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Published — 12. August 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

The Final Titan was Red in the face and took a Beat at the Hacienda

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
12. August 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge



[imageid=9001635 medium rep]▪️ Pandasaurus Games announced a remake of Hacienda to be released by the end of this month. This is the 3rd edition of the classic game Hacienda from designer Wolfgang Kramer, but this 3rd edition introduces a bunch of updates with help from designer Daryl Andrews. I know a few changes are the addition of new map tiles for a varied game experience, and the market locations now allow players to draw cards more easily, making it a faster game. This new release plays 2-5 players and plays in 45-60 minutes.

From the Newsletter:
Each turn, you use cards to expand your territory and introduce animals onto a shared map. Matching cards allow you to claim land or grow animal groups, while bigger combinations let you add water features or build scenic platforms that boost your score. Smart placement matters. Connecting your land, positioning animals carefully, and planning ahead will determine who creates the most successful reserve by the final scoring round.




▪️ Nerdlab Games announced Final Titan coming later this year. A fantastic mash-up between designers Richard Garfield & Christian Kudahl, Final Titan is an exciting brawler game. The game plays 1-5 players and plays in 30-45 minutes.

From BGG:
Enter the arena of legends with Final Titan — a Draft Battler where the greatest heroes of all time clash in a fight for supremacy! Who will prove themselves as the "Greatest of All Time" and claim the title of the champion?

In this competitive game, players recruit legendary champions from across time, myth, and fantasy, each with unique abilities, stats, and powers. Once recruited, your champions are thrown into the arena, where they'll face off in intense dice duels.

Choose your matchups wisely, support your heroes with power-up cards, and outwit your opponents.

The last champion standing is crowned the final titan, and the player controlling them is victorious!



▪️ The Beat: Rockstars of the Galaxy is yet another game coming from Nerdlab Games. This is a small box cooperative card game from designers Morten Blaabjerg & Christian Kudahl. For 2-4 players.

From the BGG page:
The Beat: Rockstars of the Galaxy is a cooperative limited communication and hand-management game for 2–4 players where you play as an up-and-coming Alien band and tour the most legendary venues in the galaxy.

By playing card you work together to build the perfect setlist. Every song can end ON POINT, LOUD, or as a FAIL. Communication is limited, so success depends on reading your bandmates, managing your hand and trusting each other's instincts.

Every of its 26 venues introduces a new rule that changes how the game is played. No two venues play alike and mastering each one is the key to completing the interstellar tour. Event Cards add even more variety, ensuring that no two performances ever unfold the same way.




▪️ Red or Yellow from The Op Games is a new party game from designer Sasha Jelten. For 3-8 players and plays in 15 minutes. This game is already available at Target.

From BGG:
The world’s first (and therefore the best) 100% crowdsourced party game of this or that created by the people, for the people! Red or Yellow is packed with wildly unpredictable prompts written by everyday legends like you.

Each round, flip a card and secretly choose the red answer or the yellow answer to the prompt. Then guess how the rest of the table will answer. Score points for matching minds, standing out, or boldly calling a unanimous pick! Get ready for epic debates, absurd logic, and mind-blowing groupthink moments!



Published — 05. August 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

Mercenaries Wanted to Spotlight the Omens of Kano

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
05. August 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge



[imageid=9718883 medium rep]▪️ Cephalofair Games announced a new card game releasing this December called Mercenaries Wanted. From the designer Dennis Vögele (Gloomhaven (Second Edition)), he brings us back into the Gloomhven universe with this 1-6 player card drafting game.

From the Newsletter and BGG:
In Mercenaries Wanted you take on the role of a mercenary company leader, recruiting mercenaries to complete jobs for you. Assemble your teams carefully and send them out on assignment to earn the most gold. Between rounds, decide who to keep in your roster, who to promote, and who to let go. Race to complete jobs over several rounds before competing with your promoted mercenaries in a series of tournaments to earn the most fame and fortune.

As head of a Mercenary Company, it's your job to find the best recruits the city has to offer. Or at least the most promising ones. Are they breathing? Let's be honest, you'll take what you can get in the city of Gloomhaven.

Recruit, equip, deploy, and out-hire your competitors to become the most infamous Mercenary Company in Casskia. So get to it! The unemployment line is drying up... MERCENARIES WANTED.


▪️ Also, be sure to check for the Frosthaven Digital release on October 15, 2026!


▪️ Horrible Guild announced a new game in the Spotlight series called Spotlight: Fantasy. from deisgners Hjalmar Hach and Lorenzo Silva (The King's Dilemma, Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition). This is a great series for families, as the game is a search-and-find and is super clever. This game plays 1-5 players and plays real-time and cooperatively.

From the Newsletter:
Using enchanted lanterns, you'll reveal only parts of the artwork at a time, searching for creatures, characters, and treasures hidden throughout each magical scene.

Work together (or against each other!) to uncover everything before time runs out, but stay alert: every corner of the kingdom holds new surprises.

Light your enchanted lantern, gather your fellow adventurers, and discover what secrets await in the darkness.

Easy to learn, fast to play, and perfect for families and groups of all ages, Spotlight Fantasy combines cooperative gameplay, stunning illustrations, and a touch of magic to create an experience that... Shines at every table!



▪️ The beautiful Kano was just available at Gen Con and will be available later this year. Kano is from Matagot and designers Pablo Jiménez, Angel Pintero. This game plays 2-4 players and takes about 30-40 minutes to play.

From the BGG page:
In Kano, 2 to 4 players compete to create their own Emakimono—traditional Japanese painted handscrolls—by skillfully arranging vibrant paint pots. The game elegantly blends tactical resource management with spatial optimization as players navigate a shared central mat to collect the pigments needed for their masterpieces.





▪️ Omens from Spiral Éditions is a new team card game from designer Maxime Rambourg (The LOOP, Dracula vs Van Helsing). For 4-6 players and plays in 20-30 minutes.

From BGG:
You've found a mysterious box filled with strange cards. As you try to decipher their meaning, you soon realize that you won't be able to do it without help. Surrounded by your friends, you begin to unravel their secret: played the right way, the cards eventually disappear. But they always come back, safely tucked away in the box, for the next game.

In Omens, you team up to get rid of your cards until you have only one left in your hand.

Each of your cards interacts with the cards played by your partner, as well as those of your opponents, so you need to play them at the right moment! The team that sheds its cards first wins.




▪️ Shape it from Randolph is a new cooperative party game from designer Thomas Dagenais-Lespérance (Decrypto). You have to mind-meld with all players to best guess the correct answer with the creations you make using the available shapes. A game for 2-7 players!

From the newsletter:
Sync minds with teammates to guess the correct words!
Shape It is a cooperative game in which players move shapes to try to guess a word. What word is your group trying to illustrate? That’s the game - you don't know for sure! But it has to be on one of the 5 cards on the table. When it comes time to guess - will you all see the same word in the shapes you’ve placed? Good luck!



Published — 29. Juli 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

All New Releases this Fine Gen Con 2026 Week

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
29. Juli 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge

HELLO GEN CON! We are all ready for these new releases!

[imageid=8916698 medium rep]▪️ Mythologies from Super Meeple is set to release August 12, but will be available for Gen Con pickup as well. This new game is designed by Maxime Babad, Mickaël "Froh" Garcin. Mythologies is a new light civ and tableau building game that plays in 20-40 minutes and plays 2-4 players.

From the Hachette Website:
Summon deities and legendary creatures, build your pantheon, and earn their favor! In Mythologies, you'll journey through the beliefs of the world's greatest civilizations. Choose the right cards, and unleash powerful abilities, overcome thrilling challenges, and position your deities and creatures wisely to gather gems and win divine favors.

With 70 different starting setups and endless combinations, no two games are ever the same. Guaranteed replayability makes Mythologies a perfect match for families and seasoned players alike!



▪️ Mountain Goats: Legacy from Allplay has a limited release at Gen Con with a wider release set for September. From designers Alex Cutler, Michael Mihealsick, and Stefan Risthaus. This game plays 2-5 players and each session is about 20-45 minutes.

From the BGG:
Mountain Goats: Legacy combines dice rolling/combining and events into a longer version of Mountain Goats. But, after the first session, more and more hazards and gameplay tweaks show up. The dice now have a goat symbol — when rolled, you’ll get to use one of the unlocked player powers. These can change with every session! There’s also a new system called “Courage” that greatly affects your ability to mitigate luck and refine your dice rolls.

This game can be played as either a single session or a legacy game. As a legacy game, it is fully replayable and resettable. You will not be asked to destroy or modify components. The first session can also be combined with the original Mountain Goats game.



▪️ Czech Games Edition (CGE) announced the release of Lost Ruins of Arnak: Surprise Shipment, a new expansion for Lost Ruins of Arnak!

From BGG:
A package with no sender—what could be inside? It appears there are still treasures to be unearthed and secrets to be unveiled. Gear up with new items and head back into the jungle. The island of Arnak is expecting your return.

Lost Ruins of Arnak: Surprise Shipment is the final addition to the vast and mysterious world of Arnak. The expansion is packed with 50 new cards (30 artifacts, 20 items), two new sites, and an updated site. It comes in a beautifully illustrated box that will complement every player's Arnak collection.




▪️ Six Sojourns from Red Raven Games releases July 30. From designer Ryan Laukat, this is an Eight-Minute Empire game. This is a game for 2-4 players and takes 30-60 minutes.

From BGG:
Six Sojourns is a reimagining of Eight-Minute Empire. It's a short area control game full of tough choices, creative strategy and tactics, and high player interaction.

Your goal in Six Sojourns is to grow your family and broaden their influence. Players take turns selecting a card from five on display. Each card has actions that let players build houses, gain ships, move, and gain new family members. The cards also have special abilities and sets of icons that represent your family's expertise in various trades: cooking, carpentry, sewing, shoe-making, art, blacksmithing, and jewelry. Each game, you only select nine cards, and you'll be faced with meaty choices each turn as you focus on trades, abilities, or the map.

When all players have 9 cards, the game ends. Players count victory points, and the player with the most points wins.



▪️ Bézier Games has a small new card game coming out called Warp 99. From designer Reinhard Staupe (La Habana, David & Goliath...), this is a quick-paced card game where you are racing to collect 99 points first. for 2-4 players and plays in 30 minutes.

From the BGG page:
Zoom through space in the super-fast card game Warp 99!

On your turn, add 1 card to your own growing card row—it has to be a bigger number than the last one, and NO repeating colors!

Then blast as many cards as you can onto the 2 middle piles using cool rules like Same Color, Plus 1, or Total 10. Get Stuck? Change the rules! Match extra rules? Get bonus cards! Empty your hand? Get another turn!

Score big points by making long card rows and get 15 more points every time you use up your Personal Draw Deck. First to reach 99 points wins!


Published — 22. Juli 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

Rocking Our Way Into Gen Con 2026

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
22. Juli 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge

Gen Con is rolling in!!

[imageid=9479940 medium rep]▪️ Gamewright has announced a few new games releasing this month! Who is ready for Forbidden Legacy from designers Rob Daviau & Matt Leacock (together they created Pandemic Legacy: Season 1..., Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West, and so many more!). Many are familiar with Series: Forbidden Games (Gamewright), and they wanted to create a legacy game in the series. If you aren't familiar with the Forbidden series of games, they are all cooperative games where you have to collect and escape before the world collapses. The legacy game will take place over 7 episodes that you can play with up to 4 players.

From the newsletter:
This seven-episode campaign is set in the Forbidden Universe, where players become time-traveling adventurers racing to save a collapsing city.

Guided by a graphic novel, the story unfolds across multiple sessions. New rules, components, and surprises are introduced, and player decisions permanently alter the gameplay.

The Experience
-Seven episodes designed for multi-session play
-Fully cooperative gameplay
-Sealed content revealed as the campaign progresses



▪️ A new dexterity game from Horrible Guildwas announced called Rocking Raft. from deisgner Carlo Emanuele Lanzavecchia (Feuerdrachen). This is a super cute gem-collecting game. It is very simple, as you will just need to collect gems by pushing down on the raft and see what tips off. The gems will go onto your smaller boats that require specific colors. Any extras you can not use will go to the player on your left. The box says for ages 6+ for 2-4 players and plays in 15 minutes.

From the Horrible Guild website:
-Easy-to-learn game, perfect for kids and families: Teach in 5 minutes, play in 15!

-Tactile experience: rotate and rock the raft to earn gems! Great interactivity and table presence

-Includes a variant for experienced sailors. Boats take in water; fill them up before they sink!



▪️ Clash of Clans: The Epic Raid was just released from Maestro Media. From designers Ken Gruhl (Cahoots, Happy Salmon) & Eric M. Lang (Blood Rage, Rising Sun), they bring to you this game, which was inspired by the hit mobile game Clash of Clans. The game plays 2-4 players and lasts about 60-90 minutes.

From BGG:
Inspired by the hit mobile game Clash of Clans, the board game Clash of Clans: The Epic Raid allows players to build defenses, deploy units, and raid friends' bases in a fast-paced, highly strategic battle that brings the thrill of the mobile game to the tabletop. Build up your village, unleash your troops, and smash your rivals in a race for dominance! No base is safe. No clan goes unchallenged. Let the raids begin!

Raiding is the goal of this combat, engine-building game. Send your armies, roll the dice, and watch their cities burn. Destroying your opponents' structures earns you points, resources, and bonuses.

The end of the game is triggered when at least 1 player has 40 or more stars. The player with the most victory stars (points) wins!




▪️ I am pleased to find out that 25th Century Games has picked up the licensing for Beer Mug Dice which is now avaialble. from designer Andreas Schmidt (Heaven & Ale) This is a hilarious push-your-luck barrel-rolling dice game for 3-6 players, playing in 20 minutes. First available under the name Polterfass in 2013, but it never fully made its US release until now. I have had a TON of fun with this game over the years, and now I hope everyone else can have the same enjoyment as I do!

From the newsletter:
Take turns as the sly innkeeper of The Wild Boar tavern, rolling miniature beer barrels and deciding just how generous you are feeling. As the guests secretly place their orders, you will push your luck, re-roll barrels, and try to keep their thirst from exceeding your supply. Know when to close the tap, outsmart your fellow patrons, and collect the most points to become the toast of the tavern!

Beer Mug Dice blends push your luck decisions, bluffing, and interactive gameplay with a lively tavern theme and fun barrels to roll!



▪️ A shiny new title from Geek Attitude Games called Not Alone: Remastered Edition. I am a huge fan of the original Not Alone. Both games were designed by Ghislain Masson. As far as I know, this is Not Alone with extra materials as described below. The game plays 2-7 players in about 30-75 minutes.

From the BGG page:
This Remastered Edition also includes Frozen Lands, an alternative version for 4 to 7 players. It introduces 55 new Place cards and 14 Contamination tokens. Giving up or losing your last Will counter now risks drawing a hidden Contamination token. When rescue finally arrives, every survivor must be clean. One infected player means defeat for the entire team.


Published — 15. Juli 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

Take to the Skies and Journey On!

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
15. Juli 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge

▪️ Panorama from Scorpion Masqué is already available now! This is a delightful tile-drafting game where you will create your landscape panorama. It uses a time track mechanic so the further you move ahead, the longer you have to wait before your next turn. For 2-4 players, this is a breezy 20-minute game.

From the newsletter:
Put your panorama together one tile at a time, making sure to line tiles up to create large areas of the same land type. At the end of the game, you’ll score points based on the number of animals and flowers in each type of terrain.

Games stay fresh and replayable through the common objectives that can be switched out for every game, such as the longest river or the sky with the fewest clouds.

This adorable game is sure to delight the entire family!



[imageid=9667654 medium rep]▪️ A recent hit at my table have been Sky 5 from Druid City Games. I am drawn to the bright, bold colors, and there is even a rainbow die included in the box. How cool! This is a push-your-luck card game for 2-6 players and plays in 15-30 minutes. This game will have a limited release at Gen Con 2026 and will be officially released later this year!

From BGG:
In Sky 5, players push their luck as they build a tableau of colorful sky cards, trying to assemble one of each of the five colors to complete a Sky 5. Each turn presents a simple but tense decision: draw a card to grow your tableau, or roll the die to try to bank the cards you already have.

Drawing cards helps you work toward the perfect five-color collection, but it comes with risk. If you reveal a color you already have, the card may end up helping your opponents instead. Rolling the die offers a chance to secure your points, but only if the result does not match any value in your tableau. If it does, you bust and lose the cards you were hoping to score.

Quick to learn and full of nail-biting decisions, Sky 5 is a lively push-your-luck game where timing is everything. Build the right collection, roll at the right moment, and bank your points before the sky turns against you.



▪️ Horrible Guild just announced The Amazing Journey for release this October with first looks at Gen Con 2026. This has a travel theme where you will move around the board and make connections and memories. This game plays 2-4 players in about 45-60 minutes.

From the newsletter:
In The Amazing Journey, you'll travel across the world optimizing routes based on which types of transportation are available on a given date in your location.

This brand new title combines easy rules with meaningful decisions, creating an experience that's accessible to new players while remaining engaging for seasoned explorers. Along the way, you'll collect memories, complete objectives, and build your own tale of discovery.




▪️ Winds of Numa Sera was announce from Good Games Publishing as releasing soon. This is a big game that plays 3-4 players and has a play time at 90-120 minutes. Seems epic!

From the newsletter:
Ethera is a continent without mercy. In this deeply asymmetric kingdom-building strategy game, you'll forge your line of succession, equip your heroes, master powerful skills, and clash with rival factions in a race to complete two of four paths to victory.

4 asymmetric factions — each plays entirely differently
Build a line of succession across 3 unique heroes
Deep progression: items, skills, classes & faction ability trees
Multiple win conditions — no two games the same

Four factions. One world. No mercy.



Published — 08. Juli 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

Czech Games, Portal Games, Stonemaier Games - All the Hotness!

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
08. Juli 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge

We might have GenCon right around the corner, but that doesn't stop Spiel announcements from happening! A few Spiel games and some new releases too!!

[imageid=9666028 medium rep]▪️ Czech Games Edition (CGE) Just announced a BIG release for this Spiel! It is currently sitting at the top of BGG Hotness called Kingdom Come: Deliverance – The Board Game. Designers Vlaada Chvátil (Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization, Mage Knight Board Game...)and Tomáš Holek (SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Galileo Galilei...) came together to create this mega game for 1-4 players that plays in 120-320 minutes.

From the newsletter:
Iconic designers Tomáš Holek and Vlaada Chvátil join forces for the first time to bring Warhorse Studios' award-winning Kingdom Come: Deliverance video game to the tabletop in an epic official adaptation.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance – The Board Game is an epic adventure game mixed with euro elements, set in 15th-century Medieval Bohemia.

Over the course of several in-game days and nights, players will try to leave their mark, whether by helping the local nobility, making important connections, fighting enemies, or stealing everything from tiny items to horses. While the game is competitive, it doesn’t pit players against one another, but instead allows them to succeed through their own achievements. It uses a deck-building system and emphasizes player freedom, creating narratives through its mechanics.

Youtube Video




▪️ Portal Games also sent out an announcement for their new Spiel release called Robo Run. This is a cooperative 2-player game with no talking allowed! Robots only speak in beeps and boops. There are 5 campaigns with many scenarios. Each scenario will be about 30 minutes.

From the Email:
Each player controls a unique robot with a personal board featuring four upgradeable special abilities — from ABS (stop before hitting an enemy) to Nitro (play your movement twice) to Hacking Probe (replace a Blue robot with a weaker Purple one). As you progress through a Campaign's five linked scenarios, your robots grow stronger. Abilities unlocked in one scenario carry into the next.

Robo Run includes 5 full Campaigns — Toy Story, Cold Steel, Heat of the Furnace, Thousand of Cogs, The Acid Flow — each with 5 regular scenarios and one optional expert challenge. A single Campaign takes approximately 2 to 2.5 hours. Individual scenarios can also be played standalone in 20–25 minutes. Each Campaign is fully replayable with different Robots (four unique robots in the game), random events and Loot cards!

"Eryk brought me a game which reminded me a Sky Team, but this time it additionally had this awesome vibe of old 2d video games - a board, two robots, and puzzle to solve how to escape. I played it. I loved it. I wanted to publish it. That's the whole story."— Ignacy Trzewiczek, Founder & Publisher, Portal Games



▪️ Stonemaier Games Just announced some games to be released mid July and are on the GenCon preview list. The first on the list is Duel of Meloch. This is a very interesting mash-up of Scythe and Expeditions. This is a 1-2 player game, and one player takes on the Scythe mechanics role and the other player uses the Expeditions mechanics. The game plays in about 45 minutes. Seems like a great game for the fans of these two original games.

From the newsletter:
Duel of Meloch is a standalone game that combines mechanisms from two existing games, Scythe and Expeditions, into a 45-minute head-to-head clash. One player uses Scythe rules and components (including a new faction and player mat); the other player uses Expedition rules and components (including a new mech, character, and companion).

All existing Scythe factions, player mats, encounter cards, and factory cards are compatible with Duel of Meloch, as are all existing Expeditions mechs, characters, companions, and discovery cards (items, meteorites, and half of the quests). Likewise, the components in Duel of Meloch are compatible with Scythe and Expeditions: For Scythe, 3 new Factory cards, 6 new encounter cards, a completely new set of 60 combat cards; for Expeditions, 30 new discovery cards (items, quests, and meteorites).

Duel of Meloch is designed by Jamey Stegmaier, with art and worldbuilding by Jakub Rozalski.




▪️ The second game that was announced was Wingspan Pocket. As you might expect, this will be a small-box condensed Wingspan experience. It will still support 1-5 players, but the playtime is listed as 25-35 minutes.

From the newsletter:
Wingspan Pocket distills the Wingspan experience down to a lighter, shorter, card-driven game that has each player activate a single row of cards on each of their turns. The cards are all double-sided: a food side and a bird side. Bird powers are primarily indicated by icons instead of text, and they include a new type of power, ongoing (green) benefits.

Wingspan Pocket is accessible to novice players yet also compelling for more experienced gamers. This is a standalone game in a small box, not an expansion (the birds in it are not compatible with Wingspan). Wingspan Pocket features birds from around the world.

Wingspan Pocket is designed by Elizabeth Hargrave, with art by Natalia Rojas & Ana María Martínez.


▪️ Finally, a new expansion for Origin Story called Origin Story: Heroes & Villains. This is a mini expansion pack that adds in new cards for more variety in your endings.

From BGG:
In the final round of a game of Origin Story, each player chooses a card that represents who they have triumphantly become as a result of their journey. This mini-expansion adds 21 new cards to the original deck of 10...and they're not all heroes.

In addition to 7 new superhero cards, we created 14 supervillain cards for the stories that have a more devious ending. They're all in the same deck.

Simply shuffle all superhero and supervillain cards (including superheroes from the original game) into one deck, then deal 3 cards to each player at the beginning of the game. The original game had players receiving 2 cards; you'll instead receive 3 if you're playing with this mini-expansion.



Published — 01. Juli 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

Oh the Sweet Summer Card Games Continue!

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
01. Juli 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge

[imageid=9419162 medium rep]▪️ After the hit game Confusing Lands was released in 2024, Envy Born Games decided it was time to expand it with Confusing Lands: Icebound Isles. This new game is completely standalone, but if you want to combine the decks, you will create an epic game! If you are a fan of 2-player games, I think this will be right up your alley. This game plays exactly 2-players in about 10 minutes.

From the BGG Page:
In this clever card game, players create their own wacky floating landscapes in the sky! Discover towering snow-capped mountains, trace icy rivers, and maybe even spot a brave little deer wandering through the frost.

Players take turns drafting and placing cards featuring unique symbols and scoring conditions. Once each player has played 8 cards, they tally points from a single shared scoring condition along with the scoring conditions within their own finished landscape. The player who crafted the most brilliantly confusing (and highest scoring) frozen world wins!



 
▪️ Hey, another game that is both standalone and an expansion! This time we have Tag Team: Arthur's Legacy which can expand Tag Team. In the box you will find 6 new fighters, all characters from the Arthurian Legends, which includes Excalibur! Scorpion Masqué also teased the 3rd Tag Team game coming soon, "hinting at the arrival of an iconic franchise from the world of video games."

From the newsletter:
Tag Team: Arthur’s Legacy can be played on its own and is 100% compatible with all existing and future Fighters. Players who own the first game can now put together their ideal duo from the 18 available Fighters to create up to 153 explosive teams and unprecedented synergies.

[Tag Team: Arthur’s Legacy will be showcased at Gen Con, with an exclusive pre-sale at the Hachette Board Games USA booth #2435.



▪️ Happy Camper just announced a small card game called Beach Bandits. Seems to be a perfect Summer snag. This game plays 2-4 players in about 15 minutes.

From BGG:
Just in time for beach season comes this brand new Happy Camper card game! Join a flock of greedy seagulls in a beak-to-beak showdown to see who can grab the tastiest beach treats! Simple to learn, packed with sneaky strategy, and featuring hilarious art - Beach Bandits makes the perfect summer travel gift!


It was also wicked cool that Happy Camper had an amazing offer in their newsletter to send one game from their catalog to a Summer Camp of your choice. The submissions are now closed, but I thought I would mention it. Make sure to follow them for future updates and cool offerings like that.

▪️ Looney Labs just announced a small card game called Seven Islands. This is a game for 1-4 players and will take 10-30 minutes. The race is on!

From the press release:
Seven Islands is a card game that is an island-hopping race of changing goals. You and a friend are contestants on a reality show! You’ve been stranded on a tiny tropical island, which is connected to six others by rickety bridges that have yet to be located. The first team to reach the designated beacon wins a million bucks! How do you know which beacon to go to? Just look at the sail on the ship currently docked. Better get there quick before a different ship comes in!

“While Seven Islands is a new game, it has a lot of the same DNA as some of my other games, such as Fluxx, of course, plus a bit of Zarcana/Zark City, and a take on teleportation from Fluxx: The Board Game. Yet, Seven Islands has its own unique combination of these popular game elements which make it a new experience folks can easily get to the table!” - Andy Looney, game designer and co-founder of Looney Labs



In other news:

▪️ If gaming on the computer is your jam, a big Summer Steam Sale is happening and tons of favorites from Dire Wolf are on sale like Dune: Imperium and Ark Nova. You can check out the Dire Wolf collection here.
Published — 24. Juni 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

The Ants spent the Night at the Zoo and claimed Papyria as "All Mine!"

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
24. Juni 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge

Capstone Games recently announced their Gen Con lineup of games! Here are the details!

[imageid=9526276 medium rep]▪️ It gives me great pleasure to talk about All Mine! because it reimplements Scharfe Schoten, a game I hold on to tightly in my collection because it never made its way to the US market. I am very pleased to learn of this new release from Capstone Games. It does seem to be a new age of trick-taking games, so it doesn't surprise me to see All Mine show up and essentially resurface. This game is played by 3-4 players in about 30 minutes.

From the BGG Page:
All Mine is a mining claim (trick-taking) game in which players predict their hauls of each of the four treasures (gold, gems, mushrooms, and dragon eggs). However, instead of predicting the number of hauls they'll take, they must state the treasures they think they'll receive the most and least of. Since all cards display their treasure type on the back, players have more information than usual.

During each claim (hand), you must play the same treasure type if possible, even with the special trump cards. This requirement makes it difficult to predict which hauls you will bring in. In the end, the player who comes closest to their predictions wins.

Don’t get too greedy as you playfully place your bets in this game guaranteed to please card game enthusiasts and families alike.



▪️ Ants was originally released from Cranio Creations at Spiel 2025, but now will be available in the US market from Capstone. It is a heavier strategy game for 2-4 players and plays in about 90 minutes.

From BGG:
Ants is a deep strategy game that focuses on worker management and territorial expansion. Each player begins with one of multiple unique Queen tiles, which will heavily influence your strategy and interaction with the game's interconnected systems. Throughout the game, you will guide your ant colony through cycles of growth, exploration, and conquest to establish dominance over the garden ecosystem.

...The heart of the game revolves around your colony's life cycle management. Your incubation board tracks three vital phases (eggs, larvae, and ants), each containing three specializations: diggers, explorers, and gatherers. Wild ants serve as valuable wildcards that can fulfill any specialization need. When you incubate, you complete enterprises, trigger production effects, feed your larvae with food cubes, and advance the life cycle.



▪️ Night at the Zoo is a new tile-placement game for 1-4 players that will play in about 30 minutes. The catch is that you need to program your movement and understand the patterns to do that.

From BGG:
“Just a little further, a bit higher, bro…” The cheetah gives the penguin a boost over the gate, while a confused wolf dashes past. “Look out, someone’s coming!” Everyone freezes. After a moment of silence, a sloth calls from a tree: “All clear, move out!” The animals have secretly snuck out of the zoo at night—and now they’re trying to find their way back. Help them return before the keepers notice!

The goal of the game is to help the animals and guide them safely back into their home. Players explore parts of the darkened zoo to discover the best routes home. Each round, players draft tiles and place them on their boards, triggering special actions and building a path back for their animals. Every animal has its own unique way of moving and scoring points, making each game a new adventure!


▪️ Along with the base game, you can acquire the expansion Night at the Zoo: Latecomers. Now with more animals and added variety!

From BGG:
The Zoo has opened four new enclosures, welcoming more animals into the park. Under the cover of darkness, these curious beings joined their friends and escaped! Help them return to the Zoo safely, but be careful – some of those new arrivals have more complicated ways of moving!

This expansion doesn’t alter any of the base game rules; it adds four new animals to choose from.


▪️ Finally, another big game called Papyria. This game is originally from Irongames, but will now be available in the US from Capstone. It has a Rondel mechanic, which is very intriguing. The game plays 1-4 players and takes 90-120 minutes.

From BGG:
Mesopotamia, around 1500 BC: The Mesopotamian region on the Euphrates and Tigris is home to a melting pot of different cultures. Achievements such as writing and the wheel led to the construction of the first large cities and lively trade. In the mountains, the coveted lapis lazuli is mined, and papyrus is made from reed grass.

In Papyria, you explore the region to create an extensive network of canals; discover inventions; develop mines; and build temples, sanctuaries and cities.

During your turn, you move your wanderer or ship. On the target space, you choose two of the three possible actions, which can mean taking a new tile for your display or a multiplier for later scoring; building a city, a temple, or a mine; or producing lapis or papyrus, which you need for building, special actions, or special scorings.

The game ends as soon as the last good has been taken from several spaces and a certain number of "end-of-game" tiles have been revealed and fulfilled. After several final scorings, whoever has the most points wins.


Published — 17. Juni 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

Party Crashers? No Worry! These New Games Handle 6+ Players!

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
17. Juni 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge

How about some games that will play with a higher player count? Here are a whole bunch of releases coming soon that will handle 6 or more players!

[imageid=9389228 medium rep]▪️ Synapses Games announced Medium: The Hand of Fate to be released Q3 2026. This will be able to combine with any previous Medium game you currently have. This game handles 2-8 players and is designed by Danielle Deley (Medium, That Old Wallpaper) and Nathan Thornton (Green Team Wins, Medium, That Old Wallpaper). This is a new standalone title.

From the announcement:
In Medium: The Hand of Fate, players team up in rotating pairs, each playing a word card and then attempting to say the exact same connecting word out loud, together, at the same time. Two optional modules — ESP cards and the new Prediction system — add layers of strategy, while a dedicated 2-player cooperative mode pits players against the mysterious Madame Fortuna. The game is also fully compatible with all other Medium titles.



▪️ Pandasaurus Games just announced Moustache. Originally published by Lumberjacks Studio in 2025. Now Pandasaurus is bringing us this team-based trick-taking game for 3-6 players. Look for this game at the end of August 2026.

From the newsletter:
In Moustache, you and your fellow players are a cast of gloriously mustachioed animals competing across four chaotic rounds of shifting alliances and evolving rules. Each round, fate assigns your teammates and introduces a new twist to the game. The result is a game that's equal parts charming and cutthroat, with enough chaos to keep everyone at the table guessing.

Moustache is a team-based trick-taking game for 3–6 players that plays in about 20 minutes. Players follow suit to win tricks, with card strength determined first by color (green → pink → orange → blue) and then by value. But nothing stays simple for long! Each round, a new rule card is revealed and stacks onto the previous ones, reshaping how tricks are won and scored. Cards valued at 2 automatically win their trick. Joker cards (the unicorn, monkey, and pigeon) let smaller teams punch above their weight. After 4 rounds, the player with the most points on their trophy tokens wins! And since those tokens are drawn randomly and kept face down, the final score is a surprise right up to the end.



▪️ Gigamic announced a new edition of Panic Lab is set to be released at the end of June 2026. This game was originally released in 2012 and has seen many iterations over the years. It's real-time chaos is back and will host 2-10 players in about a 30-minute playtime!

From the newsletter:
The amoebas have escaped, and it's up to you to catch them! Track them down by rolling the four dice to determine which amoeba you are looking for, and which lab they escaped from.

That sounds easy, but they might change their patterns or colors if they pass through a mutation device. Amoebas can also escape through the air vents as they run away, popping up through the next air vent in the circle!

The first player to lay their hand on the correct amoeba card collects a token, and the first player to collect five tokens wins!

Can you match the correct amoeba before your opponents? Panic Lab is a must-have for people with cool heads, sharp eyes, and fast hands!


▪️ Shapely is a new party game from R&R Games for 3-6 players! Your goal is to arrange your shapes so that other players can guess your word. You can play in just 30 minutes. I believe it is already available.

From the newsletter:
In SHAPELY, players use abstract shapes to create fun images.

To Play: Each player begins with 4 random abstract shapes. The goal is to arrange them as a clue to your secret item.

Then everyone tries to guess the items from the images. (Don't fret... Players do not guess items out of thin air. They only need to pick items from a line-up)


▪️ Finally, we have Who's Next? from Don't Panic Games. A new musical party game for 3-7 players. This is a hand management card game.

From the newsletter:
in Who's Next, everyone takes on the role of a musician in a band trying to hold it together through a concert. Players pass the spotlight around the table by playing Musician cards in the right order, at the right time — while an oral countdown ticks down. Miss your cue, play out of turn, or freeze under pressure, and you earn a Wrong Note. The player with the fewest wrong notes when the music stops wins. What makes Who's Next? stand out is its progressive level system: the base game is learnable in minutes, but six escalating rule layers keep the challenge growing as players get comfortable. It works equally well with kids on a Friday night or with competitive adults who think they have great reflexes. Spoiler: they don't.

Party Crashers? No Worry! These New Games Handle Up To 6+ Players!

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
17. Juni 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge

How about some games that will play with a higher player count? Here are a whole bunch of releases coming soon that will handle up to 6 or more players!

[imageid=9389228 medium rep]▪️ Synapses Games announced Medium: The Hand of Fate to be released Q3 2026. This will be able to combine with any previous Medium game you currently have. This game handles 2-8 players and is designed by Danielle Deley (Medium, That Old Wallpaper) and Nathan Thornton (Green Team Wins, Medium, That Old Wallpaper). This is a new standalone title.

From the announcement:
In Medium: The Hand of Fate, players team up in rotating pairs, each playing a word card and then attempting to say the exact same connecting word out loud, together, at the same time. Two optional modules — ESP cards and the new Prediction system — add layers of strategy, while a dedicated 2-player cooperative mode pits players against the mysterious Madame Fortuna. The game is also fully compatible with all other Medium titles.



▪️ Pandasaurus Games just announced Moustache. Originally published by Lumberjacks Studio in 2025. Now Pandasaurus is bringing us this team-based trick-taking game for 3-6 players. Look for this game at the end of August 2026.

From the newsletter:
In Moustache, you and your fellow players are a cast of gloriously mustachioed animals competing across four chaotic rounds of shifting alliances and evolving rules. Each round, fate assigns your teammates and introduces a new twist to the game. The result is a game that's equal parts charming and cutthroat, with enough chaos to keep everyone at the table guessing.

Moustache is a team-based trick-taking game for 3–6 players that plays in about 20 minutes. Players follow suit to win tricks, with card strength determined first by color (green → pink → orange → blue) and then by value. But nothing stays simple for long! Each round, a new rule card is revealed and stacks onto the previous ones, reshaping how tricks are won and scored. Cards valued at 2 automatically win their trick. Joker cards (the unicorn, monkey, and pigeon) let smaller teams punch above their weight. After 4 rounds, the player with the most points on their trophy tokens wins! And since those tokens are drawn randomly and kept face down, the final score is a surprise right up to the end.



▪️ Gigamic announced a new edition of Panic Lab is set to be released at the end of June 2026. This game was originally released in 2012 and has seen many iterations over the years. It's real-time chaos is back and will host 2-10 players in about a 30-minute playtime!

From the newsletter:
The amoebas have escaped, and it's up to you to catch them! Track them down by rolling the four dice to determine which amoeba you are looking for, and which lab they escaped from.

That sounds easy, but they might change their patterns or colors if they pass through a mutation device. Amoebas can also escape through the air vents as they run away, popping up through the next air vent in the circle!

The first player to lay their hand on the correct amoeba card collects a token, and the first player to collect five tokens wins!

Can you match the correct amoeba before your opponents? Panic Lab is a must-have for people with cool heads, sharp eyes, and fast hands!


▪️ Shapely is a new party game from R&R Games for 3-6 players! Your goal is to arrange your shapes so that other players can guess your word. You can play in just 30 minutes. I believe it is already available.

From the newsletter:
In SHAPELY, players use abstract shapes to create fun images.

To Play: Each player begins with 4 random abstract shapes. The goal is to arrange them as a clue to your secret item.

Then everyone tries to guess the items from the images. (Don't fret... Players do not guess items out of thin air. They only need to pick items from a line-up)


▪️ Finally, we have Who's Next? from Don't Panic Games. A new musical party game for 3-7 players. This is a hand management card game.

From the newsletter:
in Who's Next, everyone takes on the role of a musician in a band trying to hold it together through a concert. Players pass the spotlight around the table by playing Musician cards in the right order, at the right time — while an oral countdown ticks down. Miss your cue, play out of turn, or freeze under pressure, and you earn a Wrong Note. The player with the fewest wrong notes when the music stops wins. What makes Who's Next? stand out is its progressive level system: the base game is learnable in minutes, but six escalating rule layers keep the challenge growing as players get comfortable. It works equally well with kids on a Friday night or with competitive adults who think they have great reflexes. Spoiler: they don't.

Published — 10. Juni 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

Dive Right In The Water's Fine...

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
10. Juni 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge

Time to get our feet a little wet with these new game announcements.

[imageid=9531435 medium rep]▪️ Stonemaier Games sent out a May update with new expansions available for several titles, including Finspan. The expansion to Finspan is called Finspan: Sharks & Reefs and it adds 75 new cards, which include new shark cards and coral habitats. Lots of new strategies to pursue.

From the BGG Page:
Finspan: Sharks & Reefs adds to the variety of the core game with a focus on sharks and fish that live among coral reefs. This expansion introduces new coral reef habitats to your ocean mat and more incredible sharks—with fearsome new abilities!

Players can now nurture colorful coral reefs in each of their oceans' three dive sites. Healthy reefs enable you to play powerful reef fish, unlock fish abilities, and score bonuses at the end of the game. Meanwhile, sharks scatter schools of young (to form even more schools elsewhere) and leave behind food scraps that any fish in your ocean can consume.

To play this expansion, you need the Finspan core game.



▪️ Mythic Baths was just announced from Good Games Publishing with a release happening soon. Hopefully available at GenCon 2026. A cute game for 2-5 players that will play in about 30-60 minutes. Your objective is to treat the guests and collect as much aber as possible to win.

From BGG:
As our newest employees, it is your job to take care of our mythic guests; gathering ingredients for their baths, completing treatments, giving nourishment, and cleaning the baths to welcome new and potentially troublesome guests.

Players compete to earn the most amber tokens (victory points) by treating the mythic guests that visit the baths. Guests arrive with a set of ingredient requirements that must be met to complete their treatment. Over the course of the game, players will gather ingredients needed to treat guests, nourish them to earn their favour, and clean dirty baths left after their treatment.

Treating guests and cleaning baths earn players amber. More complicated treatments will earn you more, but if you complete any treatment exactly, you will be rewarded with valuable tips from our guests!



▪️ Six-Sided Seas Was just announced for GenCon 2026 release from publisher Solis Game Studio. This is a 2-pirate game, but you can add a set to allow it to play up to 4-pirates. Gain glorious victory in 15-20 minutes!

From BGG:
The dicey waters of the Six-Sided Seas have tempted many pirates with the promise of riches and glory. Legends tell of several powerful treasures lurking amongst the isles...powerful enough to control everyone and everything on these waters when combined together. There are many paths to becoming the most ruthless pirate in the sea, and the choice is in your hands. But be warned, you’ll face rivals at sea who also wish to claim the title, so prepare for a cutthroat battle or go down with the ship! It’s win or die on the Six-Sided Seas!

Six-Sided Seas is a push-your-luck, worker placement game. On your turn, you will roll dice from your supply to generate crew members for your ship that can be assigned to stations. After each roll, you can choose to roll again or stop. Be careful, though, because if you go over your limit, you will bust! If you choose to stop rolling and don’t bust, you will then assign crew members to stations on the ship. The stations on the ship allow you to deal damage to the opposing pirate ship, explore islands, or search for gold. The first player to sink their opponent’s ship, reach the maximum gold coin limit, or control the majority of the explorable islands wins!

Published — 03. Juni 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

A Haunting Good Time - Just INSANE!

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
03. Juni 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge

Are you into the darker themes such as the Cthulhu Mythos and Zombies? Well, here are some upcoming releases that might fit your fancy.

[imageid=9361246 medium rep]▪️ Asmodee recently sent out a newsletter with information about a new Arkham Horror: The Card Game (2026). This core set will now replace the 2021 version of the game, but everything is still compatible if you were to combine the sets. For those who are familiar with the game, it will have new discoveries. They are also releasing 5 new investigator packs.

From the Asmodee website:
Introducing the newest core set for Arkham Horror: The Card Game! Serving simultaneously as both a continuation and a fresh starting point, this new core set heralds the beginning of Chapter Two for the game. Taking place several months after the city of Arkham suffered a devastating calamity, this box provides a new introductory campaign, five mechanically new investigators, and a fresh card pool to expand your collection—or start a new one!
▪️A new core set for Arkham Horror: The Card Game, featuring evergreen content for the foundation of any collection.
▪️Your deck is your character. Each investigator comes with a pre-built deck that represents their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.
▪️Decks can be upgraded with experience earned in each scenario, allowing you to customize your investigator as you see fit.
▪️Uncover sinister plots and fight off horrifying monsters in scenarios inspired by the Cthulhu mythos.
▪️The narrative evolves based on your choices, successes, and failures, ensuring that each playthrough is a unique experience.
▪️This Chapter Two core set serves as a fresh starting point for newcomers and veterans alike, with new investigators and a brand-new, three-scenario introductory campaign.
▪️The Chapter Two core set is fully compatible with all previously-released Arkham Horror: The Card Game products.



If you love reading, they have also released a new book called Bullets in the Dark by Cath Lauria, the latest novel from Aconyte Books.
Accompanying Chapter 2 Core Set for Arkham Horror: The Card Game, Bullets in the Dark tells Isabelle Barnes story following her return to a transformed Arkham.



▪️ Bézier Games announced a few new card games for release this June. The first called Zombie Princess. A trick-taking card game with variable player powers, and is the follow-up to the successful Rebel Princess. For 3-6 players and takes about 30-60 minutes to play.

From BGG:
Zombie Princess is the sequel to Rebel Princess. Just as Rebel Princess was a thoughtful modern spin on the classic trick-taking card game Hearts, Zombie Princess is a spin on the classic trick-taking card game Spades.

As legendary princesses in Zombie Princess, players compete individually or as teams! Each princess is armed with a unique player power, giving her or her teammate much-needed flexibility or information. Zombie Princess takes place over four rounds, and each round has a special rule, making each game feel fresh and unique. Princesses bid on how many hordes of zombies they will eliminate... er... save each round. Will you eradicate the resident evil of the land, or will this be the dawn of the dead?



▪️ Haunted Mouse is another card game releasing soon from Bézier Games designed by Jonathan Cox. This plays 2-5 players in about 20-45 minutes.

From BGG:
Haunted Mouse is a ladder climbing/shedding game where mice not only shed their own fears (cards), but can use the fears of others! After all, why work hard shedding your own fears when your opponents can do it for you? The earlier you get rid of all your fears, the more cheese you get! The first mouse to complete their cheese wheel will win the game and never go hungry again!


How could you resist this adorable plushie?


Published — 27. Mai 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

Summer Releases and the Start of Gen Con Announcements!

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
27. Mai 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge

Gen Con quickly approaches, and I have already gotten a bunch of emails promoting their August and Summer releases. Here are just a handful of games coming soon!

[imageid=8650802 medium rep]▪️ Portal Games (Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island, Neuroshima Hex) announced a partnership with 1 More Time Games (Challengers!) to publish Abroad for a Gen Con release. This is a travel-themed board game that will play 1-4 players in about 60-90 minutes.

From the Newsletter:
ABOUT THE GAME
Abroad invites players to explore Europe through a rich collection of unique location cards, each tied to real places with distinct culture, history, and character. The game was designed by Rodrigo Rego and Danilo Valente — an established Brazilian design duo who previously collaborated on Landmarks — and published in partnership with 1 More Time Games.

The game's immense variety of cards, combined with tight strategic decision-making, has drawn widespread comparisons to modern hobby classics.


▪️ Brotherwise Games announced a new game for release this June called Shards of Creation. A trick-taking card game with a set collection element. For 2-4 players and takes about 30 minutes to play.

From the newsletter:
Our next retail release is Shards of Creation on June 24th! This trick-taking game is designed completely in-house by our Lead Developer, Hayden Dillard.


In Shards of Creation, harness the primal forces of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere! This innovative trick-taking game is designed for players of all skill levels. Every Shard is an aspect of divinity: Autonomy, Cultivation, Devotion, Dominion, Honor, Odium, Preservation, and Ruin. Each is an entirely unique suit, with different values and abilities. Will you win by focusing on one Shard’s influence, or by forging a coalition of Shards? Shuffle up a different combination each time you play, making every game a new experience!



▪️ From Oink Games, they announced a Gen Con release for North America. The Frozen Passage is a new cooperative card-laying game for 1-4 players and plays in 20 minutes.

From the press release:
The Frozen Passage is an exciting co-op game where players are part of an expedition team trying to navigate at sea, but the journey has become dangerous with lots of icebergs threatening to sink the ship. Players work together to successfully navigate through this dangerous journey and make it out safely. This is a board game filled with adventure and excitement, where you gradually expand and extend your path across the sea towards the goal cards. Which direction should you go? Should you use up your limited special items? Players are limited in how they can communicate, adding to the tension in this game.

Players work together to arrange three colors of cards numbered 1 to 9 in an inverted pyramid shape, starting from the bottom and aiming for the goal cards at the top. If all players manage to place all of their cards, everyone wins. However, there are specific rules for how the cards must be arranged. If you lose focus on your turn, you might steer the ship towards disaster. Since everyone’s hand is hidden, you must try to complete the path by predicting each other's cards and helping each other out!


▪️ There was another announcement from Oink that they are to release Compress at Gen Con as well. This plays 2-4 players in about 15-30minutes. This is Oink's take on a memory game.

From the announcement:
Compress is a game where you use the cards in your hand to "take notes" about a growing sequence of numbered cards and then provide the correct answer. There are only 4 types of cards featuring the numbers 0 or 1, either on a black or white background. As you play cards from your hand and draw new ones, your "note-taking" cards are being constantly updated.

"0, 1, 1, 0, 0..." You "record" these sequences of 0s and 1s by arranging cards on the table. However, you only have 8 "note cards" which act as hints to help guide you. As the sequence grows longer, "0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1...", it's time to flex those brainwaves of yours. You create your own recording rules, such as "a black 0 card represents two consecutive 0s" or "placing a white 1 card sideways represents 1, 0", to keep track of the ever-expanding sequence.

Everyone takes notes differently. How will you do it? In Compress, you are the rulemaster!

Published — 20. Mai 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

Shakespeare and Blackbeard hang in The Halls of Montezuma on the First Monday

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
20. Mai 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge


▪️ Fort Circle Games has been busy at work creating so many games! There are four games scheduled for release this June, followed by three more games later this year in the Fall. Many have heard of their successful game called Votes for Women, which is also being restocked this summer.

[imageid=8535024 medium rep]▪️ The first game to catch my attention was Shakespeare's First Folio as I quite enjoy the theme. A game for 1-4 players and plays in about 45-60 minutes. The mechanisms listed on BGG are really what have me intrigued, as they list Set Collection, Trick-Taking, and Worker-Placement.

From the BGG Page:
Shakespeare’s First Folio has players taking the role of printers in the early Seventeenth Century, competing to print the first folio of Shakespeare’s plays.

Players will utilize a combination of trick-taking and worker placement to collect as many plays as possible. The plays are suited - Histories, Comedies, and Tragedies. There are also historical patrons and personages who will help the players out.

A game ends immediately when the last Play is taken by a player. The most points wins and will print Shakespeare's First Folio!



▪️ Hunt for Blackbeard has just released. This is a game designed by Volko Ruhnke (Fire in the Lake, Labyrinth: The War on Terror, 2001 – ?). This is a game for 2 players and takes about 30-45 minutes to play.

From the BGG Page:
The Hunt for Blackbeard is on again. As Blackbeard, you must select your anchorage carefully, as you’ll need all your guile to survive. The hunters are coming — evade them, or prepare defenses and risk luring them in? As the Hunters, how long can you afford to press your stable of informants and arm your expedition? You know Blackbeard: he will not sit idle. His ambitions may expose him, but he is getting stronger day by day. How will you approach — a flushing strategy, or a precision strike? Be careful, as your quarry is apt to bite!

Hunt for Blackbeard is a two-player boardgame that portrays the effort in 1718 by the colony of Virginia and the Royal Navy to track down the notorious pirate Blackbeard (Edward Thatch) as he sought refuge in colonial North Carolina. It features the historical events, places, and personages involved in Blackbeard’s demise 300 years ago, and the real-world challenges of “golden-age” piracy and pirate hunting. One player takes the role of Blackbeard and the other the pirate hunters. Blackbeard seeks to commit acts of piracy or to enjoy a pirate’s life while remaining free. The hunters try to discern Blackbeard’s plans to thwart his piracy. The game may end in a battle in which either the hunters capture Blackbeard or the pirate wins by seizing a hunters’ ship as his prize!



▪️ Next I noticed First Monday in October designed by my friend Talia Rosen, who loves the heavy thematic games. So, it makes sense to me that this would be a heavy thematic game. A game for 1-4 players and plays in 90-120 minutes. To release this June.

From the BGG Page:
On the First Monday in October, the all-powerful Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court gather each year in their "marble palace" to decide the fate of a nation. Over the course of two hours, First Monday in October re-creates the history of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1789 to the present day, through three distinct eras: Era I represents the founding of the Court in 1789 through the Civil War in 1865; Era II represents the time period from 1866 until the seminal decision of Brown v. Board in 1954; and Era III represents the modern era from 1955 until 2010.

Players compete to score renown points in this card-driven strategy game by advocating for the winning side of cases decided by the Supreme Court and by shaping the judicial philosophy of the Court to align with their objectives. During each round, players can choose to place their clerks on what they hope to be the winning side of cases as they progress along the Docket track. In order to help their litigants win, players can take actions to change the composition of the Court by encouraging Justices throughout history to retire and by supporting judicial candidates. At the end of each round, one case will be scored and awarded to the player with the most clerks on the prevailing side. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.


▪️ The final game Fort Circle Games is releasing this June is The Halls of Montezuma. This is a wargame for 1-2players and plays in 60-90 minutes.

From the BGG Page:
Following the annexation of Texas by the United States in December 1845, war between the United States and Mexico became inevitable. From 1846-1848, the two countries fought a bloody and bruising war culminating in Mexico surrendering significant territory to the United States.

The Halls of Montezuma tasks two players to recreate this pivotal war in American and Mexican history. As the United States, you will be tasked with taking California and invading Mexico while facing mounting political opposition at home. As Mexico, you will be forced to fight a defensive war of attrition against the better-trained and led American troops.

The Halls of Montezuma is a low complexity, card-driven game for two players (with solitaire rules). Players relive the decisions and dilemmas of this crucial period in history. Fast setup and a playtime of 60-75 minutes.




The other games you should keep an eye out later this Fall are Night Witches, Peace 1905, and A More Perfect Union. Seems like a bunch of games to look forward to coming from Fort Circle Games.

Published — 13. Mai 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

Filler Up! It's a Wonder as to why the Spyworld Tower Falls

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
13. Mai 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge


[imageid=9444567 medium rep]▪️ Repos Production just released their new title Spooky Tower. With the attractive price point of $25 and the quick-playtime of 15 minutes, it seems like a risk worth taking. Here is the game description from the publisher:

Spooky Tower: The ghost hunt is on!

Ghosts have taken over the city! The only way to trap them is to capture them on camera… or to restore the protective amulet of the clock tower! With Spooky Tower, Repos Production takes a playful dive into pop culture. This new clever family game combines dice rolling, risk-taking, and tactical decision-making in a fast-paced and highly replayable format.


Designed by Jonathan Favre-Godal (Who Did It?) and Corentin Lebrat (Draftosaurus, Faraway…), and illustrated byApolline Etienne (Living Forest), Spooky Tower thrives on surprise and suspense. Which location will you explore on your turn? With no unnecessary complexity, Spooky Tower focuses on quick turns, immediate readability, appealing and functional components, and strong indirect interaction through racing mechanics. It's “spooky fun” universe, brought to life by Apolline Etienne, creates an immersive atmosphere — without ever being scary!



▪️ For the Flip-and-Write fans out there, Spyworld was just released! From Don't Panic Games, this game plays simultaneously, so really any number of players can play in about 30 minutes. Don't you want to rule the world and build the best spy lair around? From the publisher:

Spyworld is a simultaneous-play flip-and-write where players build their spy lair, set traps, recruit sentries, and then send their agent to infiltrate opponents - all on the same turn. The Exploration Phase is unlike anything else in the category right now, and players notice it immediately.



▪️ New from The Op Games a small box card game called Frenzy Falls. If you enjoy a bit of frenzy and chaos in your quick card game, then look no further. You and your opponents will attempt to seize control over the different lines in the falls. If you don't win the majority of the row, no worries, you will get to spill down to the next row to try and capture that row instead. You have to look out for those special action cards that will pull and bump you from positions you probably don't want to move from. A great family game for 2-6 players, playing in 30-45 minutes.


▪️ Did someone say Similo? OH, HELLO! Similo: Wonders was just announced from Horrible Guild. My collection of Similo is ever-growing because they keep making new editions. If you aren't familiar with Similo, it is a quick cooperative deduction game. There is one correct card in the display, and the clue-giver needs to provide clues so you don't knock out that correct card. You can mix and match sets, so having just one more set is always a good thing. We can look for this new deck in July.

From the publisher:
This deck brings together 36 iconic monuments and architectural marvels from around the globe, from ancient wonders to modern landmarks, all illustrated in Naiade’s unmistakable style.

Published — 06. Mai 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

Be the Gulo of the Sandcastle Kingdom

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
06. Mai 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge


▪️ Pandasaurus Games always has a lot of really cool games in the pipeline, and they recently announced a few titles being released this summer, but don't forget about their other just-released titles as well!


▪️ Shackleton Base: Below. Within. Above. is a new expansion just released! This expands the very popular Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon which was released last year. In the box, you can expect to find 3 new corporations to mix with your base game, new scoring milestone tokens, and more content for the solo gamers out there.

▪️Also recently released were the two small expansion packets for Faraway and Castle Combo. Don't underestimate a few cards being added to your games; they add a big punch! Check out Castle Combo: Out of the Oubliette! & Faraway: Under Starry Skies.


And now for all of the summer releases! I have three exciting new games that have been announced for release this August!

[imageid=8660175 medium rep]▪️ Time to check out Kingdom Crossing from designers Marco Canetta, Stefania Niccolini the team that brought you Zhanguo: The First Empire & Railroad Revolution. This game plays 1-4 players in 45-90 minutes.

From the newsletter:
Welcome to Brightspring!
In a faraway land in the midst of a verdant forest crossed by the Crystal River lies the small kingdom of Brightspring, ruled by the wise Queen Beavery, who is facing a problem: Her four regions are separated by seven bridges, and to divide her time evenly between the subjects of these regions, the kingdom would need an eighth bridge...

Help the Queen build a new bridge! Scour the kingdom, recruit the best artisans, gather construction resources, and create magnificent decorations. Note, however, that you can never use the same bridge more than once in the same day.



▪️ Seems like a perfect time for Sandcastles to be released as we get ready for the warm beach weather. For 2-6 players and plays in 20 minutes.

More on the mechanics from the newsletter:
Over 15 rounds, players draft a single tile per round and add it to their sandcastle: a personal 5×5 grid anchored by a Starter Tile. The catch? Tiles are revealed one at a time, and once you take one, you're out of that round. Wait too long hoping for something better, and you might be forced to take whatever's left.

Tiles score through a mix of mechanisms: adjacency bonuses for matching starfish colors, row-by-row window counts, birds on sky tiles, and flat values for shells, shovels, and buckets.

This gives players a satisfying puzzle to optimize across their grid. Designed by Alex Cutler (Critter Kitchen, A Place for All My Books), it's a clean, quick game that's equally at home on a family table or as a warm-up for game night.


▪️ Finally, a new release of a classic game from 2003 called Gulo Gulo. This is a family game that will play well with kids and large gatherings, as it plays 2-6 players in 20 minutes.

From the newsletter:
Re-introducing Gulo Gulo 🥚 Some games never should have gone away. Gulo Gulo is one of them. Originally published in 2003, this Kinderspielexperten Nominee spent years as a sought-after out-of-print gem. Now, with all-new art by Jennifer Meyer and a freshened-up ruleset, it's finally coming back to retail on August 21.

The premise is as follows: you're a family of wolverines racing to rescue Gulo Junior from a nest guarded by suspicious swamp vultures. The nest is packed with colorful eggs, but hiding somewhere in the middle is the alarm pole. You need to reach in and steal the right one without knocking anything over. It's harder than it sounds, but also extremely fun to watch.


Published — 29. April 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

On-The-Go with the New Releases from Hachette Boardgames USA

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
29. April 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge


▪️ Hachette Boardgames USA has been on it with announcing new games! Today, I will highlight some of the smaller games coming out in the next several months.

[imageid=8969959 medium Rep]▪️ Canal Houses just released this April and should already be hitting the stores. From the Gigamic catalog, Canal Houses is a 20-minute game where you build up the beautiful streets of Amsterdam. The colorful houses and charming artwork are used for scoring at the end of the game. From the newsletter:

Each round, players pick a card from their hand and build it simultaneously, then pass the remaining cards to the next player. Refresh your hand by drawing a new card type—base, floor, or roof, and keep crafting your architectural masterpiece.

To complete a house, you’ll need to build from the ground up: start with a base, stack any number of floors, and top it off with a roof. Simple to learn and quick to play, Canal Houses is the perfect mix of strategy and charm.


▪️ Another new release from Gigamic is Pirate King! this June! Pirate King is a push-your-luck card game for 2-5 players and will play in about 15 minutes. Pick your captain and build your deck, but don't be too greedy, or you just might bust out.

Every round, players will reveal cards simultaneously, one by one, from their own deck. Revealed swords lets players gain creatures with special powers. Revealing gold allows players to draft treasures into their decks. Be careful though, reveal 3 skulls and you bust!

With its wacky effects, unpredictable treasures, and monsters to battle, Pirate King offers a dynamic experience blending tactics, luck, and dirty tricks. Ideal for groups looking for a fast-paced, fun, and slightly chaotic game.



▪️ Leaf It! is a new dexterity game from Edition Spielwiese releasing this June. Leaf It plays 2-4 players and takes about 10-20 minutes. There is a mix of memory and dexterity as you have to assemble the canopy and then dismantle it, collecting the most valuable animals as you do.

From the newsletter:
Leaf It! requires a mix of steady hands, a good memory, and a little bit of luck. When it's your turn, you must place a card onto the growing canopy, making sure it doesn't collapse.

The Rule: You must always cover the animal on the previous card.
The Strategy: Try to remember exactly where you (and your opponents) placed the cards with the most valuable animals!

After all cards have been placed it's time to Dismantle the Tree!

Players take turns carefully drawing cards back out of the treetop.
Grab the cards you remember having the most points.
Be careful: the canopy is highly unstable. If you cause it to collapse, you will be penalized!





▪️ HUCH! is a new partner with Hachette, and they just announced 3 mini games releasing this May! All of the games support 2-5 players and can be played in about 15 minutes.

In Blue Penguin, each player tries to attract the cutest penguins—the smaller they are, the cuter they are! The problem is that penguins always follow the bigger ones.

On their turn, each player places a “penguin” card and draws a new one.
The player who plays the card with the highest number collects all the cards played that round and becomes the first player for the next turn.

The game ends once all cards have been played, and scores are calculated based on colors, not numbers.



In Meteo, players try to pick the best weather conditions for a last-minute vacation. At the start of the game, six visible “weather” cards are randomly paired with hidden “sky” cards of different colors, and each player gets to secretly look at one.

The “sky” cards are revealed one by one. At any moment, a player can interrupt the process by saying “I’m going!” to stop the reveals and claim the cards they think will earn them the most points.



In Wool Street, players buy and sell cards representing woolen garments in six different types, hoping to collect those that score points while selling off those that bring penalties.

On their turn, players draw a card and must place it on a pile of the same garment type (e.g., sweaters with sweaters). Then, they can choose to sell a garment card by placing it in the center of the table or buy one from the center. The first pile to reach 7 cards scores 2 points per card of that type for players who bought them; the second pile scores 1 point, but the fourth and fifth piles result in point losses!


If you are on the go or are looking for some quicker games for the collection, these seem like they would fit the bill.

Published — 22. April 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

Heavy is the Head that Wears the Crown

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
22. April 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge

A heavy hitter today with these new releases

[imageid=6268503 medium rep]▪️ Coming this May we can expect to see The Queen's Dilemma released by Horrible Guild. Many of you have played or heard of The King's Dilemma, which was the first legacy game set in the Kingdom of Ankist. The Queen's Dilemma is a follow-up sequel set hundreds of years later. It will use an improved card system and tell a whole new story through a legacy campaign.

From the newsletter:
If you played The King’s Dilemma, you already know the tension of debating, negotiating, and voting on critical issues that define the future of the kingdom. This sequel builds on that foundation with:
▪️ a deeper ideology system, with opposing principles that constantly pull the kingdom in different directions
▪️ memorable council members with their own backgrounds, public alignments, and secret agendas that shape debates and long-term goals
▪️ an expanded economy and territory management system, where regions can rise in influence or fall into unrest, directly impacting negotiations and map development
▪️ a refined Dilemma Card System that unlocks envelopes and Mystery bags, introducing new events, rules, and components as your campaign evolves
▪️ new narrative layers built for a multi-session arc (up to 17 sessions, over 30 hours of gameplay), where every vote leaves lasting consequences and story threads carry forward

Each session runs around 90 minutes, and every vote leaves a permanent mark on the campaign: alliances will form, promises will break, and the kingdom will change according to your decisions.


▪️ The Last Spell: The Board Game is a new release based on the Ishtar Games' video game published in English by Ares Games. This game was successfully funded back in 2023 on Kickstarter from Tabula Games and has been fulfilled to backers and is now available for sale.

This is a cooperative tower defense campaign game, but you can play one-off missions as well.

From BGG:
The game is set in a dark fantasy, post-apocalyptic world in which you have to carefully manage the scarce resources at your disposal to survive long enough. Gameplay revolves around three cycles of day and night in which players use daylight hours to bolster the game economy, fortify defenses against nocturnal invaders, and upgrade their heroes' equipment to unlock more power.



▪️ Mayfair Games joined forces with Alion – by Dr Ø to exlusively release Recall in the United States. Today is the scheduled retail release date, so you should be able to acquire it! This was a very popular title at BGG.CON Fall 2025 after its Spiel release.

Recall is brought to you by the designers of Revive (Helge Meissner, Kristian Amundsen Østby, Kjetil Svendsen, Anna Wermlund). The games have similar mechanics in a few ways, but the overall gameplay and feeling is completely different. For those who love crunchy Euros, you are in luck for this US release.

From BGG:
Recall is a deep strategy game from the designers of Revive that focuses on engine building and exploration. Each player begins the game with one of fourteen unique tribes and one of eighteen unique gadgets, both of which will heavily influence your strategy and opportunities. Throughout the game, you will lead your tribe, explore the lands, and discover traces of ancient civilizations to learn from them. On your turn, you either:
• Use a keycard to activate an action box, or
• Recall to produce resources and regain your keycards.

When you use a keycard, you activate the abilities of the keycard itself and the effects of the chosen action box. The chosen combination of keycard and action box will therefore determine what you get to do on your turn: populate the lands, move your followers, explore new regions, and build workshops, vaults, or monuments. During the game, you will improve your tribe by acquiring new keycards, upgrading your action boxes, or collecting ability stones and relics.


Published — 15. April 2026 ⏭ Blogs - ENG

The Mythos of 2-player Games Continues

✇BoardGameGeek News | BoardGameGeek
Von: boardgamersteph
15. April 2026 um 18:00

by Steph Hodge

This is the time for 2-player games! I have noticed a bunch of 2-player games hitting the scene in the past several years. I know I play a lot of 2-player games and am always on the lookout. Here are just a few more of those releases coming soon.

▪️ Bitewing Games (Zoo Vadis, Cascadero) has three new titles coming out that are for 2-players, which are part of their Mythos series! Bitewing Games has produced a ton of recent games from deisnger Reiner Knizia (Ra, The Quest for El Dorado... the list goes on forever), so I will start with the sharing about the new Collector's Edition of Ichor. [imageid=8195971 medium rep]
If you aren't familiar with the game, you are either choosing to battle as the Greek Gods or as the Greek Monsters. All of the figures have unique abilities, and you are trying to get all of your tokens onto the board before the other player.

About the new collector's edition:
Ichor Collector's Edition is a newly released version of Ichor and features 3 key changes from the standard edition:

▪️ It includes a standard folding board instead of a cloth board.
▪️ The characters are flat-laying tiles instead of standees. Flip a character tile face down to show on the board that its ability has been used.
▪️ The Reinforcements & Gates Expansion is included in the box!


▪️ Azure caught my eye because it has the wonderful artwork by Kwanchai Moriya (Food Chain Magnate, Under Falling Skies). Azure is an area control game where you want to advance on your track and reach the end before the other player. It will take about 20 minutes to play and has double-sided boards to keep the variety for replayability. More on Azure:

n Azure, players position their stones to gather qi (cards) and wisdom (points) from the realm. They also compete to bring the Auspicious Beasts to their aid. The first player to reach the end of the path of wisdom wins.

Players take turns placing a stone, gathering boons from the space they cover, and gaining the favor of Auspicious Beasts. In order to place a stone in a space, the player must be able to pay the qi cost. The color of the domain (board) tells you the color of qi needed, and the number of boon symbols in the space tells you the amount of qi needed. Through careful management of the qi cards in your hand, you'll be able to grow in power.



▪️ The third game I wanted to share is Moytura. This game can be played either competitively or cooperatively, which is interesting. I always love the option for cooperative mode. Moytura, is a battle for control of ancient Ireland over two eras. The game will be 45 minutes.

From the BGG game page:
Each round, the two players and the enemy faction each take a turn. On their turn, a player selects a deity tile (possibly spending worship tokens to reach it), then performs that deity's actions. When used, a deity tile resets to the most expensive position in the track. Deity tiles let players expand their influence and battle enemies according to the deity's unique abilities. On the enemy faction's turn, an activation card is revealed from the deck that expands one of the three clans. Some activation cards are stronger than others, and players must carefully track which clans are most likely to attack and where. Only the player who cleverly outmaneuvers their opponent while carefully keeping the enemy faction in check will be able to secure the victory.


▪️ You can also check out Iliad from the same 2-player series and designed by Reiner Knizia. This is also restocked with the other titles on the list. This was the first game of the 2-player Mythos series.

In Iliad, you will either be Hector of the Trojans or Achilles of the Greeks and strive to win the favor of the Gods by placing tiles and taking control of the grid.

More from the BGG page:
On your turn, select one of two tiles from your hand and place it onto the board adjacent to an opponent's tile. Both players have symmetrical pools of tiles, with their strength ranging from 1-5, along with the Dolos tile that mimics your opponent's adjacent tiles. The key to victory lies behind the relentless tension of where and when to commit your tiles. When placing a tile, you may also activate the tile's ability, which can serve to turn the tide of war.

When a row or column is filled, the player with the highest total strength in that line earns the right to select one of the two success tokens at the ends of that row or column; the other token goes to their opponent. Success tokens can earn you the favor of the Gods, and they can earn (or cost you) points. At the end of the game, the winner is the player who has earned the favor of all five Gods.


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