News Collider is back! Yes folks, hot on the success of Jon Cage’s news ferreting in our regular podcast, we’ve decided to bring back our News Collider column, bringing you a hot slice of board game news every Wednesday. It’s not just board games, however, we’ll also be looking at RPGs, card games and miniatures, basically whatever catches our eye over the week.
An Ice Cool Competition:
BrainGames, the folks who brought us such cardboard delights such as Game of Trains, Pikoko, Ice Cool and Ice Cool 2 are hosting what is probably the biggest and best board game competition in the history of board game competitions: your chance to win 2 tickets for a 9 night discovery cruise to Antarctica for 2 so you can actually go and meet real-life penguins. All you have to do is video yourself making a trick shot playing ICE COOL
Board Games are now scientifically good for your health
The Games for Health Journal is the result of a systematic review and meta-analysis of the health benefits of playing board games. No, seriously. This bimonthly print and online journal, for academics, clinical researchers and even designers and developers is set to help create a game space to help further help with a variety of conditions including diabetes, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer's disease, and cognitive, mental, emotional, and behavioral health disorders If you fancy reading the first part of this journal yourself, you can do so here.
One more reason to go to Singapore
Board game shops and cafes are sprouting up all of the UK at the moment, which as a lover of coffee, cake and cardboard are brilliant for me (less do for my wallet and waistline) but there is a new standard being set in Singapore. The King and the Pawn has over 300 games, craft beer on tap, signature cocktails and locally roasted coffee. If that wasn’t enough the decor is stylish your other half is unlikely to notice its a board game cafe until it’s too late.
GenCan’t Go Anywhere
Terrible wordplay aside, this is great news, probably, I’ve never been to GenCon, or Indianapolis. GenCon will remain at the Circle City until 2023. With the convention centre set for expansion and two brand spanking new convention hotels GenCon isn’t going anywhere and when its estimate to have bought in $75 million in direct spending to the city in 2018 it’s easy to see why there is the investment.
Layoffs for Hasbro
Citing the final liquidation of Toys ‘R’ Us as the biggest contributor, toy and game giant Hasbro is being forced to make some tough decisions. The companies quarter 3 report states 12% decline in sales worldwide, meaning a much-hated “organization steps” will have to be taken in order for the company to maintain its profitability. Games sales growth is still good, at around 1% being linked to Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons and Jenga.
There’s a new Classic Tetris World Champion
I know it isn’t board games, but it’s...well, it’s geeky-gamery news and is honestly, worth you knowing about. The Final between sixteen-year-old Joseph Saelee and seven-time Tetris World Champion, Jonas Neubauer, ended on Sunday 21st with a shock win. Joseph walked away with a $1,000 prize and a World Championship trophy for a game created thirteen years before he was born. I bet you feel old now!
Scrabble World Championships
Players from more than 30 countries will descend upon Torquay to collectively play 35 games of Scrabble as part of the game’s 70th anniversary. The Final will be played live in Westfield, London from a transparent cubed tile - I kid you not - on the on the 28th October. With a prize pool of $20,000 going to the finalists and a chance for Scrabble fans to play against a former world champion some are expecting London to come to a near standstill for the event (that last bit is a lie, no one is expecting that at all).
Board Game Art Books
Art books, a staple of Christmas gifts have long been tuned towards comics, movies and every other area of the geek IP market. But, now they've found us, hiding behind our tower of cardboard boxes. Viz Media has produced 2 'The Art of Magic the Gathering' books just in time for the festive season. One looking back at this Spring's 'Dominaria' release, and 'Concepts and Legends' which looks back at Magic's 25-year history with notes, sketches and of course, the glorious artwork.
Mythic Games (not to be confused with Monolith Games who made a game called Mythic) are returning to Kickstarter on 20th November with their latest miniatures based board game, Reich Busters. Set in an alternative 1944 you’ll take a rag-tag team of allied heroes against the Vrilmeister, a Nazi science cult, not unlike Marvel’s Hydra.
Through a combination of sneaking around the enemy, killing them silently or just going in guns blazing, you’ll play through three stages; Infiltration, Run and Gun, Escape, on a series of missions that build into a campaign. You’ll be able to call on your heroes’ special abilities as well as special items and you’ll need them as you’ll be facing off against all kinds of undead, mutant and cyborg enemies.
Reichbusters: Projekt Vril!
Through a combination of sneaking around the enemy, killing them silently or just going in guns blazing, you’ll play through three stages; Infiltration, Run and Gun, Escape, on a series of missions that build into a campaign. You’ll be able to call on your heroes’ special abilities as well as special items and you’ll need them as you’ll be facing off against all kinds of undead, mutant and cyborg enemies.
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