New Releases Round-Up 15th September

Boardgame Round-Up

Castle Panic by Fireside Games is a cooperative game where players must work together to stop the hordes of monsters from destroying the castle. The monsters are repelled using card play, these cards depict the archers and swordsmen defending the castle. It has some colourful components and simple rules which help make it a popular game.

Rio Grande have released a couple of games, the first is a reprint of Carolus Magnus. In this game the players must build castles around a board made from hexagons. To do this they must influence several paladin families. It's a bit of a brain burner game, but after a few plays it makes sense. The components are really nice with hexes making up the board and 200+ wooden cubes and markers.

Burger joint is the next release, it's a 2 player game where the players are competing fast food restaurant owners. Each trying to get more customers and build up there restaurant. It's a game of resource management where you need to be careful how you build up your restaurant.

Meanwhile on the colourful island of Waka-Waka someone has broken one of the oldest relics and angered the gods. Each player is one of those gods and you must send as many of the heathens worshiping the other gods to the ocean while keeping your followers alive. Vineta is a lovely game and with each player having a secret objective it can be a lot of fun.

Sierra Madre Games have two games this week. First up is and expansion for Kriegbot. This zip lock packaged expansions adds new weapons, units and scenarios to the Kriegbot battle game.

Erosion is a card game with maybe the strangest theme I have ever seen. Each player is a mountain that is trying to erode the other players. Whoever has the highest mountain at the end of the game wins.

Such a thing by Valley games is a card based party game. Players take it in turns to place a card describing something. The current player then has to think of something that matches all of the cards played. For example, "It flies", "needs fuel" could be a plane. It's a simple but clever game that was up for the Spiel des Jahres in 1989.

RPG Round-Up

Introducing the new RPGs section this week is Cthulhu 101 - an introductory (yet complete) guide to everything Mythos related by Ken ('Trail of Cthulhu') Hite. Savage Worlds takes us to new realms with Mars, portraying the red planet in the vein of the pulp serials like Barsoom.

Onto more future-based topics, Running wild for Shadowrun presents a detailed overview of the animals, spirits, and other non-metahuman entities that dwell in the Sixth World, while 3:16 Carnage Amongst the Stars is an award-winning Sci-Fi RPG for 2 or more players that has your Space Troopers killing bugs all across the cosmos. Whether that's legal or not, is something for the likes of Judge Dredd, but Mage-City may have it's hands full with Bad Moon Rising with what at first appears to be a simple investigation - but as Narks start going silent the Judges will have to start asking if this is a new threat, or a very old one. On an yet grander scale there's Galaxy at War for the Star Wars RPG, a book covering everything you need to run a military campaign in the Star Wars universe.

From Sci-Fi to fantasy, Troll Lord Games have released the Tainted Lands Box set a complete RPG that contains everything you need to begin adventuring in those necromantically tainted lands. Mongoose bring Scarrport: City of Secrets to the table - new setting featuring new classes, races, magical items, encounters, and a complete city to explore (put out under the 4e GSL). Continuing the 4e theme Wizards of the Coast unleash the eagerly awaited Dungeon Master’s Guide 2, providing more advice and rules for Dungeon Masters of all levels of experience accompanied by Revenge of the Giants, a D&D super-adventure, designed for paragon-level characters that can be played as a stand-alone adventure or serve as the foundation of an entire D&D campaign.

Finally, returning to darker territory we have Night Horrors: Wicked Dead for Vampire: the Requiem a sourcebook focusing on creatures that cause even the vampires to worry. Last stop on the horror train this week is Arkham Detective Tales, four chilling adventures for the respected Trail of Cthulhu RPG.

CCG Round-Up

Not much new on the CCG front this week, but to keep your collection pristine in the mean time, Fantasy Flight Games have released six new sets of card sleeves featuring FFG art from their various games.

(Board game players can protect their cards from wear with the board game card sleeves, available in both US and European standard sizes.)

Miniatures Round-Up

The battle for Gaia rages on with a trio of new recruits for the Anima: Tactics range. The Empire Agent joins Elisabetta Barbados' cause, while Ahriman, Lord of Darkness the elemental twin of the maidens of light steps onto the stage, joined by Bellith, a fiery summoner for hire.

Meanwhile the Federation's fleets are bolstered by the release of Squadron Pack 91, which includes Heavy Cruiser, Dreadnought, Destroyer, Scout and Tug miniatures for your games of Federation Commander. These are classic sculpts in white plastic based on the designs of Franz Joseph. Squadron Booster 91 complements the range with data cards for each ship.