New & Upcoming Releases – July & August 2016

There are so many exciting new games and expansions on the horizon that I thought I’d share about a few of them. In some cases the details are quite sketchy, but I’ll do what I can.

It was hard to choose which to cover. Just so you know, I limited myself to games expected to release in July or August that either we’re really excited about or our customers have expressed excitement about.

Let me know if you like this type of article so I know whether or not to write more of them in the future.

King of Tokyo 2016 (mid July, Available Now as Pre-Release)

To celebrate its 5th Anniversary, King of Tokyo is getting a facelift. The new 2016 edition of the best-selling family game features:

  • New Artwork by the group of artists, lead by Régis Torres, who illustrated King of New York and King of Tokyo: Halloween Collector’s Pack.
  • Monster Makeovers. The King, Gigazaur, Meka Dragon, and Alienoid have all received makeovers. The changes are purely aesthetic, though: the rules of the game and Power cards remain the same.
  • Clearer Rules. The rulebook has been edited and reworked to make the rules clearer.
  • Revamped Card Abilities.
  • New Monsters. The coveted Space Penguin takes his place in Tokyo along with a new cat: Cyber Kitty.
King Of Tokyo Gigazaur comparison (original left, new right)

Gigazaur comparison (original left, new right)

The new illustrations will also appear in the digital version of King of Tokyo, currently under development. The primary reason for the analog game makeover? Digital requirements for the digital version.

Unfortunately, the Power cards of the original version of King of Tokyo feature that box’s cover art, while the 2016 version’s Power cards feature new artwork. Fortunately, IELLO is planning to release card sleeves that fit the game’s theme to make the original version, promo cards and cards in the Halloween expansion pack compatible with the new 2016 version. Of course, in the meantime, you can use any colored-back card sleeves or simply ignore the card back differences.

King Of Tokyo 2016 Cyber Kitty

King Of Tokyo 2016 Cyber Kitty

As for the Power Up! Expansion: the existing Evolution cards are completely compatible with the new version. Just give each of the new monsters an Evolution deck of a monster it replaced, hand each monster a random Evolution deck, or do a card draft. IELLO is planning to create a new version of the Power Up! Expansion with Evolutions for the new monsters, as well as Evolutions that let you use the King of Tokyo monsters in King of New York. You can already use the King of Tokyo monsters in King of New York and vice versa. That won’t change.

IELLO has other plans for the line, too, including:

  • A new monster resembling Kraken. Sorry no Cyber Bunny replacement.
  • King of New York: Power Up! expansion that will be compatible with all versions of King of Tokyo. It’ll feature a new monster and 112 Evolution cards that make your monsters mutate both in New York and Tokyo.

Available now at Here Be Books & Games.

King of Tokyo is one of the games I’ve taught and demoed the most often. Despite my numerous plays, I still enjoy it every time.

Legendary DBG: Civil War

Legendary DBG: Civil War

Legendary DBG: Marvel Civil War Expansion (mid July)

Following up on the recent movie, Captain America: Civil War, comes Legendary: Civil War, A Marvel Deckbuilding Game Expansion. This marks the fourth big-box expansion and the eighth total expansion for Legendary – not counting Legendary: Villains which can be played stand-alone and Villains’ Fear Itself small-box expansion.

Legendary: Civil War has players again recruiting Marvel superheroes, but this time teaming up with a partner and taking sides against the opposition as you play through the Civil War storyline. Playable characters from both sides of the Super Hero Registration Act bring home the theme and let you play out your own story. Whose side will you choose? Captain America’s or Iron Man?

Legendary: Civil War is an expansion for Legendary: A Marvel Deckbuilding Game, so a copy of the base game is necessary to play.

Several of our customers have expressed interest in this title Legendary: Civil War. It’s expected to release in mid-July.

Mystic Vale

Mystic Vale

Mystic Vale (mid July)

Game designer John D. Clair breathes new life into the now ages-old deckbuilding game system with the unique and innovative Card Crafting System in his upcoming Mystic Vale. Not only will you build your own deck as you play, you’ll customize the abilities of the individual cards in your deck to serve your strategy.

The theme has players taking on the roles of druidic clans attempting to cleanse a curse upon the land and rescue its spirits. The beautiful graphics and artwork help bring the game to life.

The card-building, utilizing a card-sleeve mechanism, in this deck-building game is what makes it look so unique and promising to me. The theme is also a plus. Expansions are already on the drawing board.

Mystic Vale is scheduled to release in mid-July.

Dead Of Winter: The Long Night

Dead Of Winter: The Long Night

Dead of Winter: The Long Night (end of July)

Dead of Winter gets a new expansion that can also be played stand-alone. Dead of Winter: The Long Night introduces a new pharmaceutical location: Raxxon. While Raxxon offers powerful new items, its strong and horrible experiments will overrun the town if players don’t restrain them.

The Long Night places players at a new colony with new survivors and brand new challenges. Players may be besought by raids from other colonies, explore and unravel the mysteries of Raxxon with its inherent risks, and/or upgrade their colony to help it better withstand the undead horde.

You can mix the survivors and cards from the original Dead of Winter set with The Long Night to increase play variety even more.

This expansion is high on a number of our customers’ wish lists. I have yet to play Dead of Winter myself, though it does look intriguing. Dead of Winter: The Long Night is set to release at the end of July.

Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu

Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu

Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu  (early August)

Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu takes the classic Pandemic gaming experience into the realm of horror envisioned by H. P. Lovecraft. Ancient evil beings known as Old Ones are threatening to break out of their cosmic prison and awake in our world, turning it upside down and immersing us in chaos and madness.

Players take on the roles of investigators attempting to seal the portals and prevent the Old Ones’ entrance. It’s a risky endeavor: contact with these beings of unspeakable horror and their minions can lead to insanity.

The map features the classic fictional New England towns found in Lovecraft’s stories, including: Arkham, Dunwich, Innsmouth and Kingsport. Each of the ten Old Ones brings its own unique power to bear in the struggle.

It’s a race against time to seal every portal before you lose yourself to insanity and the insidious evil of the Old Ones.

Pandemic with a new theme? How could I possibly resist? I didn’t cover Pandemic: Iberia here because it’s not due out until October. Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu, however, lurks just around the corner in early August.

Legendary Encounters: Firefly

Legendary Encounters: Firefly

Legendary Encounters DBG: Firefly Core Set (early August)

Soon you can have Legendary Encounters in the ‘Verse while playing as a crew member of Serenity in Legendary Encounters DBG: Firefly Core Set. The famous ship featured in the loved and missed television series Firefly and the follow up movie Serenity.

You’ll have to work together to complete episodes that feature some of Firefly’s greatest antagonists, including Patience, Niska, Saphron and the ever-expanding Alliance. Gain advantages by upgrading your ship, but be careful Serenity doesn’t take too many strikes.

You’ll be able to take a breath and resupply between episodes: whenever you complete an episode, everything resets so you can start anew. The provided game mat will help organize the field.

Legendary Encounters DBG: Firefly Core Set is a stand-alone cooperative deck building game featuring the same gaming engine found in other Legendary titles.

They had me with “Firefly”. When they combined that with “cooperative game”… Suffice it to say, I can’t wait to get my hands on this one!  Legendary Encounters: Firefly is expected to release at the beginning of August. I am so ready to explore the ‘Verse aboard Serenity!

Legendary DBG: Big Trouble In Little China

Legendary DBG: Big Trouble In Little China

Legendary DBG: Big Trouble in Little China (early August)

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the cult hit film Big Trouble in Little China and Upper Deck has acquired the license to produce the first-ever game set in that setting. In Legendary DBG: Big Trouble in Little China, you, too, can become Legendary with the mystical arts seen in the movie as you and your fellow players work together to defeat Lo Pan and the three storms. Play as Gracie Law, Jack Burton, Pork Chop Express or Wang Chi as you work through schemes straight out of the film.

Legendary DBG: Big Trouble in Little China is a stand-alone cooperative deck building game featuring the same gaming engine found in other Legendary titles.

Several of our customers who are fans of the movie have expressed high-interest in this one. Legendary DBG: Big Trouble in Little China is set to release in early August.

 

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