April 2018 Kickstarters

What am I Backing?

Kickstarter is always full of a variety of board games for every type of gamer. Sometimes it can be difficult to pick through and find games that really stand out to me. When looking at games on Kickstarter I try to find games that either have components that really stand out to me, or interesting and new mechanics that I have not seen yet. This month seems to be the month of cooperative games, which is a surprise for me. I normally do not buy that many cooperative games…but I am in the process of Kickstarting four at once. The four games I am currently Kickstaring are Dragon Keepers (just ended), Dream Catchers, Rescue Polar Bears, and the Faceless. I will go more into detail about why I choose these games below, but if there are any games you think I should check out, let me know in the comments!

Dragon Keepers:

The first thing that caught my eye in this one was the beautiful artwork. It is truly whimsical and feels as though I am going on an adventure just looking at it. That alone though would not have been enough for me to back the game. After reading the description what I liked about this game is that it offers two modes of gameplay. One of these modes is a push your luck game that would be easily understood for families and non-gamers. The second mode is a cooperative game that is more strategic and difficult. In both parts of the game the player plays a deck of “dragon keepers” whose job is either to defend a variety of colored dragons from a hunter seeking to kill them, or to train the dragon to take out the hunter. Pre-order is now open for this one, so if you missed it you can still check it out.

Dream Catchers:

This one caught my eye because of the interesting components. The wooden tokens in this game are adorable, as is the rest of the artwork. I decided to back this one because I enjoyed the art, and was not sure it would make it to the United States at retail. The gameplay seems to be very strategic as well. You and your partners are cooperating to help make sure that the child is able to stay asleep and defeat the nightmares and monsters from under the bed. It has a similar theme to the recent release Stuffed Fables, however this game is a card game. There are elements of set collection, push your luck, and resource management. This one is currently on Kickstarter, so you can still back it if you are interested.

Rescue Polar Bears

This game has been released for a while now in Europe but is being brought to the United States by Mayday Games. It is a cooperative game in which players have to balance researching ways to slow the icebergs disappearing, while at the same time trying to rescue the polar bears stranded. It comes with adorable resin polar bears, and everyone I have seen has loved it. I also enjoy that they are donating to the World Wildlife Foundation. It shows commitment to the theme and the game in general. It has six days left on Kickstarter.

The Faceless

This game is another cooperative game, with really interesting miniatures. The miniatures are what drew my eye to the game, but the mechanics are what made me stay. The game makes use of a magnetic field as a mechanic of the game. Movement has to do with how players turn and interact with magnets. This is a unique idea, and could also make for a fun and engaging science lesson about magnets. It also seems to be really creepy and thematic. You play as a group of children who have gone into the abyss to search for their missing friend. Little do they know a variety of children have gone missing over the last 100 years. Their job is to find their friend and escape before the Billy Goat captures them. It was an instant back for me. I am always looking for games with something that stands out. It is still on Kickstarter, and I highly suggest checking it out.