to Tales of the Shire, Steam is offering a 10% discount on Frosthaven for one week. Check out Frosthaven’s Steam page.

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: July 27, 2025, MCU Ready to “Reset”

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Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. It’s the beginning of a new week, and it’s time for us to break down the geek news from the previous week. A lot happened over the past week, but we’ll begin with some fun MCU news.

MCU Will “Reset” After Avengers: Secret Wars

“Reboot is a scary word,” President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige said during a media bonanza this past weekend. Instead of a “reboot,” Feige claims the MCU will “reset” after the Multiverse Saga concludes with Avengers: Secret Wars. This MCU reset will include Marvel Studios recasting The X-Men. Geekly may have jumped the gun with this recasting. We did our own X-Men Geekly Casting a couple of months ago, and personally, I thought Deadpool and Wolverine was the Fox X-Men’s swansong, but we only saw a handful of mutants in Deadpool and Wolverine, and I’m okay with one final sendoff.

The X-Men may not be the only ones getting recast. Feige suggested that the MCU will recast several of its characters after Avengers: Secret Wars. While Feige cited Superman (2025) as a great show and didn’t expand on the statement more than that, Superman’s success could have pushed Marvel Studios to make this decision. The MCU was always going to do something after several box office failures; the young DCU’s success shows that the MCU could find success by “resetting.”

The MCU has already shifted to projects (like Fantastic Four: First Steps) that require less homework before viewing. I’m all for less MCU homework. And while Thunderbolts* was one of the MCU’s best recent films (here’s a link to Geekly’s Thunderbolts* review), Feige made another statement last week that Thunderbolts*’ poor box office sales could be attributed to the film having too many characters who originated on Disney+ shows. Feige has a point. I count at least five members of the main cast who came from Black Widow (released exclusively on Disney+ due to the pandemic) and Falcon and Winter Soldier.

The combination of the MCU organizing their releases on Disney+ and theaters to certain character types (Disney+ shows are for street-level heroes, while MCU films are for larger-than-life characters) and an MCU “reset” should result in more cohesive storytelling. And the MCU would mirror its source material. Every decade or so, the major comic book publishers “reset” their universes. Now, we only need to see Thor crying over Deadpool’s death.

GameFound Buys IndieGoGo

For five years, GameFound competed directly in the board game industry with crowdfunding giant, KickStarter. On July 20, 2025, the Polish-based crowdfunding giant GameFound acquired the tech-centric crowdfunding website, IndieGoGo. This merger opens GameFound to other avenues of innovation.

IndieGoGo has raised billions of dollars since its inception in 2008 (note: IndieGoGo was the first crowdfunding site), while GameFound has revolutionized the board game industry over the past five years, offering flex spending (allowing donors to pay over time) and insurance for online pledges. GameFound raised over $165 million in 2024 for board games alone. Think of how much business GameFound can do by absorbing tech giant IndieGoGo.

GameFound not only protects backers, but it also offers a lower cost of entry for creators on its site. IndieGoGo has struggled with campaign costs in the past. The GameFound-IndieGoGo merger may cause a seismic shift in the crowdfunding landscape.

Pixie Trails Prepares to Launch on GameFound

Speaking of GameFound, Pixie Trails will launch in the next two days on the crowdfunding site. Pixie Trails is a light strategy game. Pixie Trails uses a simultaneous selection game mechanism. Each player simultaneously picks the direction their Pixie (denoted by a standee) will move on a three-by-three tile grid. After everyone reveals their direction (card), they take the actions pictured on their tile, gaining extra instances of the action for each other pixie on the tile. I love this trend in modern board games. Your choices can improve if others choose the same action. And Pixie Trails sounds like it has a lot of meaningful choices in a small game.

You win the game if you’ve eaten the most food at the end of four rounds, or you can alternatively win the game if you reach seven (the max level) on the Friendship Track. I don’t yet know how the Friendship Track works, but I wonder if this has something to do with landing on the same tile as another player. A twist like that could pour gasoline on the fire of each player’s choices. Color me intrigued.

Since Pixie Trails has yet to launch, we don’t have information on the various pledge levels. Pixie Trails also marks publisher Mystic Circus Game’s first release, so we also don’t have previous campaigns for comparison, but Pixie Trails should have a few pledge options in a day or two. Feel free to follow Pixie Trails’ GameFound page.

Scratch Island Sets a Course for GameFound

Publisher Garlock Games is another relatively new board game company, but they have a stellar reputation with 2023’s deckbuilding game, Dorian. The company’s follow-up title is Scratch Island, a treasure-hunting game. Scratch Island has an exciting new game mechanism of scratching the board to play.

As of the time of this write-up, little is known about Scratch Island’s gameplay aside from scratching various locations on the game pad and the tagline of “Kingdoms Rise and Fall,” which is similar to Garlock Games’ first title, Dorian. Scratch Island may be set in the same world. Either way, a scratchable board is good enough of a hook. If you’re interested in Garlock Games’ latest title, check out Scratch Island’s GameFound page.

Goats & Goblins Emerges on KickStarter

Full Disclosure: I may have played a very early version of Goats & Goblins at a Lincoln or Omaha, Nebraska, game designer meet-up. I may be a little biased.

Goats & Goblins is a great twist on the push-your-luck mechanism. Each round, one player is the expedition leader. They choose how deep into a cave they intend to go (how many facedown cave cards they will draw). Everyone else chooses if they’re “in” or they’re “out.” The expedition leader flips over the number of cards from the cave deck that they chose, and then players can play cards to help or hinder the expedition. If the expedition succeeds, the players who were “in,” including the leader, split the gold. If the expedition fails, the players who were “out” split the gold. Whoever has the most gold at the end of the game wins.

Goats & Goblins offers a couple of pledge options and some add-ons. The base pledge is $20, while the “All-In” runs $38. You can also pick up a copy of B. A. Games’ other titles, Cult of the Deep for $35 or Forges of Ravenshire for $65. Goats & Goblins is a phenomenal gateway game that’s sure to pack a lot of giggles. Check out Goats & Goblins’ KickStarter page.

Melancholy Happy Trails

This past week saw the passing of a lot of geek culture icons. Typically, we don’t include too much about celebrity deaths, but this past week was brutal.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Theodor Huxtable in the 1980s sitcom The Cosby Show, died Sunday, July 20, 2025, in an apparent drowning off the coast of Costa Rica. He was 54. A preliminary investigation found Warner allegedly swept away by a current while in the Caribbean Sea. I always liked Warner in The Cosby Show. Warner was also known for his role as Malcolm McGee in the 1990s UPN sitcom Malcolm & Eddie and as Dr. AJ Austin on the Fox medical drama The Resident (2018-2023). Thank you for the memories, Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Rest in peace.

Julian LeFay

Father of The Elder Scrolls Julian LeFay passed away Tuesday, July 22, 2025, after years of battling cancer. He was the chief engineer behind The Elder Scrolls: Arena and Daggerfall. In 2019, he cofounded game studio OnceLost Games and began work on the spiritual successor to the original Elder Scrolls, The Wayward Realms. LeFay’s visionary design continues to inspire open-world RPG development. Thank you for your guiding light, Julian LeFay. Rest in peace.

Chuck Mangione

Legendary composer and jazz musician Chuck Mangione passed away on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. He was 84. A virtuoso flugelhorn and trumpet player, Mangione began taking music lessons at age 8 and played in a jazz combo with his pianist brother, Gap, during his high school years. Mangione made jazz cool again in the 1970s with hits like “Feels So Good.” “Children of Sanchez” is still one of my favorites, and don’t be surprised if Mangione’s album An Evening of Magic, Live at the Hollywood Bowl makes my Geekly Tunes post for August 2025. Thank you for the good vibes, Chuck Mangione. Rest in peace.

Ozzy Osbourne

Heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, passed away Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Birmingham, England, at age 76. Osbourne died weeks after reuniting with Black Sabbath for a final concert. Osbourne, born John Michael Osbourne, found rock ‘n roll stardom as a member of Black Sabbath before branching out on a solo career. Osbourne found success later in life as a reality television star with his wife and children. I’ll piggyback on Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan’s idea, and add that I’d love to see Ozzfest return as an annual tribute concert to Ozzy Osbourne. I always liked how Ozzy did things on his own terms. The next life got a lot more interesting with Ozzy. Rest in peace.

Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan passed away Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Clearwater Beach, Florida, at age 71. Hogan (born Terry Bollea) died from a reported cardiac arrest. Hogan rose to prominence as a wrestler in the 1970s but attained superstardom in the 1980s as part of the World Wrestling Federation (now the WWE). I’ve never been a huge pro wrestling fan, and Hogan had some problematic political and ideological views, but our thoughts go out to his family.

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: July 20, 2025, Upcoming DCU Projects

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Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News on Sunday. We’ll kick off this week’s news with upcoming DCU projects. Let us know if you want something similar for the MCU in the coming weeks.

DCU Upcoming Films and Series that have Release Windows

Giving a quick rundown of upcoming DCU films and series was prompted by watching Superman this past week. Check out Friday’s review of Superman. The DCU has over 25 planned projects. We’ll only cover the ones that have release windows (anything with at least a vague release month, quarter, or year). Let’s get started.

Peacemaker Season 2 (August 2025)

Peacemaker Season 2 is scheduled to return at the end of next month (August 2025), and this season should dovetail into the events of Superman. Frank Grillo (General Flag, who also makes an appearance in Superman) is set to return for Peacemaker Season 2. Oh. And of course, there was that cameo of Peacemaker on the news during Superman.

Krypto Shorts (End of 2025)

Krypto will make his return at the end of 2025 (either November or December 2025). The DCU can be tight-lipped about exact release dates, especially when the project is soon to be released. Peacemaker, which will air next month, doesn’t have a specific date (as of when I’m writing this post). Hopefully, these Krypto shorts will be released by the end of this year. Harley Quinn Season Five had a similar release schedule for 2024 and was then postponed until the following year.

Lanterns (Early 2026)

Green Lantern characters Hal Jordan and John Stewart will play a key role in the new DCU. Lanterns will be an Earth-based detective story, described as a “huge HBO-quality event” in the style of True Detective. This is music to my ears. I love this concept. Lanterns will have eight episodes with Chris Mundy serving as showrunner. Throw in some cameos of Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner (don’t lose the hair), and Lanterns sounds like a party. The series is expected to premiere in early 2026.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (June 26, 2026)

One of the few future DCU projects with an exact release date, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, is scheduled for a June 26, 2026 release. Milly Alcock made a cameo in Superman (2025), and her brief stint in the movie got me excited for this title. Alcock’s Supergirl will battle with PTSD (while Kal-El was a baby, she watched her family die on Krypton) and struggle with having no purpose in life (she was supposed to protect a now adult Superman). Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will show Supergirl claw her way out from rock bottom, and I’m here for it. This is why Superman needs to be the clean-cut hero he is in the DCU (and in DC Comics). There are plenty of other characters, like Supergirl, who can fill in the morally gray spaces.

Clayface (September 11, 2026)

A Clayface movie? What? That was my reaction to the DCU announcing a body-horror style film based on the classic Batman villain. We know little about Clayface. The movie is set for a specific release date, September 11, 2026, and filming began earlier this summer. While I would’ve liked to have seen Clayface in a Batman movie, I’ll take Clayface getting a stand-alone film. I’d like to see the DCU explore other villains. Vandal Savage could be interesting.

The Batman – Part II (October 1, 2027)

How is it that we have more precise dates the farther out the schedule? The second installment of Matt Reeves’ The Batman series is set for October 1, 2027. Titled The Batman – Part II, the film will feature the return of Robert Pattinson, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, and Colin Farrell reprising their roles as Batman, Commissioner Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, and The Penguin. Filming is set to begin in April 2026 at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, England.

Those are all the DCU projects we have tentative dates for, but here’s a list of other DCU projects that are in the works:

Waller (Spinoff series of Viola Davis as Amanda Waller; yes please)

The Brave and The Bold (New live-action series that will introduce the DCU’s Batman and the Bat Family; looks like the DCU isn’t shying away from Robin and the rest)

The Authority (A lesser-known group of anti-heroes brought over from Wildstorm Comics; could be R-rated)

Swamp Thing (Logan Director, James Mangold, revives this amazing supernatural character)

Booster Gold (Failed 25th Century football star, Mike Carter, goes back in time to become a superhero armed with knowledge of the future; a straight-up superhero comedy series–I love Booster Gold in the comics)

Paradise Lost (A Game Of Thrones-like series that will introduce Wonder Woman into the DCU–oh, yeah!)

Untitled Blue Beetle Animated Series (I always thought Blue Beetle would work better as an animated series; we’ll see)

Untitled Teen Titans Film (Ana Nogueira is writing the screenplay; I wish we had more information about this title, but I’m ready for the first Teen Titans film)

Untitled Bane and Deathstroke Film (Yes! Another movie based on DCU villains; this one’s a team-up)

Black-led Superman Film (Black Panther scribe Ta-Nehisi Coates and director J.J. Abrams are attached to this Elseworlds version of Superman; sounds promising)

Dynamic Duo (Mixed-animation style, like traditional and stop-motion animation, series that features Dick Grayson and Jason Todd as Robin–the art style interests me)

Starfire (Animated series that aims to explore Teen Titans Starfire’s origin)

My Adventures with Green Lantern (Animated series that features a teenaged Jessica Cruz when she becomes the newest Green Lantern)

DC Super Powers (Animated series set at the Alliance School for Heroes, where new students like Lightning, Flash, Plastic Man, Aquagirl, Green Lantern, and Terra train to become the next generation of crimefighters)

Returning Shows and a Movie Sequel

Harley Quinn Season 6 (Yay! We will cover this series’ season six whenever it releases; it looks as though Harley will be space-bound)

My Adventures with Superman Season 3 (We’ll have to catch up with this Adult Swim animated series; I’ve heard great things)

Creature Commandos Season 2 (This series came out of nowhere to become a hit last year; of course, it’s getting a second season)

Constantine Sequel (Keanu Reeves is set to return as John Constantine in this sequel to the 2005 film; better late than never)

Synchro Horizon: JRPG Roguelike Board Game Launches on KickStarter

I’m a sucker for JRPG (Japanese Role Playing Games), so Synchro Horizon is right up my alley. From what I’ve seen, players can customize characters to dive into dungeons. The dungeons and characters can change during each play of this cooperative game. If that’s true, Synchro Horizon may have copious amounts of replay value.

Even though Synchro Horizon marks New Game Entertainment’s first board game, the production value looks to be top-notch. Beyond the game’s variability and potential replay value, Synchro Horizon’s custom skills have me intrigued.

Each of the 50 potential character skills appears to have upgraded versions. The artwork claims to be 100% AI-free. I like that Synchro Horizon chose to pay human artists for their work, but it’s sad that the board game industry has made claims like this necessary. Synchro Horizon offers multiple pledge levels, ranging from $80 to close to $400. If you’re interested in customizing your group of heroes and swarming ever-changing dungeons, check out Synchro Horizon’s KickStarter page.

Emerald Echoes Lands on KickStarter

PostCurious offers the next evolution of puzzletales with Emerald Echoes. Written by Lauren Bello (The Morrison Game Factory, Threads of Fate), Emerald Echoes spans four captivating chapters. It can be played as a solo or cooperative adventure. Emerald Echoes serves as a standalone sequel to the award-winning puzzletale, The Emerald Flame.

Gamers play Emerald Echoes across four chapters, consisting of thirteen puzzle folders. Within each chapter envelope, you’ll find a collection of items, along with a series of puzzle folders, labeled in the order they should be solved. Each of the thirteen puzzle folders contains at least one written document to investigate–these documents will contain clues and can be used to piece together which items are needed to solve a puzzle.

Emerald Echoes gives me strong Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective vibes. Emerald Echoes can be played on its own or in conjunction with the original The Emerald Flame. If you haven’t played The Emerald Flame, don’t worry. Emerald Echoes’ KickStarter includes pledges that include The Emerald Flame. Check out Emerald Echoes on KickStarter.

Shadow Labyrinth Released This Week

A Pac-Man Metroidvania game wasn’t on my Bingo Card for this year. Shadow Labyrinth shatters the concept of Pac-Man. This side-scrolling 2d platformer looks amazing. Players take the role of “The Swordsman,” traversing through a large “maze,” and fighting against enemies and upgrading their abilities as they progress. Yep. Sounds like a Pac-Man Metroidvania game to me. I chuckled while watching the Shadow Labyrinth’s trailer. The Pac-Man theme was jarring beside a gritty post-apocalyptic world.

I don’t know what’s going on in the image above, but I want to experience it first-hand. Fortunately, Shadow Labyrinth is available for Windows, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. I will give credit to Nintendo for its free Switch 2 upgrade for Shadow Labyrinth. Several weeks ago, Geekly called out Nintendo for charging for a Switch 2 upgrade. We hope this is a sign for Nintendo allowing for free original Switch to Switch 2 upgrades in the future.

Donkey Kong Bananza Released

Donkey Kong Bananza marks the first new release in the DK Series since 2014’s Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Donkey Kong hasn’t had this long of a drought in its over four-decade history. Expectations are high for this title.

Donkey Kong Bananza uses terrain in interesting ways. Donkey Kong can smash certain terrain types, and if the material is sturdy enough, he can fling it at enemies and cause damage. Donkey Kong Bananza could be a game-changer for the DK Series. It’s available for the Nintendo Switch 2. I may have to add Donkey Kong Bananza to my must-buy Switch 2 games whenever I get around to purchasing the new system.

That’s all the Geek News we have for this week. This week’s post was a little longer than normal. We may do a round-up of future MCU projects after Fantastic Four: First Steps releases. Let us know if you’d be interested in that. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News, July 13 2025, Superman’s Opening Weekend

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Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. Superman was released this week. As you’re reading this, we haven’t yet watched Superman, but we may be in the process of watching the film and will have a review by this Friday. We’ll kickoff this Geek News round-up with some preliminary Superman box office numbers.

Superman Expected to Exceed $120 Million Opening Weekend

Warner Bros. and DC Studios’ Superman soars with $56.5 million across Friday and preview screenings in 4,135 theaters. This is the second-biggest figure for the calendar year, just behind A Minecraft Movie ($57.11 million), which is another Warner Bros. film. Warner Bros. is on a hot streak this year.

Note: Superman earned additional revenue with early-access screenings on Tuesday (July 8, 2025) for Amazon Prime members.

Written and directed by the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy’s James Gunn, Superman had projections of $100 million for its debut, while optimistic outlets forecast upwards of $140 million. The truth may lie in the middle, with Superman earning closer to $120 million. This is a fantastic opening weekend for the film and DCU franchise. Superman also gets a boost from luxury ticket prices for IMAX and other premium large format auditoriums.

On a personal note, Superman (2025) is the first Superman movie we’ve been excited about since the Christopher Reeve era.

Even with a stellar opening weekend, Superman will need to maintain its momentum as other major film releases approach. Not only does Superman relaunch the Man of Steel, but it also relaunches DC Comics’ cinematic universe. If Superman does well, the DCU could have years of superhero movies in its future.

Midnight Sons Crossover Event “Damnation” in the Works?

Okay. The Blade MCU movie may not be cancelled. Yes. We may have jumped the gun on that news a few months ago. Marvel continues to build up toward a major Midnight Sons crossover event. We know for sure the MCU intends to release a Midnight Sons movie. Mahershala Ali is attached to play Blade in Midnight Sons, and Ali has stated that he’ll only do a Midnight Sons movie as Blade if the MCU releases a Blade film. So long as Mahershala Ali is attached to play Blade in Midnight Sons, a Blade movie isn’t yet canceled. Perhaps just postponed indefinitely.

Geekly also has an idea which story (from the comic books) the Midnight Sons crossover event will use: Damnation. In Damnation, Doctor Strange assembles a team (of Midnight Sons) to help him defeat Mephisto. The characters rumored to be involved in Midnight Sons include Werewolf by Night, Elsa Bloodstone, Moon Knight, Blade, and Ghost Rider. Yep! Ghost Rider may be headed to the MCU, joining Blade. And Blade could set up the events of Midnight Sons. Mephisto’s position in the underworld (hinted at in Ironheart) is threatened by other demons/devils. Lilith, who was believed to be Blade’s antagonist, may be one of the rival demons fighting Mephisto. We’ll have to see how this shakes out. The dark corner’s of the MCU has the most room for growth.

Dice Commandos Announced on GameFound

We’ve covered most of the games Solo Game of the Month has released on GameFound. The company offers great single-player board game options, and Dice Commandos appears to be no different. We know little about Dice Commandos, but what we do know about the game has us intrigued.

Dice Commandos is a tactical dice puzzle game where you control a team of elite operatives completing objectives through stealth, combat, and special abilities. Again, we know little about this game, but it looks as though the game has various difficulty settings for multiple missions. Each mission functions as a new tactical puzzle. Players can customize their squad (with each squad member having unique abilities). I love how Dice Commandos has stealth options in addition to combat. I will try to finish a mission with stealth. Tee hee!

We don’t know Dice Commandos’ price point yet, but Solo Game of the Month games seldom exceed $25. If you’re interested in this tactical dice puzzle game, check out Dice Commandos’ GameFound page.

Tabletop Inc. Launches on GameFound

Run a fledgling board game publishing company packed with quirky employees, fun prototypes, and ruthless competition in Tabletop Inc.. I have yet to play Tabletop Inc., but it looks outstanding. It pokes fun at the board game industry with goofy spoofs of classic modern board games like Wingspan and Cthulhu: Death May Die. Tabletop Inc. uses a fast-paced worker placement. My interest is piqued. Typically, worker placement tends to be slow. I’m all for a fast-paced worker placement game.

And look at those game pieces (pictured above). They look outstanding. I have yet to play Tabletop Inc., but it looks fun, engaging, and packed with interesting choices. Tabletop Inc. is a love letter to the board game community, and I’m all for it. Tabletop Inc. launches early next week; you can follow the project here. Pledge information has yet to be released, so we don’t have pricing for Tabletop Inc.. Even though this project will be for the Tabletop Inc. expansion, gamers will be able to purchase the base game.

Kittens in Space Blasts Off on KickStarter

Cute kittens and space? I’m in. Kittens in Space is a card-shedding game like Uno. Players battle each other to save the adorable kittens in their hand (and load them onto a spaceship) before their opponents.

The Kittens in Space project page does a great job of giving a quick overview of how the game is played. The investment for Kittens in Space is minimal at $14 (for the base-level pledge). If you’re interested in cute cats in space, check out Kittens in Space’s KickStarter page.

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: July 6, 2025, Far Far Out and Others Launch of Crowdfunding Sites

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Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of geek news. This week is a little quiet due to the United States Holiday, the Fourth of July, and the upcoming DCU and MCU movies: Superman and Fantastic Four: First Steps, respectively. So, we don’t have any major news to report. Instead, let’s discuss some board game releases for the upcoming week.

Mafia Blitz Launches on KickStarter

Honestly, I’ve never cared for social deduction games, but fast-paced social deduction games that don’t include player elimination (like One Night: Ultimate Werewolf), I can get behind. That is the premise of Mafia Blitz. Mafia pioneered the social deduction game. Mafia Blitz, designed by frequent Meeple Mountain contributor Mark Iradian, aims to do the same for quick social deduction games. Each role has unique win conditions, with many roles having overlapping win conditions. There are even some roles that include end-game triggers.

I like Mafia Blitz’s approach of having one price point: $20. Too often, crowdfunding projects include multiple add-ons, which can lead to a different gaming experience from one copy of the same game to the next. Mafia Blitz doesn’t have that issue. If you’re interested in Mafia Blitz, check out their KickStarter page.

Paradise: A Wastepunk Boardgame Launches on GameFound

Paradise: A Wastepunk Boardgame is another board game type I don’t typically care for (a skirmisher combat game), but it’s another one that has me intrigued. Its setup reminds me of a Memoir ’44 that has character abilities. Coincidentally, Memoir ’44 is one of the few skirmisher games I enjoy.

Throw in some quick dice combat, what appears to be gear cards, and detailed terrain pieces, and Paradise: A Wastepunk Boardgame has my attention. I also love the colorful palette Mindwork Games uses. Paradise: A Wastepunk Boardgame is Italian board game design studio Mindwork Games’ first design. They give me strong early CMON vibes. Both companies began as purveyors of awesome miniatures. That fact should let you know the level of detail this game’s miniatures will have. I wonder what the quality difference is between the PVC and resin miniatures. The resin minis are more expensive, and resin minis tend to break more easily than PVC minis. It’s something to consider.

On a personal note, I’m considering backing Paradise: A Wastepunk Boardgame because of the character named Kyra Rhust. We’re both Kyra. And this Kyra looks like she may be a healing sniper like Ana from Overwatch (Ana was one of my mains–yay!). If you’re interested in Paradise: A Wastepunk Boardgame, give its GameFound page a look.

Far Far Out Lands on GameFound

Far Far Out looks fantastic. The Netherlands-based game design group Studio Inifinitus offers multiple ways to win in this Civilization-like board game. The system tiles look amazing. These system tiles interlock and contain planets.

Players then place planets on top of the system tiles. I’m unsure if the planets always spawn on specific systems or if it differs each game. My guess is that players can change up which systems a planet can be placed. Far Far Out is stunning.

The game lists three ways to win. Far Far Out’s inclusion of 64 battle dice–64!–suggests that one method for victory is military/combat, but Far Far Out insists these battle dice serve multiple purposes. Far Far Out features a lot of exploration. I like that in a game set in outer space. We don’t know too much about the game’s mechanisms, but they have us intrigued.

Far Far Out’s more expensive pledge (around $175) includes intricate miniatures, while its less expensive pledge (around $117) includes detailed standees. The only difference I’ve found between the two versions is the unpainted miniatures (pictured above), but Far Far Out leaves the description of its more expensive pledge as “all deluxe content.” The campaign could add more deluxe content, so keep an eye out. The price tag is a bit high because Far Far Out includes a lot of bits. This is a premium game with a premium price. If you’re interested in Far Far Out, zoom to its GameFound page.

Rest in Peace, Jim Shooter

Former Marvel Comics Editor-In-Chief and comic book visionary Jim Shooter passed away on June 30, 2025. Shooter has a complicated comic book history. On one hand, he “rescued” the comic book industry. By the mid-1970s to early 1980s, comic books had gone stale. A 13-year-old Shooter would get his start with DC Comics and proceed to pull comic books out of its slump. During his time as Marvel Comics Editor-In-Chief, Shooter orchestrated the massive crossover event, Secret Wars, which is the major event the MCU is currently building toward. But Shooter wasn’t without his share of controversy.

Shooter’s Marvel Comics was openly homophobic, refusing to feature queer stories. Writer/artist John Byrne was forced to conceal Northstar’s sexual orientation for years before the character became the first openly gay comic book character. Instead of letting Northstar out of the closet, Shooter penned the first comic book that featured a queer storyline: two gay men attempt to r*pe Bruce Banner and this caused Banner to transform into The Hulk. Shooter had a “Don’t Say Gay” Policy with Marvel Comics. This restriction prevented positive queer representation in Marvel Comics for over a decade.

Still, Jim Shooter (during his teen years) wrote the first race between Superman and The Flash. This race between titans has become a tradition for DC Comics, and he solidified much of the Legion of Super-Heroes lore during his early tenure. Shooter even created one of my favorite Superman villains, Parasite. And Shooter’s jump to Marvel Comics ended the revolving door of editors after Stan Lee had transitioned to Marvel Films. Shooter was the editor who oversaw the growth of Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s classic run of The Uncanny X-Men, which led to the team becoming a global phenomenon. The Uncanny X-Men also saw the inclusion of many BIPOC stories.

Shooter has an impressive comic book history and a checkered past with queer inclusion. His contributions to comic books, and especially Marvel Comics, will not be forgotten. As a member of the LGBT community, I wish Shooter had done more for LGBT inclusion in Marvel comics. Even so, my thoughts go out to Shooter’s family. Rest in Peace.

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.