Around the Table Q2 2024

Q2 2024

Harnessing the Power of Traditional Board Games

Combatting Cognitive Decline in Late Adulthood

p. 28

Passing Go

Growing and Protecting Your Tabletop

Gaming Brand

p.64

Yourresearch vessel crests over another giant wave. As it rolls down the other side, you’re reminded of a children’s toy you used to play with in the bath. However, the vast ocean in front of you is no bathtub, and the mission you’re on is no kid’s game. As a scientist, it has always been your goal to defend and improve the living environment of the world’s oceans. Now, more than ever your efforts are needed. As the world shifts to green new methods of research and exploration, you have the opportunity to be on the leading edge. You just have to beat out the competition first.

In Endeavor: Deep Sea, you lead an environmental institute working on conservation and research projects around the ocean. The game is the much-anticipated follow up to Endeavor: Age of Sail by designers Jarratt Gray and Carl de Visser. Your goal is to have the most positive global impact through your actions. Every game you play, you’ll choose one of the 10 included scenarios, each with their own specific ways to score points. The missions can be tackled competitively, cooperatively or even in solo mode, depending on the gaming experience you’re looking for.

Endeavor: Deep Sea is an Environmental Mission

by Sean Jacquemain, Communications Director, KTBG

Throughout the game, you’ll recruit leading specialists to your team, explore the wide and deep reaches of the sea and complete conservation projects and scientific journals. It is a game full of environmental messaging. With such a strong theme interwoven into the gameplay, publishing partners Helaina Cappel of Burnt Island Games and Marc Specter of Grand Gamers Guild knew they had an opportunity to make a real statement with the entire production. They made it their goal to create a finished product that contained no plastic at all. No easy task when you consider Endeavor: Deep Sea was heading for crowdfunding, a platform notorious for rewarding stretch goals with copious amounts of blinged out plastic components. It wasn’t always an easy decision, but they felt to make a game with a green theme, they really should have the conviction to find green solutions.

Ensuring the meeples and components in the game contained no plastic was the first step. Screened custom wooden meeples kept the inherent value of the game intact without compromising their mission. The next element took a little more work and research.

Fans of Endeavor have come to expect top-notch custom trays and Deep Sea would be no exception to that. They needed to come up with a tray material that was sturdy enough to hold and display the specialists as well as personal trays that could hold a player’s tokens. After a lot of research and trial and error the answer was clear: bagasse. Bagasse is thick pulpy material derived through the processing of sugar cane. Best of all, it was a perfect replacement for plastic trays.

As a finishing touch, each new game will be sealed with stickers instead of the standard plastic shrink wrap. Both Cappel and Specter have been approached by colleagues asking about their process in removing plastic from their production. Hopefully this marks a start towards more green-conscious manufacturing across the board.

Endeavor: Deep Sea will be available for retail later this year.

Krimispaß für die Hosentasche

What Have You Got In Your Pocket?

Welcome to a world of mystery and Mini Crimes!

This clever series of investigative puzzles will tease your powers of observation and deduction.

Using only the image of a crime scene and ten pieces of evidence, you must piece together a full account of what took place.

Points are scored for investigative efficiency and the accuracy of final conclusions.

Each Mini Crime case includes 1 Crime Scene image card plus 10 Clue cards.

Played solo or cooperatively with a group—these are pocket-sized experiences that can be completed in approximately 30 minutes.

…an old family photograph… …a newspaper clipping…

empty wine glass…

witness testimony…

victim’s body.

Q2 2024

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS

PRESIDENT Nicole Brady

SAHM Reviews

Director – Media & Events

VICE-PRESIDENT

Monica Rasso

Meeples at Sea Director – Media & Events

TREASURER

Garima Sharma

Skybound Entertainment Director – Publisher

SECRETARY

Rhonda Becker

The Gamers Den Director – Retailer

DIRECTORS

John Coviello

Little Shop of Magic Director – Retail

Matt Fantastic

Forever Stoked Creative Director – Creative

Aldo Ghiozzi

Save vs. Death Ray Director – Wholesale

Radek Gronus

FABRYKA KART

Director - Production/Manufacturing

Beau Heath

Arcane Tinman Director – Wholesale

Will Niebling

Emeritus Director

Eric Price

Mejia Board Game Factory Director – Production/Manufacturers

Anton Torres

Pegasus Spiele North America Director – Publisher

Drew Wehrle

Wehrlegig Games

Director – Creator

GAMA STAFF

John Stacy EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR john.stacy@gama.org

Adam Ziegler

TECHNOLOGY AND CREATIVE MANAGER adam.ziegler@gama.org

Paul McGraw EVENTS MANAGER paul.mcgraw@gama.org

GAME

Chris Materni DEPUTY DIRECTOR chris.materni@gama.org

Cynthia Tuck EVENTS COORDINATOR cynthia.tuck@gama.org

Mike Boseak MARKETING/ COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER mike.boseak@gama.org

Cree Luzskia

MEETING/EVENTS DIRECTOR cree.luzskia@gama.org

Bryan Borgman MEMBER SERVICES MANAGER bryan.borgman@gama.org

Grace Willson MEMBER SERVICES COORDINATOR grace.willson@gama.org

Gregoire

Boisbelaud EVENTS COORDINATOR greg.boisbelaud@gama.org

Julie Yeager

EXHIBITOR MANAGER julie.yeager@gama.org

Steven Wagner COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR steven.wagner@gama.org

258 East Campus View Blvd Columbus, OH 43235 Phone: 614-255-4500 • Fax: 614-255-4499 • www.gama.org • media@gama.org

Around the Table © 2024

The Game Manufacturers Association

Fahy-Williams Publishing 171 Reed Street, Geneva, NY 14456 P 800-344-0559 • F 315-789-4263

To advertise, contact Amy Colburn at 315-789-6431 or email amy@fwpi.com.

Dive into Lumicora and Save the Magnificent Coral Reef

by Anton Torres, Marketing Manager, Pegasus Spiele North America

In the oceans around the equator, the sea shines with colorful hues as luminescent organisms bathe the water in a breathtaking light. This is more than a beautiful sight – it is an expansive and fascinating ecosystem, home to countless underwater species. In recent decades, the number of coral reefs has greatly decreased and we must step in to protect this vital habitat.*

Lumicora is the latest release from Pegasus Spiele’s publishing partner Deep Print Games. In Lumicora, players are tasked with rebuilding the coral reefs to support a robust and diverse ecosystem of underwater life. Also, you must be sure to always have enough limestone, as it is essential for continued new reef growth.

Over the course of 10 rounds, players will take turns shedding and gaining Luminos – tiles of coral in four different colors – placing selected tiles onto their personal player boards. The coral will expand in all directions, not only horizontally but also vertically, as players can stack Luminos

one on top of the other as the reef continues to grow.

The tile placement rules are clear: you need limestone for fresh growth and otherwise must simply touch at least one existing tile of a matching color. As you expand vertically, you will want to utilize clever placement to leave high-value tiles exposed and visible while covering up Luminos of low value. This process of slow steady expansion is what sets up the key strategy of the game: when should you score?

the 10th round and scoring phase, players will additionally score for the variety of underwater creatures living on their final coral reef. With its simple rules, interesting twists and alternate layouts for both player boards and end-game scoring goals, Lumicora is a fascinating three-dimensional tile-laying game with an ocean of strategies to explore.

At the end of each round is a scoring phase. Each player is given an opportunity to score one of their four coral colors, but can only ever score each coral color once per game. This simple twist introduces a delightful tension to the tile-laying puzzle and is my favorite element of Lumicora. After

* Like Caldera Park and Moorland, two more titles that are part of Deep Print Games’ In Nature series, a portion of the revenue from the sales of these three games is donated to the Global Nature Fund. With your purchase of Moorland, Lumicora or Caldera Park, you support vital environmental projects around the world. (globalnature.org/en/home)

Dear friends,

Welcome to the Q2 2024 issue of Around the Table. It’s always great to see another issue of this magazine come together to learn what members are up to, what new products are coming out and look at the latest industry trends.

In this issue we have a brief recap of the recent GAMA EXPO in Louisville, KY. It was a great trade show with a record attendance of nearly 3,000 people. The new venue lived up to our expectations, and overwhelmingly the feedback from members was that they had a very productive and positive show.

We also have two other articles for you in this issue. Frequent contributor Marie Charlie Lassaigne has an interesting look at using board games to combat the effects of aging in “Harnessing the Power of Traditional Board Games to Combat Cognitive Decline in Late Adulthood.” In addition, lawyers by day, gamers by night Ben Harbuck and Brian Chellgren from the Dentons law office share their thoughts on “Growing and Protecting Your Tabletop Gaming Brand.” Both are worth

reading. If you are interested in submitting a peer article for Around the Table, please email your ideas to our Marketing Manager Mike Boseak at mike.boseak@gama.org.

Also, we are entering convention season and GAMA will be at several shows over the next few months; we look forward to meeting members to learn more about what you are doing and how our association can support you. Some of the events we plan to attend this year include Anime Central, UK Games EXPO, DREAMHACK, ASTRA Marketplace, Origins Game Fair, Gen Con, Alliance Open House, Essen Spiel and Pax Unplugged. For Essen we are working with our European partners to expand our B2B trade programming at the show. While more details will be coming soon, please mark your calendar to join us if you are also attending this convention.

B e well and happy gaming!

John Stacy Executive Director Game Manufacturers Association

Volunteer Opportunities

One of the best ways to be engaged with the association and our industry is to volunteer for a committee or workgroup. GAMA is currently looking for members to serve on the following committees:

• Academy, Origins Awards and Hall of Fame Review and Restructure Committee – Charged with exploring ways to increase the relevancy and representation of the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design including the Origins Awards nominations, review and award ceremony and the Hall of Fame.

• Advocacy Committee – Helps direct association government relations, advocacy and lobbying efforts to support the hobby games industry. Potential issues the committee is tasked with include tariffs, customs/exportation, product labeling laws, intellectual property rights, counterfeit product sales, etc.

• Market Expansion Committee – Researches the most effective and efficient marketing and outreach methods to (A) promote the play of tabletop games and (B) increase the number of people who regularly play games.

• Diversity Committee – Investigates how best to reach out to underrepresented communities within the game industry and to create pathways of success within the organization.

• Education Advisory Committee – Work with GAMA staff to identify educational topics and opportunities to create a robust training program to assistretail stores, distributors, manufacturers and designers in effectively operating in the hobby games industry.

For more information on these committees or to volunteer, please email john.stacy@gama.org

Wisdom Is Your Only Weapon

by Tom Mattson, President, Orange Nebula

As you read this, Spirit Fire has already been funded on Kickstarter, kindling the audience’s appetite for a unique game carefully crafted to perform well in the retail space. Spirit Fire is a non-linear, open-world board game system in which you explore unique fantasy realms on an introspective journey of discovery, wonder and mystery. Your choices matter because you’re not following a story – you are the story.

This is a substantive, emotionally driven experience with aspirations beyond the expected iterations on tactical combat and standard gameplay. To emphasize this vision, there is no combat in Spirit Fire. Instead, this experience finds conflict, pressure and suspense in the countless other challenges life asks us to overcome, including the tensions we face deep within ourselves. In the world of Spirit Fire, wisdom is your only weapon.

The game’s system has two principal pieces: the character box and realm boxes.

With the first, you create your character, with which you explore the open-world realm boxes. Across these realms, you tell your story in a campaign of your creation, exploring where you want, pursuing the quests and ideals of your choosing, in an experience some have compared to an MMORPG (like World of Warcraft) but that otherwise defies easy classification. With drop-in/drop-out multiplayer (meaning seamless transitions between solo and cooperative play), multiple open-world realms coming at launch (with many more in development) and a plan for a continuous stream of quest packs that can be played in any realm, Spirit Fire is a deeply customizable, ongoing experience. Spirit Fire is our second game to utilize this format, where players have a core box through which they explore subsequent small-box releases. The first, Unsettled, has raised more than $4.8 million in crowdfunding and continues gathering steam in retail. Each smallbox release renews interest in the game and expands the audience, resulting in a franchise that is growing each year. Spirit Fire evolves this format further by enabling a continuous campaign and deeper emotional investment.

At Orange Nebula, we pour ourselves into each game, treating them as longterm franchises with continual support to encourage a vibrant community and consistent demand. Vindication came out in 2017 and sales increase every year. Unsettled released in 2021 and is growing even faster. Our metrics suggest Spirit Fire is going to blow them both away.

We respect you immensely. Every day your store’s doors open is a testament to herculean effort. We aim to honor that effort by never releasing anything that will find itself in your markdown bin. We believe Spirit Fire is a special game, the type of game your store deserves. We hope it serves you well. Request access to your portal for special retailer-only deals at orangenebula.com/retailerportal.

In Tír na nÓg from Grand Gamers Guild, tactically draft and build your tableau to earn your place in the Celtic otherworld. Contact us directly and learn how to get a free demo game.

Email marc@grandgamersguild.com or call 616-916-1179

Fire and Swords from Ares Games, the second expansion for War of the Ring: The Card Game, introduces epic battles in northern Middle-earth and adds new factions. Expanded player options allow up to six people to play.

aresgames.eu

Round Table from Nimue

Innovation Studios is a trading card game set in the age of King Arthur. Recruit knights, grant them equipment and titles, send them on quests and conquer regions of Britain!

This Punchkin understands the importance of being a high roller and is ready for things to get dicey. This plushie’s playful expression, dangly legs and 3D details make him a perfect 20!

Megapulse from Tangerine Games is an adrenaline-filled futuristic racing game inspired by titles like Mario Kart, F-Zero and Wipeout. Create a track, choose a pilot, hop into any hovercraft and race to victory! hiveinteractive.net

retailers@tangerine.games

Our innovative

formulation redefines miniature painting, encompassing models and fantasy/historical figures

Crafted collaboratively by experts and professional modelers, it marks a significant evolution in the field. This range offers an intuitive painting method tailored for new generations.

Designed on the BSL (Base, Shadow, Light) figure paint system, our range features chromatically compatible color groupings. This simplifies color selection for less experienced painters, ensuring suitable highlights and shadows for each base color on miniatures.

The revolutionary r-PET (recycled/recyclable) plastic bottle, transparent and eco-friendly, enhances color visualization, showcasing AV's commitment to sustainability. The new cap, equipped with a security seal, aligns seamlessly with our unwavering environmental dedication.

Step into the Limelight Curtain Call Adventure Path

by Rue Dickey, Marketing and Media Specialist, Piazo

Pathfinder’s

40th Adventure Path takes the stage: Curtain Call, an Adventure Path for 11th to 20th level characters! This Adventure Path is designed to follow a prior adventure – whether your party has completed a first through 10th level Adventure Path, or worked their way through a homebrewed adventure!

A renowned director at the Kintargo Opera House has reached out to the party with an offer – she would absolutely love to make an opera out of their exploits! Word of their adventure has reached her curious ears, and she knows a good story when she hears one. With this invitation comes the promise of fame, fortune … and more attention than the party bargained for!

Curtain Call begins with Pathfinder Adventure Path #204: Stage Fright, which introduces the party to the people and places of the Kintargo Opera House. Every theater has its myths and secrets, and the opera house is no different. Players will have the opportunity to meet the actors in the Kintargo Opera House troupe, attempting to determine who will play them best – all while whispers of an even greater evil swirl around them, a constant threat on the horizon. Also included in this volume are an article about theatrical traditions in Golarion,

operatic items and abilities, and new spells!

Continuing into Pathfinder Adventure Path #205: Singer, Stalker, Skinsaw Man, the party learns that producing an opera can be just as dangerous as any adventure! Balancing theatre politics, social discord and meddlings from a secretive, mysterious stalker will surely keep any group of heroes on their toes. This volume also includes backmatter detailing Arshea, the demigod of freedom and beauty, manipulative new monsters and magical options for the theater.

Reaching its brilliant conclusion, Curtain Call’s finale volume is Pathfinder Adventure Path #206: Bring the House Down! It’s showtime, but the party aren’t the only ones looking to put on a performance. When their opera is interrupted by a dark and malevolent god, the party must put on their adventuring cloaks once again in an attempt to stop an evil they cannot fathom. Bring the House Down ties the Curtain Call Adventure Path into the War of Immortals meta event – a global Pathfinder event that changes the landscape of Golarion forever. This volume also reveals fascinating truths about one of Pathfinder’s most mysterious deities, and provides players and GMs alike with powerful monsters, spells and artifacts.

Take the stage and prepare for your final bow – it’s time for Curtain Call!

ORDER THESE UPCOMING RELEASES FOR Q3 2024 TODAY! STAY UP-TODATE WITH OUR RETAILER NEWSLETTER PZO22000-SC - $47.99 STARFINDER PLAYTEST RULEBOOK STARFINDER PLAYTEST ADVENTURE: A COSMIC BIRTHDAY

The Starfinder Playtest Rulebook brings Starfinder into a new age of compatibility—using the same rules engine that powers the Second Edition of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

A cosmic entity stirs deep within one of the Pact Worlds planets. To aid the god’s birth, followers search the Ghost Levels of Absalom Station for a pocket dimension existing alongside the hub of the Pact Worlds.

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Playtest Starfinder Second Edition in style! Each map features a key encounter area from the Starfinder Playtest adventures A Cosmic Birthday and Empires Devoured, including an abandoned space station, a sciencefantasy cityscape, a dense fungus forest, and a remote settlement.

Herding the Undead Tips for a GM Running the Revenant Society

by Julie Ahern, Sr. Director of Operations, Van Ryder Games

InThe Revenant Society: The Endless Loop Beneath the City, players take on the role of a Revenant, an undead being. They must catch the culprit who caused their demise and broke the timeline. The Fate Weaver (GM) assists the group with navigating their skills, exploring their relationship to each other and revealing the mystery through narration. When running a Revenant Society scenario, here are three things to remember:

Use your Revenant’s memories

At the start of the game, and then once per loop, each Revenant will regain a memory of their life in the form of a card from the Memory deck. These cards have photographs of people or items to assist the player in the narrative. You, dear fate weaver, will have to read the scenario and perhaps gone down the rabbit hole (like we did), researching speakeasies in NYC during prohibition, or the heyday of horse riders at the circus in Paris. You have all the charts of random NPC creation, and specific ones like Greta, Purgatory’s

employee, ready to engage. So, it’s easy to overlook Daisy, the grizzled Revenant’s aunt. But that moment when your player has to encounter their aunt, whose eyesight is failing her, and she keeps mistaking that character for his cousin Richard? That engagement is amazing.

You can pass notes

space they need to think through their storyline while keeping you informed of their engagement level.

Not everyone is a natural born storyteller, and even those used to playing RPGs may be less familiar with the Powered by the Apocalypse system. You will have some who feel more comfortable and want to fill in the narrative naturally and those who remain quiet. As players piece together information, the fate weaver can pass the clues provided in the scenario to the player in the form of questions. They in turn can choose to answer said question aloud or write

It’s about resolution … but it’s also about stopping crime

The Revenant Society is an RPG with a win/lose condition. You must prevent the Shattering Event from happening within four time loops of the same evening. If you cannot, Purgatory cannot pull you back and you are stuck in that loop forever. If you succeed, you may choose your sweet hereafter. There is a balance between allowing the players to explore the world, letting them have closure of their past life and cracking the case. While we have set up different scenario lengths – mini campaigns, meant to be done over several sessions, and one shot scenarios – the end is nigh. That means while you keep track of encounters – both the locations and the times they happened – you must also remind players (side-questers all of them) to stay focused. I find this is where the NPCs like Greta shine.

Along with scenarios about political intrigue, secret societies and alligators in the sewers, The Revenant Society: The Endless Loop Beneath the City core book provides tips like these and many more, to ensure everyone at the table has a happily ever afterlife.

SPICE UP YOUR STORE WITH Fibonachos

A card game where every play comes with a KICK and a CRUNCH!

by Otavio Lessa, President, Mind’s Vision

Fibonachos is an exciting card game that combines amazing Mexican cuisine with the intriguing world of math and engaging trick-taking gameplay to make something incredibly unique. Created by renowned game designer Jordy Adan, author of games like Cartographers, Stonespine Architects and Zombicide: Gear Up, Fibonachos is perfect for anyone who appreciates smart challenges and fun moments at the table.

Two to five players are dealt cards of three different suits, and they must play tricks with suits of the same color. The highest card wins the trick unless the trump cards are activated. This is when things get really hot; the trump cards follow the Fibonacci sequence numbers, and this math sequence could also affect the final score. The final sum of the players’ points may increase depending on whether they hit the Fibonacci numbers, which adds a very important strategic layer to the endgame.

If you don’t remember, the Fibonacci sequence is a numerical series where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones (for instance, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and on). This concept is ingeniously woven into the game, making it a source of entertainment and a tool for learning.

While the objective is to amass the highest score, the strategy involves much more than mere trick-winning, offering a stimulating intellectual challenge. Sometimes it is better not to win a trick than to try to get an exact Fibonacci number as your total score and get some important bonus points.

Fibonachos is more than just a game. It’s a social experience that stimulates the mind, fosters fun interactions and creates indelible memories at the table. Dive into the world of mathematics in a thrilling way, master the Fibonacci sequence and enjoy quality time with friends and family.

Fibonachos joins Mind’s Vision’s growing collection of amazing card games, along with Potato Man – another tricktaking classic – and the hilarious party game Huradrim. Demo copies are available upon request, and the Mind’s Vision crew will tour with the game this summer at many important events, including Dice Tower East and GenCon.

A Dice Company Focused on the FLGS!

by Randall Switlick, CEO, Old School Dice & Accessories

Are you tired of ordering from multiple companies for your dice and accessories? Are shipping times and customer service lacking? Are you frustrated that your dice venders try to sell around you at their own websites? If any of the above is true, then Old School Dice & Accessories is the solution for you! We built our company to support brickand-mortar stores first! Our wholesale program is designed to be the best and most profitable for the FLGS in the entire industry. So, what makes Old School Dice & Accessories so special?

Fast and free shipping

Nice wholesale discounts mean NOTHING if you are giving back money in shipping costs and the product takes forever to get to you. We have FREE shipping at only $100 and we ship 99 percent of our orders within 24 business hours. You cannot get better than that!

A huge product line means one-stop shop

Cool things sell and that is what we make! We have a huge catalog of unique and high-quality products. We pride

ourselves on our always-expanding product line, including unique gemstone, sharp-edged, metal, resin, hollow metal and liquid-infused dice. We also provide top-quality accessories including rolling trays, dice towers, dice bags, wood cases and more. We develop new products almost evert single month, which your “dice goblins” will love. We want to be your new one-stop shop!

More for less

Our wholesale discount rate is one of the best in the industry! In addition, every month we offer generous promotions for our existing customers, designed to get more products into your hands for less cost to you. Those two combined make us one of the best values available.

Great customer service

We believe in treating our brickand-mortar stores like valued business partners. If you succeed, then we succeed. We strive to keep our stores informed on our latest products and

best business practices. Each account has its own dedicated sales representative to help them in any way. We also offer a no hassle 100 percent product guarantee!

Professional packaging

Packaging is important! Our products arrive in beautiful, shelf-ready packaging, complete with SKUs and barcodes (excluding bulk products and die singles). We also feature great product displays where you can feature our premium dice, resin sets and D20’s!

FLGS-focused

We come from retail, so we feel this is the most important point. Many of our competitors set up their companies to focus on retail sales first, and then got into wholesaling later. We are opposite! We created this company with the primary goal of working with the FLGS! What this means is that we are focused 100 percent on you and your needs. We invite you to join us today so that we can show you the very best products and service in the industry. Remember, Old School Dice & Accessories focuses on you, the FLGS!

This special edition Matte Dual sleeve from Arcane Tinmen is in honor of our 25th anniversary. It features a silver inside and blue back. Follow our celebration and other special releases on our website.

dragonshield.com

Sea of Lies from Mind’s Vision is a party game with social deduction gameplay, featuring a colorful cast of 12 pirates. The objective is to lie your way to gather the crew’s support and become captain! contact@minds-vision.com

Kobolds Ate My Baby from 9th Level Games is back! This all-new edition uses the polymorph system to make playing even faster and easier! Being cannon fodder has never been this much fun! MSRP $24.99 9thlevel.com

Step into the enchanting world of Tanto Cuore 6: Memento Mori from Japanime Games where you’ve inherited the haunted Twilight Manor. Embark on a paranormal adventure, racing against ghosts and unraveling mysteries. https://www.japanimegames.com/tanto-cuorememento-mori-twilight-manor

The Avatar Legends RPG Starter Set from Magpie Games brings players into the beloved setting of Avatar Legends! Weave tales of selfdiscovery and action and work with legendary heroes to bring balance to the world! magpiegames.com More New Products on pages 12, 49, 68, 72, 73 and 84

Welcome to Your Community Hedge Fund! In Stalk Exchange players are dedicated to growing flowers ... and profits! Until the market crashes, stalk values are only going up! Garden shrewdly to grow your fortune. The player with the most valuable Stalk Portfolio wins!

The Otherworld Comes Out to Play

by Glenn Flaherty, Social Media Manager, Grand Gamers Guild

Are you looking forward to and preparing to boost your bottom line? Trying to scare up some sales for the second half of the year? Luckily, we are here to cast our spell and turn those sales from tricks into treats! Available right now – and perfect for the Halloween season – are our two new paranormal games: Tír na nÓg and La Familia Hort – no bones about it!

These games will be in distribution by June. However, you can order directly from Grand Gamers Guild today and get a free demo copy!

In Tír na nÓg, you play the part of Irish storytellers visiting the Celtic otherworld with hopes of returning to tell the most amazing tales!

Tír na nÓg is a place just outside the realm of man, where there is no time, and your journey there will be unforgettable! You’ll return with tales of mythical creatures and their adventures, stitched together through wondrous folktales. Over time, your stories will become a saga – and the most epic saga will win the game!

To create these stories, players will wander among story cards of Tír na nÓg in hopes of selecting the perfect tales for their hand. These cards have colors, numbers and powers that influence how their saga unfolds. When all storytellers have been placed, and cards selected, players will add them to their tableau, crafting amazing stories that score in unique and colorful ways.

Tír na nÓg is filled with amazing art, great production value and is easy to understand for the whole family.

Then, in La Familia Horte, a grandma looks down from above and wants to know who among her family is doing their best to keep her farm alive!

As the moon turns red, Grandmother reappears as a ghost and puts her grandchildren to the test. She will visit them three times, always coinciding with the red moon. After her third appearance, whoever has become the most experienced farmer will inherit all her land!

Money, water, and fertilizer management are keys to winning La Familia Hort. You’ll want to have the most experience after each of Granny Hortensia’s three visits to score the most points! The game is

played in rounds but not all rounds are the same. Rounds consist of the following parts:

Market: Crop, utensil and animal tiles are drawn from the pile of the indicated type.

Purchase: Each player can successively buy one tile from the market.

Fertilize: Each player receives a fertilizer counter from the bank to place on their crops or a rival’s crops, depending on which round they are playing.

Water: Players place one water counter per crop or animal tile. Available water varies depending on the weather each round.

Sell: Products are sold in exchange for coins and experience points. Crops that have been completely watered must be sold. The fertilizer is used to get the highest sales value in this step.

After the third red moon appears, Granny will pick the winner. Think you have a green thumb strong enough to win Grandma’s favor?!

Both Tír na nÓg and La Familia Hort will be in distribution in June, but you can order now directly from Grand Gamers Guild and get a free demo copy for your store.

E-mail marc@grandgamersguild.com.

Harnessing the Power of Traditional Board Games to Combat Cognitive Decline in Late Adulthood

by Marie Lassaigne

While advancements in healthcare and technology have extended human lifespan, the phenomenon of living longer does not necessarily equate to living healthier. Despite the increase in longevity, many individuals are facing a myriad of health challenges as they age, leading to a decline in overall quality of life. Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and dementia, are becoming increasingly prevalent among older populations, posing significant burdens on both individuals and healthcare systems (Centers for Disease Control, 2024). Moreover, sedentary lifestyles, poor dietary choices and inadequate access to healthcare contribute to the rise of preventable health conditions, exacerbating the gap between lifespan and health span. As a result, there is a pressing need for comprehensive public health initiatives aimed at promoting healthy aging, emphasizing preventive measures, healthy behaviors and equitable access to healthcare services (WHO, 2020). Only by addressing these multifaceted challenges can we ensure that individuals not only live longer but also enjoy a higher quality of life as they age.

The prevalence of dementia, a debilitating neurodegenerative condition, poses a significant public health challenge worldwide. Approximately 50 million people (about twice the population of Texas) are affected globally. This number is projected to double by 2040 (WHO, 2020). Thus, dementia has emerged as a pressing concern, underscoring the imperative of effective intervention strategies. Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD), a precursor to cognitive impairment, further exacerbates this issue, highlighting the

need for proactive measures to alleviate its impact. Traditional board games, such as chess, Go and Mahjong, have garnered attention for their potential to mitigate cognitive decline among older adults (Iizuka et al., 2019). This article explores the profound benefits of engaging in these games as a cognitive intervention, drawing upon empirical evidence and highlighting their therapeutic efficacy in preserving cognitive function and enhancing overall well-being.

Understanding Cognitive Function and Decline

Cognitive function encompasses various mental processes crucial for acquiring knowledge, understanding and implementing tasks (Masruroh & Isnaini, 2022). However, cognitive function typically declines with age, predisposing individuals to conditions like mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Factors such as age, gender, education level and lifestyle choices contribute to this decline, emphasizing the importance of proactive measures to maintain cognitive health (CDC, 2024).

Impact of Cognitive Impairment on Health and Well-being

Impaired cognition can have far-reaching consequences, affecting individuals’ ability to perform daily activities and manage their health effectively. From challenges in self-care to medication adherence, cognitive decline poses significant hurdles, exacerbating the burden of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Recognizing modifiable risk factors and implementing early intervention strategies

are crucial steps in mitigating the adverse effects of cognitive decline on older adults’ health and well-being (Iizuka et al., 2019).

The Therapeutic Potential of Board Games

Board games represent a compelling avenue for cognitive stimulation, offering a myriad of benefits that promote mental acuity and cognitive resilience (Cibeira, et al., 2021). Categorized as cognitive activities, board games facilitate concentration, foster creativity in devising strategies, and enhance problem-solving skills. Moreover, board games serve as social catalysts, fostering interpersonal connections and mitigating social isolation–a known risk factor for cognitive decline (Cibeira, et al., 2021).

Empirical Evidence Supporting Board Gaming Interventions

Research findings underscore the therapeutic efficacy of traditional board games in mitigating cognitive decline among older adults. Interventions utilizing games like Go and Mahjong have yielded promising results, demonstrating improvements in attention, working memory, and overall cognitive function (Cibeira, et al., 2021). For instance, a study focusing on Go interventions among older adults with cognitive impairment revealed significant enhancements in attention and working memory—a testament to the cognitive benefits of engaging in traditional board games (Cibeira, et al., 2021). Similarly, interventions involving Mahjong sessions have shown notable improvements in cognitive function, as evidenced by enhanced Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. In addition, the intervention group exhibited decreased cognitive decline compared to controls, highlighting the potential of Mahjong as a cognitive intervention tool (Cibeira, et al., 2021).

These interventions, while short-lived, had significant positive outcomes on their elderly participants. Playing these games even twice a week for a few months was helpful (Iizuka et al., 2019). This underscores the convenience of board game use in protecting cognitive functions while aging.

Chess: A Cognitive Powerhouse

Chess, renowned for its intricate gameplay and strategic complexity, stands out as a potent cognitive intervention tool. Studies have shown that regular chess practice correlates with improved working memory, logical reasoning, and executive functions—a testament to its cognitive benefits (Iizuka et al., 2019). Chess is one of the most stimulating leisure activities that older people can easily practice. It is also an activity that involves high mental and social components (Cibeira, et al., 2021). Moreover, chess fosters social

References

Masruroh, D. E. A., & Isnaini, N. (2022). The Effect of the Traditional Board Game “DamDaman” on the Elderly Cognitive Functions at the Elderly Integrated Health Center, Pegongsoran, Pemalang District, Pemalang. Proceedings Series on Health & Medical Sciences, 2, 127–132. https://doi.org/10.30595/pshms.v2i.234

Iizuka A, Suzuki H, Ogawa S, et al. Can cognitive leisure activity prevent cognitive decline in older adults? A systematic review of intervention studies. Geriatr. Gerontol. Int. 2019; 19: 469–482. https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.13671

engagement, promoting collaboration and camaraderie among participants. These social interactions not only enhance cognitive stimulation but also contribute to overall wellbeing—a crucial factor in combating cognitive decline in late adulthood (Iizuka et al., 2019).

How Families and Nursing Home Workers Promote Healthy Aging

Implementing regular traditional board game playing time with parents or grandparents in home-settings can serve as a meaningful and enjoyable way to reduce cognitive decline associated with aging. Additionally, by integrating traditional board game playing time into institutionalized care settings, caregivers can enhance the quality of life for elderly residents and contribute to their overall cognitive health and well-being. As mentioned previously, dedicating even 30 to 60 minutes of time spent with older adults playing board games can have long-lived benefits on their cognitive functioning.

These intergenerational bonding activities not only provide cognitive stimulation through strategic thinking, problem-solving and memory retention inherent in board games like chess, Go or Mahjong but also foster social engagement and emotional connections. By creating a positive and interactive environment, board game sessions offer opportunities for shared experiences, laughter, and mental challenges, all of which contribute to maintaining cognitive function and promoting overall wellbeing in older adults. Moreover, the bonding that occurs during these game sessions strengthens family ties and enhances mutual support networks, reinforcing the importance of intergenerational relationships in promoting healthy aging.

Conclusion

In conclusion, traditional board games like chess, Go and Mahjong offer a multifaceted approach to combating cognitive decline in late adulthood. Through their cognitive stimulation, social engagement and therapeutic benefits, these games play a pivotal role in preserving mental acuity and enhancing overall well-being among older adults. These activities are easily implemented into the daily lives of older adults–whether they live at home or are in institutionalized care. It can promote the bond between older adults and their families. Additionally, it can also promote healthy relationships between elderly caregiver workers and their patients. As societies grapple with the burgeoning challenges posed by an aging population, integrating traditional board games into cognitive intervention strategies holds immense potential in promoting cognitive health and fostering a vibrant and resilient aging population.

Cibeira, N., Lorenzo-López, L., Maseda, A., Blanco-Fandiño, J., López-López, R., & Millán Calenti, J. C. (2021). Effectiveness of a chess-training program for improving cognition, mood, and quality of life in older adults: A pilot study. Geriatric Nursing, 42(4), 894–900. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2021.04.026

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/aging/data/subjective-cognitive-decline World Health Organization. (2020). World Alzheimer Report 2018

Double Tap for Pets: Kittens vs Corgis Battle for Social Media Stardom

by Justine Coven, Creator, Pet Domination, LLC

Thedevelopment journey of Pet Domination: Kittens vs Corgis began in a game design class in 2019, where I found myself grappling with the challenge of creating a physical game for my final project. Amid this creative struggle, a moment of inspiration struck as I watched my cat and corgi. Each time one received a bit of affection, the other would quickly make a beeline to join in, eager not to miss out on any attention. This amusing interaction at home seemed just like the rush for attention on social media, sparking the concept for Kittens vs Corgis.

Reflecting on the effort I was putting into this project about something I loved so much, I thought, why not try to share it with the world? With that decision, I ventured into the unknown, determined to transform my class project into a real product. This card game cleverly mirrors the playful yet fierce competition for the spotlight, just like our favorite fluffy friends competing for the next pat or treat.

Pet Domination: Kittens vs Corgis is a fast-paced, takethat style card game for two to five players that encapsulates the essence of social media competition through light-hearted yet strategic gameplay. Using a variety of cards like “Blocked,” “Identity Theft” and “Simp Army,” players vie to outdo each other, aiming to gain the most followers by the end of the game while navigating the ups and downs of online popularity.

The game’s straightforward, yet rich gameplay is welcoming for newcomers while offering strategic depth for seasoned gamers. It promotes

dynamic interactions that amplify its engaging and humorous nature. Retailers and gamers will appreciate how quickly it engages players, providing laughs and insights into strategy and social dynamics, mirroring the real-world social media landscape.

Vividly brought to life with charming anime-style artwork, each card not only plays a role in the game but also tells a story. Over several years of development, which included a myriad of game versions and extensive playtesting, I’ve honed Kittens vs Corgis to balance enjoyment with thoughtful gameplay, ensuring it appeals to a diverse audience. We’ve rigorously tested the game in a variety of environments – from bustling school classrooms and cozy apartments to lively bars and major gaming conventions. The game’s adaptability and its ability to bring fun and engagement anywhere makes it a fantastic choice for retailers seeking fresh, engaging content that captivates players with its playful theme and interactive mechanics. Its straightforward setup and compelling gameplay are crafted to ensure easy demonstration and enjoyable play, perfect for any setting where fun is on the agenda.

Pet Domination: Kittens vs Corgis is set to launch with an MSRP of $24.99 and comes in an eyecatching magnetic box. If you’re interested in adding this delightful game to your store, please reach out at kvcgame. official@gmail.com. Don’t miss out on the chance to let your customers join in the fun where every pet is a star and every player has a shot at dominating the digital world!

Grab your copy today

Rally your kittens and corgis for a hilarious race to fame in ‘Pet Domination: Kittens vs Corgis.’ Navigate the twists and turns of social media, deploy strategic cards, and laugh your way to victory in this engaging and family-friendly game!

“It’s an adorable fun little game that I would definitely get as an animal lover!” - @TiktokBoardGames

Fast-paced, take-that card game Perfect for 2-5 players

Mindbug Test Your Wit in the Bizarre World of

By Jeremy Culver, Marketing Coordinator, Ghost Galaxy

Rhino

Turtle, Tiger Squirrel, Spider Owl. You might be thinking I’m just listing off various animals that come to mind, but these are the bizarre creatures that inhabit the world of Mindbug! You will soon call these creatures allies in battle at your kitchen table. In the card game Mindbug, the rules are simple. You summon hybrid creatures into battle against your opponent in an effort to reduce their health to zero and win. Yet, the lines between friendly and enemy creatures are blurred and can switch right when you call them for aid. Mindbug isn’t just the name of the game, it’s also the essence of it. Use your brain-altering Mindbug card at the right time and you could gain the loyalty of the most dangerous creature to enter the battle. Don’t count your victories yet though, the same can be said for your opponent. So trust your wit in this fascinating tactical duel to have the best cards when needed most or else play them at the wrong time and it spells the end for you.

You don’t have to look hard to figure out how to get started in Mindbug. Whether it’s grabbing Mindbug: First Contact or the

recently released stand-alone expansions of Mindbug: Beyond Evolution and Mindbug: Beyond Eternity, one of them is all you’ll need. Each comes with 48 Creature Cards that will make up your 10 creatures in battle–five in hand, and five in your draw pile. Shuffle up the cards and deal out 10 to each. Now you’re nearly ready to play. Each player also receives two of those pesky Mindbug cards. Choosing when to use them leads to a unique decision-making process making it feel different from any other card game.

You don’t need a resource to play a card in Mindbug. This means you get to the action right away. Since there is also no deckbuilding, you can start playing right away from a single deck. Due to this, many players say this makes it easy to pick up and play at any time or even introduce new people to card games. This also highlights the beauty of

Mindbug. Players can keep each expansion of Mindbug separate or mix all of them together to give a variety of combinations in each battle. Mix in Mindbug: Beyond Evolution and you’ll see evolving creatures with powerful “activation” abilities. Dive into Mindbug: Beyond Eternity and now you’ll see abilities bring cards out of the discard pile. These growing abilities can add extra depth to those seeking it without compromising fun.

Whether you’re a long-time card game fan or looking to dip your toes in, Mindbug makes for a great place to start. Though it’s effortless to get into, the game will keep surprising you with new and exciting challenges and combos.

With that, we say welcome to the wild world of Mindbug! Contact your distributor to get your order in today.

Co-designed bY richard GARFIELD

It’s Time to Forge!

by Sam Stockton, Co-Founder, B.A. Games

Thenext B.A. game is here! Forges of Ravenshire has been an absolute blast to design and develop, but what has really lit the fire for us is whenever we go to a convention and hear amazing comments from retailers about the game:

“ This is fantastic! I need this in my store right now.”

“I know eight people I can sell this game to.”

“I’m going to make sure I get myself a personal copy as well as two cases for the store.”

Forges of Ravenshire is a game where adventurers from all around the Kingdom of Brocdour have come to commission new weapons, shields and armor with the famous blacksmiths of Ravenshire. You and your fellow blacksmiths are competing over four seasons to see who can make the most money from these contracts and earn the title of Forgemaster. Grab a hammer and some steel – it’s time to forge!

The game centers around two main phases: gathering and production. During the gathering phase, you will take your dice workers, roll them and take turns

sending them into town for resources. The number on the dice you need to get the most from your workers depends on the location. If you want leather or wood, you are going to want lower numbers. Higher numbers are better for charcoal or recruiting a special guild member. This makes for an interesting puzzle as you work on figuring out what you need now versus what you can use later. Note, you will also be hiring and bringing back different dice workers from town giving you the resources from their location as well. This gives the game a “push and pull” or “place and take” feel, making for quick but impactful turns.

What’s a B.A. game though without a little twist? These dice also come in color-blind friendly colors that match a particular guild: Merchants’ Guild (purple), Harvesters’ Guild (green) and Alchemists’ Guild (yellow). After the dice are hired (taken), you will place them

onto your player board in their matching guild workshop. This gives you additional resources and actions based on the special guild members you have recruited to work in your forge. This adds a very rewarding engine building element to the game.

Once everyone has taken three turns “placing and taking” and running their guild workshops, you will then move into the production phase. With the same numbers from the dice you took in the previous phase, you now place them in your actual forge to make charcoal or steel, spend extra time on a commission, gather last needed resources or maybe even run a guild workshop again. There are six options to choose from, but only three dice to work with, so choose wisely. Those beautiful contracts and commissions are then forged and completed in this phase.

You can choose to be a master smith with an impeccable reputation, completing legendary contracts like the Crimson Fang or be a production smith, completing contract after contract forging simple but sturdy shields. The choice is yours as you explore the immensely satisfying experience that is Forges of Ravenshire.

Coming to retailers July 25. Preorders are available now through major distribution or direct from B.A. Games! For questions or direct ordering, email sam@bagamesco.com.

The Thrill of the CLIMB

by Sam Gray, Peaks Game Designer, Tangerine Games

Peaksis a medium-weight, competitive, engine-building game for one to six players. You are aspiring mountaineers, hiking up iconic hills from around the world, as you build your stamina and experience. You’ll gather gear and meet companions to assist in climbing the world’s tallest mountains!

The objective of the game is to place the most flags on the game board. Players accomplish this by climbing mountains, achieving private objectives and winning end-game majorities.

There are three actions to choose from in Peaks. Although there are many interesting and strategic decisions to make, the simplicity of choosing one of just three actions helps keep slow turns to a minimum, reducing downtime.

Rest – This action is a way to regain your energy depending on your stamina level so you’re ready for your next climb. The higher your stamina, the more energy you regain.

Prepare – This action allows players to gain mountain pass cards from the display on the game board and gather gear. The display on the board is always moving, so every time you prepare there are always new cards to choose from.

Climb – This action is selfexplanatory. Climb a mountain by satisfying the requirements to reap the mountain’s rewards.

Furthermore, each climber will have a player mat that displays each of the three actions. These can be improved in two ways:

1) Die upgrades bolster the final step of each action up to three times, and

2) Tile upgrades grant players additional improvements to each action step, allowing them to do more on their turn.

Each of the 100 beautifully humanillustrated mountain cards has rewards listed at the top and requirements listed towards the bottom. All mountains require energy to climb, but as they become more challenging, you’ll also need experience, acclimatization and gear.

Although Peaks is a competitive game, you’ll need to occasionally work together to be the best. This is where the unique tag-along mechanic comes into play.

Players who tag along receive the rewards that the lead climber didn’t choose. The lead climber earns some extra experience for leading, but all climbing players gain energy and experience discounts as they work together.

The idea behind this mechanism is it keeps all players engaged at all times. It also creates really fun table talk and friendly negotiation as you work together to climb some challenging peaks!

Experience is one of the requirements of climbing mountains. If those climbing are short on experience, they can still trek a mountain – but there’s a risk! Roll the Danger Die once for each experience below the requirement. If any roll results in a red danger icon, all climbing players may not gain any of the rewards with a red triangle. Should you take the opportunity to climb a mountain now, and roll the Danger Die, or should you wait a few turns to guarantee all of the rewards?

There’s more to explore in Peaks, including bonus, boos and companion cards – all of which increase your chances of planting the most flags at the top of the summit.

Megapulse is an adrenaline-filled futuristic racing game inspired by titles such as Mario Kart, F-Zero & Wipeout. This action-packed experience features simultaneous action selection, insanely fun hand-building, and tight game-play until the very end.

With 4 pilots possessing unique abilities, 4 custom hovercrafts that can be upgraded at any moment, and over 30 track tiles to mix & match, the excitement NEVER ends.

The Ultimate Mountaineering Board Game!

Experience the thrill of climbing majestic mountains in this immersive engine-building board game in which players scale mountains alone or with others to plant their unique flags at the summit.

by Kaylee Merchak, Content Marketing Manager, Punchkins

InBringing Humor to the World of Plush Punchkins

offending anybody. Everything we do is positive and supported by our customers and community. It’s a great outlet for me and my creative desires.”

So, what’s the future hope for Punchkins?

2022, Steve Wampold had a decision to make. He had more than 20 years in the toy and gift industry under his belt. He had recently built up, sold and stepped away from another successful company, and yet, one thought remained: “What am I going to do next?”

“I was an admirer of other plush brands,” he explained. “But I thought, ‘How could we put an adult spin on them?’”

Wampold was onto his next business adventure, and he decided it was going to be in plush.

He always appreciated a good dad joke, so he knew puns were going to be the heart and soul of this new brand.

“At first, I was going to do cocktail-themed plushies. The desire was to create plush for adults, and puns fit that perfectly. I’ve always liked puns and dad jokes and wanted to tie that in, but then I thought, ‘Why am I limiting this to just alcohol? Let’s go wider.’”

And wider he went. Now, two years later, Punchkins makes more than 100 relatable plushies that are stuffed with personality. Each design features a punny punchline, a perfectly matched expression and a pair of cute, dangly legs.

Punchkins has plushie personalities that range from sweet to sassy and everything in between, so essentially, there’s a stuffy for everyone – making them the perfect gift for anyone, for any occasion.

Wampold prides his company on its ability to draw on pop culture and current trends to create best-selling and relatable products that retailers love, like the “I’d Crit That” Dice Plushie, the “I’ll F@#k You Up” Block Plushie, and the “I’m Fine … Everything is Fine” Dumpster Fire Plushie.

For Wampold, the most enjoyable part of his job is getting to create a product he loves and seeing how others embrace it.

“For me, it’s a creative outlet to be kind of silly and fun with this plush medium where we get to create these silly jokes in this 3D format, and everyone loves them. There’s no one who says, “Wow, that’s stupid, that’s dumb or that’s lame. We’re not

“I would love for Punchkins to go viral,” he said with a laugh. “I just really want the world to get to know our plushies. It just brings me and my team such joy, and I want to share that with the rest of the world. I’ve worked [and owned] larger brands before. When I started Punchkins, I wanted to work with a really small, dedicated team of loyal people, and we’ve accomplished that. I have no desire to make this some huge corporate conglomerate. I just want to keep working hard with my small team to keep creating new products that our consumers love and to never stop bringing humor to plush.”

Daniel Kerry, GF9 Treadhead

The world of miniature wargaming is rapidly evolving which comes with the need to bring in new audiences, and in an ever changing world that requires creativity. At GF9 we pride ourselves on immersing players into the worlds within which our games take place, and Clash of Steel is no different.

Bringing together GF9’s ability to craft thematic universes with Battlefront Miniatures’ intricate historical miniatures gameplay, we’re diving into an Alternative History landscape with a stunning range of highly detailed, multi-part plastic miniatures. These miniatures have been designed by the same team at Battlefront that has created hundreds of kits for the Flames Of War and World War III: Team Yankee ranges, using the latest digital technology to create highly detailed robust models that stand up to the rigors of wargaming.

All of this combined allows us to push boundaries with the most exciting part of wargaming, the epic tank-on-tank battles, and present a gateway to the hobby whilst still offering enthusiasts a captivating product they’ll want to sink their teeth into.

Clash of Steel

It’s 1948 and the unthinkable has happened! The war has started again!

Based on an Alternative History where the war in Europe finishes in 1944 with the surrender of Germany, but restarts just four years later in the face of Soviet aggression Clash of Steel offers an exhilarating journey through intricately detailed battles, strategic maneuvers, and tactical prowess. Set in an era where the British, Soviets, Americans, and Germans clash for supremacy, Clash of Steel invites players of all backgrounds to immerse themselves in its captivating universe.

At the heart of Clash of Steel lies a unique premise, where divergent historical events shape the fate of nations. The British Empire, known for its robust

Clash of Steel Breathes Fresh Air Into Tabletop Wargaming

armored divisions, seeks to maintain its dominance on the battlefield. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union deploys its formidable armored forces, driven by the fervor of communist ideology. The Americans, armed with innovative tactics and cutting-edge technology, aim to tip the scales in their favor, while the Germans, masters of armored warfare, unleash their powerful units with deadly precision.

The key to success in Clash of Steel lies in strategic planning and tactical execution as players must carefully maneuver their tanks, utilizing cover and terrain to outmaneuver their opponents. Every tank possesses distinct strengths and weaknesses, requiring players to adapt their strategies accordingly as each unit plays a vital role in the ebb and flow of battle.

Clash of Steel embraces dynamic mission-based gameplay, ensuring that every playthrough offers a fresh and unique experience. Players can immerse themselves in an array of diverse missions and objectives, each presenting its own challenges and opportunities for victory.

With its stunning miniatures, immersive gameplay, rich lore, and dynamic mission-based gameplay Clash of Steel is a breath of fresh air in miniature tank warfare games. Whether commanding the armored might of the British, Soviets, Americans, or Germans, players will find themselves drawn into a world of endless strategic possibilities and heartpounding action.

In Clash of Steel, victory awaits those bold enough to seize it on the battlefield.

Clash of Steel is available worldwide April 27th 2024.

A New Way Forward for Trading Card Games

by Bill DeVoe, President and Lead Game Designer, Nimue Innovation Studios

About10 years ago, Bill DeVoe, our lead game designer, had an idea for a new trading card game (TCG) based on the legends of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Eventually, we recruited a small team to bring Nimue Innovation Studios’ new release of the Round Table Trading Card Game to life! Round Table is built not just on the well-known Arthurian legends, but an expanded universe that adds new knights and quests. Previewed at TCG-Con Denver and GenCon’s FEPH and officially launched in March 2024, Round Table is getting rave reviews from players.

The game has some familiar trading card game mechanics with Starter Decks consisting of 72 cards and treasure (booster) packs consisting of 18 cards. Unlike other card games, Round Table players compete to conquer independent regions of Britain rather than attacking other players or their creatures. We feel this encourages strategy and tactics through gameplay more than victory through overpowering force.

A Starter Deck is all that’s needed to start playing. Each Starter Deck is unique, filled with random cards of different rarities and specially crafted to be playable from the box! The Treasure Packs provide more random cards to allow players to expand their collection or customize their decks, but they aren’t required to get started. We wanted to recapture the experience we had when we played TCGs many years ago by providing the thrill of discovery from opening new packs.

We’ve partnered with Carde.io to provide scaffolding for casual and

competitive gaming. For players who love to compete and show off their deckbuilding and gameplay skills, we offer some pretty awesome prizes for each season of competitive play. Our website has all the information about joining the official Round Table tournament lists.

We have great plans for the future of Round Table. First, we’re working on creating a Starter Box Set consisting of everything two people need to start playing Round Table. This product includes two Starter Decks, four Treasure Packs and a metal turn keeper. Look for this later this year.

Second, we are working on creating a cooperative mode. We love cooperative gaming and know there are a lot of gamers who prefer working together to solve problems, not just competing. We

hope to have that ready later this year.  Finally, we have many, many ideas for future expansions – the fae realms, Scotland and Ireland, Gaul and France, the Holy Land – all amazing possibilities for bringing even more knights and adventures to our players! These are planned to be rolled out in future years. Stop by our booth at Origins Game Fair to see the game, talk with the team and learn more about Round Table and the future products we’re planning. We’re very excited to connect with our customers and retailers about the game. Or just use the QR code on the next page and visit our website for all these and more!

by Marta Fontanella, Writer and Game Designer, Mana Project Studio

InNightfell, a 5th edition setting which draws from Italian folklore and horror legends, darkness is an omnipresent force, a living and beating heart, a pulsating matter that obscures the world of Iùrmen.

Since Nightfell has already haunted the dreams of many players, sneaking into their imagination, Nightfell: Children of the Moon is the natural follow-up they have been waiting for a thousand moons. In this spectacular supplement, the lunar lore will surely guide their hand. Though the moon shines more menacingly than ever.

In Nightfell: Children of the Moon, players will discover their inherent monstrosity – prepare to realize that there is no beast worse than the one that dwells right inside. Players will have to embrace the werewolf that lurks in their soul – or succumb while trying to fight its emersion.

As Nightfell has always wanted to draw from popular tradition, paganism, forgotten folkloristic tales and apotropaic rituals, reinterpreting all these elements into its complex fantasy mosaic, Nightfell: Children of the Moon is intended to exacerbate this

‘HOWL TO THE MOON!’ Become a Werewolf in the New Feral Sourcebook for Nightfell 5e:

Children of the

Moon

dark setting, letting the players experience something extremely feral: lycanthropy.

All this has been made possible thanks to the rich landscape of legends and folk tales from the Italic peninsula. Lycanthropy is a very ancient myth found in many different cultures, but its original symbolism has often been misrepresented over the centuries. This book, while readapting these notions to a fantasy setting, intends to exhume the ancient beliefs linked to mythical shapeshifters, age-old bogeymen of the folklore.

In this new tome, the adventurers will have the chance to try a brand new class, the werebeast, hybridizing with any animal species they want to! This new class provides the opportunity to explore the consequences of the curse and fully develop its dark gifts, playing blighted heroes who strive to control their feral power as it grows.

Moreover, players will be introduced to lycanthropes’ religion, culture and role in the Iùrmen society. They will, of course, get into potentially lethal situations while fighting against their

natural archenemies: vampires.

As in Nightfell, the lunar influence will play an important role in this new book –the original game mechanic presented in the previous publication gets expanded: lunar phases strongly influence the unnatural disease of lycanthropy, as the risks of exposure will influence character choices and actions. In Nightfell: Children of the Moon, players will have the chance to play a werebeast whose behavior will be affected, where not directly determined, by the moonlight.

However the surprises aren’t yet over: Nightfell: Children of the Moon includes a bestiary presenting new creatures, a section introducing new items and artifacts and, most importantly, an entire lycanthropy campaign adaptable to all tier, for fully experiencing this wild curse.

With this new book, enriched by the stunning and evocative illustrations of an award-winning team of artists, and available in a stunning deluxe edition, players will live new adventures filled with danger, horror and occultism.

Lycanthropy is a curse ... for all those who are not brave enough to exploit it.

Howl to the moon with this fierce 5E supplement designed for even darker campaigns in the obscure world of Nightfell!

The City Hungers

by Valerie Osbourn, Director of Internal Resources, Magpie Games

Magpie Games is excited to announce the upcoming release of Urban Shadows! After raising more than $200,000 on Kickstarter from thousands of excited backers, this bold new edition of Magpie Games’ award-winning tabletop roleplaying game comes to retail stores in Q4 2024!

Urban Shadows is a political urban fantasy tabletop roleplaying game in which mortals and supernaturals alike vie for power in a modern-day city. Vampires, faeries, hunters, wizards and more clash in the shadows … or make backroom deals for their piece of the streets and skyscrapers. As the city hums and throbs with political unrest and magical potential, no one is ever safe … and everything is always at stake.

Urban Shadows is based on the Powered by the Apocalypse system used by tabletop RPGs like Monster of the Week, Dungeon World and many of Magpie Games’ own titles like Root: The Roleplaying Game. The game uses the core framework of that system to provide a strong, simple way to create stories of political urban fantasy that features unique mechanics for city politics, fae magic and more. Players create a character using one of several archetypes and then take action as the politics of the city’s Circles – Mortalis, Night, Power and Wild – swirl around them, rolling two six-sided dice to resolve the outcomes of dangerous and difficult situations. The characters players create are

protagonists who are attuned to the supernatural world: werewolves struggling to hold their territory, oracles desperate to avoid a looming future, demons scheming for a better tomorrow, and more. While the mortal world remains ignorant of the struggles of the city’s supernatural denizens, these characters are caught in the middle of the conflicts and drama of the city’s past, present and future, seeking the power – political and magical – to protect those they love and fight for what they want.

But power has a cost. Urban Shadows features a dynamic corruption mechanic that tracks each character’s descent into darkness. When a player takes an innocent life, gives into their monstrous nature or crosses a line they shouldn’t cross to get what they want, they mark corruption. As each character grows more corrupt, they unlock new and potent powers, allowing them to easily get what they want – at the cost of further corruption.

Eventually, they must make a choice: will they fall to the darkness or find some way to save their soul in a city that offers nothing but temptation?

In addition to the core book, Magpie Games is also releasing an Urban Shadows GM screen with stunning full color art and useful reference tables to make running the game easy, as well as a dice set featuring 10 six-sided dice emblazoned with the sigils of the different circles. Both will be available in retail stores at the same time as the Urban Shadows core book.

The city hungers. Will you sate its gnawing desires? Or will your enemies make you the feast?

In Stalk Exchange from The Op Games, players take on the roles of gardeners dedicated to growing flowers and profits. When the market crashes, the gardener with the most valuable stalk portfolio wins. order@usaopoly.com

Trinity Continuum: Adventure! from Onyx Path Publishing is a game of pulp action and daring adventures. With this updated edition, take on the role of a hero and embark on your next great adventure! studio2publishing.com

Sling It! from KublaCon is from the inventor of Bop It. Corn hole meets axe throwing as players sling sausage-shaped beanbags into slots. Available fall 2024.

Munchkin: Pony Excess from Steve Jackson Games introduces 56 new horse-themed cards to your game. In addition to the new equine monsters, curses, and Items, you’ll find a herd of new steeds. warehouse23.com

Kittens vs Corgis from Pet Domination isa card game where strategy, dynamic competition and laughter reign. Outsmart your opponents, skyrocket your followers and claim your spot as the ultimate pet sensation! kittensvscorgis.com kvcgame.official@gmail.com

Love Is Blind Accessible Gaming

by Michael J. Eckert, Co-Owner and Executive Producer, KublaCon

Founded in 2001, KublaCon is the premier gaming convention in northern California that brings together the gaming community for four days of gaming. Throughout the years, KublaCon has hosted exciting events, industry luminaries and great tournaments.

Mike Eckert and his business partner Aldo Ghiozzi decided that KublaCon needed to grow its attendance after emerging from the COVID hiatus in 2023. Together, they began considering ways to do so. During a game with several friends, one of them mentioned that he knew the inventor of Bop It and that they could arrange a meeting. It just so happened that Dan Klitsner, the inventor of Bop It, lived in the San Francisco Bay Area as well. The meeting between Eckert and Klitsner sparked an amazing conversation about not only Bop It, but what Bop It had come to represent.

In many ways, Bop It was a unique and novel product. Many people may not be aware that its playability is also available to individuals who are blind or vision impaired. According to Bop It’s design, anyone – both sighted and blind – can participate in its gameplay by following audible commands.

Impaired, headquartered in San Francisco for a couple of years. Bop It For Good provided the Lighthouse with Bop It merchandise to sell at various functions, and all proceeds were donated to the organization. As a result of this chance meeting, the Lighthouse was invited to exhibit at KublaCon and to participate as the charity of that year’s convention. Nearly $7,000 was raised for the blind community for whom the Lighthouse serves during KublaCon’s silent auction. The collaboration was only the beginning of the ideas that followed.

Through his charity, Bop It For Good, Klitsner had been working with The Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually

During the intervening months following KublaCon 2023, Klitsner and Eckert met several times to discuss Klitsner’s latest invention, Sling It: The Medieval Sausage Slinging Game. The game was also suitable for those with low or no vision since it was simple to toss sausage bags into one of the game’s tracks and listen to the sound of their impact. It was a great idea; the two collaborators decided to hold several Sling It events during KublaCon 2024, including a giant-sized Sling It in the grand foyer of the Hyatt Regency SFO, which has hosted KublaCon since 2003. As a reward for their accomplishment, the winner (weiner) will receive a custom trophy.

In planning the events for this year’s convention, another partner was brought

in: Isak Jonsson. Jonsson is the creator of Retinaid, an app that enables blind and vision impaired individuals to play board and card games through the use of headphones by reading the game cards to them. Best of all, this remarkable tool allows sighted and blind individuals to play together relatively seamlessly. Moreover, Retinaid encourages the sighted to appreciate the tool as well as what it means to be blind and still desire to play games. As part of KublaCon, Retinaid is hosting a Love Letter Tournament called “Love Is Blind.” Blind and sighted attendees will compete for prizes using the app. During the competition, those with sight will wear blindfolds in order to make the competition more equitable. It is our intention to demonstrate that almost any game can benefit from a tool such as Retinaid in order to improve accessibility. To learn more about KublaCon, Bop It For Good, The Lighthouse or Retinaid, please contact Mike at inquiries@kublacon.com.

Mike Eckert is the co-owner and executive producer of KublaCon, an annual convention held near San Francisco during Memorial Day weekend. Eckert has been organizing and managing gaming conventions for more than 30 years. As a member of the community for which he serves, he brings decades of passion and commitment.

POWER of COMMUNITY

Bringing blind, low - vision and sighted players together.

For over 22 years, KublaCon has been bringing people together from all walks of life to congregate in a magical place where games of every imaginable kind can be played as a community. This year, the producers of the convention, along with a number of partners, including the Bay Area based Lighthouse For The Blind, are growing that very community by exposing gamers to the world of accessbile gaming. Attendees will even have the opportunity to experience blindfolded games at the 2024 KublaCon convention, Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-27 in Burlingame, CA.

LOVE IS BLIND

Attendees can sign up to play the game LOVE LETTERS while blindfolded using the new RetinAid app. Developed in Iceland by a father so that he and his blind son could play boardgames together, it uses a players’ camera to see the cards and hear a description via the players ear buds or headphones. KublaCon is sponsoring the app to encourage board game companies to work with RetinAid with a goal of making their board and card games blind and low-vision accessbile.

BOP IT FOR GOOD

BLINDFOLDED SLING IT!

Bop It is one of the most popular games that can be played with or without vision. Bop It inventor Dan Klitsner will be there MC’ing “Blind Bop Offs” to determine the 2024 Blind-folded Bop IT champ and award a rare, signed OG Bop It to the winner! A second rare, signed Bop It will also be auctioned off with proceeds donated to Lighthouse for the Blind.

We invite you to experience the power of community through accessibility. Come check out how you can increase your fanbase and your market by making your games more accessbile!

KublaCon is the live debut of the new tailgate game Sling It! from the inventor of Bop It. It’s like cornhole meets axe throwing - but with sausage-shaped bean bags that make a satisfying “THWACK” when they wedge between the vertical slots of the target. Because it’s played from a short distance, even blindfolded players can get the hang of “slinging sausages into the slots” and hearing the unmistakable thwack of a direct hit. The winner will receive one of the first SLING IT prototypes, signed by the inventor.

Crafting Stories with Dice: Q Workshop Turns 20

by Tomasz Gałkowski, Project Manager, Q Workshop

It is often said that necessity sparks the finest innovations. This held true for us.The inaugural runic Q Workshop set emerged in 2004 out of sheer necessity, a desire to infuse RPG sessions with more flavor. Patryk, then a student, had a singular vision: to craft more of these exceptional, exquisitely embellished dice, imbuing ordinary plastic pieces with unique character. Q Workshop dice were designed to captivate with their aesthetics, allowing players to express individuality and tell stories which are an integral part of the RPG gamng world that we all love so much.

The resonance among players was immediate, igniting an enduring cascade of events. Fresh sets swiftly entered our online store, finding their way to thousands of players worldwide, marking the beginning of a Polish-born dice revolution. Forest, Elvish, Nuclear dice and others enraptured successive waves of gamers.

Yet, our aspirations persisted. We showcased our creations at premier global events, debuting at Spielwarenmesse in 2004, and consequently extending our presence, which led us to showcase our dice at Gen Con the following year. Today, our booth spans multiple continents, traversing thousands of miles annually. Q Workshop experienced remarkable growth, catching the attention of industry giants. Within a few years of our founding, partnerships with brands like Paizo and Chaosium blossomed, resulting in the expansion of our catalog and defining a significant part of our trajectory.

Not content to rest, in 2006 we launched our line of dice

accessories, including beautiful linen dice bags, leather cups and dice towers. A few years later, we unveiled our signature metal dice, beloved for their weight, craftsmanship and design. In 2015, we successfully funded our first Kickstarter campaign for Pathfinder Metal Dice. Then there were six more, including the Witcher Hybrid Dice Set campaign, which eventually earned us the Silver Ennies Award.

Continuing our pursuit of excellence, strategic partnerships with CD Project Red and Warner Bros have led to extraordinary sets and accessories. And our venture into exclusive, high-quality wooden accessories in 2023 has continued to enhance our offerings, with the promise of countless more innovations on the horizon.

Today Q-Workshop has a few hundred products in our catalog, more than 50 employees and it wouldn’t be possible without our customers and fans.

For two decades, your steadfast support has fueled our dedication to exceptional designs and your countless rolls with our dice have sparked even more unforgettable tales. Here’s to many more years of shared adventures and remarkable experiences ahead!

We are thrilled to inform you that 2024 marks Q Workshop’s 20th anniversary. To celebrate the occasion we decided to release eight of our most popular sets in company colors: black and turquoise. All but one which is our Jubilee dice set in white with golden engravings. Collecting all of them in the course of the year will be rewarded with a prize: Champion Collector statue.

Shape the Future of Starfinder with the Starfinder Playtest!

by Rue Dickey, Marketing and Media Specialist, Paizo

Starfinder Second Edition is on the horizon. The playtest this fall gives retailers, players and community members the opportunity to directly influence how the game evolves! This playtest will focus on classes, ancestries and Starfinder-specific mechanics – since the core game engine is powered by the tried, tested and well-loved Pathfinder Second Edition three-action system!

B ecause of this, the Playtest Rulebook does not include the basic rules of running and playing the game – those are already detailed in Pathfinder Player Core and Pathfinder GM Core. It is recommended that GMs and players alike purchase the core Pathfinder books to fully participate in the Starfinder Playtest.

Ancestries, classes and more!

The Starfinder Playtest Rulebook, which releases August 1, 2024, showcases six classes, 10 ancestries, versatile heritages and more! Starfinder Second Edition is also bringing new feats, skills, spells and equipment to the table –expanding the science fantasy system with upgrades, augmentations and a wide variety of playable options!

Playtest adventures and scenarios

The softcover Starfinder Playtest Rulebook has everything you need to build characters from 1st to 20th level – whether you want to run Starfinder Playtest adventures or drop a skittermander envoy into your existing Pathfinder campaign!

The Starfinder development team is releasing multiple playtest adventures and scenarios to test the skills of Starfinder Second Edition characters at a variety of levels! The first of these adventures, A Cosmic Birthday, releases alongside the Playtest Rulebook on August 1. A deluxe softcover adventure for 1st level characters, A Cosmic Birthday takes heroes into the belly of Absalom Station as they try to prevent catastrophe in the wake of a new god’s birth.

A second playtest adventure, Empires Devoured, will release this fall. With a focus on diplomatic relations and wilderness survival, Empires Devoured places higher-level characters at the center of a galactic war!

Alongside these softcover playtest adventures, four Starfinder Society Playtest scenarios will also be releasing throughout the playtest period. These scenarios span a variety of levels (1st, 5th, 10th, and 15th) to give society players a chance to experience Starfinder Second Edition at all tiers of play! Retailer stores who join Paizo’s Organized Play program will get access to these scenarios to run in-store.

Take flight into the future and join Paizo for the Starfinder Second Edition Playtest!

ORDER THESE UPCOMING RELEASES FOR Q3 2024 TODAY!

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Survival in a world beset by magic and evil takes more than a roll of the dice. Pathfinder Player Core 2 expands options available to Pathfinder players, giving them the edge to take on any adventure.

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PATHFINDER LOST OMENS TIAN XIA CHARACTER GUIDE

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The Starfinder Playtest Rulebook brings Starfinder into a new age of compatibility—using the same rules engine that powers the Second Edition of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

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STARFINDER PLAYTEST RULEBOOK STARFINDER PLAYTEST ADVENTURE: A COSMIC BIRTHDAY

PATHFINDER ADVENTURE PATH: CURTAIN CALL

Set the stage for the Pathfinder Curtain Call Adventure Path, a three-part monthly campaign in which a group of adventurers help to produce an opera based on their own prior adventures while simultaneously facing a new threat that only the most powerful of heroes can stop.

Build a hero for your Tian Xia adventure with this 136 page book full of player options, including six new ancesries, new archetypes, feats, and more! A cosmic entity stirs deep within one of the Pact Worlds planets. To aid the god’s birth, followers search the Ghost Levels of Absalom Station for a pocket dimension existing alongside the hub of the Pact Worlds. PZO24002-SC - $24.99

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An Evergreen RPG Product in an All-New Edition

It’snot often that a joke is still funny a year later, much less 25 of them – but Kobolds Ate My Baby still elicits barks, growls and chuckles wherever it goes. The now venerable beer and pretzels RPG has changed a lot over the years, but one thing is clear – it’s a hoot to read and even funnier to play.

The idea is simple. Kobolds are very bad at everything. The one thing that they are good at is cooking, which is truly ironic – because besides being excellent cooks, they are excellent when cooked. Mmm, delicious! Did I mention that you play as the Kobolds?

While playing Kobolds Ate My Baby (or KAMB as it is affectionally abbreviated), you will probably die multiple deaths. You may get hit by a falling cow, trampled by turtles, shot out

by Chris O’Neill, Designer of Kobolds Ate My Baby and founder of 9th Level Games

of a cannon, distilled into a fine sipping liquor or exploded into tiny puzzle pieces. The whole time though, you will be gleefully going around trying hard to bring back food for the biggest and roundest of the Kobolds – King Torg (All hail King Torg!). We told you how delicious you were

king is more than happy to just eat you!

different editions, but it’s still published by 9th Level Games, drawn by John Kovalic (yes, that fame), and written by Chris O’Neill (with help from a band of merry pranksters). This

time around, KAMB has been completely modernized to use 9th Level Games’ polymorph system – making it the fastest, easiest and deadliest version to date. In fact, it’s so easy, you can learn to play just by watching a 10-minute video.

As a retailer, Kobolds Ate My Baby needs to be on your shelf. It’s a perennial, evergreen winner. A new edition is the perfect time to restock and sell to the fans who remember it from their youth, and its all-new Orange Book edition is the perfect place for a new player to find the joys of Random Horrible Kobold Death for the first time.

ForDragon Shield 25 Years of Dragon Love

a quarter century, Dragon Shield has been crafting market-changing, highquality TCG accessories for the games we love to play. That’s two-and-a-half decades of in-depth community research and intensive product development to push the envelope for trading card game protection. Twenty-five years of quality control and fine-tuning the nearly invisible details that go into creating a durable TCG sleeve that will see players through an entire tournament. More than 300 months of back-breaking and – alright, alright, the point has been made. Please excuse our enthusiasm. We’re just having a hard time containing our excitement to celebrate with all you passionate local game stores, players and dragon lovers out there.

When Dragon Shield first saw the light of day in 1999, there was a new and intoxicating boom in the collectible card games that we treasure today. Born in the back room of a local game store in Denmark, the first sleeves to make their mark in a TCG battle were our aptly named Classic sleeves. Since then, we’ve expanded our reach globally and spent countless (human and dragon) hours honing our craft and developing a full range of sleeves. For every player, there’s a sleeve type to match desired texture levels, color options, opacity, size and much more. And since we are spending all year

celebrating our 25th anniversary, we thought it was only suitable to make our mark with a series of special edition launches. We kicked off the year with a fresh reprint of our first ever art sleeves by Ian Miller, but this time as a Matte Dual sleeve featuring the pitch-black interior. Gaial is one of our most legendary sleeves, and what better way to mark our journey in the community than by bringing new life to the original art. Gaial is accompanied by another Ian Miller creation: Mear, and both reprints received a warm welcome by enthusiastic players. They are still available for restock from GTS Distribution.

Now we’re ready to reveal the next celebratory treat we have in store. This June, we are releasing another special edition Matte Dual sleeve. Like our other Matte Duals, these sleeves are fully opaque and have a slightly less textured back than our Matte sleeves. Their shuffle-feel is sublime, and they’re the go-to for many tournament players around the world. However, these 25th anniversary sleeves are unique in their color combination. Instead of a dramatic black inside, they boast a blue back and a stunning metallic silver inside. Imagine sleeving your deck with these sleeves, and as you play and reveal your card, its artwork and abilities are showcased perfectly within a silver frame.

The Matte Dual Blue Silver sleeves come in standard size and will hit the streets on June 21. You can place your preorders with GTS Distribution today. The Dragon Shield 25th anniversary celebrations will continue all year, and all party dragons are welcome to join the reptilian conga line. Don your fanciest party hat and follow us on social media for the latest news and other exciting releases. Or visit dragonshield.com/welovedragons to learn more about our anniversary celebrations, who we are and how we got here. Everyone is invited!

Since his hatchling days, Dratwerk has been fascinated with the mystery of humans.

As a forge scholar, the immersive observation has been his preferred method. His likeness, captured here, is from one of his very first ventures into the world of humans.

by Dratwerk, Forge Scholar, Arcane Tinmen

Make a Way with WORDS

by Ian Birdsall, Marketing Manager, Floodgate Games

Your party is lost deep in the jungle but you’re back at camp … with the only map and an old walkie-talkie! Can you lead your party to find the island’s riches while helping them avoid hazards and escape the island before their canteen runs out of water? No pressure!

Coming this fall from Floodgate Games, Landmarks is an exciting new word-association game of hidden paths and clever clues. One player takes the role of the Pathfinder, the only one with the map! The Pathfinder must lead the party of treasure hunters to riches white avoiding the island’s many dangers. Will you find all the treasures and escape the island, or will the party never leave?

• Mark the land.

• Follow the clues.

• Link the words to find your way. During each round, the Pathfinder will think up a one-word clue and write it on a hex tile with the dry erase marker. Often the Pathfinder will have a route planned on the map with an idea of their next few clues to give the party the best chance of success. Sometimes, however, the only way out is through and to find all the treasures you might need to put the Party in some danger. It’ll be great!

When a clue is given, the party then decides together which space they think the Pathfinder is guiding them to. The new hex clue can be placed next to any previous word clue (your landmarks) already on the board. This clue may continue a chain or start a new path for the party to explore. How much trust do you have in your Pathfinder’s ability to get you off the island?

Once the party decides where to place the new clue on the map, the Pathfinder lets them know what they found. Was it one of the treasures they seek? A trap? Some water to refill the canteen? Or something else? Whatever the choice reveals, clue placements are final but hopefully not fatal!

In each game your ultimate goal will be to find all the treasures hidden on the island and make it to each map’s

exit. But, in order to do that you’ll need to make sure that the party doesn’t get cursed or run out of water! Each party will have a “water supply” of seven tiles to start. These tiles are the hexes that the Pathfinder will write on to give clues. If there are no remaining hex tiles, the party has run out of water and the game is over! To get more tiles, the Pathfinder will need to lead the party to a space containing water to refill their canteen up to its capacity. This capacity might be less than seven tiles if the party finds a trap (damaging the canteen) along the way. Be careful out there!

You’re not always the only treasure hunting team to get to the island. In team vs team play, two teams compete to discover their treasures before their rivals. Each referencing the same map, teams will have their own Pathfinder that provides one-word clues like usual. As the jungle fills with landmark tiles, you’ll now also have the opposing team’s clues on the board to play off of. The first team to find four treasures (either the four treasures of their team color or a combination of their team color and neutral, gold treasures), wins! Unless you’re cursed – you can’t win if you’re cursed, obviously.

Floodgate Games is thrilled to release Landmarks! We invite you to discover this treasure with your friends and family this fall.

For questions about this or any other titles from Floodgate Games, contact sales@floodgategames.com.

Growing and Protecting Your Tabletop Gaming Brand Passing GO

You’ve created the next big deckbuilding game that’s gaining traction on BoardGameGeek, or maybe you’re a game publisher with a good chance at winning Spiel des Jahres. How do you ensure that you own the necessary intellectual property (IP) rights? That you have sufficient agreements in place? That you are in a position to monetize those rights in new and exciting ways?

The tabletop gaming world has really come into its own in the last generation, and in many ways, it is still catching up with other industries in fully realizing the potential of its own success. In this article, we provide you with a primer of your options in protecting, licensing, and monetizing your game IP. As we discuss in

this article, you should:

• Apply for trademark and copyright registrations, and consider design patent and utility patent applications, as appropriate.

• Be aware of trade secrets and the right of publicity.

• Execute appropriate agreements making ownership of the intellectual property clear.

• Think about all countries and jurisdictions where you may want to manufacture or sell your game, or where you expect counterfeit copies may be manufactured.

• Engage in cross-branding, licensing, and monetizing your IP to catapult your success.

The Most Common Protection Options – Copyright and Trademark Copyrights

In the United States, copyright protects original works of authorship that have been fixed in a tangible medium of expression. For tabletop games, this can include aspects like the written material (like instructions and game rules) and artwork on cards, boards, boxes, or the sculptural works of game pieces, customized dice, and more. Copyright rights attach to a work upon creation. However, just having copyright rights is very different from obtaining a copyright registration.

Once a timely-filed copyright application has registered—typically within

some months, if there are no specific issues with the application—the registration affords the owner of a US work a muchexpanded set of rights.

These expanded registration rights include:

• The ability to file a copyright infringement lawsuit at all (you cannot sue on an unregistered US work);

• Prima facie evidence, in the form of the registration itself, that the copyright is valid (saving the time and money of having to prove validity of the copyright in a dispute);

• Providing public notice of your claim to your rights;

• Availability of enhanced damages, including statutory damages, and, in some cases, attorneys’ fees (with special consideration being given in these regards for registrations made within three months of publication of the work).

The availability of statutory damages is crucial. Actual damages and lost profits in a copyright infringement action are often quite small; but statutory damages can be large–between $750 and $30,000 per individual work if the infringement is not willful, and can total up to $150,000 per work if it is found that infringement is willful. And depending upon the circumstances, each individual card, game piece, board, artwork, etc, can qualify as its own work, meaning that these damages can add up very quickly.

In general, for works created since 1978 and with some exceptions, copyrights subsist from creation of the work until the life of the author plus 70 years, and for works-made-for-hire, they subsist for 95 years from publication or 120 years from

creation, whichever expires first. Filing a simple copyright application can cost less than $1,000, inclusive of government fees.

Trademarks

In the United States, trademarks, service marks, and trade dress (often referred to colloquially as “trademarks”) protect any word, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof, used or intended to be used to identify and distinguish the trademark owner’s goods or services. Trademarks can include things like: the company name as used in commerce; the name of a specific product; a slogan or tagline; a distinctive word or phrase used within a game; a specific stylized or logo version of any of these; a representation of a character or mascot; or even things like the distinctive overall design scheme of a game board or game box.

Common law trademark rights typically come into existence upon use of the mark in interstate commerce in connection with the goods and services. However, there are many advantages to obtaining US federal registration for your trademarks. These include:

• The right to file a federal trademark infringement lawsuit;

• A presumption that the mark is valid (again, saving the time and expense of having to otherwise prove validity);

• Nationwide rights, even without nationwide use (common law rights only apply to the geographic areas where the mark is actually used);

• Providing public notice of your claim of rights;

• The USPTO can cite your trademark registration to block later third party trademark applications, without you

e ability to register the mark with US Customs and Border Protection and stop the importation of goods with an infringing trademark or counterfeit; The ability to place the trademark on the Amazon Brand Registry and similar enforcement mechanisms

• Trademark registrations can become incontestable after five years of registration;

• Trademark registrations can form the basis for foreign and international trademark applications;

• Availability of expanded damages, including, in some cases, enhanced damages and attorneys’ fees, and statutory damages for counterfeits.

Trademark registrations can remain effective for as long as the trademark continues to remain in use in commerce for the claimed goods/services, and is renewed at regular intervals.

A simple trademark application can typically be filed for less than a few thousand dollars, inclusive of government fees. It is typically advisable to run a trademark clearance search before filing.

Another Protection Option - Design Patents

Design patents protect novel, nonobvious and ornamental (non-functional) designs for articles of manufacture. Design patents can protect many of the same types of aspects that can be protected by copyright and trademark: the design of a box, board or game piece; the shape of a box, board or game piece; the design of a card, etc.

Design patent protection lasts for 15 years from the date of issuance. And, unlike for trademarks and copyrights, there are no common law or unregistered design patent rights. Design patents can also be more costly to obtain, often in the range of several thousands of dollars.

Other Protection Options – Utility Patents and Trade Secrets

Utility patents protect novel, nonobvious and useful processes, machines, manufactures, or compositions of matter. The original Monopoly game was protected by utility patent, as are some more recent games. In order to obtain a utility patent, the “useful” aspects of the game (typically, the game mechanics or physical components of the game) must be novel and not obvious in light of the prior art of existing game mechanics.

With the plethora of game mechanics and components that have appeared on the scene, this can often be a difficult standard to meet, but can be achievable depending upon the circumstances. It should also be noted that the cost of a patent application often exceeds $10,000, which goes well beyond that of a trademark or copyright application. Furthermore, the period of protection for utility patents is 20 years from the patent application date.

Trade secrets often refer to information for which the owner of the information has taken reasonable measures to keep the information secret, and the information derives independent economic value from not being generally known to others, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by others. While it can be difficult to envision scenarios where elements of the games themselves can be kept secret for purposes of trade secret protection, other game-related confidential and proprietary information, such as a list of customers or Kickstarter pledges, or shipping costs and methods, can be protected as trade secrets.

Ownership-Related Agreements

It is also important to have appropriate work-for-hire, employment, assignment and other agreements in place as early as possible, to ensure that ownership is clearly in the right entity. Ideally, ownership can be clarified before creation of the work, through work-for-hire or employment agreements. Otherwise, this can also be accomplished through assignment agreements and the like, when independent game creators bring their game to a publisher or producer after the game’s creation.

International and Foreign Intellectual Property Rights

With the success of tabletop games across continents, it is important to remember to obtain registered rights and to execute agreements across jurisdictions. Depending upon the situation, intellectual property filings can often be accomplished in a cost-effective way through mechanisms based on international treaties, such as the Madrid

Protocol and the Paris Convention for trademarks. Comprehensive counterfeit protection should also involve foreign and international rights. In many countries, trademark registrations in the country of manufacture can be recorded at that country’s customs office, stopping infringing products before they even get on the boat.

Cross-Branding, Licensing and Monetization

The biggest movie of 2023, "Barbie," made $1.445 billion at the international box office, and was based on a toy. It is reported that Mattel, maker of Barbie, has learned from this success and has many more toy and game movies in the works, including a movie based on the Uno card game. Such a movie would be following in the footsteps of game-based cult classics like "Clue" (1985), and more recent successes like "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" (2023).

The Barbie movie and others have shown the industry that games and toys can be a springboard for monetization into other entertainment genres. The tabletop game industry already knows that dedicated fans are willing to pay for large numbers of game expansions, and app or online versions of games. And extensive cross-branding is already a reality for more-established tabletop game brands, which sell items ranging from the conventional (game-themed plush toys and t-shirts), to the unexpected (game-themed cookbooks, lip balm, shower curtains, and more). The possibilities are endless. And such cross-branding and licensing often has the added benefit that the merchandise itself promotes the game, further building the brand.

Such efforts work best within strong licensing regimes and manufacturing and distribution agreements, which in turn function best when based on registered intellectual property rights.

Also note that the right of publicity protects the commercial misappropriation of a person’s name, likeness, or other indicia of

personal identity in many states. Such rights expire upon a person’s death in some states but can remain enforceable for decades afterwards in other states. We recommend contacting an attorney familiar with rights of publicity before including the personal identity of a living person or a deceased person with living descendants in your game.

Conclusion

As early as possible in your tabletop game process, you should be applying for trademark and copyright protection, and considering design patent and utility patent applications, as appropriate. Make sure that you have all agreements executed so that ownership of the intellectual property is clear. Remember that your tabletop game can catch on quickly, including abroad, so make sure that your rights extend to all pertinent countries. And it’s never too early to consider crossbranding, licensing, and monetization of your intellectual property–it deepens fans’ brand connection, and provides further revenue streams and free promotion of your product. Once you have the right intellectual property protections in place, your game’s potential can grow exponentially.

Brian Chellgren is a partner and co-leader of the IP & Technology national practice group at Dentons. Ben Harbuck is counsel at Dentons. Dentons is the world’s largest law firm, with more than 180 locations in more than 80 countries around the world. Chellgren and Harbuck are always ready to help with your intellectual property needs. Some of Chellgren’s current favorite games include Warhammer 40K, Codenames and Munchkin. Some of Harbuck’s current favorite games include Phantom Ink, Plot

Gnome Hollow is a beautiful Eurogame featuring spatial, tile placement/worker placement mechanics where players grow a tabletop garden of mushrooms and flowers. Players place tiles to develop rings of valuable mushrooms.

Once completed, they harvest each mushroom, choose bonuses, and eventually carry their mushrooms to market to sell for the shiniest treasures available in the hollow. Player boards automatically calculate scores while simultaneously offering strategic decisions. This whimsical game is watercolored to celebrate the full

In Catapult Feud from Vesuvius Media, build your castle, place your troops and launch the catapults to knock ‘em down! More than 150,000 already sold!

vesuviusmedia.com

Ad Astra’s Architect of Worlds updates the worldbuilder’s handbook genre of game book, pioneered in Traveller and GURPS, to the current understanding of astronomy! Covering everything from stellar formation to every type of exoplanet NASA knows about, it brings new depth to science fiction roleplaying! It’s also a great tool for SF writers!

adastragames.com

In Forges of Ravenshire from BA Games, you and your fellow blacksmiths will be competing to earn the most gold. Acquiring and forging weapons, shields, and armor will be crucial.

Email Sam Stockton sam@bagamesco.com

Nexus Ops is from Renegade Game Studios. In the distant future, a potent and rare energy resource – Rubium – controls the interstellar economy. Enlist alien species and battle to control the mines and collect Rubium!

Fortune and Glory: The Cliffhanger Game from Flying Frog Productions is back with a brand-new revised edition! This is a fast-paced game of high adventure, vile villains, edge-of-yourseat danger and 1930s cliffhanger pulp movie action.

Contact Sarah McGrath, sarah@flyingfrog.net

Official tournaments coming soon!

by Jim Long, Manager, Ares Games LLC

Warof the Ring – The Card Game has been flying out of the shelves since its release in 2023 and we at Ares Games could not be happier with the responses we’ve seen about the quality of the game. Highly thematic, WotR –TCG is a scenario-based card game that captures all the excitement of The Lord of the Rings in card form. Players can replay the epic trilogy scenario, follow the path of the Fellowship or play out other parts of the tale.

With such a positive response, Ares Games continues to support the product with new expansions and new products. The first expansion, Against the Shadow, is out now adding solo play and co-op mode, where players play the free Peoples against a Shadow bot. Fire and Swords, the second expansion out this summer, will add new factions – Northmen for the Free Peoples and Easterlings and Ruffians for the Shadow – and increases the potential number of players to six per game. Fire and Swords also includes solo and co-op play for the expanded set. Players can also protect their investment with card tins that include all necessary sleeves to protect both the player cards and the oversized pathway and

battleground cards. Three tins are out now, with two more arriving this summer, each tin storing about 80 sleeved cards.

As a way of saying thank you to both the players and retailers who have made the game so popular, we are pleased to announce the War of the Ring: The Card Game – GenCon 2024 Grand Prix and the WotR – TCG – Official 2024 tournament circuit.

B eginning at GenCon, Ares Games will be working with Double Exposure to present a multi-round tournament event. You will be able to sign up for this event prior to the convention when the event schedule goes live later this spring. The prize pool for the finalists will include more than $1,000 in products from the Ares Games convention booth. Participants will also receive unique promotional cards created especially for the tournament.

The tournament also features three customized scenarios (one for each round) created by Ian Brody, the game designer and creator of WotR – TCG and of the Quartermaster General line of historical card-driven boardgames. Brody will also be at the tournament to answer game questions and chat with players

about the game, the event and potential future developments. The first scenario will be made available to players before the tournament so fans can get an idea about the unique challenges they will face. Following GenCon, all three scenarios will be made available for free, so anybody can download them from the Ares Games website and play.

After GenCon, Ares and Double Exposure will continue to run tournaments at other conventions through the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. Simultaneously, Ares Games will provide retailers with the opportunity to run tournaments at their own store with a War of the Ring – The Card Game Tournament Kit. These kits will be available to retailers after GenCon and feature the same participation prizes as the conventions offer, including the unique cards.

As we get closer to GenCon, more details about the tournament, both for the conventions and retail stores, will be available at the Ares Games website –aresgames.eu. You can also get answers to specific questions about the tournament by emailing events@aresgames.eu.

Let’s Sail Together

!

Find out about our upcoming new games and new expansions for our best-sellers at

ACD Games Day UK Games Expo

Gen Con Alliance Open House

In Garden Guests from Van Ryder Games, you’ll compete to construct a path of stones and colonies traversing the vibrant game board. Play individually or in teams to engage your strategic thinking. vanrydergames.com

Décorum: Movin’ Out from Floodgate Games is a two-player expansion to the hit game of passive aggressive cohabitation. Play through 20 unique scenarios that introduce new challenges and fun components. floodgategames.com

The Crosshairs Compact D6 from Q-Workshop contains a pack of 20 dice – size 14mm each and divided by distinctive colors: cobalt and red with orange engravings.

wholesale@q-workshop.com

Old School Dice & Accessories is proud to announce the release of the exclusive Dragon’s Head hollow metal D100’s! These 50mm die come in four finishes: ancient bronze, gold, silver and spectral. oldschooldice.com/oversized-dice

Dragon Shield and Grand Archive from Peachstate Hobby Distribution pair up on beautifully drawn premium sleeves featuring three original champion artworks including Merlin, Silvie and Tristan.

bit.ly/PHDDSHGA

Clash of Steel from GF9 Games gives you command in epic tank-on-tank battles, set in a thrilling alternate reality post-World War II. Features dynamic missionbased gameplay.

gf9games.com

In Moorland by Steffen Bogen from Pegasus Spiele NA, players bring life to their own little moor. Form a network of waterways to “drift” the plant markers to the right places.

MSRP $39.95 pegasusna.com

The Asteroid Fields Metal Collection from Misty Mountain Gaming will leave you feeling like you’re holding a piece of space in your hand. These metal dice sets are cast from zinc alloy metal to assure better balanced rolls.

Frosthaven: Play Surface Books from Cephalofair Games eliminates the need for map tiles and the majority of overlay tokens in favor of quicker and easier setup times. Just open the books to your scenario and start playing!

Email sales@cephalofair.com or retailers@ cephalofair.com

Unraveling the Mysteries of Twilight Manor: A Dive into Tanto Cuore Twilight Manor Memento Mori

by Mikael Yang, Editorial Manager, Japanime Games

Asthe sun sets behind the looming silhouette of Twilight Manor, an air of mystery envelops the ancient halls. Within its decrepit walls lies a tapestry of tales, woven from the whispers of ghosts and the echoes of past lives. Tanto Cuore Twilight Manor Memento Mori invites players to embark on a journey into this haunting universe, where the past and present intertwine to form a mystifying world of ghosts and vengeful spirits.

At the heart of the manor lies its enigmatic residents –maids and butlers whose loyalty transcends the boundaries of life and death. Some serve faithfully from beyond the grave, their spectral forms haunting the corridors with ethereal grace. Others, still among the living, navigate the mansion’s mysteries with determination and resolve.

But it’s not just the enigmatic lore that draws players into the depths of Twilight Manor. The allure of the game lies in its captivating characters – cute maids and dashing butlers whose charm knows no bounds. From the adorable innocence of the maids to the undeniable allure of the butlers, each character brings their own unique personality to the table, adding depth and dimension to the game’s immersive world.

As players traverse the halls of Twilight Manor, they uncover fragments of its storied past – tales of love and betrayal, triumph and tragedy. Through the séance, a mystical gathering that transcends time and space, they commune with the spirits that dwell within the mansion's walls, unraveling the mysteries that lie hidden beneath its surface.

Central to the game’s ambiance is the tarot deck, a fullfunctioning deck independent of the Tanto Cuore deck-building game. While the tarot cards do not contain action text for ingame use and cannot be integrated into the Tanto Cuore game mechanics, they serve as a powerful tool for players to explore the deeper symbolism and mysticism of Twilight Manor.

But beware, not all is as it seems within the shadowy confines of Twilight Manor. Restless spirits and malevolent forces conspire to thwart the players’ efforts at every turn, testing their courage and resolve as they strive to uncover the truth.

In the end, victory lies not only in the restoration of the manor’s crumbling halls but in the unraveling of its deepest secrets. Only those brave enough to confront the darkness that lurks within will emerge triumphant, their names etched into the annals of Twilight Manor’s haunted history.

Breaking BIG

by Monica PaprockiMarketing Manager Cephalofair Games

Nikki

Valens, our co-designer for Buttons & Bugs, gives us an insight on their experience creating Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs.

As a game designer, Valens enjoys providing players with unique game experiences that break the traditional mold.

“Games are an amazing medium for conveying story and experiences, for making players think and feel, and those things stick with you. They become a part of your identity. People like playing games. So, it makes sense that they also want to hear about what games others like to play.”

There’s so much to the game creation process that fine-tuning and putting a different spin on an existing game – like Gloomhaven – can be quite the challenge. Although making games is not for everyone, Valens says there’s a lot to enjoy about creating them.

Small Wonder

I like making games. I like telling stories. I like building systems and mechanics. I like analyzing games. I like pushing them to their limits, taking them apart and seeing what makes them tick, pressing the wrong buttons

intentionally to find out what happens. Which is why I was really delighted by a fan-made Gloomhaven game called Gloomholdin' designed by Joe Klipfel. It was introduced to me as Gloomhaven you can hold in your hand. At first it just seemed like a cute gimmick. But as I analyzed it, developed it and played it, I started to see something more. The pieces were so tightly packed, but the cogs turned all the same. It was a wristwatch to Gloomhaven's grandfather clock. The engineering and craftsmanship to make it function were very similar. But to take all that and shrink it down to fit in the palm of your hand? That's something special.

Creating Versus Playing Games

Valens said there is a huge difference between playing games and making games.

“While I'm designing, it's easy for me to forget that I play games very differently than most of you. I'm not so much playing a game as I am inspecting a game design. And that comes through in my work sometimes. I make something that's fun to analyze, fun to take apart and tinker with, fun to marvel at.”

Breaking Things to Create Them

It may sound counter-intuitive to break things in order to create them. But this gives the game creation a lot more meaning. When you take a game apart, you get to analyze everything, down to the very smallest details.

“I like a game that makes me want to take it apart and see how it works. I like a game that is designed just how I expected, and I like games that are designed in ways I'd never thought of. I like a game that makes my friends and all of you smile and want to play again. I love game design. So, the next time you see me at a con or interview me for a podcast, instead of asking me, ‘What kinds of games do you like playing?’ ask me ‘Take apart any interesting games lately?’ If you do, you might get a glimpse into the inner workings of my mind and what makes me tick.”

About the designer: Nikki Valens is the celebrated designer of Mansions of Madness (2nd Edition), Legacy of Dragonholt and Artisans of Splendent Vale. They were an obvious choice for co-design and development to translate Gloomholdin' into what would become Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs.

Heroscape Returns August 2024!

by

Heroscape transports you to the next era of the popular expandable miniature wargaming system. It includes stunningly detailed miniatures and a modular terrain tile system that allows players to build the sprawling battlefields of Valhalla and recreate the epic conflicts between powerful heroes and villains.

The first wave of products hitting retail are an all-new Age of Annihilation Master Set, a two-player Battle for the Wellspring Battle Box, and the first entry in the "Heroscape Terrain System" line titled The Grove at Laur's Edge Terrain Expansion. There will be two versions of the Age of Annihilation Master Set and the Battle for the Wellspring Battle Box. First is a standard edition which contains unpainted miniatures with a paint wash; second is a Premium Painted Edition with pre-painted miniatures.

The Premium Painted Editions are not available through distribution and can be ordered through the Renegade Retailer Webstore. As a Renegade retailer, you can order Renegade exclusive titles, organized play kits and free promo items! Sign up to be a Renegade retailer and order directly at retailers. renegadegamestudios.com/ retailers.

Renegade has special plans for retail stores for the big Heroscape launch! We know that friendly local game stores are where the action is. So, we will be offering a free Retailer Launch Bundle with a qualifying pre-order of the first three Heroscape products through distribution and through Renegade Games’ retailer webstore.

To receive the free Launch Bundle, a store location must pre-order two cases of the standard edition Age of Annihilation Master Set (eight units), two cases of the standard edition Battle for the Wellspring Battle Box (12 units) and one case of The Grove at Laur's Edge Terrain Expansion (six units). This will qualify stores to order the free promotional launch bundle that includes a POP kit containing a poster, window cling, table topper and shelf talker, all featuring Heroscape art. The bundle also contains 12 Premium Painted Heroscape: Sgt. Drake Alexander Miniature Promos to incentivize presales of the first 12 pre-orders in each retail

store. Lastly, a free Heroscape branded demo table and a demo copy of the Age of Annihilation Master Set Premium Painted Edition complete the package. This table and demo copy can be used as a display piece, to demonstrate gameplay and to generate interest and anticipation! Retailer launch bundles are limited to one per store location and are only available while supplies last. These bundles are limited to 500 stores worldwide, so make sure to order yours before they’re gone!

Renegade will offer fully comprehensive organized play support for Heroscape! The program will feature both casual and competitive avenues for players and stores to participate in. Visit retailers. renegadegames.com for more information and sign up to be a Heroscape organized play store!

What’s the future of Heroscape? We’ve only scratched the surface! We have more products coming in Q4 of 2024 along with more organized play opportunities. And in 2025, join the community as we discover more Heroscape content, promos, events and adventures! The Battle for All Time continues! Will you be battle-ready?

Renegade Games Studios Sales Team

Heroscape:

Heroscape:

Heroscape:

Head the Call of Trinity Continuum: Adventure!

by Eddy Webb, In-House Developer, Onyx Path Publishing

Welcometo 1934, but a more extraordinary version of our own. It’s a time of unprecedented growth and change for humanity, but also of hardship and villainy. At the forefront of these events stand the Inspired, people fundamentally changed by a strange energy that makes them more than human. The Inspired are luckier than the luckiest human, as well as being mental savants, psychics, mentalists, strong-men and, in some cases, outright superhuman. But how did these miraculous people come to be?

Ten years earlier, a massive event (later dubbed the Hammersmith Incident) created ripples throughout the world. Dr. Sir Calvin Hammersmith discovered a way to harness telluric energy, a vast energy source he believed existed in the space between spaces. He created an engine to harvest and store telluric energy, but when he turned it on the energy input was too great and the whole thing exploded. The resultant wave of telluric energy caused hundreds of people worldwide to become Inspired.

Since then, several organizations all over the world have arisen to investigate the results of the Hammersmith Incident. Led by the Æon Society and Maxwell Mercer, they help humanity through better science and greater understanding. They also fight off evildoers, protect

innocents from dangerous technologies and investigate strange places throughout the world.

These adventurers rely on their magnificent abilities to stand against the rising tide of darkness, performing amazing acts of derring-do in the pursuit of a brighter future. But not all Inspired answer the call of heroism. Some use their gifts to forward agendas of cruelty, greed and hate. It is left to the Inspired heroes to rein in these villains.

Welcome to the hopeful world of Trinity Continuum: Adventure!

While TC: Adventure! games might explore the difficult social and political topics of the 1930s, ultimately the characters’ actions and the tone should be hopeful. There is hope for the future, hope for humankind, hope for what may come next, hope that doing good can profoundly change the world. This embodies not only the hope a character might have for her future or adventures, but also

the hope she spreads through her actions. Characters in TC: Adventure! fight against evil organizations and restore order to troubled areas. They seek out mysterious artifacts and long-lost knowledge with hope to understand their powers and abilities. They hope they can make the world a better place through their deeds and actions, even if some of them have little hope for themselves. Trinity Continuum: Adventure! requires the Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook to play, providing additional exciting detail such as:

• Information about the three Inspired character types: daredevils, mesmerists and stalwarts

• Details about the world in the 1930s viewed through a pulp lens

• Updated rules and character creation information for Inspired characters

• Advice on how to run various pulp genres Heed the call of hopeful change and join the Inspired heroes of Trinity Continuum: Adventure!

Over a decade ago, an explosion at a private science debut created a ripple across the world.

The year is now 1934, and the Inspired — people with extraordinary abilities — contend with unnatural threats, explore strange wonders, and vie to shape the oncoming 21st Century.

Take on the role of a brave hero and embark on your next great adventure!

Trinity Continuum: Adventure! is an updated edition of a fan-favorite RPG and part of Onyx Path Publishing’s Trinity Continuum game line. © 2024 Onyx Path Publishing. All rights reserved. References to other copyrighted material in no way constitute a challenge to the respective copyright holders of that material. “Trinity Continuum”, “Trinity Continuum: Adventure!”, “Trinity Continuum:Æon”, “Trinity Continuum: Aberrant”, “Trinity Continuum: Anima” and all characters, names, places, and text herein are copyrighted by Onyx Path Publishing. www.theonyxpath.com

Revised Edition Cliffhanger Pulp Adventure is Back!

by Sarah McGrath, Distributor and Retail Relations Lead,

Thewildly popular adventure board game Fortune and Glory: The Cliffhanger Game is back with a brandnew revised edition! A best-selling game since its first release in 2011, fans and new players alike have been clamoring for its return. Fortune and Glory is a fast-paced game of high adventure, vile villains, edge-of-your-seat danger and cliffhanger pulp action. Players travel the globe in search of ancient artifacts, fending off dangers and villains at every turn in a quest for ultimate reward. With a more compact box size, streamlined rulebook and more than a decade’s worth of polish and errata worked in, this revised edition is the ultimate version of this classic game. Each player takes on the role of a pulp adventure hero, hunting down ancient artifacts around the world and collecting gear and allies along the way to help overcome the various obstacles that stand in their way. There are two resources in the game: fortune and glory. Heroes collect glory by defeating enemies and overcoming dangers like a car chase or quicksand, and then spend that glory to heal wounds and buy gear, allies and items. They collect fortune by recovering artifacts and selling them in cities. In the competitive game, players race against one another to be the first to collect 15 fortunes. In the cooperative game, all of the heroes work together toward a larger collective fortune total as they race against

a vile organization played by the game itself.

This new revised edition of Fortune and Glory has a revised rulebook, including updated rules for temples, and errata and FAQs from more than a decade of play since the original was released. Some card layouts have been revised, making some small text easier to read. We completely redesigned the game box and vac tray for a better size and aspect ratio to fit on your game shelf (and the new tray can hold a lot of additional material). The game board has been updated to a “sixfold” style to fit well in the new box.  We created new die-cut tokens for fortune and glory which stack easily and are more clearly defined in size between the one-piece and five-piece coins. We included handsome new deluxe 16mm dice in pearl gold and pearl steel colors.

This new edition is fully compatible with previous expansions and card supplements. We believe that this new edition is the best version of the game and are excited to get it into the hands of longtime fans of the game, as well as brand new players just discovering it! Fortune and Glory: The Cliffhanger Game – Revised Edition lands in-store this spring. So, strap on your adventure boots and goggles, fire up the engines on the seaplane and grab some extra ammo for your revolver – in this race for fortune and glory, there’s no prize for second place!

Flying Frog Productions

In Café Baras from KTBG/Burnt Island Games, everyone is looking for a delicious beverage and something tasty to eat. Turn your customers into regulars as you design the menu and ambience of your coffee shop.

kidstablebg.com

Megapulse from Tangerine Games is an adrenaline-filled futuristic racing game inspired by titles like Mario Kart, F-Zero and Wipeout. Create a track, choose a pilot, hop into any hovercraft and race to victory! hiveinteractive.net retailers@tangerine.games

Not the End from Mana Project Studio is a TTRPG that tells the adventures of heroes willing to risk everything for what they hold dear.

manaprojectstudio.com

Mindbug: Beyond Eternity and Beyond Evolution from Ghost Galaxy are two standalone expansions in the Mindbug universe. Summon bizarre creatures to battle against your opponent. However, your opponent may use their Mindbugs to steal a victory. sales@ghostgalaxy.com

How well do you think you know your new language? Find out as you work together and communicate in new ways.

make?

GAMA EXPO RECAP

GAMA Expo 2024

was, by many measurements, the biggest in the history of our organization.

We set records in attendance (2,736) and number of exhibitors (300) and enjoyed huge turnouts at our Game Nights and peer-to-peer seminars. The attendance alone was a 34 percent growth from our final year in Reno.

We were also glad to see that so many of you enjoyed your time in Louisville, our first year in this new location. While there is of course, plenty of room for growth and improvement, we saw this first year as a fantastic new step toward the future of the show.

The week began with a pre-con Game Designer Day experience that was extraordinarily well-received. From seminars to playtesting, there was something there for everyone, and we are looking forward to expanding this program for 2025.

The Power Retail Awards are always among the highlights of the show, and this year's honors were doled out to a trio of exceptional stores. Congratulations to Red Raccoon Games (Retailer of the Year), The Gameboard (Outstanding Contribution to Games Industry) and Silver Dragon Games, who

SAVE THE DATE!

February 23-27

were honored with both the Innovation in Games and Outstanding Store Design awards.

Seminars, premier presentations and three days of a packed exhibit hall followed, and each day wrapped up with rooms filled with attendees taking part in the always-popular game nights.

We learned so much in our first year in Louisville, and there are so many people to thank for their roles in making this first show at a new location a success. There’s no question that we have some amazing opportunities as we move forward, and we’re already looking ahead to 2025!

If you have any feedback from the show that you weren’t able to share in the post-event survey, feel free to send it to media@gama.org, and we’ll make sure it gets into the proper hands.

2024-25 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Our annual election for the Board of Directors was held in April, and the new members elected their officers that will help shape the next year of our efforts.

We are pleased to congratulate not only the first female president in the history of our organization (Nicole Brady, SAHM Reviews) but also the first time in our organization’s history that all leadership positions are held by females.

Brady is joined by Monica Rasso (Meeples at Sea) as the Board’s vice president, Garima Sharma (Skybound Entertainment) as treasurer and Rhonda Becker (The Gamers Den) as secretary.

This year’s elected members of the Board of Directors are Dee Connell (RVMG), Jamie Mathy (RVMG), Mark Franzen (RMVG), Lea-Anne Welter (RVMG), Nicole Brady (Media/Events), Matt Fantastic (Creator), Aldo Ghiozzi (Wholesale), Radek Gronus (Production), Anton Torres (Publisher) and Drew Wehrle (Creator).

Congratulations to all those elected, and thank you to everyone who put themselves forward to serve on the Board.

APPLY TO EXHIBIT AT GAMA EXPO 2025

Registration for Expo 2025 Exhibit Hall Booths is being handled entirely online through the Map Your Show platform.

If you would like to book your booth for 2025, please create/log in to your account on Map Your Show.

If you intend on purchasing a Sponsorship Level Package for 2025, to lock in your booth rate and ensure you have a booth secured for 2025 – you must apply for your booth space.  We will apply the cost of your booth to the sponsorship package once those details are shared.

Additional exhibitor info including the terms and conditions, rules and regulations, the cancellation policy, and important dates can be found on the Exhibitor Hub page on the GAMA website.

Due to the increased demand for booth space at Expo… Don’t wait to book your booth - two-thirds of the Exhibit Hall is already sold!

For questions, please email exhibitors@gama.org.

2024 TABLETOP GAMING SURVEY

GAMA is pleased to partner with Dr. Ian Mercer of Fairleigh Dickinson University (a life-long gamer) and the Armchair Dragoons, to conduct an industry-wide survey to gather information about individuals in and around the tabletop gaming community.

This initiative is to update and compare the results of the original research project which was conducted nearly 20 years ago in 2006. GAMA was a partner of the original research, and we’ve been asked to participate in this updated survey to look at a player’s enjoyment, motivation, purchase behavior, entrepreneurship among hobby gamers and more.

Dr. Mercer and Armchair Dragoons will be surveying consumers and gamers, while GAMA focused on the industry side of the equation. The goal is to collect as many entries as possible before July 1.

We are encouraging GAMA members to participate in the study, which should take about 20 minutes to complete, and to share the link with your network to help Dr. Mercer gather as much data as possible. The more respondents we collect, the more accurate the results.

Once the survey is complete and the data analyzed, GAMA will share the results with our members.

If you’d like to take the survey, visit http://www.gamesurvey.org/

UPDATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP INFO!

As we work to improve our membership database and directory, one of the key components is ensuring member information is up to date.

When you have a moment, please take some time to make sure critical details like your address, email, contact information and job titles are correct on your membership account.

An enhanced directory is only as useful as the information in it, and we need your help!

BADGE REQUEST FOR ORIGINS GAME FAIR

One of your many membership benefits for being a part of GAMA is two complimentary badges to Origins Game Fair. Please refer to your membership newsletter for the process to request your two complimentary badges.

Trains on the Tabletop A Brief History of Train Games

by Katie Duffy, Marketing Manager, Steve Jackson Games

People have been fascinated with trains since their invention in the 1800s, so it’s little wonder that they have been the subject of tabletop games since at least 1901. That was the year Parker Brothers released Across the Continent, a board game in which players drew cards to a random destination, then raced to get there and back to their home base. The first player to achieve this feat was declared the winner. While the game did not have the enduring popularity of the Landlord’s Game (later Monopoly) or Snakes and Ladders, Across the Continent was updated and republished with new art and colors in 1952. Passenger rail service in the United States had started its decline by this time, which may explain a general lack of train games during the ‘50s and ‘60s. Two notable exceptions were Dispatcher, released in 1961,

and B&O/C&O, released in 1969. Both titles were published by the Avalon Hill Game Company, which would see more success with train games in the years ahead. As time rolled on, it would become clear that nostalgia for the glory days of rail travel was alive and well at the gaming table.

In 1974, R.S. Erickson and T.F. Erickson Jr. published Boxcars, a game focused on traveling and upgrading rail lines across the United States. That same year, Francis Tresham released 1829, the first in a series of train-based board games that would come to be known colloquially as “18XX” games. The gameplay of 1829 and its sequels focused on building wealth and corporate control, which was a departure from the travel mechanics of other train games. However, both Boxcars and 1829 caught the attention of Avalon Hill. The company purchased the rights to Boxcars,

which was updated and republished as Rail Baron in 1977. Tresham’s success with 1829 led him to license his game concept to other publishers including Avalon Hill, which published the sequel 1830 in 1986. While Avalon Hill was known for its train games, it was not the only publisher that took inspiration from train travel. Mayfair Games published Empire Builder, a “crayon-rails” game, in 1980. Unlike other train games, Empire Builder allowed players to draw their own routes over a map of North America, creating a strategy component to the gameplay and a unique experience each time. Mayfair would continue to publish train games throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, including the railroad card game Express. Designed by Darwin Bromley, Express focused on building individual trains rather than travel or resource control mechanics. Fans praised its theming, gameplay and familyfriendly nature, which was enjoyed by children and adults alike.

Steve Jackson was thrilled to bring this classic back to the tabletop in 2024. This new edition has been reworded to modernize the language, but plays exactly the same. What’s brand new is the playeraid card and online bonuses created by Jackson, Trella Bromley and the Train Games Association to help streamline play even more. It’s a revival that pays homage to the train games of the past while looking ahead to the genre’s future.

The Classic Train Game

In Express, you’ll score by building your own trains and disrupting your rivals. But watch out for wrecks and other disasters! With updates by Stave Jackson and the Train Games Association, this new edition of Express includes a custom card tray, a player reference card, and QR codes for hints, tournament rules, and supplementary material. MSRP: $24.95

Ultra-portable, strategy card games