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Geekly News: October 11, 2026; D&D and Magic Designers Unionize

Published on October 11, 2026October 10, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We have another impressive crop of new releases for board games and video games, but before we get to those, we actually have a headline for the first time in several months. Usually, most geek news headlines tend to be on the negative side. Geekly had a month and a half of bad news for Sony and PlayStation. Yikes! It can get tiring, so we took a break from headlines. I’ve been following the continuing saga for Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast, and the creatives behind Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. Our headline this week centers on those creatives forming a union.

The other issue we’ve had with geek news headlines is that readers have few (if any) courses of action, but this one’s different. You can sign the petition in support of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering unionizing. If you want to get involved, here’s a link to the petition. In short, D&D, D&D Beyond, Magic: The Gathering, and Studio X workers have petitioned to unionize.

Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering Designers Apply for a Union

Hasbro has had about as good of a year as Sony and PlayStation. Woof! We’ve seen new scandals from Hasbro week after week. The following is an abbreviated list of what Hasbro has done in about 18 months:

Resend the Open Gaming License (OGL), making third party D&D 5.5 content illegal to sell
Begin prosecuting gamers who use third party D&D content
Sunset D&D Sigil, firing thousands of employees in the process
Fire another tens of thousands of workers during the summer
A third set of layoffs just before Christmas last year
Yet another round of firings set for this Christmas (Merry Christmas, everyone; now pack your s#!t)
Insist on using AI…for everything
Dub D&D books as “collectibles” which is code for making them more expensive
While making a subscription model the norm, which is code for charging even more money for not owning anything
Hasbro let go of Wizard of the Coast’s CEO and has yet to replace him

That last one makes me think of Hasbro as The Reapers in Mass Effect: “Assuming Complete Control.” Seriously, Hasbro may be tabletop gaming’s closest thing to a supervillain. I’ve looked at some of the terms and conditions for working at Hasbro for D&D and Magic, and it’s bleak:

Mandatory (and usually unpaid) overtime, which leads to employees sleeping at their desks
Hasbro owns anything and everything you work on, which means any other creative product you produce as their employee becomes their property

No thanks, Hasbro. You already know I have other games and novels in the works. I don’t need you to own all of my projects. You can’t have my soul.

Your mileage with unions may vary, but Hasbro is the chief force behind most–if not all–of the negative cloud hanging over Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. The designers of these games have made mistakes in the past, and they will make mistakes in the future, but they deserve to make the games they want to create. Without AI. Without fear of being fired for apparently no reason. Hasbro hemorrhages money. Toys don’t make as much money as they use to make. But D&D and Magic: The Gathering are massive money makers. They’re the ones keeping Hasbro afloat, and the games’ designers are still in danger of being laid off. These designers forming a union may combat some of these bad practices.

Designers of both these games detest AI. That’s a start. Hasbro may get its wish of over-monetizing D&D and Magic: The Gathering (like rising prices for D&D books and a subscription service and the Universes Beyond series), but the designers of these games want to push back again these developments. Forming a union can help. Without a union, Hasbro will 100% implement all of the changes D&D players don’t want to see. With a union, that percentage drops. Even if it’s a reduction of 10%, that’s something. Even if its ridding Magic and D&D of AI slop, that’s something, too. Heck, I’d settle for better working conditions or in some Hasbro employees’ cases, human rights.

You can help the direction of D&D and Magic: The Gathering. Please, consider signing D&D and Magic: The Gathering designers’ petition to apply as a union. Here’s that link again.

I wanted to end on a call to action, which isn’t always something available for these headline news pieces, and on a positive note. Now, let’s talk about the fun stuff. Here are these week’s roundup of new board games and video games.

Heirloom Launches on KickStarter

Heirloom is a hex-tile laying strategy game where players cultivate beautiful heirloom tomato gardens by carefully expanding and optimizing a community garden of tomatoes, and harvesting them with their baskets.

Over the course of the game, players draft and place hexagonal farming tiles to grow contiguous fields and create high-value tomato varieties. The twist is that you can overlap (“overgrow”) tiles, which segments the boards in unique ways.

It’s also an “order fulfilment” game where we are trying to bring fresh tomatoes to the get-together to make a specific dish. Getting your tomatoes there first will earn you more VP.

Featuring vibrant botanical artwork and a clean, approachable ruleset, Heirloom offers a relaxing yet thinky tile-laying experience focused on growth, planning, and the quiet satisfaction of a perfectly cultivated garden.

Thank you, Aerobellum Games, for the description. I like Heirloom’s tile stacking element; this reminds me of Flamecraft Duel but takes the mechanism in a different direction. Allowing players to collect tomatoes and cook recipes with them is another great twist. Heirloom uses a lot of element from recent games and give them a nice spin. The artwork reminds me of Fromage and Formaggio, which is interesting because we will be seeing more from the publisher of those games this week. Heirloom looks amazing. I have seldom met a board game with cooking mechanisms that I didn’t like, so I’m interested in Heirloom. Pledges range from $39 to $299. If you’re interested in Heirloom, check out its KickStarter page.

Don’t Go Back There Launches on KickStarter

Don’t Go Back There is a standalone expansion for Don’t Go In There. It can be played on its own or combined with the base game. Though you were warned to never return, curiosity got the best of you and now you’ve accidentally awoken the Vampires!

Decide how risky to play as you venture deep into Dracula’s castle. Do you take first choice of the items and risk attracting Vampires, or play it safe? Collect the right items and to dispel Curses and ward off the Vampires.

On your turn, choose a part of the haunted house to explore by placing a token in one of the 3 rooms. Each room has a line of 4 spaces. The deeper you go into a room, the more likely you are to get the Cursed item you desire, but be careful! The further you go, the more Vampires will stalk you.

When 3 tokens have been placed into a room, the Vampire dice are rolled and players gain Vampire tokens, but may negate Vampires if they stay toward the back of the line. Next, players will take cards from the room in order of how far each player ventured into the room.

At the end of the game. The player with the most Vampire tokens is possessed and gains extra Curses. The player with the fewest Curses wins!

Don’t Go Back There features all new Cursed items, all new Rooms, and new Vampire dice and tokens. Mix these together with the base game to see if you can escape both the Vampires AND the Ghosts!

Thank you, Road To Infamy Games (R2i Games), for the description. Between all JK Geekly’s writers, we own at least 75% of R2i’s games. I didn’t know that until I started researching Don’t Go Back There. Ironically, none of use own Don’t Go In There, the previous game in this series. We may need to change that. I love a good, quick game with strong push your luck components. Don’t Go Back There looks to fill the niche. This is a departure for a lot of R2i games, at least with the push your luck component. Fromage, Formaggio, and Canvas all run short but there’s little–if any–push your luck. I’d like to see what R2i does with this mechanism, because I do like push your luck games. Don’t Go Back There offers pledges between $24 and $68. Not a bad mix of options. If you’re interested in Don’t Go Back There, check out its KickStarter page.

Excursions Launches on KickStarter

Hi there, and welcome to an exciting new chapter of Galactic Cruise. While the scientists, engineers, and architects are hard at work on Earth, you and your fellow cruise directors will be stationed here on the new, state-of-the-art Galactic Cruise space station. This will be your base of operations, where you’ll be carefully crafting specialized trips, upgrading your fleet, and making sure that our esteemed guests have the time of their lives! I have it on good authority that the cruise director who impresses the board of directors the most will receive the coveted Cruise Director of the Year bonus!

When you are the active player, you choose one of the seven actions around the outside of the space station. These actions include building developments, advertising to guests, adding new excursions to your itineraries, upgrading your ships and player board, and sending guests on the vacations of their dreams! All players will take this action simultaneously, but as the active player you will also gain a bonus, the potency of which fluctuates as the space station rotates.

Once a player reaches the requisite number of victory points, the game comes to an end and final scoring commences. The player with the most points is crowned cruise director extraordinaire and will receive the Cruise Director of the Year bonus (and the victory!).

Thank you, Kinson Key Games, for the description. I saw Excursions and knew it had to make this list. Then, I saw Excursions was part of the Galactic Cruise line of games. I have never played Galactic Cruise. The theme appeals to me: holding cargo of sightseers, you’re sailing a starship through space. Awesome! My only reservation with Galactic Cruise is its complexity. I find more complex games difficult to get to the table. You must be in the right headspace to play an involved game. Fortunately, Excursions dials down Galactic Cruise’s complexity. With pledges ranging from $39 to $349, I have plenty of options to give Excursions a try. Excursions packs a lot of game into a small box. If you’re interested in Excursions, check out its KickStarter page.

Sky Bloom: The Rooftop Gardening Game Launches on KickStarter

Sky Bloom is a strategic game of resource management, set collection, and thoughtful planning. Over the course of a summer season, players gather Seeds, fill Planters with blooming flowers, attract Pollinators for valuable end-game points, and draft Cultivator Cards that enhance their growing strategy.

The flowers, pollinators, and seasonal rhythms in Sky Bloom are inspired by real plants and ecosystems, grounding the game’s garden-building in the natural relationships that allow gardens to thrive.

With personal objectives, shifting weather Forecasts, and limited rooftop space, every decision matters as players compete to grow the most flourishing garden before the season slips away and the first frost claims the final bloom.

Designed to be easy to learn yet rewarding to master, Sky Bloom offers multiple paths to victory and simple turns with surprising strategic depth.

Thank you, Merchants of Play, for the description. I told you gardening board games are popular, and I love the concept of Sky Bloom: gardening on rooftops. Of course the game looks amazing. The bits look high quality. I like the idea changing weather patterns. Gardening on rooftops should come at a cost. And it looks as if Sky Bloom has gained some traction in the community. That’s great to see. Merchants of Play is a newer publisher, but they have some cool upcoming games they have scheduled. Sky Bloom pledges range from $29 to $78. If you’re interested in Sky Bloom, check out its KickStarter page.

Silver Pines Releases

Silver Pines is a survival horror metroidvania set in small town America. Fight nightmarish terrors and solve puzzles, while carefully managing your scarce resources as you uncover the mysteries that could hold the key to redemption.

Thank you, Team 17, for the description. Silver Pines releases at the perfect time: spooky season. I haven’t seen too many metroidvanias mixed with exploration and survival horror games. Silver Pines has an interesting combination of genres and story beats, and the graphics looks great. Just look at that noir aesthetic above. Team 17 is a well-respected game publisher (The Escapists, Overcooked, and War Dogs series), and Silver Pines has received good reviews. This looks like another game Skye may need to explore. Silver Pines is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Order of the Sinking Star Releases

From director Jonathan Blow (Braid, The Witness), Order of the Sinking Star is a massive puzzle adventure set in a realm of magic and enigma. Solve over 1000 interconnected, hand-crafted puzzles, discover unique playable heroes, master evolving gameplay mechanics, and decipher a grand mystery.

Thank you, Thekla Inc, for the description. Order of the Sinking Star sounds like it’s right up my alley. I loved Braid. The fact that Order of the Sinking Star is by the same director has me hooked. That and the fact that Order of the Sinking Star offers numerous puzzles. What? I love puzzle games. Mrs. Geekly loves puzzle games. Couple that with the excellent graphics, and Order of the Sinking Star becomes a must-play. This game looks amazing. I see myself losing countless hours in this game, and it’s received stellar reviews. I would expect nothing less from Jonathan Blow. Order of the Sinking Star is available on PC and Nintendo Switch 2.

Paperhead Releases

In the cute cardboard world, something went horribly wrong… Use the magical pencil, a good old shotgun, and various other weapons as well as the strength of your mighty boots, to uncover the dark truth and find out WHY WOULD CARDBOARD… BLEED?

Thank you, HypeTrain Digital, for the description. We end this week’s new releases with another spooky game…of sorts. Paperhead looks equal parts adorable and unsettling. Is it supposed to be a cardboard cutout version of Doom? Wow! I love the concept of a magical pencil. Yes, please. Forget the various other weapons I could wield. The pencil is mightier than the gatling gun. LOL Paperhead features an interesting art style. It’s received good reviews, so it must be doing something right. Like many other games on this list, Paperhead was an instant wishlist game. Paperhead is available on PC and Xbox Series S/X.

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: September 27, 2026; New Releases

Published on September 27, 2026September 26, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. With the holidays around the corner we have plenty of new releases for board games and video games this week. Let’s get to the games.

Personal Demons Launches on KickStarter

A group therapy ritual where 1-4 players summon and seal away their own personal demons. This fast-paced, simultaneous-action drafting-style game has each player populating their own summoning circle in a tableau-style puzzler, aiming to form complete seals and conquer their demons. Hefty and colossal Demons of increasingly larger card sizes can be summoned and sealed once their requirements are met, and each one gives all players unique benefits that can change the way you play the game. Courage cards gained over the course of play grant player-specific abilities, sins are built up and spent as currency to take bonus actions, seals are cracked and replaced as the game progresses. Build an engine, choose your path to victory and score the most over three rounds to show your demons who’s boss.

Thank you, Tettix Games, for the description. Personal Demons combines some well-known and well-loved game mechanisms and looks to combine them in different ways. Note: I have yet to play Personal Demons; this is what I’ve gathered from descriptions, pics, and videos. I like most games that feature simultaneous-action selections. This one mechanism speeds up gameplay. You can have a heady board game that should take well over an hour to complete, add simultaneous-action selection, and that game suddenly takes thirty minutes to play. Tile placement is another of my favorite game mechanisms, and I can’t wait to see what makes Personal Demons a tableau-style puzzle game. Personal Demons offers pledge levels ranging from $44-$93. If you’re interested in Personal Demons, check out its KickStarter page.

Electrify Launches on KickStarter

It is the late 1800’s and scientists have unlocked the power of electricity! Take the role of an innovator and visionary working to supply an industrializing world with this new energy. Build up your industry across five different sectors, creating a revolving engine to produce, upgrade, and transmit energy cubes.

Each round, you will activate one sector of your business, represented by a tile, and take all the actions of that sector. Sector tiles can be upgraded with industry cards, adding more action icons to that sector. Cycling through your sector tiles is important because they become more powerful the longer you wait to use them. Cards with special arrows allow you to chain activations across multiple sectors, creating a dynamic engine that changes and improves with every turn. A combination of strategic engine building and tactical decision-making in response to your own shifting player area will bring you the most success.

Energy cubes transmitted to the grid are consumed to satisfy demand goal cards, earning you Energy Points. By meeting demand goals that require more and cleaner energy, you will earn greater rewards. Test your skills playing solo, or play competitively and claim your place at the forefront of the energy revolution!

Thank you, Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG), for the description. Electrify sounds electrifying. I had to. I’ve liked many of John D. Clair’s designs, AEG publishes some fun and accessible games, and Electrify looks like another great one. I like the idea of triggering every action within a sector of one’s business and each sector gaining power for each turn it hasn’t been used. This reminds me of stock market games like Racoon Tycoon (picking the right timing when to cash in on a resource) and a little bit of KeyForge (activate all members of a specific faction; the more of that faction you have, the stronger the action). I don’t know how Electrify plans to combine these elements, but I like both. Electrify offers pledges ranging between $39 and $69. If you’re interested in Electrify, check out its KickStarter page.

Bookwyrm Launches on KickStarter

In this cozy strategy game of beautiful bookshelves, you are a dragon who has hoarded too many books! Featuring 200 punny book cards, your goal is to organize your messy collection on the shelves of your bookcase board, scoring points for matching colors and genres, following trends, and alphabetizing.

However, tantalizing new books arrive at the bookshop every day, tempting you to enhance your shelves with new releases, knickknacks, and treats from the bookshop cafe. Will you build an efficient, glorious bookcase featuring books old and new, or succumb to the clutter?

Thank you, Sword & Rose Press, for the description. First off, I’ve always liked the term Bookwyrm, and I’m glad those book dragons have a game they can play. And I love the theme of organizing books on shelves. I’ve been eyeing A Place for All My Books and have yet to pull the trigger and pick up the title. Add dragons to that concept, and I’m there. I like the artwork. To be fair, it’s difficult to mess up books and dragons, but still, Bookwyrm looks great. Publisher Sword & Rose Press is a newer publisher. Prior to Bookwyrm, they published a couple of books. But hey, that makes them a perfect publisher for a game about putting books on shelves. Pledges range from $50 to $175. If you’re interested in Bookwyrm, check out its KickStarter page.

Pax Musica Launches on GameFound

Born from a passion for music, Pax Musica takes you on a journey through its vibrant history – from the roaring the 1960s to the 2020s. Step into the shoes of a music producer and build your own path to fame.

Hit the auditions and assemble your dream team of future legends. Then crank out bangers across five iconic genres: African-American, EDM, Jazz, Pop, and Rock until the charts don’t just notice you… they surrender.

Manage success and chaos. Play nice… or play very not nice. Your call. Show business is a wild ride: one day you’re a star, the next you’re forgotten. Hire pros to boost your band’s potential, shape trends and stir controlled hype . Crash the afterparties and recruit a delightfully chaotic crew: Paparazzi, Broadcasters, Groupies, Femme Fatales, Fixers, A&Rs, and Bodyguards. Build your empire, wreck your rivals, and look fabulous doing it.

Climb to the top. Play gigs, drop hits, and grow your fortune. Your band is your money machine, your ticket to power, fame, and immortality in the music world.

Thank you, Ion Game Designs, for the description. There’s a lot going on with the board above, but I’m down for it. I haven’t played any game from Ion Game Designs’ Pax series. Each of these games is steeped in history. I like Trekking Through History, how you can play through various eras, and hopefully learn a few things along the way. Pax Musica looks to do the same thing with music through the ages.

Not gonna lie, I am a bit concerned with Pax Musica’s heaviness. Part of what I like about Trekking Through History is that I can teach it to most people, even non-board gamers. I don’t think I’ll be able to do that with Pax Musica. And that’s okay. Only real music nerds need apply to Pax Musica. The production looks great. I like the bits (like the keyboard and jukebox printed on the main board). I can’t wait to dive headfirst into music history. If you’re interested in Pax Musica, check out its GameFound page.

Bilico Launches on GameFound

A game of strategy and dexterity where you have to park cars and build ever-higher buildings without collapsing. Even one breath can be enough to lose the game.

Plays for 2 to 4 players, lasting 20-30 minutes. Each turn, you place your car in one of the free parking spaces, then begin building a building of your choice. Each building has a construction rule: build 2 or 3 floors at a time, or multiples.

If there are no collapses, you earn points; otherwise, you lose them. If you build a building from the ground floor or create extensions, you receive different bonuses. Whoever scores the most points wins.

Bilico is clearly 3D printed, but that makes me wonder: If I back this project, will I receive the 3D model files to print off my own copy in any color? I wouldn’t mind printing off my own copy. We don’t usually cover 3D printed board games on Geekly, but Bilico looks interesting. Most of what we know about the game (so far) is what’s printed above. That’s not a lot of information to go on, but I also wonder if parking your car in a specific space affects where you place building floors or how you must place these floors. Bilico comes with several smaller objects (helicopters with helipads and satellite dishes) for players to place in the buildings. These small components could help balance each tower, allowing players to manipulate each building’s center of gravity. Cool! If you’re interested in Bilico, check out its GameFound page.

Graveyard Keeper 2 Releases

The most inaccurate medieval cemetery sim is back! Restore The Town, manage the graveyard, automate production, lead your undead army into battle and turn the zombie problem into a thriving business! Graveyard Keeper 2 is the grotesque sequel that’s deeper than six feet, and more unhinged than ever!

Thank you, Lazy Bear Games, for the description. I love how goofy Graveyard Keeper 2 sounds. It releases at the perfect time: Spooky Season. Graveyard Keeper 2 takes the core game tenants of farming sims like Stardew Valley and applies them to a graveyard sim. Interesting. The game has received solid reviews. And I have definitely added this game to my Steam wishlist. Graveyard Keeper 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series S/X.

Dressmaker Releases

Become a dressmaker! Choose fabric, cut out patterns, and sew them all together to satisfy (or sabotage!) townsfolk in this cozy crafting game inspired by real dressmaking.

Thank you, Cozy Lives, for the description. And what a perfect name for a study that published Dressmaker. This cozy game reminds me of Tiny Bookshop. This is yet another game I wishlisted on Steam. Players can handpick their fabric, create their own unique designs, and tailor make dresses for customers. Can you make the perfect dress? I am so in. Dressmaker has received great reviews. I would expect nothing less from the developers of the Terra Nil expansion. Cozy Lives might just be an up and coming developer for cozy games.

Silent Hill: Townfall Releases

Returning to an island town to “put things right,” Simon Ordell descends into a world of tense evasion, explosive confrontations, and mind-bending puzzles that slowly surface the truth of St. Amelia.

Thank you, Konami, for the description. We’ll never get Kojima’s P.T.; Silent Hill: Townfall represents the first game in the Silent Hill series to be played from the first-person perspective. It’s received mixed reviews, and still, I’m interested in the change of perspective. Silent Hill: Townfall takes advantage of it, too. Protagonist Simon Ordell carries a CRTV (a portable television) around with him. This would look odd, if not impossible to see, in a game using third-person perspective. I like how the Silent Hill series has made a resurgence of late and how the series reinvents itself. Silent Hill: Townfall is available on PC and PlayStation 5.

Well Dweller Releases

Well Dweller is a dark fairy-tale metroidvania, full of charming characters living in a wretched kingdom. Play as Glimmer, a tiny bird armed with a matchstick, who must burn the wicked queen to save his family.

Thank you, Top Hat Studios, for the description. Developer/designer Kyle Thompson knows how to design metroidvania games. Islets received high praise. Crypt Custodian did as well and moved the gameplay to a top-down point of view. Well Dweller returns to the 2D side-scrolling perspective as Islets and has received universal claim for its world building and design. In short, Well Dweller looks amazing. It’s the latest metroidvania by one of the best designers crafting metroidvanias. If you’re at all interested in this style of game, you should at least wishlist Well Dweller. Well Dweller is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and XBox Series S/X.

Control Resonant Releases

Explore a warped Manhattan on the brink of paranatural annihilation in this thrilling action-adventure RPG. Unleash the extraordinary powers of Dylan Faden as he fights for his humanity and our survival against a reality-bending cosmic threat.

Thank you, Remedy Entertainment, for the description. Control Resonant takes place seven years after the events of the original video game Control, which was itself released seven years ago (2019). Has it been that long? Yikes! Control Resonant follows Dylan Faden, a paranaturally abled “parautilitarian” who first appeared as a supporting character in Control, as he battles an invasion of hostile entities while searching for his estranged sister. You’ve gotta love Control’s commitment to continuity. Control Resonant has received solid reviews, proving this is a worthy sequel to the original. This is another game I may need to play. My To Be Played Pile is suffering this week. Eek! Control Resonant is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Those are all the new releases we have for you this week. Which games sound 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.

Geekly News: September 20, 2026; New Releases

Published on September 20, 2026September 18, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We have a ton of great games that released this week. Let’s talk about some games. Yes!

Onryō: First Seal Launches on KickStarter

Onryō: First Seal is a fast-paced, standalone cooperative tactical game steeped in Japanese folklore. Serving as the prequel to Onryō: Seeking Solace, the story unfolds centuries before the ancient chains are shattered.

From the dark fissures of the underworld, the Onryō has awakened—a terrifying spirit born from ultimate betrayal and driven by absolute vengeance. Sweeping across the land, her wrath stirs ancient Yōkai spirits. If she recruits eight spirits, she will become an unstoppable force of destruction.

As elite ninjas from three distinct clans, players represent the land’s final line of defense. Stepping into the shadows armed only with stealth and pure cooperation, you must enter the corrupted grid, coordinate team movements, and trap the vengeful spirit before time runs out. For an even greater challenge, enter Tatari Mode, where every recruited monster makes the Onryō stronger and triggers unpredictable disruptions to your plans.

Thank you, Lemery Games, for the description. Onryō: First Seal looks great. I like Yōkai as a theme, and Onryō: First Seal pulls off the theme well–from what’ I’ve seen; I have yet to play the game. Onryō: First Seal has a super fast set-up (less than one minute) and low rules overhead (takes about three minutes to learn the basic rules). It’s one of those easy games to learn but difficult to master. Games last thirty minutes or less. Thirty minutes or less. Yikes! Onryō: First Seal sounds like a game I could play multiple times in succession. It’s also a cooperative game. I’m down with those. And from what I’ve seen, Onryō: First Seal plays really well as a solo game experience. I like how the board game community has shifted to offering solo gaming experiences.

Onryō: First Seal is set to retail at $21, but Lemery Games is trying something a little different with this game. You can pick your pledge amount (suggested ranges are from $1-$40) for a deluxe copy of Onryō: First Seal. We’ll have to see if this tactic will work. So far, it looks as if Onryō: First Seal has more than met its goal. If you’re interested in Onryō: First Seal, check out its KickStarter page.

Perennial Launches on KickStarter

Perennial uses polyominos in a new way! On a turn, players draft tiles from the board in one shape (based on the polyomino shape depicted on the card they select for their supply). These square tiles are then disaggregated when placed in the play area. In the placement phase, any of the player’s collected tiles may be reassembled and placed in their garden by using a card in their collection. Assemble your own polyominos into the right configurations to place your wildflowers, wildlife, and garden features to score the most points!

Thank you, Flatout Games, for the description. The creators behind Cascadia, Calico, and Verdant are also behind Perennial. Sign me up. All three are fantastic board games; Perennial looks like it continues that trend. The rules seem easy to learn, but another one of those games that are difficult to master. Yes! Unlike some of the three games I mentioned earlier, Perennial has a short playtime, less than forty-five minutes. I’m also a huge fan of Beth Sobel’s artwork. Sure, she specializes in nature-themed designs, but I love her art. I see her name on the box, and I’m interested in the game. Perennial offers numerous pledge levels. It even includes a $399 pledge level that will get every game publisher Flatout Games has ever done. And Flatout Games has an impressive library of games. If you’re interested in Perennial, check out its KickStarter page.

Yokozuna Launches on KickStarter

Sumo is the national sport of Japan, and Yokozuna is the highest rank a Rikishi can achieve during their career as a Sumo wrestler. During a Sumo match, two Rikishi compete against each other in a fierce display of strength and discipline. Easy to learn, lightning fast to set up and designed to be easy to be brought at social events, yet carefully designed to reflect Sumo culture in a fun and respectful manner. Refined artstyle and graphic design with each card inspired by a modern take on Showa era poster art, with clear and accessible pips and indications to make each card’s use and effects clear and unequivocal.

Thank you, Metamorph Games, for the description. Oh my ghost! Yokozuna looks so cute. We are three for three with games that don’t take long to set up, learn to play, and complete. Games of Yokozuna can take as little as five minutes. What? And I love those Sumo wrestling minis. If we ever get to play Yokozuna, I’ll have to ask Season what she thinks about the game paying homage to the Sumo wrestling tradition. She’ll know more about than me, but I appreciate that Yokozuna has attempted to honor the Sumo culture. Yokozuna‘s remaining pledge levels range from $29-$45. If you’re interested in Yokozuna, check out its KickStarter page.

Primacy Launches on KickStarter

Primacy is a sci-fi strategy game for 2-4 players, set in a city where the line between reality and cyberspace is blurred. Players represent factions vying for control of the city after a mysterious mind-control program turns off, creating a power vacuum. Seek power through battle, intrigue, public relations, and propaganda.

Conquer 3 types of sector throughout the city for different benefits, including income, soldier recruitment, and access to terminals to spread propaganda. Controlling terminals will score victory points, but won’t help you improve your power or position. Balance is key to achieving victory.

Battles are resolved by secretly committing weapon cards to 3 different objectives, and simultaneously revealing. Choose wisely between PR to boost your propaganda, loot for resources, and rep for victory points, and win 2 out of 3 to control new territory.

Each game contains 132 soldiers and cars, 60 control markers, 29 modular hex tiles, 4 3-layer player boards with variable inserts, 8 double-sided faction tiles, a public console board, and tons of cards and credit tokens, all with beautiful illustrations by Calder Moore. The game can be played with symmetrical player boards for an easier teach, or with various combinations of asymmetrical boards and faction powers for additional variability and richness.

Thank you, Spielcraft Games, for the description. I played Primacy in a very early stage of development; the game didn’t even have a theme at the time. In fact, I think the game had the codename Primate City at the time. I always thought the battle box was a good touch. Primacy kept that feature. During battle (if there is a battle), players will secretly select where they want to place their forces. Every battle offers bonuses, so even if you’re overpowered during a combat, there’s a chance you’ll gain a bonus. I like that. Each battle in Primacy plays out differently.

Designer Alex Wolf makes quality games. We’ve covered Spielcraft Games’ last title, Cretaceous Rails more than once. The same care has been given to Primacy. And on a personal note, I like that Alex Wolf has published a game with a rondel. Rondels are his favorite game mechanism. Primacy offers pledge levels that range between $60-$150. If you’re interested in Primacy, check out its KickStarter page.

Kart! Launches on KickStarter

Kart is a downhill racing game of epic proportions. You’re tweens in a neighborhood during summer break, racing the most horrible carts this world has ever seen. Each cart is a glorious combination of whatever you could find in your garage and in the dumpster next door. Who will navigate the pitfalls of the neighborhood best?

Lightly asymmetric, and playable in about an hour.

Thank you, Leder Games, for the description. I’m glad about the “lightly asymmetric” designator above. Leder Games is known for Root, perhaps the most popular asymmetric power board game of the past couple of decades. The publisher has a knack with asymmetric powers, and Kart looks to continue this trend. I should’ve guessed Kart was a a Leder Games title. The company has affinity for four-letter game titles: Root, Fort, Arcs, Ahoy, Oath, and Vast. Kart fits right in on more than one front. Kart offers two pledge levels: $40 and $70. If you’re interested in Kart, check out its KickStarter page.

Bake or Break Launches on KickStarter

A cafe where a team of clumsy staff work together at the various stations of the cafe to prepare the ingredients, decorate the cakes, and fulfill the orders.

At the start of each round discuss your strategy together but cannot elude to the cards you’re playing.
Then simultaneous reveal your chosen action cards but as with any kitchen you need to work together and do the tasks in order.
Take → Prepare → Decorate → Serve.

Thank you, Game Storybook, for the description. Bake or Break is unique in that it’s was created by a cafe; the game’s mechanisms are meant to simulate the hectic nature of a cafe/bakery. I like this angle. Bake or Break also happens to originate from Japan. The 2026 Tokyo Game Show just took place, so Bake or Break launched just in time for the convention. Bake or Break is yet another easy-to-learn game that doesn’t take too long play. Perfect. I like the artwork and not enough games use the cooking theme. If you’re interested in Bake or Break, check out its KickStarter page.

Marvel’s Wolverine Releases

Marvel’s Wolverine is an action-packed adventure from Insomniac Games, the acclaimed studio behind Marvel’s Spider-Man series. Created in collaboration with Marvel Games, it delivers an all-new original story based on the legendary comic book character.

Thank you, Sony, for the description. Marvel’s Wolverine finally released this week. Yes! I’ve enjoyed every entry of Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man series. I have not yet played Marvel’s Wolverine. From what I’ve seen, Marvel’s Wolverine’s reviews are all over the place. Despite a lukewarm reception, I’m still interested in Marvel’s Wolverine. It’s going to be one of those titles I hope are under the Christmas tree in a few months. Fingers crossed. Marvel’s Wolverine is available on PlayStation 5.

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: September 13, 2026; New Releases

Published on September 13, 2026September 13, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. The Kansas City Renaissance Fair was fantastic. I had a blast. We have plenty of new releases in board games and video games. We even have some tabletop RPG new releases. What? That’s right. GameFound’s RPG Party returns. I’m so glad they’re making this an annual event. Woot! Without any further ado, let’s talk about some games.

Everdell Journeys Launches on KickStarter

Set out from the hustle and bustle of the big city and see the cozy world of Everdell on your own two paws in Everdell Journeys.

In this card-drafting adventure, you’ll lay down a path of cards featuring the breathtaking landmarks, riveting cities, and new friends you’ll find on the road. Send your traveler along the path of cards to activate them, scoring points and gaining resources. Chart your course wisely and score powerful combos based on the cards in your path, filling your journal with memories to share by the hearth at your journey’s end!

Thank you, Tycoon Games, for the description. My spouse and I love the Everdell series. We have almost everything from the base game and adore Everdell Duo. Tycoon Games has done a good job with its Everdell spin-off games so far. That’s a good sign for Everdell Journeys. While Everdell Duo offered a campaign and co-op variants of the original game, Everdell Journeys uses card-drafting. Yes! According to the publisher, Everdell Journeys takes between thirty minutes to an hour to play. That tracks for a card-drafting game. I like those games’ ability to speed up gameplay. The picture above has me a little concerned about the game’s icons. There’s a lot going on with the symbols at the bottom of “Honeypaw.” Still, Everdell hasn’t missed yet with one of its spin-offs. Everdell Journeys deserves attention.

And we get more than one Everdell spin-off game with this campaign. Each pledge comes with a free copy of Everdell Gather, which is a card game variant of Everdell. I like it when longer games, like Everdell, condense its concepts into a card game that’s easier to get to the table. Games of Everdell Gather take around twenty minutes. Yes, please. And we get two Everdell spin-offs for the price of one. Yes, yes, y’all! Everdell Journeys offers pledges that range between $49 and $699. $50 for two games isn’t bad. If you’re interested in Everdell Journeys, check out its KickStarter page.

Catvale Launches on KickStarter

Each player shapes their cat’s path: will you be the aggressor, stealing prestige and robbing opponents of their dignity? Or perhaps you’ll focus on foraging and construction, fancying up your backyard with luxurious structures? Live off adventure by completing quests, fulfilling ambitions, and dueling for glory, or dominate the market through cunning auctions and hiring the best workers? With multiple paths to victory and high replayability, Catvale offers a delightful mix of strategy, luck, and creativity, where the future of the land rests in the paws of the most cunning and ambitious cat.

Thank you, FU Dice, for the description. I haven’t heard much about Catvale before this week. This game sounds like a winner with my family. My oldest daughter loves cats. Catvale has RPG elements, dice rolling, worker placement, and tile placement. If combined properly, these are some of my favorite board game mechanisms and Catvale could be a killer game. I love the artwork. The components look like good to great quality. FU Dice is a new company. While there’s always a risk with newer board game companies, the people behind FU Dice have a history in the board game design/production space with Glass Cannon Unplugged, who made the Apex Legends, Don’t Starve, and Dying Light board games. The company may be new, but the designer (Lukasz Burdowski) and the people running FU Dice have plenty of experience.

Catvale offers multiple pledge levels, ranging $79 – $499. The highest level offers premium wooden pieces. If you’re interested in Catvale, check out its KickStarter page.

Dice Commandos Infestation Launches on GameFound

The sequel to Dice Commandos, Infestation is a tactical dice puzzle game where you control a team of elite commandos facing an evolving alien threat.

Battle rogue androids, powerful company men and the brooding alien queen. Complete objectives, and fight to survive using dice, weapons, and deadly abilities.

Choose 1 of 6 missions and an enemy faction type to battle against. Each round you will use your commandos to perform 3 actions; move/fight, train, deploy, load-outs and completing objectives. Your commandos are dice that have special abilities and move according to their pip values. You will move your commandos around the map strategically fighting enemies and setting up the conditions to complete your mission objectives.

You must complete you mission objectives before time runs out or before your commando team is defeated by the alien threat!

Thank you, Solo Game of the Month, for the description. And, yes! We have another board game from Solo Game of the Month. I love this company. It offers a lot of game for not a lot of money and still manages to make quality games. As the name implies, Solo Game of the Month produces a lot of great solo games, a growing trend in modern board gaming. Don’t have a dedicated gaming group? Play solo games. We missed the original Dice Commandos when it originally released, but we caught its sequel, Dice Commandos Infestation. The original game paid homage to Predator, and Infestation looks to do the same with Starship Troopers. Oh, yeah! This’ll be fun.

If you’re interested in Dice Commandos Infestation, check out its GameFound page.

Tres Tesoros Launches on GameFound

Tres Tesoros is a fast-paced card game for 2 to 8 players that combines strategy, luck, and treasure hunting.

Players roll a custom D12 dice at the start of their turn to determine how many cards they draw and how many actions they can take. Throughout the game they collect Gem cards, protect them with Shields or Mirrors, and use special action cards to disrupt their opponents and gain an advantage.

The goal is to complete a winning collection of Gems before anyone else. Easy to learn and quick to play, Tres Tesoros offers constant interaction and unexpected twists where a single roll can change the course of the game.

Thank you, Dreamkeepers Games, for the description. Tres Tesoros has a simple premise, and sometimes, that’s all you need. It looks like an easy game to learn and claims to scale well, supporting up to eight players. I haven’t yet played Tres Tesoros, so I don’t have an opinion there. The game flow is roll the die (a twelve-sided die), follow the directions of the die face you rolled by playing gems (cards for points) or attacking your opponents (cards to rid your opponents of points?). Like I said, simple and quick. While I can’t imagine Tres Tesoros’s pledges costing too much, it is on GameFound, so we don’t have an exact dollar amount. If you’re interested in Tres Tesoros, check out its GameFound page.

Sub-Zero Launches on GameFound

As a faction of Arctic animals take over territories and stockpile food to survive the winter. Fight the cold, avoid humans, and escape the polar bears!

In Sub-Zero, you lead a faction of arctic animals chosen from Walrus, Goose, Musk Ox, Bald Eagle, Arctic Fox, and Lemming.

The first player of the turn rolls a set of dice indicating the actions available for that turn, the players in clockwise order choose which dice to use and remove it from the pool available to the others. From the season’s black or white dice set, you can then place your animals on the board, collect food from a territory and lower its value, use your faction’s special action (each faction is different from the others), or spend points to choose a specific action of the dice

From the blue die of the season, reduce the value of a territory by lowering, place a human scientific expedition on a territory, collect food, or send a Polar Bear against the animals of the other factions. The game takes place in 15 rounds divided into 3 seasons: spring, summer, and autumn. At the end of the 3 seasons, the player with the most points (in food) wins!

Thank you, Dawn Town Games, for the description. Pictured above is a screenshot from Board Game Simulator, not the final game components. That being said, Sub-Zero looks good from a production standpoint. Dawn Town Games has a few games under their belt and have a good track-record. Sub-Zero features more dice rolling and worker placement (like some other games this week), but adds a twist of area control/manipulation. That makes sense for a game where you’re trying to survive the elements. Sub-Zero introduces some interesting concepts. I like how players take on the roles of animals and must avoid humans. Nice touch! If you’re interested in Sub-Zero, check out its GameFound page.

Steam & Cheese Launches on GameFound

In a world similar to the one we know, mice became the dominant species. They built houses, roads, and cities, and increasingly developed a taste for fine foods — their appetite for cheese grew immeasurably. The better the cheese, the more valuable it became. So they began importing spices from the Far East by zeppelin. These spices are used to make the cheese even more delicious. But cheese production is no simple undertaking. A large machine factory was built, where the resourceful mice constantly sought to install ever-better machines to increase productivity. Sales representatives from all over flocked to the factory operators to purchase cheese. The merchants’ demands are high, but great wealth is granted to those who satisfy these desires.

In this expert level euro game players place dice in various action boards to choose which action with which strength they want to perform. They get resources depending on the dice color and determine the strength with the dice values. Milk is placed on the player board and needs to be transformed to cheese with different machines (actions). They try to fulfill orders and move on various bonus tracks. The player with the most victory points wins.

Thank you, Skellig Games, for the description. Oh my ghost! Steam & Cheese looks adorable. Steampunk mice making cheese is a fantastic theme mashup. I included the entire description for Steam & Cheese because it’s so good. Skellig Games has produces some phenomenal games, too: Darwin’s Journey, On Mars, Anachrony, Voidfall, and Age of Steam. This is a company with an excellent track record. I don’t know what makes Steam & Cheese an “expert level” euro game, but it does look complicated. Whenever I think of an expert level euro game, I think of a game I can lose on turn one. I hope that isn’t the case with Steam & Cheese. But I don’t yet have a game in my collection like that. I could stand to have a least one.

Steam & Cheese looks so good. I may throw caution to the wind and pick up a copy. If you’re interested in Steam & Cheese, check out its GameFound page.

Vault Zero Launches on GameFound

Vault Zero is a combination deck-builder, engine-builder, and action programming game set in a techno-dystopian future. Players take the role of rebel hackers who are all working to build machines that can hack into Vault Zero, the digital fortress that contains the government’s darkest secrets, and expose those secrets to the public and cause a mass uprising.

Players begin each turn with only one actin available to them, but cards they collect can add action economy in three different ways depending on their color. With a full board players will be triggering effects that trigger effects that trigger effects. Find effects that generate Key cards and get 5 of them in your hand at once to steal a secret from the Vault! Steal your 5th secret, and you’ve won the game!

Thank you, Horse Thief Games, for the description. Oh my ghost! I know I already said that once in this week’s write-up, but look at the games in this week’s stable of board games. They all look so good. Vault Zero adds several other elements I love in games. I don’t have too many deck-builders anymore (culled a handful of months ago), and I love it when an engine gets going. Vault Zero also happens to have a great theme, and look at the table presence the titular vault (pictured above) provides. Vault Zero will be one of those games people will stop to look at during a convention. If you’re interested in Vault Zero, check out its GameFound page.

RPG Party Launches on GameFound

Typically, we don’t cover tabletop RPGs on Geekly because there are so many releases each week, but this week is special. GameFound launched its second annual RPG Party. Woo hoo! 23 TTRPGs get featured on the site for the week, and let me tell you, some of the games sound amazing:

Budapest 1899 by Dragonmount Press (delves in to the occult and folklore of Hungary as it prepares to enter the 20th century)

Lights, Dice, Action! by Regular Wizard Co (a game about creating a TV series or blockbuster movie)

The Long Watch by StudioSquidink (an “uncanny solo RPG” that sees the player join a mysterious and underfunded organisation)

Heroes After Dark by Adam Krafter (where you play as Vespers – heroes who mysteriously trasform into monsters every night to fight evil with evil)

Murder of Crows by Michael Endo Weil (crows investigate the murder of other crows)

Hope Dies Last by Infinite Citadel & Mike Underwood (A triptych of Daggerheart-compatible campaign frames where defiant heroes fight against overwhelming odds)

Haunted by Jeremy Kerr (a tabletop RPG of supernatural noir investigation)

Trashumanism by Le Destroy (A biopunk TTRPG set in the Trashumanism Universe)

Twisted Lands by 9thPersona (players become Gidim – hunters, scholars, envoys, and problem-solvers navigating a living world of strange ecologies, ancient technology, powerful cities, and choices that leave lasting consequences)

Kraldum by tooth & shore (Go down to the shore below the city. Collect what you can. Survive what lurks there and beat the rising waters to make it home.)

Tales & Twists by by Jack of all Tracks (Dive into a menagerie of brand new worlds filled with whimsy, adventure and horror with new rules for resistance, dungeon crawling, and the tug of war between resilience and corruption)

GridShock by Paul Vermeren | VX2 (You are a new breed of heroes, fighting to restore hope to a warped world in the grip of villainy)

Myco//Drift by Crimson Adder (players take on the role of genetically altered pilots bonded to skyscraper-sized fungal bio-mechs known as Myco Suits)

Ivory Tower by RiftKid Games (Save your flying city, witness the end of the world, and rule the remaining rubble in this TTRPG about a scheming council of archmages)

The Wine Dark Sea by Abyssal Raven Games (Play as lost star farers trapped in a place of dreaded legend outside the known universe)

Heroes of a Thousand Tales by Adventure_Horizon (Every rule is designed to make you play, feel, and fight like you’re the hero of your own anime series)

Unbounded by Roger “Moishe” Main (Level up through the Ability Trees and learn to harness your Atzmah to create any character concept you can imagine)

Witches of Winter by Violet Blitz (A modern fantasy TTRPG about witchcraft, community, and climate collapse)

Everdoom by Tremor Pings (A shared-authority narrative game for four players who discover the destiny of a legendary hero by telling their fable together)

Winter Bones: An RPG for Doomed Mice by We Be Dangerous Publishing (Become mice. Tiny, fragile creatures battling for survival against the horrors born of the Deep Still. Monsters lurk beneath the frost. Do you have what it takes to evade their clutches?)

Road Warriors: A Stand Up Comedy Odyssey by DGB Games (Road Warriors is a game about playing fledgling stand up comedians on your first tour. The gigs are rough, the audiences are worse and your hit points are based in self esteem. Good Luck!)

What a great round-up of TTRPGs. Which one of the above titles sounds the most interesting to you? Have you playtested any of them? Let us know in the comments. I’m glad GameFound has made RPG Party an annual event. Good luck to all the games listed above. You guys rock!

Halloween: The Game Releases

On Halloween night, 1978, no one is safe from Michael Myers. Become the Boogeyman or fight back against the face of evil itself in Halloween.

Halloween: The Game releases just in time for Spooky Season. I see what you did there. The game has received solid reviews. That’s great to see. Games based on horror franchises can be hit or miss at times. Halloween: The Game can be played as a solo experience or with multiple players. Think a Michael Myers specific Dead by Deadlight, where one player is the killer and the rest attempt to survive their attacks. Halloween: The Game is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

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 30, 2026; New Releases

Published on August 30, 2026August 28, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We’re still taking a break from headline news, but we had some big losses in the entertainment space this week. We’ll have to share some love for those we lost this past week. Yowza, what a brutal week. But first, let’s talk about new releases for board games and video games. With the holidays on the horizon, we have a lot of great new releases to discuss. Let’s talk about games.

Effervescent Launches on KickStarter

Effervescent features an organic, grid-free tile-laying system where players have infinite freedom of placement. On a turn, a player must position a curved sea creature tile so that its tail touches the head of an existing creature on the table. Instead of packing pieces tightly edge-to-edge, this head-to-tail placement method creates spaces between the tiles. Players place their shimmering colony tokens onto the board by matching their tile placements to a row of three ever-evolving Drift cards. When tiles successfully surround a pocket of open water, an enclosure is formed. Anyone with tokens inside the sealed enclosure scores points based on shared communal Harmony cards.

Thank you, Weird Giraffe Games, for the description. I like Effervescent’s take on tile placement. As you can tell from the picture above, the tiles are oddly shaped. Players also place beads, bubbles, in between each of these tiles. This results in some bizarre tile placement combos. I have yet to play Effervescent, so I can’t speak to how well the rules describe how players can place these odd, raindrop shaped tiles and bubbles. Fingers crossed it isn’t too difficult to learn Effervescent. I’m intrigued. Effervescent offers multiple pledge levels, ranging from $39 to $69. If you choose the highest option, Weird Giraffe Games throws in a copy of Flock Ton of Flamingos and Spelling Beach. I’m loving the theming with this trio. If you’re interested in Effervescent, check out its KickStarter page.

Herobound Launches on GameFound

Herobound is a rethemed update of The Last Stronghold. A cooperative game for 1-2 super heroes who will attempt to push back the forces of evil threatening all parts of the globe. Survive the onslaught to save the world.

We’ve covered plenty of Solo Game of the Month releases because they’re great games (great production and great mechanisms) that feature a solo gaming option or are solo game only experiences. Each entry in the Solo Game of the Month Series also has a low cost of entry. I’m a sucker for superhero-themed board games, so Herobound sounds fantastic. Herobound’s artwork reminds me of Sentinels of the Multiverse. Another win. And Herobound’s GameFound campaign also features a ton of add-ons for other Solo Game of the Month entries. Most are valued at $25. If you’re interested in Herobound, check out its GameFound page.

Opera Magna Launches on GameFound

Opera Magna is the result of a collaboration between two of the most respected names in the Italian board game scene: Tommaso Battista (designer of Barrage and D.E.I.) and Stefano Castelli (creator of Potion Explosion and Chamber of Wonders).

The game is a resource-management Eurogame built around mechanical elegance, delivering a deep and layered gameplay experience within a streamlined playtime.

Set in 15th-century Florence, the game casts players as merchants supplying the grand construction site of the Basilica. At the heart of the experience lies a dynamic market system in which resource values shift with every action, and where managing what you leave to your opponents is just as crucial as choosing what to bring into your own workshop.

Thank you, Ludus Magnus Studio, for the description. Opera Magna looks amazing. We have an overview of the game above, but if you were to zoom in, you’ll find breathtaking artwork. I like the theme. The two co-designers has me excited. A quick search on BoardGameGeek revealed that Opera Magna has a short playtime. I don’t know how Opera Magna manages to stay within an hour playtime, but I’d be down for a medium-weight resource management game about the Basilica. Sign me up. Opera Magna has a pledge cost of about $50. If you’re interested in Opera Magna, check out its GameFound page.

Fox Flip Launches on GameFound

Fox Flip is a quick, easy-to-learn 2-player game of skill, luck, and timely flips. Play timely fox cards to outfox your opponent and win piles of cards!

To start, deal 7 cards to each player. The player opposite the dealer goes first. Alternate turns playing cards of equal or greater value, or by following the Fox card rules.

At some point, someone won’t be able to play. When that happens, you have one chance to stay in the game by flipping the top card of the deck onto the play pile. Flipping a card acts as your turn. If the flipped card satisfies the current rule in play, you survived and normal play resumes starting with the other player. If the flipped card doesn’t satisfy the current rule in play, the other player wins the pile.

Once a pile is won, alternate turns drawing 1 card per turn up to a maximum of 7 cards. Once a player has 7 cards, they must play a card on their next turn, which restarts the play phase.

Continue playing until the deck is empty and all cards have been won.

When all cards have been won, count your cards. 1 card = 1 point. The first player to 100 points wins. A typical game of Fox Flip takes 3-4 rounds.

Thank you, Ticket Booth Games, for the description. I had to throw in a fun, quick card game. Fox Flip fits that bill. It’s a two-player only game, so turns should be lightning fast. Even though Fox Flip takes three or four rounds to play, the game caps out at twenty minutes long. A huge plus. I like the age range for Fox Flip; this is a game you can play with kids. And look at that adorable art. We need more cartoon foxes in board and card games. Fox Flip pledges are $12. That’s a good price for a card game. If you’re interested in Fox Flip, check out its GameFound page.

Cola Wars Launches on GameFound

It’s the 1980s, and you’re in charge of marketing for a startup brand of cola. The game will last up to five years, starting in 1981, and each year ten market share tokens are up for grabs. The market share tokens get bigger as the soda market grows, so they get more valuable as the years go by. You track who’s winning by placing market share tokens on a bar graph in the middle of the table. Whoever has the most market share at the end of the game wins!

Thank you, One More Turn Games, for the description. Honestly, I thought Cola Wars had already launched, and I missed it. I’ve seen marketing for this game for months. Full Disclosure: I’m a huge soft drink, soda, cola fan. I will consider backing Cola Wars. I’ve got to. The pictures above feature a late-stage prototype. Cola Wars already looks so good. The bottles, the bottle caps, and the fun 80s aesthetic. I like how Cola Wars will offer two box sizes, depending on which one you prefer. Most modern board games have near-square shapes, but board games from the 1980s were rectangular shaped. You can pick either one. Yes! I may just pick up the odd-shaped rectangle box for funsies. If you’re interested in Cola Wars, check out its GameFound page.

Jurassic Crisis Launches on GameFound

Jurassic Crisis is a semi-competitive, PvPvE survival board game for 1–4 players, inspired by the video game ARK Survival Evolved. You must survive on an island inhabited by dinosaurs while mastering various mechanics – from resource management and positioning to character development, base building, and dinosaur taming.

Thank you, Sperling Spiel, for the description. We go from a Kyra-themed game in Cola Wars to a Season-themed game in Jurassic Crisis. (Pictured above is the prototype on Tabletop Simulator). Not gonna lie, I’m interested in Jurassic Crisis as well. We don’t have too many pictures of the final product. Jurassic Crisis is on GameFound and this is a preview, so we don’t have a price point for Jurassic Crisis’s pledges, but I’m keeping an eye on this title. It runs a little long for my tastes, but I’ll make an exception for a dinosaur survival game. Yes! If you’re interested in Jurassic Crisis, check its GameFound page.

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy Releases

Embark on an original story, prequel to the award-winning games: A Plague Tale. As Sophia, journey to the Minotaur’s Island, outsmart deadly foes, unravel ancient secrets, and confront a mythical creature at the heart of a devastating curse.

Truth time. I’ve never played the original A Plague Tale. It’s been in my to be played (TBP) pile for several months, but I haven’t yet had the chance to play it. I don’t believe you need to have played A Plague Tale to understand Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a prequel to the original game. Might be interesting. I love the graphics. The setting of Minotaur’s Island is phenomenal. Automatic wishlist. But I may want to play the original before diving into Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy. It’s available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Star Wars: Zero Company Releases

Command an elite squad through a gritty and authentic story in STAR WARS Zero Company, a single-player turn-based tactics game set in the twilight of the Clone Wars.

Star Wars: Zero Company is Respawn’s third Star Wars video game (I think), and it differs from all the rest. Respawn’s previous Star Wars games were Souls-like games. Again, these games are in my TBP. I really need to play more video games. Eek! Star Wars: Zero Company gives their Star Wars games a tactical RPG element. A quick look at the graphic above shows a set-up similar to Baldur’s Gate 3. This has me excited, and Star Wars: Zero Company has received good reviews. Respawn has a great reputation in video game circles; I’m not surprised about Star Wars: Zero Company’s reviews. Star Wars: Zero Company is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Melancholy Happy Trails

It’s been about a year since our last melancholy happy trails post. These segments are where we remember those we lost this past week. And this past week was another tough one. We lost some icons.

Dolly Parton

“You can’t be a diamond in a rhinestone world.” Ah! We lost a great one in Dolly Parton on August 25, 2026. Dolly–can I call her Dolly?–was a fabulous queer advocate. Even though I grew up in the South, I never had the greatest affinity for country music. But Dolly was different. She was unapologetically herself. She took up space. She encouraged others to be themselves. And while she was deeply religious, she was an LGBTQ advocate. Dolly proved one could be both Christian and support LGBTQ rights. And she taught us that a little pink and glitter can go a long way. We’ll always love you, Dolly.

Tim Curry

As Fran-N-Furter (Rocky Horror Picture Show), Tim Curry may have the single greatest entrance in all of cinema. Curry had other iconic roles like Pennywise (It), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Broadway production of Amadeus), King Author (Spamalot), and Wadsworth (Clue). Curry embraced the misfits. He’s another icon who refused to be defined as one thing. Curry was ridiculously talented but never took himself too seriously. Few humans were ever dubbed an “Honorary Muppet.” Curry’s work makes me smile. Don’t dream it. Be it. Rest in peace, Tim.

Peter Cullen

“Autobots, Roll Out!” Peter Cullen’s smooth baritone screamed cool as Optimus Prime. Cullen found ways to make audiences care for his characters: Monterey Jack (Chip ‘n Dale’s Rescue Rangers), The Predator (Predator), and Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh). Cullen may be best known as Optimus Prime and Eeyore, but he had range. A ton of range. For many (myself included), Cullen’s voice defined childhoods. Over the years, Cullen shook our minds. Rest in peace, Peter.

That’s all the Geek News we have for you this week. We’ll be off next week for Labor Day Weekend; it’s a holiday, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: August 23, 2026; New Releases

Published on August 23, 2026August 21, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We had a few board games and video games release this past week. Let’s begin by discussing this week’s board game new releases.

Spirit Train: The Final Journey Launches on KickStarter

Spirit Train is played in 3 Cycles. Each Cycle consists of a series of rounds where players will determine what to do using a unique simultaneous action selection mechanic. Before the start of each day, conductors will select between a list of different rooms to fill their train with. These rooms will provide base actions depending on the shape/size of the room. How many rooms you use will affect the speed and energy level of your train, as well as turn order. When spirits are active on your train, they will provide you even more actions. The number of active spirits you can select will depend on the current mood of your spirits (spirits are more active when they’re happy!). You can maximize the number of actions you use by strategically placing active spirits into rooms you’ve created specifically for them on your train.

Thank you, SweaterBear Games, for the description. I love how players can customize their trains (image above). Each player slides rooms into their trains and this will attract/satisfy the spirits you carry to their final destination. I like this theme. I like Spirit Train: The Final Journey’s gimmick. The artwork looks amazing, in keeping with the cozy vibes Spirit Train: The Final Journey presents and very Studio Ghibliesk. And I don’t have too many train games. I can pick up one more. Spirit Train: The Final Journey offers pledges ranging from $59 to $179. If you’re interested in Spirit Train: The Final Journey, check out its KickStarter page.

The Monolith Launches on KickStarter

In The Monolith, 3-4 players take on the roles of shaman, leading their warriors in battle against each other, all for the pleasure of the monolith that holds them in thrall.

Each round, players take turns spending hearts to complete actions. These actions allow them to recruit and move warriors, move their shaman and activate any shaman powers, or bid hearts on powerful divination cards

When a player thinks they’ve taken the actions they need for the round, they dump their remaining hearts into the monolith. The sooner they feed their hearts to the monolith, the more actions they will have during combat, but do it too soon, and risk watching the other players change the board state in your absence!

Once all players have put their remaining hearts in the monolith, the monolith is lifted, revealing the combat actions the remaining hearts have been sorted into! Battles are fast and brutal, and only the most clever players will outmaneuver their enemies and boast of their deeds to the sacred stone!

Thank you, Plaid Hat Games, for the description. While I don’t typically care for “dudes on a map” games, The Monolith is another board game with an intriguing gimmick. Having players place their hearts into the titular monolith and then revealing which combat actions are at a player’s disposal gets my attention. Board games need to use cube towers more, and the monolith is a cube tower, sorting player resources. It sounds as if players can manipulate how much they intend to invest in combat. And the quick combat system may be another barrier lifted for me and “dudes on a map.” Most games of this ilk have involved combat mechanisms. The Monolith sports shorter combat times. I’ll give it a shot. The Monolith offers pledges between $69 and $99. If you’re interested in The Monolith, check out its KickStarter page.

Overclock Launches on GameFound

Overclock is a solo 4x game played with 36 cards. Every card has two sides: a network node on the front and a powerful ability on the back. Play it as a node to grow your network and boost production, or sacrifice it for a game-changing program, a permanent upgrade, or a defensive sentinel. You can’t have both, and that choice is at the heart of every turn. Deploy nodes, scan for data, purge corrupted files, and negotiate shaky alliances with factions that get more dangerous every cycle. The Kill-Code never stops deleting, factions hit harder as the game escalates, and your decisions in the first few cycles shape whether you survive the final ones.

Multiple Ghost characters, asymmetric factions, and a modular difficulty system make every game feel different.

Thank you, Made of Dreams, for the description. I like the state of solo games in the board game hobby. Overclock looks like another great example of a solo game with a quick setup, small footprint, intriguing gimmick (multi-use cards), and a great theme. Board games with cyberpunk themes have been springing up lately, but I don’t believe a good solo game with this theme exists. I may be wrong. Let me know in the comments. Regardless, I can’t see Overclock having a large sticker price. Overclock will be launching on GameFound, and GameFound projects don’t always list their pledge levels when their project is in preview mode, but I’m following Overclock. I can’t believe Made of Dreams created a solo 4X game. If you’re interested in Overclock, check out its GameFound page.

The Sinking City 2 Releases

Set in the Roaring ’20s, The Sinking City 2 is a survival horror steeped in Lovecraftian dread. Defy an eldritch deity and explore the drowned alleys of Arkham, stalked by the dead, as you weigh one life against an entire city.

Thank you, Frogwares, for the description. The Sinking City 2 is set in the fictional city of Arkham, so it wears its Lovecraftian DNA on its sleeve. The sequel is a standalone story to the original The Sinking City. You don’t need to play the original to understand everything happening in The Sinking City 2. I never got around to playing the original, but the premise interested me. Players are trying to survive a sinking city. Arkham is literally submerging under water. The Sinking City 2 captures the vibe of Lovecraftian horror. It’s received good to very good reviews. I’m putting this game on my radar. The Sinking City 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Mortal Shell II Releases

Their Flesh Is Your Weapon. Mortal Shell II is a standalone sequel action-RPG with adrenaline-charged, high-stakes combat. Possess warrior Shells, dethrone false gods, redeem a ravaged world.

Thank you, Playstack, for the description. Mortal Shell II is another standalone sequel, where you won’t need to play the first game to understand the sequel’s story. I’ve had Mortal Shell II on my radar for a while now. I love the graphics. Look at the detail above. Wow! Character customization looks great. I’m getting strong Dark Souls vibes. That’s a plus. Mortal Shell II looks like one of those games I could sink countless hours into, trying as many character builds as I can. It’s not on sale (Steam) right now, but I’ve wishlisted Mortal Shell II and will most likely pick up a copy when it does go on sale. Mortal Shell II is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Feed the Scorchpot Releases

Feed the Scorchpot is a dice roguelike about feeding a dragon for twenty years. Roll ingredients, build your island, and fuse absurd recipes into combos that break the score wide open. Miss a meal and you’re next on the menu.

I’ve covered Feed the Scorchpot when it dropped its demo earlier this year. It released this past week on Steam, and I’ve been playing a lot of this one. For now, I won’t say too much about this Balatro meets Catan video game, but there may be a Feed the Scorchpot review in the not-so-distant future. You’ve been warned.

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 15, 2026

Published on August 16, 2026August 15, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News.

Whisperwood is a bag-building game for 2-4 players of druids harnessing the power of the elements and the natural world to restore a forest. Each round players simultaneously summon magical energy in the form of tokens and plan the incantations they will perform. The players then perform their incantations in turn order, restoring air, water and earth, partnering with wildlife, inscribing runes and awakening the Guardian Golems to perform magical tasks. The land is strewn with corruption and the druids must absorb and purify this corruption to heal the forest – but take on too much corruption and your magical abilities will be compromised!

Thank you, Cardboard Alchemy, for the description. Whisperwood had me at bag building. The game’s production (above is a picture of Whisperwood’s prototype…just the prototype) has me sold. Publisher Cardboard Alchemy has a good track record (Flamecraft and Creature Comforts, anyone?). So, Whisperwood is definitely on my radar. At first, I thought Whisperwood was a cooperative game, but I may like it more as a competitive game. The tiles look amazing. Their irregular shape could yield some interesting maps (if Cardboard Alchemy intends to keep tiles in its final product). I’m a sucker for simultaneous action selection. It doesn’t have the hectic nature of real-time, but it still speeds up play. Whisperwood offers pledges between $99-$249. If you’re interested in Whisperwood, check out its KickStarter page.

The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives Launches on KickStarter

In The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives, players serve as Evaluation Commissioners within B.A.R. Playing solo or as a group, they open classified dossiers, examine physical evidence, compare conflicting testimonies, decode hidden information, and reconstruct the lives of individuals known as Signators, each connected to an anomalous event. No game master is required.

Across seven interconnected cases, players must issue binding rulings: who remains human, who has become Altered, and what must be contained. Branching choices and blind-bag token management carry the consequences of each ruling into later cases, while containment breaches are resolved through tactical card play. To win the campaign, the commissioners must resolve the linked investigations and contain the final threat shaped by their accumulated decisions.

Thank you, Tin Universe, for the description. I haven’t seen a deduction/mystery board game with as much hype as The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives in decades. It’s been a while. Many of my favorite influencers have been promoting The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives. Personally, I love the fusion of Sci-Fi and Mystery. Yes, please. Mrs. Geekly is a huge Clue (Cluedo) fan, so I may need to pick up a copy. The Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives offers pledges in the range of $56-$238. If you’re interested in Altered: Anomaly Containment Archives, check out its KickStarter page.

My Boardgame Logbook Launches on KickStarter

I love the idea of My Boardgame Logbook. I struggle to keep track of which boardgames I play, so My Boardgame Logbook is a nice addition to my boardgame library. Haven’t played a game in a long while? My Boardgame Logbook will show which games you’ve played the most and least over the past several years. I feel a purge coming. Can you feel it? But My Boardgame Logbook goes one step further. You can catalogue each play of your boardgames. With this book you can say without a doubt that one member of your gaming group wins a particular game more than anyone else. Look at the scoreboard.

While I like the idea of logging in game scores, I’m more interested in logging the games themselves. My Boardgame Logbook may be a good tool to determine which games should stay in rotation and which need to leave. My Boardgame Logbook offers multiple pledge levels $13 to $313. You’re sure to find the perfect logbook for your games. If you’re interested in My Boardgame Logbook, check out its KickStarter page.

Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns Releases

The legendary medieval strategy adventure has returned – enhanced for a new generation of knights. Conquer provinces, raise armies, storm castles, and influence the balance of power through bold strategy and action moments.

The classic Defender of the Crown video game series returns. The series is known for being obtuse (difficult to learn controls and win conditions), and while Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns addresses this issue, the game is still difficult to get into but offers a wealth of strategic goodness. Can you lead your knights to victory? Find out in Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns, available on PC.

Rivage Releases

Rivage is an immersive sci-fi puzzle adventure set aboard the A.R.E.S. space station trapped in a space phenomenon. Wake up as Miranda, forced to explore, solve intricate puzzles to unravel the fate of your missing crew.

Ah! Rivage returns to the roots of a walking simulator. I don’t know if the publisher/developer would think that was a diss, but it so isn’t from me; I even shared a list of great dark walking simulators (I love this genre of game). Miranda is trapped on a space station and must solve intricate puzzles to find her missing crew. Yes, please. I immediately wishlisted Rivage on Steam. This looks like an indie hit Geekly covers. Let us know if you’d like a review. Rivage is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Duskfade Releases

Shatter the shackles of time as you jump, swing, and slash through a fantastic world in this love letter to classic 3D action platformers. Zirian, accompanied by his mechanical Cuckoo, must save his sister from a mysterious Clock Tower that has plunged the land into eternal night.

Platformer video games are not dead. Games like Duskfade prove this to be the case. I love the premise, the action portrayed in the images and videos I’ve seen, and the fact that Duskfade is a world in perpetual night. Duskfade is another game I immediately wishlisted on Steam. But you may not need to wait that long. Duskfade is offering a 20% discount for the next two weeks. Duskfade is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series S/X.

Servant of the Lake Releases

Begin your new job as a servant at the mysterious Vanderboom estate. Solve puzzles, serve the family and uncover their dark alchemical secrets in Servant of the Lake, a single-player point-and-click adventure in the Rusty Lake series.

Servant of the Lake is yet another puzzle-heavy video game, and I’m loving it. Servant of the Lake has received great reviews. I can see it. This is another great entry in the Rusty Lake series. Automatic wishlist. Servant of the Lake gives me mad King’s Quest vibes and I’m here for it. I love that indie games have taken over the video game landscape. I hope more game like Servant of the Lake can dominate sales. Servant of the Lake is available on PC.

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 9, 2026; New Releases

Published on August 9, 2026August 5, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We’re still taking a break from headlines, but we have plenty of new releases for board games and video games. Let’s get to the games.

Medici Traders Launches on KickStarter

Like the classic Medici Board Game, Traders is a tile game that takes you to 15th century Florence, Italy. Players acquire the most valuable goods and optimally pack them on their ships. They simultaneously draw goods tiles, adding up to 3 tiles to their tray, which they then move to the center of the table.

After all players have added their trays to the center, the first player selects one of the trays, adding florins (coins) to the tray, as they wish, to help solidify their claim to those goods. Future players may either take a tray from the center (again placing florins to the tray to help solidify their claim) OR surpassing the number of florins on a tray that another player has already claimed, and taking that tray. The original player gets their florins back. Play continues around the table in this way until all players have claimed a tray.

Florins used to claim trays are turned into the bank and players load the goods from their claimed tray onto their ship. Ships in Traders have multiple levels – one for each day (turn) and an upper deck that can hold special goods with upper deck railings.

The above steps are repeated until all players have filled all 7 spaces on the current day’s ship level.

At the end of each day, players score. First, players score based on who has the highest points of goods on the current day’s level of their ship. Then, players score for each type of good anywhere on their ship. Players with the most of each type of good score the most points for that good.

At the end of three days, the player with the most florins wins.

Thank you, APE Games, for the description. I played the heck out of the Medici app. Yes! Medici may be another game I prefer more as an app. And I’ll also throw in app board games because it saves on physical space. Regardless of how you play Medici, the game is excellent. The subject matter may not appeal to everyone. In Medici, you’re trying to manage your resources, selling them at their highest value. Medici Traders looks to streamline a lot of what Medici does and shrink down the game’s runtime. This was the biggest reason why I played Medici as an app. I didn’t think my game group had the patience for a multiple hour game about resource management. But Medici Traders plays in less than forty-five minutes. The upkeep from round to round appears minimal. I may have to pick up a physical copy of a game in the Medici line.

And since Medici Traders is part of the Medici line, designer Reiner Knizia returns. Knizia has a way of making a resource management game with auctions and trading fun. Medici Traders offers several pledge options, ranging from $34 to $139. If you’re interested in Medici Traders, check out its KickStarter page.

Mykerinos Releases on GameFound

1899. For more than a century, the European public has been fascinated by Egyptology and the discoveries of Denon, Champollion, Petrie and others. Seeking adventure and glory, teams of archaeologists search the sands of Egypt for hidden treasures.

Mykerinos. Embody archaeologists seeking relics from ancient Egypt for powerful benefactors. Will you be convincing at the museum’s final exhibition?

Thank you, Looping Games, for the description. Looping Games has been around for just over a decade, and they have reproduced some fantastic games. Mykerinos is the latest decades-old game to receive a facelift from Looping Games. The production value looks amazing. I like Mykerinos’s theme. The tagline goes hard. “Excavate the past. Control the present. Win the final exhibition.” Sounds simple enough, but like many Looping Games (publisher of the 1900 series), Mykerinos provides plenty of strategic depth. If you’re interested in Mykerinos, check out its GameFound page.

Marvel: TOKON Fighting Souls Releases

Assemble your team of legendary Marvel characters in the ultimate 4v4 tag team fighter.

If Marvel vs Capcom wasn’t enough, PlayStation is giving us a Marvel fighting game with a twenty-character roster in Marvel: TOKON Fighting Souls. I’m certain more Marvel characters will be released in the coming months. Twenty characters isn’t a huge roster for a 4v4 tag team fighting game. Each player will control four different characters, so forty percent of all the characters will be included in any one match. Yikes!

Marvel: TOKON Fighting Souls has plans for four future characters with its DLC. We’ll have to see if these characters will be free downloads. The graphics look amazing. Developer Arc System Works has a history with fighting games, so they have the talent and experience to translate Marvel characters into a fighting game. The relatively small roster also gives me hope that each character will play differently from the rest. I’ve got this one on my radar. Marvel: TOKON Fighting Souls is available on PC and PlayStation 5.

Big Walk Releases

Hang out and get lost with close friends in a big world. Big Walk is a cooperative online walker-talker from the creators of Untitled Goose Game.

I enjoyed playing Untitled Goose Game. I’m not good at it, but I had fun playing it. House House has done it again with Big Walk. Big Walk follows the footsteps of highly cooperative games like Meccha Chameleon, Among Us, and Peak. You and your three friends are the only living beings in the world of Big Walk. The four of you are on the titular “big walk” across this uninhabited planet. You must work together to solve puzzles and earn plenty of nubs. Big Walk is part of a growing category of video games that promote friendship. You and your pals must communicate well, and while the stakes aren’t as high as other games, Big Walk can be very rewarding. Big Walk is available on PC and Nintendo Switch 2. Honk, honk!

That’s all the new releases for board games and video games that 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 2, 2027; New Releases

Published on August 2, 2026August 2, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

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

Published on July 26, 2026July 26, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

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.