 |
| Link to game on Boardgamegeek.com |
I've got a bit of an annual routine during the holidays, I like to clean things up in preparation for the upcoming year.
I've been revising my collection over the past year, looking to sell or trade away a few of the games I feel less and less compelled to bring out and looking to eliminate some redundancy in the collection. Of course this is all short lived and I've been spending some of the last few months already looking for suitable replacements.
Theme is often a make or break aspect of a new game on the market for me. I pass over Mediterranean merchants, Middle Ages worker placements, Abstract construction titles and Nineteenth Century Train games all the while knowing I'm missing out on some great gaming, but unable to persuade myself and others to give them a try. Lets take a look at a few themes in particular that have caught my eye recently.
The Great Fire of London
Synopsis:
Fresh off a successful reprint Kickstarter campaign, The Great Fire of London appears to have gained a whole new audience just in time for 2013. Players control buildings and battle to control the flames from swallowing their property while innocently steering it toward the their opponents.
Why do I LOVE this theme?
Fire is a natural villain and while it isn't quite an untapped theme, it does allow for interesting options with thematic mechanics. I particularly enjoy the historical element of this as it blends history with the feelings of tragedy as your stomach drops when your key stronghold turns into ashes.
 |
| Link to game on Boardgamegeek.com |
Synopsis:
Functioning as low level criminals, players slowly increase their notoriety by taking down increasingly tougher challenges alone until they reach a point in which they have to trust one another in order succeed.
Why do I LIKE this theme?
While also sounding like a movie theme, I love games that have some negotiation element to them, but who aren't entirely dedicated to it. What better way to evoke charismatic negotiations among backstabbing players than with a guild of thieves?
 |
| Link to game on Boardgamegeek.com |
Synopsis:
Due out in 2013, Salmon Run is a race up stream for players as they play special abilities and avoid obstacles on the way to their breeding grounds.
Why do I LOVE this theme?
Why not? I like a good racing game every now and then and at least this one has a great purpose. I think the modular boards is always a neat aspect for replay value and it looks like a neat gateway game.
 |
| Link to game on Boardgamegeek.com |
Synopsis:
Players fight an epidemic by adding on to their hospital in order to keep up with the incoming patients. Players bid on hospital add-ons in an attempt to best
Why do I LIKE this theme?
The idea of improving infrastructure of a hospital in order to keep up with demand is appealing to me. As a tile laying game it could be great or fall flat with me but the theme definitely would get me in the door for a play to see how infectious the game really is.
 |
| Link to game on Boardgamegeek.com |
Synopsis:
Players juggle the role of an entrepreneur by jumping into a start up company and attempting to hire the best personnel from opponents. Players hire engineers to improve the product, salespeople to sell the product and executives to improve productivity.
Why do I LOVE this theme?
As an aspiring entrepreneur I really enjoy the idea of pursuing a scarce pool of talent and battling with opponents to keep them on board. As employees stay their costs increase as they become vested in the company. I think its a great business concept to develop and I hope the gameplay lives up to it.
Awesome. Really appreciated this slate of previews, especially since I'm not as in the loop with upcoming board games as I'd like to be. Do you have recommendations for good places to keep up with this sort of thing?
ReplyDeleteAlso, really nice pun on "fall flat" with the tile-laying game. Quarantine = Pandemic meets Carcassonne?
ReplyDeleteI pulled several of these based on appearance off of Kickstarter but I will skim through "Most Anticipated games of 2013" lists on BGG periodically and they usually encompass almost everything coming out. Boardgamenews.com has some nice write-ups on upcoming releases as well.
ReplyDeleteI got the exact same feeling about Quarantine, I'm a bit leery of tile laying games unless they have an interesting element but it certainly has a nice appearance.