News Bits: 12/30/2013

I think everyone (including most of our writers) were on hiatus last week. In any case, we're back, and here is the NEWS:

Z-Man Games releases Government Shutdown scenario for Pandemic [Link] For those who want to relive the events of this past October (any takers? huh? huh?), Z-Man Games has released a new government shutdown scenario for Pandemic.

News Bits: 9/30/2013

This week's NEWS:

SeaFall, new "Legacy" game, coming in 2014 from Plaid Hat Games and Rob Daviau [Link] I thought the idea behind Risk: Legacy was awesome (if cringe-inducing to this collector), but I don't like the underlying game enough to give it a go. This new game looks fantastic: a 4x game set in an alternate age of discovery that remembers grudges and evolves as you play. This one I would love to try.

The Suns Are On Fire (An Interview with Emil Larsen)

This boxcover, as well as all other art and components pictured
are not final and subject to change

If you're like me, few things sound better than setting aside a good chunk of time to explore the galaxy, expand your galactic empire, exploit the resources of dozens of planets, and exterminate your enemies in epic space combat between massive fleets of ships. With some fantastic entires in the genre of 4x space exploration - Twilight Imperium being one of my favorite games of all time, and the popular Eclipse attempting to bridge the divide between thematic gamers and eurogamers alike.

So the prospect of a new 4x sci-fi game is an intriguing one.  But is Burning Suns, a new game on Kickstarter, going to fill a gap in styles of 4x games, or is it just noise beneath the games we already have?  The task of creating a great 4x game, given the scale and complexity in the very nature of such games, is a daunting one.

I had a chance to "sit down" at least virtually with game designer Emil Larsen and talk about his new game.  Hit the interview after the break and visit the kickstarter page here and judge for yourself whether Burning Suns is worth backing.

News Bits: 10/15/2012

Today is @Futurewolfie's birthday, so be sure to wish him well on Twitter (or in the comments). And with that bit out of the way, here is this week's news!

Essen Spiel Convenes in Germany
The big news this week is that the annual Spiel convention will take place in Essen, Germany (sounds tasty). For those of you who, like me, are unable to attend, Board Game Geek has a preview of what to expect up on their website. Honestly, it's a lot to wade through, and I'm just waiting to follow what those who attend the fair will vet for me.