As part of the acquisition, game designer Alessio Cavatore will join Mantic Games. Cavatore has previously collaborated with both companies on several projects, and his expertise in game design is expected to contribute significantly to future product developments.

The acquisition follows a history of cooperative ventures between Mantic Games and Cavatore, including titles like Kings of War, Warpath, Loka, Umbrella Academy, Worms, and the forthcoming Epic Warpath. This new arrangement promises to foster further innovation and the development of high-quality gaming experiences.

To celebrate this significant development, Mantic Games has also announced their first new project together—a special collection marking the 40th Anniversary of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. This collection is scheduled for launch on Gamefound this summer and will feature new miniatures and game content that pay tribute to the movie’s rich storytelling and magical world.

Fans of Mantic Games and River Horse are encouraged to follow the campaign page for updates on this project and more news from the “Summer of Sci-Fi” series.

Until Proven Guilty: A Narrative Legal Game

Developed by Enrico Procacci with artwork by Andrea Guerrieri and Idea Xu, “Until Proven Guilty” is priced at $16.99 and supports 1-6 players ages 10 and up. The game, with a playing time of approximately 90 minutes, revolves around a rookie lawyer involved in challenging criminal trials. Players are tasked with examining charges and presenting evidence to sway a jury. “Until Proven Guilty” will be previewed at GenCon 2024 ahead of its release.

BANG! Dice Explosion: A Deluxe Compilation

“BANG! Dice Explosion” bundles the original “BANG! The Dice Game” with its expansions “Old Saloon” and “Undead or Alive,” along with 10 new game modules and additional characters. This game, designed by Michael Palm and Lukas Zach with art by Riccardo Pieruccini, retails for $44.99. It caters to 3-8 players and offers a brief playing duration of 15 minutes. The comprehensive set promises dynamic and memorable gameplay experiences and is also scheduled for a preview at GenCon 2024.

Lost In Adventure – The Labyrinth: An Exploratory Mythical Game

“Lost In Adventure – The Labyrinth,” created by Marco Pranzo with artwork by Guillaume Tavernier, is also priced at $16.99 and accommodates 1-6 players. This game invites players to navigate a card-based labyrinth, where each decision impacts the unfolding narrative, potentially leading to various endings. With a gameplay duration of 90 minutes, the game combines strategic planning with storytelling, drawing inspiration from the legend of the Minotaur.

These releases highlight DV Games’ commitment to diversifying its portfolio and enhancing the board game market with innovative and engaging products. DV Games, known as dV Giochi in Italy, continues to collaborate with a broad network of international partners, distributing games globally under the DV Games brand. The company aims to maintain its presence in both the Italian and international markets following its acquisition of Ghenos Games, expanding its catalog to over 300 titles since its establishment in 2001.

The game, created by Myles Wallace, allows players to explore and claim land in a competitive environment where they must efficiently manage and deploy resources. “Crowded Frontier” incorporates elements of worker placement, area control, and resource management. The game is designed for 3-5 players and typically takes about 45 minutes to complete.

Judges of the award praised “Crowded Frontier” for its straightforward yet engaging mechanics. They noted that the game presents a challenging puzzle aspect and a resource collection system that creatively enhances gameplay. Additionally, the strategic use of resources to expand into new areas was recognized as a standout feature.

Myles Wallace, the designer of “Crowded Frontier,” is based in Austin, Texas, and serves as the president of the ATX Game Designers Club. His background includes working in community outreach for a nonprofit organization.

The 1st runner-up was “Snowy Peaks,” designed by Yuri Morroni & Gabriel Toschi, which features two players ascending cold mountains with a focus on strategic card play and thematic elements. The 2nd runner-up, “Cart’nage” by Loïc Lamy, offers a dynamic experience where players use dominoes to build structures and then attempt to knock down opponents’ buildings using various tokens.

The Cardboard Edison Award assesses games based on several criteria, including player engagement, originality of theme and mechanics, replayability, smooth gameplay, and suitability for the intended audience.

In “Pathfinder Quest,” players assume the roles of various characters, each with customizable ancestries, classes, and skills. The game unfolds across eight of twelve possible adventures, with the outcome of each influenced by player decisions and dice rolls, ensuring a unique experience with each playthrough.

The game set includes an Adventure Book that details each potential adventure and a Challenge Book that reveals the outcomes of player decisions. Additionally, the set contains map tiles, custom dice, hundreds of cards, monster pawns, and selected miniatures.

“Pathfinder Quest” will be available for pre-order via a crowdfunding campaign on BackerKit, launching this fall. Interested parties can sign up on the Pre-Launch page to receive updates and news about the game. Early backers will receive a special metal coin as a bonus.

The expansion includes a variety of goblin characters, each designed with unique attributes. The miniatures feature detailed sculpts, enhancing the visual and tactical aspects of gameplay. Players will face strategic challenges posed by different types of goblins such as archers, Luggits, Mawbeasts, and Banggits, who populate the fortress setting of this chapter.

Following the events in the Halls of Dureg, “Glimmer of Greed” tasks players with exploring a fortress in the Dragon Teeth Mountains. The objective is to prevent a goblin leader from seizing a powerful ancient relic. The storyline builds towards an intensive finale, structured to create a cinematic experience.

The expansion builds on the core game with additional gameplay components. These include new exploration cards, enhanced door mechanisms, treasure collections, and trap settings. New gameplay effects such as ‘stunned’, roaming raiders, and an expansive new dungeon area are introduced. A new spell set, the Common Arcana, is also available for spellcasting characters.

“Glimmer of Greed” includes support for a free web tool that offers voice narration, map management, and the ability to track party status and quest progress. This digital enhancement is optional and designed to complement the physical game experience.

‘Aeterna’ tasks players with expanding their influence by managing the iconic Seven Hills of Rome, contributing to the city’s architectural landscape, and promoting the expansion of Roman territories. The game incorporates elements of worker placement, majority control, card drafting, and strategic planning to create a competitive environment where players must also keep the city’s population content to avoid unrest.

The game is designed for two to four players and is played over three rounds, with each round taking about 30 minutes per player. This makes ‘Aeterna’ both accessible and engaging for players looking for a moderate-length gameplay experience.

The English edition of ‘Aeterna’ will be published and distributed worldwide by Ares Games under a licensing agreement with MS Edizioni, and was developed by Ergo Ludo Editions. The game is set for release in November 2024, with an initial preview scheduled for Essen Spiel in October 2024. The suggested retail price for the game is USD 65.

Players in “Katmai” assume the roles of brown bears competing for fishing spots along the river to catch salmon. The game involves strategic placement and movement of bears to dominate territories and achieve objectives. The mechanics are designed to be straightforward, yet they allow for significant strategic depth and decision-making.

The game includes 24 playing cards, 15 objective cards, 7 river tiles, 24 bear meeples, 48 salmon tokens, and a wooden initiative token. Each game session is expected to last around 30 minutes, suitable for players aged 14 and above.

The game’s thematic elements are reflected in its packaging and components, which feature artwork depicting bears fishing in the river, alongside various game pieces like illustrated bear cards with unique abilities, river tiles, and salmon tokens.

In collaboration with the Katmai Conservancy, Osprey Games aims to promote awareness and support for the conservation of wildlife in the Katmai region. The partnership highlights the game’s connection to real-world conservation efforts.

“Katmai: The Bears of Brooks River” will be previewed at upcoming events such as the UK Games Expo, Gen Con, Essen Spiel, and PAX Unplugged, where attendees can experience demos.

At the core of the game is a straightforward deck-building mechanism coupled with a flexible action point system, allowing players to tailor their gameplay experience. Each session is unique, thanks to ever-changing biomes that players explore, enhancing the replay value of the game. As players venture through these biomes, they can dig for valuable ores and gems, engage in combat with various enemies to collect loot, and strive to complete objective chains that culminate in epic boss battles.

The game also incorporates elements of base building, where players can unlock new crafting opportunities and gain bonuses from NPCs. Crafting extends to creating powerful accessories, tools, and weapons, as well as upgrading character armor sets and acquiring useful buffs to bolster their chances of survival and success.

As of now, the Kickstarter campaign for “Terraria: The Board Game” has raised an impressive $777,355, far surpassing its initial goal of $25,310. The campaign continues to attract backers and will conclude on June 21, with 22 days remaining and a strong show of support from the community.

Neverrift is designed to be highly accessible despite its strategic depth. The game features simple rules that can be learned in under two minutes, concise card texts with only 2-3 lines of text per card, and an affordable play option through its board game version, which provides everything needed to play without the ongoing commitment typical of TCGs. It is available in both physical and digital formats, supporting single-player and multiplayer modes.

Backers of the Kickstarter campaign have the unique opportunity to purchase first edition booster boxes, a collectible feature that will not be available after the campaign. The first edition logo will be chosen by backers during the campaign, adding a community-driven element to the game’s development.

Neverrift prioritizes high-quality artwork, with each card designed to be a miniature piece of art. The game features full and partial holographic effects and metallic foils in gold, silver, and copper. The artwork showcases talents from over 20 countries, ensuring a rich and diverse visual experience.

Markus Schwarze, the creator of Neverrift, brings nearly 20 years of experience in the TCG industry. His vision has been shaped by hundreds of hours of playtesting and collaboration with industry experts, pro players, and a global community of play testers. The game has been showcased at major conventions like SPIEL Essen and Dreamhack, with feedback from these events helping to refine the final product.

In addition to the physical game, Neverrift will be available as a mobile app on iOS and Android, with a Steam release planned. The app will feature a multiplayer mode, leaderboards, and a story mode to enhance the solo play experience. Players can purchase new cards and cosmetics through quests and daily login bonuses, making it possible to enjoy the game without spending extra money.

Set in a world disrupted by the titular Neverrift, players represent factions with unique tamers and decks. The goal is to tame creatures and outmaneuver opponents on the ever-changing grid. The game balances simple rules with profound strategy, appealing to both novice players and TCG veterans.

As of now, the Kickstarter campaign has raised $125,865 from 528 backers, significantly surpassing its initial goal of $27,196.

In the game, one player controls the Hostile, directing the narrative and leading the campaign against the other players, who act as Operatives of the Protectorate. These Operatives coordinate their efforts to thwart the Hostile’s destructive plans. The game’s structure includes a branching campaign with optional side missions, designed to keep the gameplay dynamic and engaging through repeated sessions.

The system powering “Degenesis: Clan Wars” is crafted to be both straightforward and strategically deep, encouraging players to continuously adapt their tactics and collaborate closely to overcome challenges presented by the opposing side.

The campaign for “Degenesis: Clan Wars” reached its funding goal of $100,000 in just 2 hours and 7 minutes. Currently, the project stands at 177% funded, with a total of $177,902 raised from 719 backers. With 14 days left in the campaign, the game continues to draw support, promising a robust community and extended gameplay possibilities for its backers.