The Village Square: January 29, 2018

We’re almost a month into 2018. How are your gaming challenges going? Thanks to my wife’s love of Azul, I’ve checked off the first game of my 10×10 challenge.

Clank Entombed
The newest Clank! expansion is due this March. Renegade Game Studios revealed Clank! The Mummy’s Curse, a pyramid-themed expansion with a new double-sided board, dungeon deck cards, and more. “An undying Mummy guardian spreads a vile curse to those who would rob its tomb. And, inevitably, the treasure has attracted a dragon. Can you escape the fearsome Croxobek?”
Source: http://www.renegadegamestudios.com/clank-the-mummys-curse

Lord of the Rings Digital LCG
Fantasy Flight Interactive posted a YouTube preview of its upcoming Lord of the Rings Living Card Game for the PC and Mac. “The Lord of the Rings Living Card Game is the first ever digital LCG®, featuring an in-game economy built around fixed packs and a story-based, single-player campaign.”
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnHmCQ9aQ3A&feature=youtu.be

Jurassic Park: Danger!
W. Eric Martin posted on his blog about the upcoming Jurassic Park: Danger! Adventure Strategy Game due this May. He quotes the game description: “In Jurassic Park: Danger! Adventure Strategy Game, one player controls the T. Rex, Dilophosaurus, and Velociraptor, prowling through the jungle to attack the humans. The other players team up as characters from the classic movie, struggling to get Jurassic Park back online and escape the island before they fall prey to old-time predators!”
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/73090/new-game-round-ny-toy-fair-2018-return-jurassic-pa

Amazon Settlers
Portal Games tweeted the cover of the next expansion for Imperial Settlers: Amazons, due at Essen 2018.
Source: https://twitter.com/trzewik/status/957289870069764096

Forbidden Returns
Gamewright tweeted a preview Forbidden Sky: Height of Danger, set for a summer release. It’s another cooperative game by Matt Leacock, following in the steps of Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert.
Source: https://twitter.com/Gamewright/status/955857681176285186

Edge of Darkness Preview
In anticipation of its February Kickstarter, AEG offered a preview of its Edge of Darkness. The game will use the Mystic Vale-style Card Crafting System. “[T]he city of Aegis suffers constant threat from the Blight, but the Guilds may be able to take the offensive and send their own forces to hunt the threat.”
Source: https://www.alderacsite.com/2018/01/24/55140-2-2-2-3-3/

Renegade Books
Renegade Game Studios also announced its partnership with Hunter’s Books to co-publish RPG books such as Kids on Bikes, Outbreak Undead, and The ABCs of RPGs. “Renegade will help bring these popular titles to a larger audience through increased hobby retailer distribution.”
Source: http://www.renegadegamestudios.com/news/2018/1/23/renegade-and-hunters-books-form-partnership

Helsinki Public Gaming
The government in Helsinki uses a board game to encourage public participation, according to medium.com. “The game’s rollout comes as Helsinki is overhauling local governance with a goal of making City Hall more responsive to the public.”
Source: https://medium.com/@BloombergCities/how-helsinki-uses-a-board-game-to-promote-public-participation-39d580380280

Asmodee Executives Discuss Diversity
Over on ICv2.com Asmodee North America CEO Christian Petersen and Asmodee CMO Steve Horvath talked about diversity within the board game industry. “We’re going to try to get the biggest audience that we can, and we will make games for different types of people.”
Source: https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/39286/icv2-interview-asmodee-execs-diversity-hobby-games

Board Games in The Post
The Washington Post recently ran an article about board games. “There’s plenty of speculation about what’s driving the boom — video games, the Internet, millennials preferring to socialize at home, hygge-style — but Barry ‘BJ’ Rozas, a lawyer from Louisiana who moonlights as a board game reviewer, says it really comes down to one thing: ‘Today’s games are better.'”
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/board-game-nights-are-having-a-moment-heres-how-to-join-in/2018/01/09/0c32eb30-d3c0-11e7-95bf-df7c19270879_story.html?utm_term=.2f407dd04bb9

Upcoming Board Game Conventions
January 26-28. EsCon. Escondido, California.
February 16-18. Con of the North. Minneapolis, Minnesota.
February 16-19. Orccon. Los Angeles, California.
February 19-25. PrezCon. Charlottesville, Virginia.
February 23-25. Great Plains Game Festival. Lincoln, Nebraska.
February 24-25. South South Board Game Convention. Tumwater, Washington.
March 9-11. Granite Games Summit. Nashua, New Hampshire.
March 16-18. MeepleCon. Las Vegas, Nevada.
March 22-25. AdeptiCon. Schaumburg, Illinois.
March 23-25. ConnCon. Stamford, Connecticut.
March 30-April 1. Who’s Yer Con. Indianapolis, Indiana.
April 5-8. PAX East. Boston, Massachusetts.
April 19-22. Kingdom-Con. San Diego, California.
April 27-29. QC Game Fest. Davenport, Iowa.
April 27-29. Gaming Hoopla. Mundelein, Illinois.
May 4-6. Heroicon. Decatur, Illinois.
May 11-13. CMON Expo. Atlanta, Georgia.
May 17-20. Geekway to the West. St. Charles, Missouri.
May 25-28. KublaCon. Burlingame, California.
May 25-28. Gamex. Los Angeles, California.
June 1-3. NashCon. Nashville, Tennessee.
June 13-17. Origins. Columbus, Ohio.
June 24-30. Rocky Mountain Gaming Vacation. Park City, Utah.
July 4-8. Dice Tower Con. Orlando, Florida.
July 12-15. HistoriCon. Fredericksburg, Virginia.
July 13-15. KantCan. Overland Park, Kansas.
July 21-29. WBC. Champion, Pennsylvania
August 2-5. GenCon. Indianapolis, Indiana.
August 24-26. MegaMooseCon. Richburg, South Carolina.
August 24-28. Coulee Con. La Crosse, Wisconsin.
August 31-September 3. Gateway 2018. Los Angeles, California.
September 14-16. GrandCon. Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Visit casualgamerevolution.com for more convention listings.