News Collider: Smash Up Sci-Fi, The Witcher board game and Russian CCGs

You would think with the run up to Christmas that the world of board game news would slow down, that after the US is stuffed full of thanksgiving turkey and the British are eyeing up their own that everyone would take a break. But no! The world of tabletop games does not stop, so take a break from wrapping presents and worrying that you still haven’t bought a present for Aunty Mable and delve into our current round up of gaming news.

Smash Up Science Fiction Double Feature

Alderac entertainment group, commonly known as AEG, have revealed the next expansion for the shufflebuilding card game Smash Up. This set of factions take their influence form pulp sci-fi with cybernetic gorillas, shape shifting monsters, time travellers and super spies.

Looking at the rulebook, it appears that this expansion doesn’t add any new mechanics so its just factions we’ll be looking at. So far Smash Ups expansions have open more interesting combinations to play; lets hope Science Fiction Double Feature does the same.

Smash Up Science Fiction Double Feature is due out early 2014

The Witcher The Adventure Game

Making a board game from a video game usually devolves into a pointless roll and move game for the masses or some re-theming of Monopoly or Risk. But there is hope with a trend lately to move the development of video game licences to those people who actually know how to develop board games, Bioshock: Siege of Columbia is an excellent example. Well this week Portal games teased via twitter that they’re making a board game of The Witcher series, called The Witcher, the Adventure Game.

Should we be excited? Darn right we should as the designer is Ignacy Trzewiczek who also worked on Stronghold, Robinson Crusoe and a host of Neuroshima goodies. This is a person who knows how to balance big board games. How the game will actually play at the moment, is a bit of a mystery but the since the four characters seen in pictures are generally considered friends then this suggests a cooperative game.

 

Berserk: War of the Realms & Knights and Villains

So there’s this game that has been going for over 10 years and you’ve probably never heard of it. The game is Berserk, a tactical collectible card game from Russia. Earlier in the year Berserk hit Kickstarter, reached its goal and now the game is out and being distributed worldwide by Asmodee.

The nice thing is instead of being a collectible card game the western versions contain the best cards from the history of the game in specially made boxed sets. You still get the chance to customise your decks but there’s no need to buy random boosters. Bereserk is available in two sets; War of the Realm and Knights and Villains. Each box is a standalone version of the game but both can be combined to give loads of deck building options.