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Terra Mystica on the Ocean
According to ICv2.com, the Merchants of the Seas expansion for Terra Mystica hits retail shelves this fall. It can be combined with the base game and/or the first expansion, Fire & Ice, and it gives “players a way to use the waterways on the game board to aid in their expansion.”
Source: https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/43988/z-man-takes-terra-mystica-sailing
Diving Back Into the Abyss
Two new entries in the Abyss universe, Abyss: Leviathan and Conspiracy: Abyss Universe, will be available this November, according to Dice Tower News. Leviathan is the second expansion to the base game and Conspiracy is a card game that features similar game play as the original.
Source: http://www.dicetowernews.com/bombyx-releasing-abyss-leviathan-and-conspiracy-abyss-universe-card-game/60470
New From Iello
Dice Tower News also reports that two new games from Iello hit stores this month: Ninja Academy, a dexterity game by Antoine Bauza, Corentin Lebrat, Ludovic Maublanc, and Theo Rivere, and Double Rumble, an expansion for 8-bit Box that features solo and cooperative play.
Source: http://www.dicetowernews.com/iello-to-release-ninja-academy-and-double-rumble-this-september/60506
Azul: Summer Pavilion
The next release in the Azul series is the standalone game, Summer Pavilion. It features the same basic game play of Azul, but with a few changes, including “All of the tiles you draft are placed beside your game board instead of immediately being played on the board. [and]Once all the tiles have been drafted, players take turns placing one tile on their board, with the “cost” for that tile depending on where it’s placed.” According to BGG, it will debut at SPIEL next month.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/94099/collect-tiles-once-again-time-azul-summer-pavilion
The Business of Board Games
Pandasaurus co-owner Nathan McNair talked about the “Superstar Phenomenon” in business and how it relates to the board game industry. “The basic theory is this: If something is perceived to be of a higher quality it will get a disproportionate number of dollars.”
Source: https://pandasaurusgames.com/blogs/news/the-business-of-board-games-the-superstar-problem
Los Angeles Board Gaming
Writer Jackie Fuchs looked at the blossoming board gaming scene in Los Angeles. “[T]here’s a tactile satisfaction from interacting with actual components—drawing tiles, shuffling cards, tossing dice, taking cubes and tokens. But the main draw for in-person gaming is the satisfaction of learning something new and spending time with others who share a common interest.”
Source: https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/board-games-los-angeles/
Upcoming Board Game Conventions
September 20-22. AppleCon1. Cornish, ME
September 27-29. Falcon 2019. Stamford, CT
October 4-6. TokenCon. Oklahoma City, OK
October 11-13. FlatCon. Bloomington, IL
October 11-13. CinCityCon. Cincinnati, OH.
October 25-27. Cardboard Caucus. West Des Moies, IA
October 31-November 3. Gamehole Con. Madison, WI
November 8-10. MACE. Charlotte, NC
November 14-17. Midwest GamesFest. Independence, MO
November 20-24. BGG Con. Dallas, TX
November 21-24. Chicago Toy & Game Fair. Chicago, IL
November 29-December 1. GobbleCon. San Francisco, CA
December 6-8. PAX Unplugged. Philadelphia, PA
Visit casualgamerevolution.com for more convention listings.