Kickstarter has changed the way we put our ideas into action. From a reissue of Newton’s Principia Mathematica to a box that does absolutely nothing useful, Kickstarter has given ordinary people with extraordinary ideas a method to make those visions real. One of the largest explosions we have seen from Kickstarter, is self funded games. From video games to tabletop campaigns, getting the funding to mass produce your idea used to require the backing and branding of a major label. After fully fleshing out your game, you would submit it for branding and hope they saw the same potential as you. Kickstarter has not only opened the market to a menagerie of amazing games (Tiny Epic Galaxies, Exploding Kittens, and Tokaido to name a few), but it has also upped the ante for original style, concept, and gameplay.
So, in the spirit of promoting diversity, this board game post aims to bring some promising future games to life; Specifically, at the time of posting, games that are yet funded. (For a look at a recently funded party game, Nuked, check out our own James Nelson’s post here)
- Ninja Arena: For the fanboys (or fangirls) of ninjas, a real time battle game set in a modular arena for up to 4 ninjas to battle using various weapons. Described as more of a tactical game of minds than a strategy game, it could be something to play between your normal euro-campaigns. Already released successfully in Germany, this Kickstarter is an attempt at improving and internationalizing Ninja Arena.
- Xenofera: Hunting alien big game on the outer fringe your thing? Xenofera is a strategy deck building game with a low funding request and a good start. Sabotage, capture and hunt to become the greatest huntsman in the galaxy. Unique artwork and imaginative design are enough to give this game a look.
- Tiny Swords Tactics: It’s hard to look at this colorful, cutesy tactical tile laying battle game and move on to something a bit bolder, BUT read the rules and give it a chance to convince you that this game could be one of the more strategic games in this list. Also, this game has a unique mechanic of using the actual play space as the board, meaning a game on a large table would be much different than on an end table. Don’t believe me? Give it a look.
- Ascended Kings: Similar to Ninja Arena, Ascended Kings is an arena style fighting game for 2-4 players. A battle royal with a unique twist where when a player dies he returns to torment the players still vying for power. Played on a board with walls of fire making the play area ever smaller, using gems to power your attack and defense, Ascended Kings promises exciting game play for people who want less story withmore action.
- Glyph: While dice building games aren’t usually the most strategic, they are typically fun for newer gamers. Glyph is a 2 player games that employs heads up battling via drawn weapons and dice rolls. Different players allows for variation in play and screams for cheap expansions.
- Hexmaze: A maze building game where players attempt to path their way to the center while employing various tiles to prevent other players from doing the same. Minimalistic and modern design is pleasant to look at while game play appears to encourage a fair amount of strategy.
- Survive the Horde: Ridiculous puns and hilarious artwork make Survive the Horde a party game with style. It is a zombie based card drawing game where players fight zombies in order to survive. Lose, and you become a zombie assisting the deck in taking down the other players in your attempt to rise again victorious. Party games are typically safe to bust out in a group of people and games allowing for more than 6 players are important for any complete collection.
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