Games and Expansions that I am looking forward to in 2019

After a great year in 2018, I am already looking forward to all the games that will be released, or Kickstarted in 2019. Today I will share some of the games that are already on my watch list, or some games that I Kickstarted in 2018 that will hopefully deliver in 2019 which I am looking forward to playing! If you think of one you think I should check out, please let me know in the comments!

Wingspan

Published: Stonemaier Games

Retail Release: March 2019 (January Release from SM Pre-orders)

Unlike all the other games on this list, Wingspan is actually a game I have had in my possession for around 2 months now. In those two months I have played this game a multitude of times, and I have fallen in love with it. It makes this list because I am looking forward to finally being able to share it with others and have them fall in love with the game as well. I am excited to watch others experience this game for the first time and fall in love with it as well. It is by far one of the best games I added to my collection in 2018, and I would not be surprised if it ends up competing for some major awards in 2019. Many players will be getting their copies this week and I can’t wait to see more reactions to this beautiful game.

Wonderland’s War

Published: Druid City Games

Kickstarter Start Date: May 2019

I love Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. It is a theme that would have immediately drawn me in, regardless of publisher or mechanics of game play. However, I must say I am looking forward to this game further because it is published by Druid City Games and I have learned to trust their quality of games. The Grimm Forest was a favorite of ours from 2018, and a lot of that had to do with quality components. The fact that Wonderland’s War will include miniatures makes me extremely excited, knowing that the quality will probably be very well done.

Beyond trusting the publisher, I am really excited to see that Wonderland’s War will be a main event game, rather than a filler game. I currently do not have any main event Alice in Wonderland games that I truly enjoy. While I enjoy both Wonderland by Renegade Game Studios and Jabberwocky by Jellybean Games, neither game takes more than 20 minutes to play. Whereas Wonderland’s War seems to have resource management and direct combat in a playtime listed as 45-75 minutes. There seems as though there will be slightly more complexity to this game than the others I own. I want to dive into the world of Wonderland, and Wonderland’s War seems to be exactly what I need.

Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef

Published: Druid City Games

Estimated Delivery: August 2019

While on the topic of Druid City Games, another of my most anticipated games this year will be from them as well. Tidal Blades is a game that has already been Kickstarted, and now we are just waiting for delivery. The first thing that caught my eye on this one is that it is absolutely stunning. The artwork is vibrant and somewhat reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli film. Beyond that the game is a worker placement game that is building a warrior competing in a competition. It introduces an interesting theme to worker placement and the game is supposed to expand further into other parts that will likely introduce other mechanics as well.

Overall I felt the entire concept was interesting, and the Kickstarter was very well run. We ended up going all in for the Deluxe Edition, and I am also looking forward to painting the miniatures and sharing those with you.

Dice Forge: Rebellion u

Published: Libellud Games

Release Date: February 2019

Dice Forge was one of my favorite games released in 2017, which is saying a lot because 2017 was a year of tough competition. Almost immediately I was looking forward to the day that they finally added an expansion to the game to provide further replayability. The expansion will be adding two different modules that can be added to the base game. It will also add die faces, new cards, new boards and an expansion to the Sanctuary box.

I am most excited to see what new die faces they add to the game. The mechanic of building your own dice is both unique and plays out well in the base game. I cannot wait to see how the modules add to the game and bring new life into one of my favorites.

Tang Garden

Published: ThunderGryph Games

Estimated Release Date: January 2019

Another Kickstarter that I backed in 2018 that in theory should be delivering soon is Tang Garden. It was another game that stood out for the visual aspects of the game and included many eye-catching components. The real test though will be whether the game play stands up to meet to beautiful components. This is another game that I went in on the deluxe edition, mostly because I wanted the Kickstarter Exclusive Ghost Stories Expansion.

Game play focuses around building a beautiful garden that is pleasing to the nobles that finish the garden. Most of the pieces that are used in the game are 3D which leaves players feeling as though they are actually creating a garden. I liked the thematic elements, and I am really hoping game play stands out as well.

Skulk Hollow

Published: Pencil First Games, Thunderworks Games

Estimated Release: October 2019

I had the opportunity to demo Skulk Hollow at Gamehole Con this year. Before attending the convention I had thoroughly planned on passing this Kickstarter up, despite the awesome meeples and asymmetric game play. I was not sure that the direct combat would be done in a way that I was fully invested in especially since it only played two players. However, once it I tried it the game was an immediate pledge. The game was beautifully thinky, the components were great and it had great tension between the two players.

Since backing it and demoing it at the convention, it has easily become one of the games I am most anticipating. I can’t wait to share this one with my family, and trying out some of the different monsters included in the game. We only tried Grak, and I know that each of the monsters will have a different strategy to them. I will be gladly counting down the days until October with this one.

Dawn of Mankind

Published: Tasty Minstrel Games

Release Date:  Quarter 2, 2019

I have a deep love for civilization building games, one that started as a child with video games and has only expanded as I have gotten older. Seeing the description for Dawn of Mankind which includes helping guide a growing tribe through trials and tribulations while learning new ways to do things, having children, growing old and eventually dying. The game seems to have both a personal feel and the feeling of civilization building. I cannot wait for more information on this one.

Tsuro: Phoenix Rising

Published: Calliope Games

Kickstarter Start Date: January 10th, 2019

Tsuro is one of my favorite games that I implement within the classroom. The game is simple to explain, and quick to play. However, it can play up to a high player count and I find that every one of my students is engaged in the game play. I loved what Tsuro of the Seas added to game play, and I cannot wait to see how they expand the game with Phoenix Rising.

I know that the game play will add a new mechanic that allows tiles to flip and change. I hope that this adds some problem solving skills that I could introduce and focus on within the classroom while managing to keep the simplicity in such a way that it is easy to explain to a room of 32 thirteen year olds. The Kickstarter is just a few days away, and I will definitely be watching it.