The folks at Cheapass Games released Unexploded Cow, one of the most popular Cheapass Games titles of all time, as a free print-and-play game.
Unexploded Cow is a money game in which players invest in mad cows and reap rewards when the cows rid the French countryside of leftover bombs. The rules, cards, card backs, and money are all available for download as PDF files which can be printed and used immediately.
SmartGames has released three new titles:
Eagle Games currently has a number of games available for pre-order on their site, including:
Stronghold Games is still taking pre-orders for their deduction game, Confusion. They’ve posted video reviews on their site, as well as a special offer where you can acquire Confusion and Code 777 at a discounted price of $61.69.
Academy Games has created a track sheet utility for the Conflict of Heroes board game series. This iPad app is free and contains no advertisements.
Tasty Minstrel Games is currently offering a “launch special” package of three upcoming titles: Belfort, Homesteaders, and Jab: Real-Time Boxing.
For $69.95, purchasers will receive all three games when they are released in August 2011. The price includes shipping, and represents a 46.2% discount from MSRP.
In Belfort, players collect resources and build the city. It’s described as a “worker placement game with area majority scoring”.
In Homesteaders, described as “an auction and resource management game”, players determine the land which is available, bid to acquire the kind of land needed for a desired building, the build the building.
As the name implies, Jab: Real-Time Boxing is a strategic boxing game which gives you direct control over the boxer’s fists in real time. To win the game, knock out your opponent or win more rounds than your opponent in the judges’ eyes.
The TerrorBull Games web site posted a news update recently in which they announce three major bits of news:
They are also working on “two full-release games, a load of ‘how to’ videos and some silly side-projects”.
For the month of June 2011, Petroglyph is offering a special deal of 50% off all their board games. Purchasers will also receive a copy of Guardians of Graxia for PC free.
Their board games include:
Days of Wonder has posted a long list of locations and dates where they are previewing their newest title, Small World Underground. The game goes on sale July 6, 2011. They’re hosting over 100 events around the United States to celebrate the release of the title.
Small World Underground is a stand-alone game set beneath the surface of “the same fun, light-hearted Small World universe of epic conquests and fallen empires”. It features all-new races and special powers, and introduces monster-occupied area that protect relics and places of power. It can be played on its own or in combination with other Small World game elements.
Twilight Creations, Inc., makers of one of my favorite board games (Zombies!!!) has posted several news updates recently:
The Asmodee US web site announced the availability of English rules for the EVO game. In EVO, players assume the role of nomadic people who live in a symbiotic relationship with a primitive reptilian species. Using your knowledge of biology, you help the reptiles adapt and succeed against the climate and their competitors.
The rules can be downloaded from the Asmodee US web site if you want to learn more about the game. (The rulebook is very beautifully illustrated.)
APBA Games, makers of sports themed board games, is accepting pre-orders for the 2010-2011 UEFA and SPL soccer season card sets and the 1995 baseball season card set.
APBA’s product line includes APBA Football, APBA Baseball, APBA Hockey, APBA Hockey, APBA Golf, and APBA Soccer as well as a variety of card sets for expanding those games. Software versions of the Baseball and Golf games exist, as well as a Saddle Racing and Trivia game.
The Official Settlers of Catan web site announced on June 9, 2011, that an Android version of Catan will be made available this month. The iPhone/iPad versions are already bestsellers in the iTunes marketplace. It seems likely that the Android version will sell well also.
Super Duper Publications, which focuses on learning materials for children with special needs, has recently released several new titles, including one game:
On May 18, Fireside Games announced its latest game: BEARS!
Bears! is described as a fast-playing, competitive game in which you score points by pairing dice. You can score by killing bears, running away from your camp site, or even sleeping through the attack. Bears! is a game for 2 to 4 players aged 7 and up. Each round takes 20 seconds to play and the entire game can be completed in 20 minutes or less. It includes 20 camp dice, 20 player dice, 4 scoring reminder cards, and a rule sheet. Adding extra copies of the game allows you to expand it to more than 4 players.
Plaid Hat Games recently announced that it is accepting pre-orders for its Dungeon Run game.
Currently slated for an August 2011 release, Dungeon Run has players controlling heroes capable of great feats, and with upgradable and customizable powers. Players can cooperate to overcome the dangers in the dungeon or betray and sabotage one another as they wish. The final encounter gives the player who kills the dungeon boss a treasure that makes him or her the most powerful warrior they can become. You can be sure the other players will try to cut you down before you can escape with that one.
Each game features a randomly-assembled dungeon, randomly assorted monsters, and treasures. Rules and pre-order information can be found at the links above.
The great folks at Fantasy Flight Games have announced Elder Sign, which is described as a fast-paced, cooperative dice game that is “loaded with supernatural intrigue” for one to eight players.
In Elder Sign, players control investigators who must endure Adventures in order to gather clues, items, and the knowledge they need to seal rifts between dimensions. Players pit their exploration against monsters and a need to stay sane/healthy as they investigate dangerous museum exhibits.
According to information posted on their site, the game will be priced at $34.95 when released, and will include a cardboard clock, 8 customized dice, an entrance reference sheet, 80 oversized cards, 76 small cards, and 144 cardboard tokens and markers.
Stronghold Games is currently taking pre-orders for their Confusion board game. They’ve posted a high-definition (HD) video on their web site of the components of the game.
Confusion is a game of espionage and deception in the Cold War era. Each player is tasked with gathering Top Secret information that will ensure their country’s safety and supremacy. Your spies are difficult to control, and one of them is a double agent.
This two-player game can be pre-ordered from Stronghold Games now for the price of $38.97 (as of this writing).
Knight Works has launched a Kickstarter project to create a new board game called Dark Horse.
Dark Horse is a board game set in the Wild West. It puts 1-4 players in the role of a mayor in charge of a territory. Each player collects and uses various resources to build towns, cities, and rails to grow their territories. The objective is to earn the most points by expanding your territory, collecting gold, and obtaining influence points by taking certain game actions.
