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Tag: Shem Phillips

Kickstart Monday: Viscounts and Monks Make Great Games

Welcome to Kickstart Monday!!! On Kickstart Monday I scour crowdfunding platforms for two or more projects that I feel are worth looking at. This includes platforms like KickstarterGamefound, and Indigogo. Everything that is recommended on Kickstart Monday is oriented around tabletop gaming in some fashion.

This week I take a look at one of the hottest expansions to one of our favorite games and a game about making wine.

As a quick note, there will be no Kickstart Monday next week.

Viscounts: Gates of Gold and Keeper of the Keys

Viscounts of the West Kingdom from Garphill Games is the final game in the trilogy of West Kingdom games from designer Shem Philips. We originally reviewed this game and unboxed it on the blog around a year ago. Now there is a project for two great expansions to this game.

Keeper of Keys and Gates of Gold are two unique expansions for this game. Gates of Gold will introduce new card types, manuscripts (and a manuscript board), new leaders, new building bonus cards, and just more of the stuff that makes this game great. Meanwhile, Keeper of the Keys introduces updated player boards with slots for housing chest tiles. In addition, there are going to be three new public buildings you can compete to construct. Just looking at this, if you wait to retail this expansion seems to be the one you will want to add to the base game the most.

Of course, Garphill Games will also allow you to add a Collector’s Box which is just a larger game box that will hold the base game plus the expansions. There’s usually a little bonus in the Collector’s Box, and this one is no different with 12 promo items.

If you need to have all of the West Kingdom series games as we do, then this is a project you certainly should check out.

Dom Pierre

Dom Pierre from publisher R&R Games and designed by Rola and Costa is going to take you to the 17th-century French wine-making boom. This game looks to be another great crunchy Euro-style title you can add to your collection. Like so many games, the player with the most points at the end will be nominated as the winner.

The game consists of a number of rounds where on your player board you will move an action disc on your winery board up one spot and do the corresponding action. As the disc moves up a given track the actions become more powerful. Yet you need to balance the actions you are taking to be able to have your winery succeed. In addition, each action will cost you resources so the further you push an action disc up a track the more costly it will be to take that action.

The game will take you through all of the winemaking things you would expect as you manage your winery. You will plant and harvest crops in your vineyard. Produce champagne in your cellar. Don’t produce enough in your vineyard, then go to the village and purchase your neighbor’s (other players) crops. Of course, you also need to manage your logistics and build your sales network so that you can have the best sales of your products.

If the idea of running a winery sounds like fun, then you should check out Dom Pierre from R&R Games.

Did we miss your favorite project?

Thank you for checking out this week’s Kickstart Monday! If you find these interesting or want some attention on a Kickstarter or other crowdfunded projects that you would like to read more about please share your thoughts with us via our social media or at our email.

Kickstart Monday: The Thunder is Heard in the West Kingdom

Welcome to #KickstartMonday!!! Our weekly series that features two crowdfunded gaming projects. We try to find two projects every week on various platforms like Kickstarter and Gamefound that catch our interest. These could be dice, miniatures, board games, gaming accessories, furniture, or even role playing gaming products. This week we’ll dive into a board game and an expansion.

Architects of the West Kingdom: Works of Wonder

Courtesy of the Project Page

Architects of the West Kingdom: Works of Wonder from designer Shem Phillips and published by Garphill Games is the second expansion to the hit game Architects of the West Kingdom. In the core game of Architects of the West Kingdom, which we reviewed on episode 76 of the WiscoDice Tabletop Gaming Podcast, you find a worker placement game where you start with an abundance of workers. As you place workers on locations, the more you have at a location the better the reward. However, if you have to pull back a worker you are not allowed to take any further action. There are mechanisms on the board to round up your workers more efficiently, or even capture your opponents workers. All the while, you are building the cathedral and other buildings that ultimately will score you points.

In the Works of Wonder expansion, players will find themselves back at it building the city for the king. However, new workers from far and wide have been drawn to help build five amazing wonderous monuments. There will be a new track to manage that tracks your influence. Players with more influence will certainly earn favors from the princess overseeing the construction of these monuments. However, the less noble profiteer will certainly award those who are looking to make a fast dollar on the kings expense.

If you love Architects of the West Kingdom this expansion looks to add onto the game with plenty of new mechanics. Owners of the base game should definitely look into adding this to their collection.

Thunder Rolls

Courtesy of their Project Page

In Thunder Rolls from Zeroic Games you will take on the role of a race car team trying to win it all. This game is different then many race car games that have been on the market. Leveraging a dice worker placement mechanism, this game definitely reduces the luck factor that so many games like this feature. This game can play between 1-8 players, so be ready for lots of car racing fun with your friends.

The game consists of two phases. In the first phase you will roll your dice, form them into sets, and then place them on action spaces (in player order). Action spaces grant you additional abilities and maneuvers that will impact your position on the race track. During this phase you will also be able to obtain Thunder Cards which are key to the next phase.

In the Thunder Phase you will use the Thunder Cards you have collected to program what your car will do during this phase. Thunder Cards have a green number which is associated with movement of your car. In player order you will reveal these cards from left to right until all cards are revealed and resolved. If you can outdistance the rest of the field by the end of the game you will be the winner.

If you love stock car racing, looking for a race car game, or are interested in playing something that leverages dice as a workers then this game is definitely one you should check out. Thunder Rolls looks to be a brilliant, fun game that will see gaming tables delight in fast speeds, hot action, and possibly a few collisions.

Did we miss your favorite project?

Thank you for checking out this week’s Kickstart Monday! If you find these interesting or want some attention on a Kickstarter or other crowdfunded projects that you would like to read more about please share your thoughts with us via our social media or at our email.

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