This week we have games based on movies, more games based on movies, games based on TV shows, more games based on TV shows, face-lifts, re-implementations and why board games are good for your love life.
NEW GAME ANNOUNCEMENT: HAKO ONNA
Strictly speaking, this is an English Language version of the Japanese game of the same name, originally published by Ejin Laboratory in 2016, and it sounds terrifyingly brilliant (so if you’ve played it let me know your thoughts). In this asymmetric dexterity, game players are visitors trapped inside a haunted house. A house haunted by the Hako Onna – or Boxed Woman. This ghost is attracted to noise and will hunt down any noisy visitor capturing their soul and turning them into one of her loyal servants. Each turn players have to stack a noise disc should it ever fall or upon reaching 5 disks the Boxed Woman moves secretly around the house hiding in the rooms that the players must search in order to escape.
NEW GAME ANNOUNCEMENT: STRANGER THINGS D&D
The powers that be of Hasbro, Wizards of the Coats and Netflix were playing golf (probably) when they decided that making a D&D Starter Set based on the Netflix Show, Stranger Things would be an excellent idea. The box could be given a worn and damaged look and could include some Demogorgan figures. Later that day, over a few drinks in the golf clubhouse (probably), they also decided it would be very cool to have the pre-generated characters based on those used in the show, Dustin the Dwarf, Will the Wise and the other one. Not only that but the box set should include a Stranger Things style adventure too.
They all went home happy that day and started putting their idea into action. As of the 1st of May (shortly before season 3 aires), you’ll be able to pick up this wonderfully meta starter box set.
NEW GAME ANNOUNCEMENT: JAWS
“We’re going to need a bigger boat….well, a boat at any rate” or words to that effect it what someone will say when you play Jaws, the board game based on the classic Steven Speilberg film. This semi co-op will have one player controlling the shark while the others play as Quint, Hooper and Brody. In the first half of the game, the shark attacks swimmers in the waters around Amity Island while the would-be hunters are searching for its hiding place. Then the board is flipped to the boat side. Que someone saying “we need a bigger boat”
Now you need to fend off attacks and kill the shark before it destroys the sinking boat.
Naturally, Jaws will be available in June, just before the summer really kicks off.
NEW GAME ANNOUNCEMENT: DISTRICT 9
Weta Workshop, the guys who turned Elijah Wood into Frodo Baggins, made all the weapons for Na’vi in Avatar, built CHAPIE and then made Giant Killer Robots: Heavy Hitters are stepping back into the boardgame ring with an adaptation of another film by from them, District 9.
Over a modular board, players will order their troops around in a bid to salvage and stockpile as much alien tech as possible all before Wiku dons his mech suit for a heroic last stand.
Over a modular board, players will order their troops around in a bid to salvage and stockpile as much alien tech as possible all before Wiku dons his mech suit for a heroic last stand.
NEW EXPANSION ANNOUNCEMENT: KIDS ON BIKES: STRANGE ADVENTURES
The first supplement for the almost Stranger Things RPG, Kids on Bikes from designer Jonathon Gilmour is out now! Stranger Adventures Volume One features a host of adventure hooks, story guidelines and 20 unique towns for your motley band of prepubescent adventurers to overcome.
(If you’ve already picked up the deluxe Hardback Rulebook you’ve already got this additional material)
LOVE LETTER MAKE-OVER
Back in May of 2018, Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG) broke up with the very popular game by Seiji Kanai, Love Letter and quickly jumped into bed with Z-Man Games. This coming summer we’ll get to see a new made-up version of the game featuring all-new art (from Andrew Bosley), new characters and new tokens (featuring a gold screen print of the balance scale used in the original version).
THE OP
Just ahead of the New York Toy Fair, USAopoly made some pretty big announcements.
1. A licensing partnership with LAIKA (the animation studio behind Kubo, Boxtrolls and Coraline)
2. A couple of new family games, Astro Trash and Furry Foodies the latter about the pet cats of USAoploy employees and then some license tie-ins for LAIKA based games, such as Monopoly Coraline – which we’ve all been waiting TEN YEARS FOR! And more Harry Potter games including Harry Potter Scrabble, Defence Against the Dark Arts – a two payer deckbuilding in the vein of Hogwarts Battle and another secret co-op game that might be a Harry Potter AR tie-in.
3. A change of name and brand: USAopoly will henceforth be known as The OP
BAD GUYS WIN
Villainous from Ravensburger won “Toy of the Year” for 2019 at the recent New York Toy Fair. Villainous ticked boxes for Disney fans and board gamers with Ravensburger reporting that they shift 250,000 copies in the last quarter of 2018 alone! The first expansion, Wicked to the Core is released next month too!
LOVE AROUND THE TABLE
In a recent study from Baylor University in Texas researchers have noted the beneficial effects that board games can have on couples. Dr, Karen Melton et al. randomly assigned their pool of volunteer couples into groups of recreational activity – one of which was playing board games. Before and after each “date” coupes provided samples to test for levels of oxytocin – the body’s natural love or “hugging” hormone. Women in this group saw the greatest increase of oxytocin after playing board games with their partner and in men, the greatest oxytocin increase came from ‘Couples Painting Classes’.
So, next time your other half suggest date night, head straight for the game shelf!
ROLL20 BREACH
Earlier this week a little turd who goes by the name Gnosticplayers was on the dark web marketplace Dream Market selling hacker user data from 16 different companies, one of which was Roll20 the online RPG website. Roll20 is yet to comment on the breach which happened on new year’s day, but many of the other companies affected have given some validity to the claim. The auction has now been taken down since Gnosticplayers has been trying to flog them for so long their worth has diminished, however, if you use Roll20 it may be time to change your password.
THE ORVILLE HEROCLIX
Wizkids has announced a licensing partnership with Seth MacFarlane’s sci-fi TV show, the Orville. Add the range of characters from the show to their HeroClix range, the first Jumbo Starter Set will feature key characters from the show as you’d expect including Captain Ed Mercer, Commander Kelly Grayson and Dr Claire Finn.
MSRP ELIMINATED
Wizards of the Coast has announced that starting with their upcoming release, War of the Spark for Magic the Gathering, that they will be eliminating the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price. In a statement on the WoC website, this change is being attributed to the global scale of Magic and how MSRP isn’t used particularly widely.
YOU’VE GOT GEEKMAIL
BoardGameGeek has announced that they intend to start delivering geekmail to users. The expectation is that these emails will be infrequent and will fall into two categories. The first being general messages about good available in the GeekStore and the second would be more tailored to the user based on their BGG game collection. There is, of course, a means to opt out of these messages if like me you never check them.
FUNKO AQUISITIO
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