Casual Games

Z-Man Games announces Contagion, AEG and Steve Jackson Games to release Munchkin Loot Letter, and three new games from Game Salute.

Both established game companies and first time designers are bringing their gaming ideas to Kickstarter this month. Several games have great themes, aimed at attracting children with rules that are engaging for the whole family.

If you enjoy auctions in games, take a look at the Kickstarter campaign for The Game of 49 by Mark Corsey. I had the pleasure to meet Mark and play his game at Unpub 4 early this year. The board is a 7x7 matrix with spaces numbered 1-49. You start with $49 in cash. Spaces are auctioned. Outbid your opponents, and you get to put your chip on that space. Get 4 chips in a row and you win. A deck of cards is used to determine which space is next on the auction block.

Maha Yodha is a 2-player card game currently making a splash on Kickstarter. Published by upstart company Leprechaun Games, Maha Yodha attempts to capture ancient Indian mythology in a relatively simple, yet strategic card game. We have had the opportunity to play a prototype of the game and have much to say about it. But first, the gameplay.

Stronghold Games announces their 2014 release schedule, sneak peak of King of New York, and How to Train Your Dragon games.

Golf is a sport that involves avoiding hazards and earning the lowest score possible. Grandpa Beck's Golf is a simple card game that is no different in this regard: avoid the high-valued cards (hazards and bogeys) and keep the lower-valued cards wherever possible. Earn the lowest score, and you win.

Z-Man Games set to release English version of Camel Up, a new game from Game Salute, and Dungeons and Dragons Dice Masters announced.

A new game from Fantasy Flight Games, nominees announced for Spiel des Jahres, and new games from Asmodee.

Time for the monthly Kickstarter roundup! May brings us several new card games, as well as the first in a new line from an established gaming company (North Star Games). A popular game from Russia is seeking an English release, and a new racing game mixes things up with a map-building mechanic.

Several new games announced by Steve Jackson Games, AEG set to release Seventh Hero, and new trick-taking card game from Stronghold Games.