This is the best spot to watch about it. But let’s talk some about the question he asked. What is card dancing? Because in my head it is one thing but who knows if I’m going to be right. To me, I think that card dancing is going to be a pattern and flow of cards that you work on. So if I activate a card it might go to another spot in the pattern and connect with another card. I then can activate a card there, and in terms of regency period dance almost.

How would that work in a game? Well, I think that you need to build up your dance, for example. I think as you build it up, it’s going to then determine how some things activate. And you’re going to want to be keeping track of that and keeping that in balance as you add in new dance partners. Also as some dance partners might take a break off to the side.

What do you think that card dancing is going to be? And after watching the video on the game, are you interested in it?

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PS. The Image is Isle of Cats, obviously, but I don’t have a cover image to use yet.

Top 10 Games I Want To Get My Hands On

10 – The City of Kings

Originally a game that I learned about from Rolling Solo, I think realized it is from a company that I like their stuff, City of Games, such as Isle of Cat and Isle of Cat Explore & Draw. Basically a company I’ll always be paying attention to. This is one that I could order, but it’s not a cheap game, because it’s a big kind of adventure game.

But it’s doing adventure in a different way. While you are still going out, fighting monsters, completing goals and things like that, so much of The City of Kings is about leveling up your character. Much of what you do is in preparation to face off against the big bad guy when they show up. It’s also more contained as well which I like.

9 – The King’s Dilemma

I’ve almost bot The King’s Dilemma from Horrible Guild a number of times. And it’s fairly surprising I haven’t because it’s a legacy game and I love legacy games. But the main reason that I haven’t is I don’t know when I’ll play it. And with it being in stock a lot of the time, it’s one that I plan on picking up when I know I’m ready to play it.

The King’s Dilemma is an interesting sounding game where you take on different factions in a kingdom. And then through the games you open up envelopes, deal with the dilemma’s that come out, voting on what your faction wants in the game. It seems like a big narrative experience and negotiation experience which sounds fun. Also seems like it needs a fairly specific group.

8 – Die of the Dead

I almost backed Die of the Dead when it was on Kickstarter from Radical 8 Games. And now it is hard to find, though I have seen it once used. This game just looked colorful and different which is what drew me to it on Kickstarter. And while it doesn’t look to be that heavy, it does seem to do some different things.

In this game you are trying to be the first player to get your souls back to the land of the living. You load up dice into coffins, roll them and try and place them on this three dimensional stairway. The whole idea of going back up to the land of the living with your souls. I don’t know a ton more about game play, but the table presence is amazing.

7 – MicroMacro: Crime City

From one that is hard to find to one that is easy to find we have MicroMacro: Crime City, and the standalone expansion. Both of those generally are fairly easy to get your hands on. And I’m mainly waiting for a time when I know that I want to play the game.

The basics of the game is a “Where is Waldo” type of scenario. You are looking around a giant map to try and find the specific clues for your case. And as you find some details you open up others which lead you down a path until you find the criminal.

Calling this a game is a bit tricky, but as an activity, it sounds like a lot of fun. Besides wanting to get it when I can play it, the other reason I’ve hesitated is I don’t know if I would play all the cases with it still feeling interesting and unique. If you’ve played it, let me know how it holds up after playing a lot of cases.

6 – Monumental

Another Kickstarter that I wish I had backed, but on Kickstarter it just looked good not amazing. For me, I think that this is a game that probably would work really well. But of course, now it’s hard to find because it has not come to retail.

In Monumental you play over two different areas. The first is a board where you are doing area control of sorts, fighting enemies, things like that. But what really intrigues me about the game is the deck building, a mechanism that I love. And the deck building seems interesting as well because you are playing down cards into a grid and then activating a row or column of cards. That just seem unique way to activate everything.

5 – Star Wars: Rebellion

Star Wars: Rebellion is a game that I’ve played, actually the rest of them are. Rebellion is a very fun two player game that is Star Wars in a box. It offers just such a good experience of the cat and mouse game of the Empire having a strong presence trying to find the rebel base. And the Rebels look to get planets on their side, build up their strength but really weaken the enemy.

There are two reasons that I don’t own this one yet. It is a long game that is two player only. So I feel like it won’t hit the table too often. Also, I know someone who owns it, I play with them. That last reason is definitely the bigger of the two.

4 – Village Rails

One that isn’t out yet, actually a few aren’t quite out yet. But Village Rails from Osprey Games is one I got to demo at Gen Con this year. And this feels like a simpler version and maybe more fun version of Village Green. The idea is similar between the two in what you’re doing.

In Village Rails you are building out rail routes and scoring points for those routes. You can buy and play engines that are going to give you more points as you place them on the routes. But you only have a limited amount of money. And the further something is down collection of engines the more it costs. Plus you are building out this grid of routes which can give you points in other ways as well. It feels like it offers just a bit more freedom in what you are doing.

3 – Asking for Trobils

Another one I played at Gen Con and actually just in my Top 100. Asking for Trobils from Breaking Games is a light and light-hearted worker placement game. Can you mess up your opponents, sure, but the artwork and everything about the game is just means to be fun and it comes through.

I like how fast the turns go in Asking for Trobils. You can go to a good number of spots, but generally you place a ship down, you get a thing and it’s on to the next turn. All the while you are working to get groups of stuff to be able to get Trobils. You might be buying more ships to get more actions, but whenever you want, you can spend your turn to pull you ships back. It’s fast and fun.

2 – Ready Set Bet

Ready Set Bet will be purchased soon. Ready Set Bet, a racing betting game, is coming out soon, in fact I might pick it up this weekend. Another one, actually these last four are, that I played at Gen Con this year. Ready Set Bet is a great experience and I think it’ll work in most groups because it’s a game that breeds excitement.

In Ready Set Bet one person is the caller, this can rotate or there is an app, for a horse race. They are rolling dice, moving the horses on the track. Everyone else, in real time, is betting on the horses. That might seem chaotic, and it is, but it’s chaotic in a good way. You really are just trying to guess right. But there are other bets, like the 4 beating the 7, or all horses being out of the gate, or close finishes, all things you can bet on as well in an attempt to make the most money.

1 – First Rat

And finally we have First Rat. While Ready Set Bet was more of an experience at Gen Con, I think that First Rat is the game that I want to get my hands on the most. And it’s not my normal type of game, yes, it has a great theme with rats building rockets to get to the moon because the moon is made of cheese. But at it’s heart you are pushing up a track, getting resources and trading them in.

But how you do that is really interesting and every different strategy you can have. When I played, I was pushing up my lights, the lights basically make the collection of other resources more powerful. But it meant I was collecting resources slower early on. Other players shot ahead to get resources as quick as possible to complete their rocket parts. The game is thinky but a nice balance of thinky and quick turns for me.

What Is On Your Wish List?

Let me know what some games that might be coming out soon to retail or are already out that you really want to get your hands on? There are so many games out there that it’s hard to keep up, and I think most gamers shouldn’t try and keep up. Looking at my list, I have a few games that are not old but not the newest and hottest games.

And then other games are new and exciting. But the ones that are the newest, those are also the ones that I’ve already tried. And even those, with the exception of Ready Set Bet, I’m fine waiting for the right time to get it. I want Ready Set Bet now because I think it could be a good game night game with that party nature to it. But others, Monumental especially, I’m probably unlikely to pick that one up, unless I find it for a really nice price used. And that’s okay, I don’t need to try every game, even though I’d love to.

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The Game – The Isle of Cats Explore & Draw

Like I said at the top, the Explore & Draw is very similar to the base game. You are still trying to rescue all of the cats and get them aboard your ship and lounging in ways to create groups of colors. Plus there are lesson or objective cards that offer other ways to score points here as well.

In regular Isle of Cats the game is split into two parts. There is the drafting of cards and keeping them so that you can use them to gather cats or play lesson cards. And then there is the gathering of cats phase where you put them onto your ship. The explore and draw keeps all of that but condenses it. You create 4 columns of 3 cards each. And those might be cat cards, the first column is all cat cards, or the 4th column has two lesson cards.

Everyone at the same time is picking a column to use to fill in on your boat. In solo you don’t really get to see what, but I didn’t quite play it right. In terms of the solo game play. If it were multiplayer things would change up pretty quickly between players. But it won’t slow down because of everyone going at once.

Initial Impressions

I like the game, I think that it is a nice fast roll and write game to play. I think I could teach it and play it with people in about 45 minutes for the first time. Then after that it’d go even faster. The game has some decision space but not too much. And certain things that it does, making you connect everything for example, means that you are limited in where you can build.

I want to play it and The Isle of Cats more just to see which one I like better. I do think that they hit different spots in my collection, though. When I want the feel of Isle of Cats but faster, Explore and Draw is going to be the way to go. But regular Isle of Cats offers more variety and more depth of strategy.

Upcoming Streams

Wednesday I am continuing with Game 5 of Stars of Akarios. This, I believe, is going to be the last session in the prologue. What adventure awaits us back in space. We’ve braved a planet, done space exploration and now will we be able to get away, regroup and figure out what is going on?

And then on Monday, not sure what I’m going to be streaming. Possibly Long Shot: The Dice Game. Or if I have time to learn Welcome to Dino World or Dinosaur Island Rawr ‘n Write those could be on the list as well. Or looking I have a few other solo games to learn and play, Set a Watch, Ratcatcher, and Coffee Roaster all stand out to me. What sounds best to you?

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Osprey Games

Undaunted Battle of Britain

Take to the sky. It’s continuing the series of games. Undaunted games are deck building and war games. This is going to add in airplanes with is different. Undaunted is one that I would like to try. I really do enjoy deck building and while the theme isn’t my normal one that I love, I think that it could be a game that I enjoy a lot to play. And there is an expansion to what is already out there that makes it solo.

Arcane Wonders

10 Years of Arcane Wonders

A new logo for Arcane Wonders as they have reached 10 years. They talked about some games that they have already announced.

Foundations of Rome

New Kickstarter August 2nd. I believe this is going to have a new expansion. The announcement that they officially had was just the 10 years of being around and the new logo.

Horrible Guild

The Great Split

The Great Split is where you are drafting cards, collecting riches and trying to get the most prestigious of all of them. You split your cards and your opponent picks one, so you split and choose. Looks like a very light game but also one that is going to be a lot of fun as you try and figure out what to collect and how to get points. Honestly looks like one that I’ll enjoy a lot.

Pencil First Games

Floriferous Pocket Edition

Continues the trend of taking their games and making smaller editions of games. They take everything and basically make it smaller. So it’s going to be the same game but in a smaller package. I don’t know that it needs a smaller edition, the game is already small and I own it and I really enjoy it. But I’ll look at it as maybe a small stocking stuffer for people I know.

Forbidden Games

Mosaic Wars and Disasters

Adds in more cards to the base game. This is a civilization themed game. I am curious about the game as I’ve heard very good things. But It’s also a big game and that means that it is going to be a longer game. Mosaic was a try before I buy and Wars and Disasters seems intriguing but it doesn’t change the fact it’s a try before I buy. Coming to Kickstarter in September. This is a chance to get the game if you missed out on it though. And who knows, maybe I’ll back it if I can demo it at Gen Con.

Unexpected Games

3000 Scoundrels

Old west game that definitely looks to have some weird west vibes to it. And it is going to have cards and sleeves that change up characters. It seems to have a lot of interesting things to it. There are in fact 3000 unique scoundrels. It is going to be an engine building game with some push your luck as well to it. I really love the aesthetic of the game that’s for sure. More information is going to come out tomorrow for more details and is coming out Fall of 2022 or demo it at Gen Con.

Pegasus Spiele

Caldera Park

This is a tile placement game where you are trying to place large herds of animals. The active player is picking what you do and you play them on your own map. It sounds interesting, you try and place things out so that you can not block yourself out for what other people pick, because you are trying to get large herds. I like this a lot reminds me of Tiny Towns.

Spaceship Unity

A space themed game, I don’t know a ton about it at this point in time. It has some great artwork and a fun video introducing it. It is going to be a campaign game over 5 episodes. You need to interact with your own house, I am less convinced on that. They want it to be kind of that Star Trek or Orville theme but to me that sounds too odd.

Dan and Cora Hughes

Cora Quest: Keep on Questing

It’s a family dungeon crawling game. This is more for the game, more quests. It’s coming to Kickstarter in October. It’s going to be adding in more to the game, leveling up characters, more items things like that. Just basically more for the game, so if you like it, you know, and you know if you want more. And there is a box design contests or things for kids from all over the world to get artwork on the box.

Portal Games

Basilica

A 2nd of the game. I don’t know much about it, but it looks quite euro. A two player tile laying game. Ignacy described it as Carcassonne with combat and area control. I like tile laying, I don’t mind area control, especially as two players. So I am curious about it but it is a try before I buy easily. It’s going to be an Essen Spiel release.

Granna

Space Craft

You are building a space craft. You get different resources to let you buy different ship pieces. One interesting piece of the look is that the pieces click together. Plus you are trying to build your space craft to get orders completed. There is some interesting movement to gather your resources and how they are limited. This is one that I’m curious about just because it is building a space craft, and while it’s 2D it looks like a lot of fun. It’s going to be premiering at Essen Spiel.

Matagot

Peter Pan

It’s panic in Neverland as the lost children has been kidnapped. It looks like a game with players trying to figure out where the lost children were taken while avoiding Captain Hook. I think it looks like a lot of fun, it’s a dry erase board which allows you to figure out information. And there is a campaign mode which is interesting. It reminds me of Treasure Island but this one being cooperative is way more interesting to me.

Smirk and Dagger

Tesseract

An other dimensional tesseract is collapsing down. Can you figure out how to control it or will it blow up and destroy our earth. The goal of the game is to get cubes off of the Tesseract and get them into a matrix. If you can contain a cubes into matrix. It’s all about collecting different sets of cubes to fill up that matrix. Looks like a fun puzzle of a game and is going to be cooperative as well. Coming to Kickstarter in October. And it has a lot of cool dice in it.

Gale Force Nine

Enola Holmes: Finder of Lost Souls

It’s an all versus one game of reasoning and deception. I like the idea of a one versus all game where it is set-up with figuring out what the one has set-up. It’s made as a family weight game which to me is interesting but probably not for me. I find that one versus all are hard to get to the table. And it sounds like there is a bit of Mastermind element to it as well. For me, I’d play this but I don’t think I’d ever pick it up not because it looks bad, but it doesn’t look like it’s for me.

Plaid Hat Games

Hickory Dickory

You are trying to collect different things to get points. Now, that sounds boring or standard. But there is a clock with a moving hand around the board. Which I think is pretty interesting. And it isn’t just collecting sets, it’s collecting rows and columns. And the artwork is amazing for this game. I actually think I want to pick this one up because the game just looks so pretty on the table. And Q4 in 2022 for the release date.

Grey Fox Games

Prophets of Doom

You’re the leader of a doomsday cult but you are really bad at figuring out what is happening. You’re trying to get followers and build up your compound. It’s a fun theme and fairly unique. Honestly, don’t know what I think about this, the artwork is nice. The theme, like I said is fun, but also I don’t know too much about how it’s played. And it’s a Q1 game in 2023.

Reavers of Midgard Expansion

I haven’t played Champions or Reavers of Midgard. I think that they look pretty but also they don’t seem like my type of game. But if you like Reavers of Midgard, then this is going to be interesting to you. It’s a game that I wouldn’t mind playing. And it’s coming to Kickstarter or crowdfunding towards the end of 2022.

Navoo Games

Raising Robots

It’s interesting strategy game with robots for 1 to 7 players. I find that interesting because that’s a big number of players but they have engine building, simultaneous action selection and variable player powers. I really love the artwork from Howard McWilliam. The game looks like it’s going to be pretty heavy which is not a bad thing, but it might be heavier than the art makes it look. Looks like a try before I buy because there is a lot going on. And while you do stuff simultaneously, it looks like you pick actions and then set stuff up then everyone activates. It’s one you can checkout at Gen Con.

Rebel Studio

Meadow Downstream

An expansion for Meadow. It is releasing at Spiel Essen this year. There is a river board and water tiles that you use. It’s going to add more to Meadow and if you like Meadow then you are probably going to want more of this

Meadow Adventure Book

Another expansion but this one is going to be adding in scenarios. It will be legacy like experience in 2023. So think adding rules as you go and playing the specific scenarios. They said legacy like, though, so I am assuming somewhat replayable. Meadow is a game that I should try and checkout at Gen Con because I love the artwork and look but don’t want to take the plunge to buy it yet.

Chronicles of Avel: New Adventures

It’s adding in three more scenarios and three modules. This is going to be an expansion, if that’s not obvious, for Chronicles of Avel. This is a game that I keep on seeing at stores. I believe it’s an adventure game for a younger audience, or at least that is the feeling that I’ve gotten. I don’t know if this is making it more complex, but the game always interests me. Another one I’d love to checkout at Gen Con. And the components really do look amazing for this game.

Avel the Card Game

This is going to be a deck building game set in the Avel setting. There is no shuffling of the cards. This is going to be a bit of a step up, and is going to be a cooperative card game that they call as a next step game. That definitely makes me think that Chronicles of Avel might be too light for me, at least until the kid is a bit older, but this one could be intriguing for playing with more casual gamers.

Rock Manor Games

Set a Watch: Forsaken Isles

This is going to be a standalone expansion, which they have done before, for their Set A Watch game line. You face off against monsters, new ones, with new adventurers. But it still maintains mix and match ability with the other Set a Watch stuff you already have. This is one, Set a Watch, that is on my shelf that I need to get played. I am not sure that I need to grab more of it, but we’ll see once I get my copy of Set a Watch played, which I should soon.

City of Games

Race to the Raft

From the designer and company that brought you Isle of Cats, this is about the cats left behind. A cooperative game where you play as the cats to try and get the ones left behind off the island on the last remaining raft. It definitely is interesting to me. I like Isle of Cats and I want to try City of Kings. I like the idea of cooperative with those same cats and cat artwork. Definitely one I’ll be keeping an eye on.

WizKids

Ascending Empires Zenith Edition

A new version of Ascending Empires. I don’t know anything about this game, it’s a Sci-Fi themed 4x game with about a 60-90 minute play time. Whenever I hear 4x, I am intrigued, but I also know I have troubles getting the ones I own to the table. It’s a new edition so it’ll be interesting to checkout for me as there is a dexterity element to the game with how you move your ships. I do like games with dexterity but again, it is still 4x. For sure it is one that I’d want to try. And like a lot of games now, it is going to add modules to allow you to change it up. I often wonder how likely I am to play with a module, I need to try them in Isle of Cats.

CMON

Stranger Things Upside Down

If you could have seen me when I saw what the announcement was. It is by Rob Daviau from Pandemic Legacy which I love. And Cthulhu Death May Die which I need to see. I literally got goose bumps and I had to pause the video because I am so excited. There was an Asmodee Stranger Things social deduction game announced. This, however, is not that.

It is coming to retail in 2023. Not a ton of details yet for it, but I don’t need to know more about it. It is Rob Daviau, it is a cooperative game. And you are trying to save Hawkins from the Upside Down. I don’t need to know more, I will get this game. I don’t know that I have ever had a reaction to a board game announcement like I did now. Maybe for Frosthaven but that would be about it. Shut up and take my money!

Dire Wolf

Dune Imperium – Immortality

I really need to play Dune Imperium. I assume that anyone who knows the game is going to be exciting. This expansion is going to be more for the deck building element. Plus there is also going to be research track as well, which is interesting. It is definitely making the game more complex, and I think it could be exciting. Dune Imperium is one that I should track down and play, but it never shows up used that I’ve seen. Expected to be available around the end of 2022.

CGE

Deal with the Devil

It’s an engine building Euro game. it is going to have secret roles, though, which is going to be changing up the standard thing. The game looks interesting on the table with buildings that are player screens to hide who you are and what you want to do. Not my type of game, but it is going to have a table presence for sure. And there is going to be an app that hands out the roles as well, which is intriguing. I would try it just because it seems to add in a little bit more than just a standard Euro game but then again, there is social deduction. It is a Gen Con first look coming out around Essen Spiel.

Final Thoughts

There are a ton of games in this announcement. There are some that aren’t all that interesting to me, but then again, there are others that I am clearly excited for. I will be finding out everything I can about the Stranger Things game. Like I said, it is going to be on that I immediately seek out and it’s a theme that I want a great game with it. Rob Daviau is a designer that I want to doing it. But besides that, I got to say, I think that Race to the Raft and The Great Split interest me the most next.

What is the game that stood out to you that you want to try out or need to get?

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