News Bits: 12/9/2013

As promised, this week's NEWS is back to business and bursting at the seams. Without further ado, the NEWS:

Gravwell release date set for December 20 [Link] This according to the game's designer, Corey Young. For those not in the know, Gravwell was one of the best games I played at Gen Con. I've played it several times since on Futurewolfie's copy he purchased there, and I still like it quite a bit. Review forthcoming, closer to the release date, and it will be a nemesis review (that is, Wolfie and I will both provide an opinion). In the meantime, set phasers to "preorder."

News Bits: 12/2/2013

The NEWS is a little sparse this week (Thanksgiving holiday, over which my family celebrated Christmas). We should return to business as usual next week. In the meantime, the NEWS:

Stonemaier Games offers charity auction for special edition of Viticulture [Link] Stonemaier Games has "made it about others" by auctioning several copies of Viticulture for charity. They reached out to various gaming blogs to choose which charities get donations, and we chose Children's Relief.

News Bits: 7/8/2013

Another week, another NEWS:

UPDATE: Spiel des Jahres awarded to Hanabi, Kennerspiel des Jahres to Legends of Andor [Link] These choices are a surprise (especially Hanabi, a small-box game), but not an unwelcome one. Also, we have reviewed both Hanabi and Legends of Andor if you'd like to see our thoughts on the games.

Board Game Geek launches GenCon 2013 preview [Link] GenCon is the big gaming convention in the States, and this preview is a must for convention goers. There are a number of games on the list that I plan to investigate further at the convention.

This Game is Watching You (An Interview with Jamey Stegmaier)

Jamey Stegmaier has a strong passion for creating games that bring people together in the spirit of fun, competition, and strategic thinking. With a lifelong enthusiasm for playing and designing board games, he runs the business side of StonemaierGames along with Alan Stone. Together through their start-up company, the two produced Jamey’s first published title, Viticulture. Stonemaier Games is seeking to publish Jamey’s latest design, Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia. Their Kickstarter campaign funded in, like, one hour (it was beast!), but it will still run through June 12. If you'd like to participate, there are still plenty of stretch goals to aim for and lots of neat-looking stuff that you can get in on! We asked Jamey a few questions about this title, and he was gracious enough to talk with us.

News Bits: 5/13/2013

Another week packed with NEWS:

IELLO hosts King of Tokyo championship [Link] This is your chance to prove if you are, in fact, the King of Tokyo. Regional qualifiers with a final tournament at this year's GenCon. I'm not enamored of this game, but @Futurewolfie likes it quite a bit.

Press Release: It's Time to Build a Better Dystopia

I received the following press release from Stonemaier Games:

New game from the creators of Viticulture launching on Kickstarter on May 15 

Jamey Stegmaier and Alan Stone, creators of the Kickstarter hit Viticulture: The Strategic Game of Winemaking, are returning to Kickstarter to seek funding for their new game, Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia. Game lovers familiar with the dice in Alien Frontiers and the worker-placement/removal mechanics in The Manhattan Project and Tzolk’in will feel right at home in Euphoria.

Euphoria has been blind playtested by over 60 people across the world, and it will launch on Kickstarter with the full art and design complete. The Kickstarter campaign will feature free shipping to individuals in the US, Canada, and the European Union, as well as free bulk shipping to a limited number of backers in Asia and Australia. Just like with Viticulture (which has already been delivered to many backers early, with all other backers due to receive their games as promised in May), Euphoria comes with a money-back guarantee to all Kickstarter backers. 

About the game:
The world as we know it has ended, and in its place the city of Euphoria has risen. Believing that a new world order is necessary to prevent another apocalypse, the Euphorian elite not only erect physical walls around the city, but also metaphysical walls around the minds of the citizens. Gone are personal freedoms; gone is knowledge of the past. All that matters is the future. 

In Euphoria, you lead a team of workers (dice) and recruits (cards) to claim ownership of the dystopian world. You will generate commodities, dig tunnels to infiltrate opposing areas, construct markets, collect artifacts, strengthen allegiances, and fulfill secret agendas, all while trying to keep your morale high and your knowledge (represented by the numbers on the dice) as low as possible so your workers don’t discover they’re in a dystopia. 

What are you willing to sacrifice in the present to make the future better than the past? Find out in Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia. 

Number of players: 2-5 (adding a 6th player is one of the many Kickstarter stretch goals)
Time required: 60 min
Recommended ages: 13+ 

Stonemaier Games website: www.stonemaiergames.com
Euphoria art gallery: http://www.stonemaiergames.com/gallery/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StonemaierGames
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jameystegmaier

***UPDATE: Euphoria has launched on Kickstarter and has already tripled its funding. Check it out!