Board Games - Excitement for Things to Come!

First and foremost, I'd like to validate my worth for the board game hobby.

I first began my obsession with board games and card games at a young age (I'd say around 6) when I began playing games like Memory, Trouble, UNO, Yahtzee, and Parcheesi.  Though these games are frowned upon and scoffed at by game enthusiasts, they have served a greater purpose for they've been my "gateway drug".

Now, my appreciation has wandered into the territory of heavily themed games that follow the ambiance of fantasy, horror, or dark fantasy.  Arkham Horror, Shadow Hunters, Ultimate Werewolf, and Castle Panic are among the games that quickly come to mind that exemplify the types of games I enjoy.  Recently, I've enjoyed games such as Locke & Key: The Card Game, Bang! Dodge City, and Fluxx - each of these are quickly slithering their ways to the top of my "most played" list due to enjoyment not only by myself, but by frequent members of my gaming group.  Now that the nitty-gritty is done and over with, on to the fun part!  My love for Kickstarter and my overwhelming excitement for the games that are to be added to my collection in the coming months (all thanks to Kickstarter campaigns).

I came to Kickstarter through my many browsings of boardgamegeek.com, aka BGG.  I immediately realized how unique of a site Kickstarter was and wanted to help contribute whatever money I could afford - given my current occupation, that isn't much - to help fund games that I felt would be not only great contributions to my personal collection, but to the collections of other collectors/hobbyists.

The first game I helped fund was the standalone/expansion to Eaten by Zombies!, a successful card game about surviving the zombie infestation of your town.  This game, Eaten by Zombies! In Cahoots can be played as either a 2-player stand-alone game, or as an expansion to the EBZ proper, allowing 5-6 players to join in on the zombie mayhem.

I can gladly proclaim that I am not one who particularly enjoys anything that falls within the all-too-saturated theme of zombie movies, games, books, etc. nowadays, but this game caught my eye for one reason and one reason alone: It's not a matter of who will survive, it's a matter of who will die LAST!  The game mechanic operates in such a manner that your death is inevitable and it's just a matter of out-living the other players that will lead you to victory.  This game is projected to be printed and circulated to backers by mid/end June of 2012.

Fleet is a game that strays so far from my normal attraction of horror/fantasy games that I was EXTREMELY hesitant to back this project.  I will admit that I have been an off-and-on watcher of Deadliest Catch TV and my instant correlation (however right or wrong it may be) between that show and this game is what inevitably turned me into a backer for this project.

Players compete to earn the most points by the end of the game and can do so through several different means, all utilizing similar mechanics.  Players bid on fishing licenses that warrant the catch, and later the sale, of certain types of marine goods (tuna, shrimp, lobster, cod, and crab). The collection of these licenses are crucial for holding multiple licenses of one type grant advantageous bonuses to your money cycle or to the scoring at the end of the game.  This game is expected to be in my hands come September and I can't wait!

Garden Dice is yet another game that doesn't fit my normal interest, but that's the beauty of games - they can be completely out of your normal radar, but can keep you intrigued and entertained from start to finish every time!

Garden Dice is a game about, well, you guessed it...GARDENING!  The mechanic of this game is dice rolling, plain and simple.  There are certain special abilities that can be used, and special tiles that can be played, but all movements utilize the pips from 4 dice that you've rolled.  Tiles include 5 types of vegetables, a bird which can be turned over to a rabbit, a sundial which can be turned over to a scarecrow, and a sun.  All of these have special abilities and uses that add variation and fun to this game.  It'll be a while before I get this game, but it will certainly prove to be a fun light-medium game for my collection!

As you can see, Kickstarter has really opened my tastes to games that aren't anywhere near my usual types of game, but that's why I love the site.  It showcases games that wouldn't normally even be a blip on my radar and allows me to read about the game, it's creation, it's vision, and any overviews of the game's play :).