Eric Lang discusses his design process for Fantasy Flight Games' Star Wars LCG [Link] I found his design process of creating a "cinematic" feel fascinating. I was wondering why the pod system of deck building was invented, but this makes sense. (And hopefully it's better implemented than something like Young Jedi.)
Mayday Games changes leadership [Link] Let's all hope for a less ... eventful future for this games company. Say what you will about the company, most of my card sleeves are from them (for better or worse).
GMT games featured in Forbes [Link] I haven't had much experience with GMT (I'm not a wargamer, really), but every interaction I've had has been positive, and this deal is fantastic. This is a company that I want to support.
Interview with Bernd Brunhoeffer (aka Michael Tummelhoffer of Stone Age, Saint Petersburg) [Link] This is an older interview, so it doesn't deal with the elephant in the room: why the Rio Grande/Hans im Gluck split?
Various game companies are offering sales [Stronghold Games preorders, Dr. Finn's Games 2-for-1, GMT's big fall sale] Stronghold has some excellent games that I'd love to preorder if I had the funds--all at a discount and with special promos and expansions. Dr. Finn's is offering a 2-for-1 special on Biblios and Scripts & Scribes Dice (I've played the latter, and it's fun: the former looks right up my alley). Again, GMT has primarily wargames, but if that's your bag, you'll want to check out their discounts. And today is the last day!
Reviews in review [Coup, Copycat, Briefcase, Garden Dice] Amid all the buzz for larger games at Essen (gears! ants!), I missed any mention of Coup, a very small bluffing game. The Analogue Diversions review has made me quite interested. (Also, the game publisher is small and sounds great: here's their website, and here's their BGG presentation at Essen.) The Copycat one isn't really a review so much as a presentation by Friedemann Friese at Essen. Again, I'm more interested in this one than I was (though I still think the name is lame). The Briefcase review is Tom Vasel's, and his review confirms another that I'd read (by Benny Sperling), making me think this is a try-before-buy game. And--shill alert!--the Garden Dice review is mine from last week, but I really think more people should check out this game (and my writing, obviously).
A Dominion-inspired Halloween costume [Link] I love this!
Kickstarters of Note
It looks like we're back in the swing of a tabletop Kickstarter boom. Check out these projects:
- Twin Tin Bots: The designer of Small World and Olympos (two games beloved of the Dragon) has a new game up on Kickstarter. I'm not sure it's my cup of tea, but it might be yours. $55 (or $45, if you're fast enough).
- The Official Settlers of Catan Gaming Board: This is an officially licensed Settlers of Catan tile-locking board. It seems great if you play Catan a lot. (I do not, so my tiles will just have to slip around.) $25.
- Nothing Personal: Tom Vasel (of The Dice Tower fame) along with Stephen Avery have designed a mobster-themed negotiation game. It looks fantastic and has already passed several stretch-goal upgrades. $45.
- Sentinels of the Multiverse: Shattered Timelines: Greater Than Games is perhaps the hardest-working indie publisher out there, and this is the newest Sentinels-related item they've cooked up. It funded in 4.5 hours, and is already on its way to a lot of awesome stuff. (Also, their quote about international shipping is awesome...and unfortunately accurate.) $30.
- Moongha Invaders: This was once a grail game by Martin Wallace; now it's on Kickstarter. I suppose $60 is cheaper than the grail prices, but it's too rich for my blood. Yes, that's $60.
- City Hall: This game looks interesting to me, and I've heard good things through Unpub and other sources. It's a game of running for the office of mayor and all the backstabbery that that entails. $50.
Completely Unrelated Awesomeness of the Week
Tom Vasel of The Dice Tower recently concluded his annual "Top 100 Games of All Time" series, and he finished up with this conclusion video, defending the list as well as his daughter's entries. I don't understand the criticism in the first place. In any case, the video is worth a watch as it deals with a lot of the criticisms leveled against the list and gives a good insight into Tom's style of reviewing.
That 20% off through November 12th for GMT sales includes the 3rd printing of Dominant Species, which is an excellent Euro. Urban Sprawl is on sale for $40 before discount, too.
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