We have now reached the end of the first month of 2021, a year full of many hopes given the problem of the virus that is literally "trapping" the world. Fortunately, however, the creative activities have continued on their way and also this year will be full of new board games to buy and try on the busiest evenings. To date we have no vision of the complete line-up of titles that will fill the markets around the globe, but we can still make a list of the 10 titles that we most await and that will be distributed during this year. The 10 titles that we will list are the ones that most aroused our curiosity and trust; it's not a definitive list, but it's more of a vision of what we want to play this year. Many of the titles that we will deal with come from lucky Kickstarter campaigns that we too have helped and that we can't wait to be able to touch, albeit unfortunately at present there are no official release dates; after all, as anticipated, the insiders had to deal with the various lockdowns around the globe.
1) Darkest Dungeon
This is the title inspired by the video game of the same name released in 2015 and which became a cult of indie titles in a very short time. We had the opportunity to try the game online directly with the developers, an exhilarating experience that made us understand even better what the actual level of production is. Without a shadow of a doubt, we can say with certainty that the developers have managed to recreate that atmosphere of fear and sadness that made the game's fortune. The fantasy narrative is permeating and it will be fabulous to create a group of adventurers ready to face this tremendous adventure. The dungeon crawler made by Mythic Games faithfully reproduces the elements of the video game, including the evolution of the characters, and will try to put pressure on the players in every possible way, especially thanks to state conditions that will affect their behavior. Players will be able to have fun along a campaign consisting of 11 possible missions and fighting against different bosses that will appear during the game. As you make your way through the various settings of the title, you will gradually experience the stress that this aims to transmit, forcing you to adapt and change your strategy from time to time.
Each room can contain both enemies and great treasures to be discovered, each difficulty will have to be faced by the players who will be able to count on the various skills of their character - which differ according to the type of class - all while also having to face the potential effects. of state that could strike us in the most unexpected moments. The title is a real turn-based strategic cooperative and promises a lot, but a lot of hard work to be brought to fruition. In short, we are talking about a difficult and demanding product, perfect for anyone wishing to go on an adventure together with their companions towards an apparently impossible expedition.
2) Frosthaven
In this case, we are talking about the sequel to the lucky and acclaimed Gloomhaven. After a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign that raised nearly $ 13 million in one month, becoming the Kickstarter most funded table of all time, Frosthaven it enters by right in the most anticipated titles of this 2021, having a significant weight on its shoulders. The fantasy title moves the story to a new group of adventurers who respond to the distress call of a frozen outpost north of the city of Gloomhaven. Terrified by the dangerous creatures that populate the area, this inhospitable place needs a handful of brave, willing to do anything to protect the outpost from the monsters that threaten it.
While Gloomhaven was driven solely by player research, Frosthaven gives users the opportunity to develop the outpost they will be protecting using the raw materials found throughout the adventure. By improving the settlement, players will not only make it more resistant against attacks from outside forces, but will also be able to build buildings that will offer direct bonuses to the characters we will control in the game. The latter will in fact need all the help possible, because the enemies a Frosthaven they will present a tough challenge. There are still several unexplored dynamics within Frosthaven and that is precisely why we consider it one of the titles that deserves our attention.
3) KAPOW! The fast & furious super-powered buildable dice game!
Also in this case we are talking about a successor to what was a very fun board game and which tried to relaunch itself through a successful campaign Kickstarter. The developers have decided to release this second edition of the game, improving it from an aesthetic point of view and tweaking some parts of the gameplay. However, the title remains faithful to its predecessor and all owners of KAPOW! they will be able to update with a supplement of the rules, which will be published on the official website of The With Wizard Games, so as not to bear the full cost of the title again for long-time users.
In KAPOW! players will have to choose immediately which side to be on, whether on the side of good or evil. This choice will divert the participants to the first roll of the dice, which will then determine the initial stretch and unique skills. During the game you will be able to get additional empty "action dice" with removable faces that you can customize to your liking to improve your character according to your preferences. Behind each player's screen you will have to roll the dice to assign them to the attack, defense and enhancement skills. The combination resulting from having to choose how to increase the dice pool, how to customize the dice faces of the actions and how to use each roll leads to a strategic battle of remarkable beauty. KAPOW! it is fun, fast, thrilling and perfectly encapsulates everything that two friends are looking for, ready to give them a good reason.
4) TIME Stories revolution
We are almost at the launch of the new TIME Stories cycle. As previously announced by Asmodee, this new cycle called the “blue cycle” will present many differences from its predecessor. In this new cycle each adventure will start directly with the characters projected along the story, then we will skip the passage to the base and the introduction by Bob. The real revolution, however, is summed up in the fact that each mission was designed to be completed in a single game session, thus setting aside the layout of the time units.
The first expansion to come out will be Experience. This expansion was designed to find out what happens between missions, and will allow you to improve the skills of your characters, while making important decisions for the continuation of the adventure. It will be released on the same date The Hadal Project. Complete, stand-alone adventure that will propel you into 2099 NT. A virus (really?) Is decimating the world, but the Hadal Project is taking place in a science base under the ocean. Your task will be to find out what it is and to save the whole of humanity.
5) Diabolik - Shots and investigations
Pendragon Game Studio will release this year Diabolik - Shots and investigations, game obviously dedicated to the character of Diabolik. In this title you can in fact wear the shoes of the famous thief and his iconic partner Eva Kant, but also of detectives Ginko and Morrigan. The game will see us divided into two teams, one with the intent of catching the criminals and the other intent on scoring their shots without getting caught by the guards. We got to know the creator during the SPIEL DIGITAL 2020, and we are fully convinced of the potential of this title, capable of projecting us into the dynamics of Diabolik and not simply published in support of the film in the pipeline.
6) Quest
Quest is the spiritual successor of Avalon, taking place in the same universe and possibly several years after the original work, although the exact time frame has not yet been confirmed. With many of the characters found in Avalon, Quest will see a minimum of four to a maximum of ten players intent on taking their places at the Round Table to decide who should be sent on a series of fatal missions. The fall of Avalon is close, with the evil sorcerer Mordred eager to overthrow Arthur from the throne by drawing his followers to his side. In a desperate attempt to prevent this, the king and his loyal servants must then successfully complete several missions to avoid the irreparable.
During the game, users select a leader for each mission, whose responsibility is to choose two other players to join the journey. Whoever chooses the leader secretly decides whether they want the mission to be successful or not. Before this step is finalized, a player receives a magic token which forces him to vote for the success of the mission. The fate of the game therefore depends on the number of missions that are completed or not, with the possibility of adding secret roles and amulets to further mix the cards on the table.
7) Exile
Exile is the brand new project conceived and illustrated by Ryan laukat (Near & Far, Above & Below, Sleeping Gods). The game tells the story of people forced to flee their homes to escape a colossal meteorite of crystal and by dangerous creatures related to it. Countless years later, those fearsome creatures appear to have nearly become extinct and the survivors will be required to rebuild civilization. Each player chooses a character with their own unique attributes and cards and begins to work on the reconstruction of a single city while collaborating with the other participants, intent on rebuilding their metropolises. The game allows everyone to use facilities and specialists belonging to other players. Despite that, the gameplay is highly competitive , strategic and use little or no randomness .
8) ISS Vanguard
ISS Vanguard is a cooperative board game for 1 to 4 players. It will take players directly into the epic sci-fi adventure, being able to choose to manage any of the four tasks present (security, reconnaissance, science, engineering) aboard the first human ship capable of reaching space. The campaign will introduce the unique story written by Krzysztof Piskorski (Tainted Grail) and will be filled with difficult player choices, twists and branching textures.
The game is divided into 2 main phases: ship phase and landing on the planets. During the Ship phase, players will manage their own ship, where each member will have to make a few choices based on their assignment. Once this is over, they will then move on to prepare their crew for landing on the planet, so that they can seek answers to humanity's greatest questions. Together you can choose the lander, customizable with various modules, after which you will have to decide which crew member to send on a mission (the more experienced ones will have better grades), build your own deck of skills, decide the equipment to use and choose the dice for your character. The game will include over 100 different crew members, each with unique characteristics. During all phases of the game, participants will be directed by the Logbook, in which they will find consistent stories, often written in the form of action-packed dialogues between the characters.
9) Darwin's journey
10) Ankh
In Ankh, players will take on the role of a god of ancient Egypt, competing for survival as society begins to forget the old ways, all to ensure that only you and your followers stand firm in the faith of your subjects. Build trailers, summon monsters and convert followers in the name of your mission to reign in Ankh: Gods of Egypt. Gods, monsters and the people of ancient Egypt have been (kings) lovingly imagined and interpreted in beautifully detailed illustrations and miniatures, with players all the while truly feeling like gods ready to shake the foundations of Egypt. Every gameplay mechanic featured in Ankh, including combat, appears simple to handle and not random. In short, to get the best of it, you will have to exploit all your skills.
This is our list of the 10 tabletop titles that we look forward to most fervently this year; and what do you think? What are the titles you can't wait to unbox and try in the course of 2021? Write it to us in the comments.
