Sorry for the late and short news post, there were things that prevented me from finishing it last week. On the bright side, one of those things was playing games, but others were not so pleasant. Anyway, all the news that didn’t make it into last week’s post will show up this week, so don’t worry about missing important previews or announcements.
Fantasy Flight Games
We may be happier not knowing what lies in the antarctic ice. At least not if H.P. Lovecraft got it right. The Elder Things, alien beings much older than mankind, wait in Antarctica, and they’re one of the new Ancient Ones in Eldritch Horror: Mountains of Madness. They are more dangerous than any other threat to our planet, needing four completed Mysteries, not just the usual three. To defeat them, it’s also absolutely necessary that the Investigators launch an expedition into the ice of Antarctica. The Antarctica side board can be used in games against the old Ancient Ones as well, then you draw Antarctica Adventure cards to make your trip there worthwhile. The ice is still dangerous, but at least these adventures offer rewards.
As if the Empire didn’t have deadly enough forces already in Star Wars: Imperial Assault, they make it even worse for the Rebels and supplement their forces with mercenaries. Whatever the Stormtroopers can’t do, there’s certain to be a hired gun (or claw, as the case may be) that excels at it. The reptilian Trandoshan are bounty hunters and fearsome melee fighters, doing extra to targets close to them, ignoring their armor and leaving them bleeding. Nexu are tamed beasts pouncing around the battlefield. And if all that doesn’t help, the IG-88 Assassin Droid has fearsome abilities to inflict damage and is harder to destroy than a time travelling Arnold Schwarzenegger android.
Plaid Hat Games
In 2015, Plaid Hat Games will release Specter Ops, a science fiction stealth game. Players will choose which side they join: the secret agents of A.R.K. or the Raxxon, whose secret facility is being infiltrated by the A.R.K. guys. That’s all we know for now, but maybe some friendly Boardgamegeek.Con visitor tried the preview and would leave a comment for them.
Red Raven Games
Two weeks ago, we first found out about Artifacts, Inc. by Ryan Laukat, and this week the Kickstarter campaign is up and running. Here’s a quick reminder what we had to say then:
A new game by Ryan Laukat and Red Raven Games (Eight-Minute Empire) is going to be available next year. This time, you’re not building a globe-spanning empire but your own reputation as an archaeologist and businessman. In Artifacts, Inc., you start your own archaeological company in the 1920, recovering artifacts from all over the world and selling them to whichever museum pays best. Your brave adventurers are represented by dice that you place on cards in order to make them dig or negotiate with a museum. Selling artifacts can make you money, but you can concentrate instead on having majorities in museums or finding hidden treasure in sunken cities under the ocean. All those things are good for your reputation, and the best reputation wins.
This week’s featured photo shows the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) in Hiroshima, Japan. The building is preserved in the state it was in right after the bomb fell in 1945 and is a powerful reminder of the consequences of war. The photo was uploaded by Wikimedia user Fg2 and released into public domain.