Casual Game Crowdfunding: Game Developerz and Pirate Dens

Game Developerz (Onion Squire) – For 2 to 6 players, this card game is set in the world of video game development. Each player runs a company, builds a team and plays cards to develop a game as well as to delay other players. The goal is to release a video game with six features. The better the features, the better the game you release. There are a lot of puns and industry references (for example, one of the companies is named Te Entiendo – sound familiar?) and the game definitely embraces its theme.

Pirate Den (Gamesmith) – Published by one of the producers of the web series Tabletop, Pirate Den is a risk management bluffing game. Players take on the role of pirates and each round must choose one card from their action deck that will enable them to steal from one of the three trading companies roaming the high seas. Players reveal their played card simultaneously. Action cards dictate initiative as well as which company they are stealing from. Action cards cannot be replayed until the player has buried treasure. The game ends when any player has five buried treasures at the end of a turn and the player with the most points wins.

Cave Escape (Anjis Games) – The cave is collapsing and everyone is scrambling to climb out, bumping into everybody and getting into each other’s way. In this press your luck dice game, you can play one of six different characters, each with their own perks and abilities. You roll the dice to get adrenaline tokens which you can use to climb further out of the cave or sabotage the other players. With the adrenaline tokens you can choose to purchase different types of special dice, which allows for different strategies.

Tower (Ben Haskett) – In this board game for 2 to 4 players, each player takes on the role of an architect. The first player to complete their three segments of the tower wins the game. Players collect gems and spend them at stores to collect the materials needed to build the tower. But with a limited number of resources, players must move quickly and strategically. However, if you fall behind you can visit the black market to hire thugs and acquire cards to cheat and steal your way back into the running.

Kaboom! (Potluck Games) – Players pass around a giant bomb to each other and try not to get blown up. In each round of Kaboom! players lay up to three cards in front of them, face down. During the passing phase the bomb is passed from player to player, each of whom flips over one of their cards, which gives instructions on where the bomb goes next. Whoever is left holding the bomb when the passing phase ends, panics and draws a card from the draw pile, which can force you to discard or pass cards or even explode. If you explode, you're out of the game and a new round begins. Play continues until all but one player has exploded.

Stones of Fate (Cosmic Wombat Games) – (This is a re-launch from a previous campaign). In Stones of Fate, cards are laid face down in a grid. Each player is given five fate stones which they can place next to any of the four edges of a face down card. On their turn, players choose whether to peek at a card, move one of their stones or flip over a card. When a card is flipped the symbols on the four sides are compared to the fate stones placed adjacent to each side to determine the winner of the card. Once a card has been flipped and awarded to a player, a new card is drawn to take its place. The cards are based off of tarot cards and have some beautiful artwork.

Llamanomics (KC Tobey) – In this card game, players breed llamas, load them up with commodities, and take them to market. You can trade and sell commodities. You can trade and sell llamas. You can upgrade your llamas. Steal llamas. Create llama combos. Basically, all things llamas.

Worker Placement (Dyskami Publishing) – (This is a re-launch from a previous campaign). Play the CEO of a temp agency as you hire unemployed temp workers, upgrade their skills and find them the best jobs in town as you get paid your cut. Establish a solid reputation to help you land your workers better jobs and compete against other players' temp agencies. The player at the end of the game with the most money wins. The game has easy-to-learn rules and plays faster than most Eurogames.