Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! We have another week of geek news. This week saw plenty of new releases for board games and video games, and we’ll get to them in a minute. But first, we have a little news from the MCU.
MCU Updates
First, Avengers: Doomsday completed filming this past week. Future reshoots could occur, but principal photography has been completed, and that’s great news, considering Avengers: Doomsday experienced a lot of issues while filming.
According to industry insider Alex Perez (via The Cosmic Circus), with a good track record for getting MCU rumors correct, we should receive a Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) variant in Avengers: Doomsday. Magneto will be established as the ruler of Genosha, and there should be a mutant royal family (of sorts), which will include Magneto, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Polaris. This idea has been in the works since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The main story the MCU would like to explore is Scarlet Witch and Magneto’s relationship as father and daughter.
There are a few potential issues with this news. How is the MCU going to be able to explore a dynamic like this in a movie with a massive cast? Will Sir Ian McKellen portray a Magneto who’s also Elizabeth Olsen’s father? The MCU must be casting younger actors for these upcoming X-Men roles. But everything we’ve heard over the past several months leans toward McKellen (Magneto) and Olsen (Scarlet Witch). We’ve seen images of Avengers: Doomsday filming at a castle. At the time, we thought the castle was meant to represent Castle Doomstadt (Dr. Doom’s castle). Combining the rumor of a mutant first family, the castle may be meant for Magneto and his family.
As evidenced in The Marvels’ closing scene (with established MCU characters and Kelsey Grammer’s Beast), the MCU has shown that it will mix and match characters from multiple timelines as if they’d known each other for decades, so a father and daughter reunion in Avengers: Doomsday isn’t out of the question. Even though I love the story, I doubt we’ll get a storyline as dense and layered as House of M. The MCU won’t have enough time to do that story justice. Avengers: Doomsday will be packed.
The Sheep Stalks KickStarter
The Sheep may be the funniest horror board game I’ve heard of yet. Sheep are the apex predators, and shepherds (each player chooses from one of six unique shepherds) must guide their flock during the day, while avoiding the Sheep, who transform into apex predators at night.
I love The Sheep’s premise. Using their equipment, traits, and curses players work together to stop the Sheep before they can reach the caravans. The Sheep sounds like a baaad aaaass game. It plays 2-4 players with 40 minute playtime for each player in the game. Pledges range from $35-$240, and there is an option to just purchase The Sheep’s adorable Eldritch Sheep Plushie with posable tentacles. Season may need one of those. If you’re interested in The Sheep, check out its KickStarter page.
Making Monsters Shambles onto KickStarter
Players take the role of mad scientists in Making Monsters. Featuring a unique push-your-luck bag-building mechanism, Making Monsters has player simultaneously draw (from the bag) and assemble monster parts. You try to complete powerful creatures. If you play things too safe, you’ll fall behind. If you try to build too fast, you’ll watch your monsters crumble.
Making Monsters is another goofy horror board game. This one is designed by board game veteran Jonathan Gilmour-Long (Dead of Winter, Dinosaur Island, and Wasteland Express Delivery Service). Unlike many other board games on crowdfunding sites, Making Monsters has a quick turnaround. The files are complete, and game production is underway, so backers can expect the game in about six months (typically, wait times are at least a year). If you’re interested in Making Monsters, check out its KickStarter page.
SandCastle Launches on GameFound
Build the most beautiful sandcastle by managing your time between construction, fishing, collecting seashells, and handling whims. Use your equipment strategically and defend yourself against the waves by reinforcing your walls. Whoever builds the most impressive SandCastle, wins.
I love the concept of this cozy game. SandCastle. Bro Games Edition is a relatively new company, but they feature several eco-friendly production practices and employ people with disabilities. SandCastle tries its best to cause minimal ecological impact and may show the way to a more ethical way to produce board games. If you’re interested in SandCastle, check out its GameFound page.
A-Mazing Game of Gears’N Guffaws Chugs onto GameFound
In A-Mazing Game of Gears’N Guffaws, players navigate a shifting clockwork maze, control hidden characters, and outwit your opponents. On your turn, move, reveal, and rotate your way through a city on the brink–but your true allegiance remains secret…for now. A-Mazing Game of Gears’N Guffaws features a solo mode, but you can also play semi-cooperatively or fully competitive with others. Players don’t know who belongs to which faction. Trust no one.
I love A-Mazing Game of Gears’N Guffaws options. I’m unsure how a game could support semi-cooperative and fully competitive game modes, but I’m here for it. The theme is fun. I like how you may choose to reveal characters and/or rotate tiles so they match your goals. A-Mazing Game of Gears’N Guffaws may have one of the longest names, and I’m hoping its replay value is just as long. If you’re interested in A-Mazing Game of Gears’N Guffaws, check out its GameFound page.
Pink Soup Game Cooks on GameFound
Steeped in Lithuanian heritage (and culinary arts), Pink Soup Game has players hunt for ingredients and cook up the strangest–and most iconic-Lithuanian recipes to become the ultimate Chef Champion. But beware, your opponents are waiting for the perfect moment to sneak a hot chili pepper into your pot, and ruin your dish.
There’s a lot to like about Pink Soup Game. While I don’t know exactly how the game is played (GameFound isn’t always as forthcoming with gameplay as KickStarter), Pink Soup Game features language-independent play, which is always a plus. I love the theme. Cooking themes are always a plus, and the fact that Pink Soup Game showcases Lithuanian cuisine (a culture I’m less familiar with) puts this game on my radar. I even love the idea that followers can pick which Lithuanian dessert enters the final game. If you’re interested in Pink Soup Game, check out its GameFound page.
Stranger Antiquities Releases
I’ve been on a shop management game kick lately, and Strange Antiquities scratches that itch. Strange Antiquities puts the player in the role of a store dealing in occult antiquities. Similar to Tiny Bookshop, Strange Antiquities has players explore a quaint town, but Strange Antiquities amps up the mystery to a thousand. Find and identify arcane artifacts and use your collection to aid the townsfolk with their unusual problems.
I love the puzzle Strange Antiquities presents. Strange Antiquities is the continuation of Strange Horticulture. If you love that puzzle, you’ll love Strange Antiquities. I haven’t yet dived into Strange Antiquities, but something tells me it’ll be a great ride. I’ve added it to my wishlist on Steam, and after I purchase the game, I’ll most likely write a review. Strange Antiquities is available on the Nintendo Switch and PC. If you’re interested in Strange Antiquities, check out its Steam store page.
Dying Light: The Beast Releases
After years of brutal experiments, you want revenge. Dying Light: The Beast features a unique blend of open world and survival horror as you hunt down the man who transformed you into half man, half beast. Dying Light: The Beast makes for a great spooky season video game, and the critics hold Dying Light in high regard.
Dying Light: The Beast continues the Dying Light series’ story. In fact, Dying Light: The Beast puts players in the role of Kyle Crane, who was the protagonist of the first Dying Light game. I have yet to play Dying Light: The Beast, but the premise sounds interesting–taking the Dying Light series to an open-world map. You had me at survival horror and open-world. The game supports a 4-player cooperative multiplayer mode. We’re unsure if Dying Light: The Beast is cross-platform yet. It’s available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Wander Stars Releases
In Wander Stars, unleash custom attacks by combining words in this Super! Anime! Turn-Based! RPG! Collect all 200 words, earn Pep Ups from honorable victories, and become a Kiai master. Befriend your rivals, uncover dark mysteries, and seek out the pieces of the Wanderstar map in a wild race across the universe.
Young martial artist Ringo searches for her brother, and Wolfe, a mysterious scoundrel running from his past, as they join forces in an unlikely partnership to collect the pieces of the fabled Wanderstar Map. Wander Stars follows a 10-episode anime-inspired adventure. Ringo and Wolfe must work together to find answers, make up for past mistakes, and travel across the universe in search of their goal. Wander Stars is available on Nintendo Switch and 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.
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