News Collider: Bioshock, Trains and a bucketload of FFG expansions

The last few News Colliders have all been about video games but that’s not why we’re here. No we prefer our games cut from card and prefer to sit opposite our opponent and look them straight in the eye so this news collection has some news on actual games.

Bioshock Infinite

This time the board game licences are going the other way as Plaid Hat Games announces Bioshock Infinite: The Siege of Columbia.

Ken Levine, the man behind such great video games as Thief and Bioshock has stated how much of a fan of board games he is so it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that the mega rated and chartbusting Bioshock Infinite is coming to a tabletop near you.

Set during the same series of events as the video game, players take on the role of the Founders and Vox Populi factions, desperately seeking to seize control of Columbia. Gain points from staking your claim to the city's territories and accomplishing other goals, all the while fighting your opponents and Booker while trying to influence Elizabeth and commanding an army of detailed miniatures as well as the Songbird and Airship!

I’ve not got round to playing the latest videogame in the Bioshock series but this board game looks rather pretty at this point, I just miss the Big Daddies.

Trains

I’ll put my hand up and admit that when I first heard that about AEG’s Trains I just ignored the news. It’s not a genre that really makes me sit up and listen but when I met someone who has actually played it and rave about it I started to pay attention. Trains is another twist on the deck building genre, combining it with rail laying across a map of Japan.

You will start with a small set of cards, but by building a more effective deck throughout the game, you will be able to place stations and lay rails over the maps of Osaka or Tokyo. Gain enough points from your railways and you will ultimately manage the most powerful railroads in modern Japan!

Trains will be out in summer 2013.

Descent: Labyrinth of Ruin

Fantasy Flight Games are going expansion crazy with not one but three significant expansion announcements. Kicking things off is the second expansion to one of my favourite games of 2012, Decent 2nd edition. Labyrinth of Ruin includes a completely new campaign as well as new heroes and new minions.

What’s more interesting is the campaign will follow a branching path meaning the adventures you undertake will differ depending on the choices the heroes make. I’ll confess and admit that my playgroup didn’t actually finish our campaign of Descent, but for those that have this adds more layers.

 Elder Sign: Unseen Forces

Second from FFG is the expansion to the dice rolling little brother of Arkham Horror, Elder sign. I may have been overly cruel of Elder Sign during my first impressions but loved the iPhone version.

Unseen Forces adds new mechanics, new locations and even new Other Worlds. In addition the blessings and curses from Arkham Horror make an appearance and include their own dice and anyone who’s played Arkham Horror knows how much of an effect they can have.

Battlestar Galactica: Day Break

Last but not least is the announcement of the Day break expansion for Battlestar Galactica. Battlestar Galactica is one of the favourite games amongst my playgroup; humanity’s last ditch attempt at survival and accusing everyone else of being a “frakkin’ toaster” never gets old.  As you would expect Daybreak adds new characters, new crisis cards and pimps out your game by replacing your Cylon warrior tokens with little ‘clanker’ miniatures. Daybreak also includes a new scenario, a new ship to explore and missions that offer some very large rewards for the crew. If you’re already a fan of Battlestar Galactica this looks like a must buy.