Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. I’ll be away this weekend. My spouse and I are celebrating Valentines Day a weekend late to avoid the crowds. We’ll skip a headline story this week, but should have a major MCU update for next week’s Geek News. We have a lot to discuss with Marvel. Until then, enjoy these board game and video game new releases.
Forage and Honeypot by Flatout Games Launch on KickStarter
I love the Flatout Games creative team, Molly Johnson, Robert Melvin, and Shawn Stankewich, behind the Point Salad series of games. They’ve had a few other hits like Propolis. Each one of their games is a joy. Well, they’re back at it with Forage, and the designer of Fantastic Factories, Joseph Z. Chen, joins the party with his latest offering, Honeypot. Yes! AEG/Flatout Games are known for their combo releases on KickStarter and the pairing of Forage and Honeypot looks to be another great.
Forage is a puzzly tableau-building roll-and-write game for 1-6 players with gorgeous artwork by Beth Sobel! It is designed and developed by the team that brought you the Calico, Cascadia, and Point Salad series of games!
Rules are simple: Roll the forage dice and reveal a unique journey tile each round. Choose a combination of dice and carry out one of the actions: exploring, storing, or gift-giving. As you carry out actions, you’ll earn bonuses that allow you to power up your future actions or make additional moves to complete your goals! Use your time wisely–there are several journeys you can take to collect knowledge, experience, and prestige. Once you have completed your turn, you’ll choose one of the three types of cards to draw and add to your tableau giving you more ways to combo and complete goals!
The previous was a description provided by Flatout Games. Thank you for the great write-up. While the description continues, I figured I would leave it at about a short hundred words. Forage doesn’t need much more of an introduction; I’m hooked. I’m a sucker for roll-and-writes (Yahtzee-style games), and Forage gives me strong Cascadia roll-and-write vibes. One of the members of my game night owns a copy of the Cascadia roll-and-write, so I may pick up Forage. Games of this ilk can accommodate several players at once. Heck, they may be better with more players. And Flatout Games has a strong history of delivering on simple concepts with fun twists.
And art by Beth Sobel (of Wingspan fame) is always appreciated.
Flatout Games challenges AllPlay for those small box board games that feel like instant classics. Honeypot may just be another fantabulous game, by a designer (Joseph Z. Chen) who, despite being a new game designer, has an impressive resume.
Honeypot is a quick and simple I Stack, You Choose game for 1-6 players with delightful artwork by Kwanchai Moriya!
In Honeypot, players take on the role of secret agent bears trying to gather the best intel and spy supplies without getting stung! Players arrange secret caches for their opponents and carefully sift through the secret caches passed to them. The question is: how far to dig for valuable intel and spy supplies? Have your opponents passed you the sweetest honey, or a swarm of bees? In this thrilling game of setting traps and trying to avoid them, only the agent with the best instincts will capture the best set of items to come out on top!
Again, great description, Flatout Games. Honeypot is another game that looks to play great at higher player counts. Its solo mode intrigues. I can’t wait to dive into a game or two of solo Honeypot, because I love the I Cut, You Choose game mechanism. Remember what I said about Flatout Games giving familiar game mechanisms fun twists? Honeypot looks to do that with I Stack, You Choose. I always thought more games should use the I Cut, You Choose game mechanism. I can’t wait to try an I Stack, You Choose game. Yes, please.
Honeypot and Forage are available with pledges of $19 apiece, or one can buy both at $35. Flatout Games offers a handful of other pledge options, but I’ll let you discover those on your own. If you’re interested in Forage or Honeypot, check out their KickStarter page.
For the Gods! Launches on KickStarter
Watch out! Players are building monuments during this visually arresting game, For the Gods! The following pictures will feature For the Gods!’s prototype. I can only imagine what the final product will look like. Before I share my thoughts on this game, let’s hear from the publisher, Mighty Boards, and their description.
As a seafaring builder in ancient Greece, in For the Gods! you’ll navigate the archipelago, constructing towering monuments to the gods and vying for control of sacred islands.
For the Gods! is a tactical area majority game in which every stone shapes your path to victory. The rules are simple: Sail the seas to establish new temples or elevate existing ones. Along the way, collect God stones and unleash their divine powers at the right moment. With twelve unique God powers, each game offers fresh strategies and dynamic gameplay, ensuring high variability.
For the Gods! has table presence. I don’t know if players will be able to build the Greek islands. Look at the space where the columns stand. Those look like potential puzzle pieces. Yes! I’d play the heck out of For the Gods! for the column pieces alone. The God tiles, which offer unique abilities to players on their turns, curve to match For the Gods!’s interior board. You can’t walk past For the Gods! during a convention or a game night without doing a double-take. And publisher Mighty Boards has a strong history of delivering great games. I’m glad that the game is area majority as opposed to “dudes on the map.” I prefer area majority. And with the play area being this small, there should be some impressive battle for supremacy.
For the Gods! offers a $65 basic pledge. If you’re interested in For the Gods!, check out its KickStarter page.
Quest & Request Launches on GameFound
Quest & Request is an easy-to-learn dungeon crawler arena (learnable in 10 minutes) where gamers take the roles of anti-heroes. That’s right. Quest & Request goes dark. Players won’t be playing heroes. According to the publisher, they’ll be looting and killing a world full of innocent monsters, controlled by a benevolent wizard. A role reversal like this could be a hoot.
Unlike a lot of other dungeon crawler board games, set up appears to be quick in Quest & Request. I’m a little confused by the game’s description of a 4 v 1 Cooperative Game. That makes me wonder if Quest & Request can be played as a fully cooperative game or if one player can play as the wizard and monsters. Either way, I’m interested in any game of this type that has an easy setup and teardown. As of writing this post, we don’t have details on Quest & Request’s pledge levels, but if you’re interested in Quest & Request, check out its GameFound page.
Labyrinth: Chronicles Launches on GameFound
Once upon a time, there was a Labyrinth, a magical place full of wonders and mysteries. Adventurers who returned told unbelievable stories of its ever-changing walls and shifting corridors, a mind-boggling challenge indeed that only the bravest could tackle. But it was worth it, they say, as the dark nooks of the Labyrinth hide real treasures. The Labyrinth waits for you. Are you brave enough to enter?
Labyrinth: Chronicles brings a new Co-op Campaign mode to one of the best-selling board games ever. Enter the mysterious Labyrinth, now with a stunning 3D board and graphic design from Awaken Realms, to gather the resources required to help a nearby faefolk village. But beware! Inside dwell grasping goblins who want to snatch valuables before you! As you progress, you will rebuild the damaged village, meet new friends, unlock new skills, and many more!
Yes! That was another great description by the publisher. I don’t know how Ravensburger and Awaken Realms managed to turn the classic tile-shifting game, Labyrinth (1986) into a cooperative narrative campaign. What? Labyrinth is one of those titles that I thought could never receive the campaign treatment, but Labyrinth: Chronicles appears to have done just that. And look at the board above. Again, the picture is of a prototype. I can’t imagine how insane the final product will look. But what else would one expect with an Awaken Realms release. They’re known for over-the-top productions.
As you can guess, Labyrinth: Chronicles will cost around $105. Higher price tags are another Awaken Realms hallmark. Even if Labyrinth: Chronicles was a prestige printing of the original Labyrinth, I’d still be interested. I always enjoyed the original. The fact that Labyrinth: Chronicles shakes up the original’s gameplay makes $100 not seem like that much money. If you’re interested in Labyrinth: Chronicles. If you’re interested in Labyrinth: Chronicles, check out its GameFound page.
Cloud War Tales: Nuvitrum Launches on GameFound
What lies beyond the clouds that shroud the peaks of Nuvitrum? What mysterious power does Croconium hold—an amber mineral hidden deep within the mountains?
Explore the kingdom and develop your faction to uncover the truth. Nuvitrum is a tactical, asymmetrical deck-building game for 1 to 4 players, playable competitively, cooperatively, or even solo through a narrative campaign that reveals the world’s forgotten history.
Choose your faction, strengthen it, and engage in battle using unique mechanics. Excavate the mountain to unearth rare metals as a Deepdelver, master powerful spells as an Ambathean, or tame monstrous beasts as a Greenblood. Reveal your faction’s core to claim victory!
Alright! Deck-builders are always a fun time. Cloud War Tales: Nuvitrum adds player factions to the concept. Usually, players begin with small decks and choose how they will build those decks, but Nuvitrum starter decks look to have a unique flavor from the start. Throw in some interesting movement and combat, which looks like it may take a page from Summoner Wars, the ability to play Cloud War Tales: Nuvitrum competitively, cooperatively, or solo, and this could make for a versatile deck-builder with legs. As of writing this post, we don’t have pledge values, but if you’re interested in Cloud War Tales: Nuvitrum, check out its Gamefound page.
Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown Releases
Don’t look now, but the Star Trek universe receives a major video game release. Last week, I mentioned how Rogue-Lites are having a moment. With the release of a Rogue-Lite, survival strategy video game based on Star Trek: Voyager, that trend continues. The player takes control of USS Voyager and manage the starship, including systems and resources, as well as the crew. Can you lead Voyager across 12 sectors of the Delta quadrant. Battle ship-to-ship. Send your away team on missions. And since Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown contains narrative rogue-like elements, each playthrough varies.
Sure. Star Trek: Voyager may not be a Trekkie’s first choice for a Star Trek video game, but Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown sounds amazing. As of writing this post, I have yet to play Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown, but don’t be surprised if it makes a future Whatcha Playing, Geekly post. Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Demon Tides Releases on PC
Race across open oceans and uncover a kingdom’s dark secrets. Expressively platform your way across dozens of locales, upgrading your gear and modifying your move-set every step of the way! The previous description comes from the publisher. While I don’t know what “expressively platform” means exactly, Demon Tides’ videos shows multiple ways your character can traverse Demon Tides’ world. 3D platformer games may play better on console–we could see a future Demon Tides console release–but the game looks interesting enough for me to give it a go. Can you even customize your character? You may. Talk about expressively platforming.
Early reviews for Demon Tides have been positive. The Gamer suggests that Demon Tides should be on every platformer fan’s radar. Check! I may even check out Demon Tides’ demo on Steam. Demon Tides is available on PC.
Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse Releases
Usually, we don’t cover visual novels in our video game new releases, but we’re making a rare exception for Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse. The Mermaid’s Curse is a direct sequel to the well-received Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo. Only, this time around, Paranormasight trades in the scares for some emotional depth.
That doesn’t mean that Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse isn’t without its share of horror. Season is our writer who usually plays visual novels, but I may make an exception for the Paranormasight franchise. I may have to go back and play the original, too. Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse is available on PC and Nintendo Switch (yes, the original Switch).
Styx: Blades of Greed Releases
Styx returns for a third installment with Styx: Blades of Greed. I always liked the idea of playing as a goblin. Styx: Blades of Greed allows players to go full goblin mode. While the Styx series has had its ups and downs, it’s one of the better recent additions to the stealth video game genre.
Explore the dizzying heights of the Iserian Continent and cunningly eliminate your enemies. Thanks to your Quartz powers, you are freer than ever. Be creative. Never has it felt so good to be greedy. The wisecracking Styx is always fun to play. There just aren’t enough great stealth games to play. The Styx franchise is one of those great stealth games. Skye’s a huge fan of games like Hitman, so Styx: Blade of Greed might be a great alternative. Heck! I may enter goblin mode soon, too. Styx: Blades of Greed 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.
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