Interesting Kickstarters (Week of 12/3/2017)

Once again, I am pleased to see so many Kickstarter campaigns that cater to solo players. Here is a small selection of potentially interesting solo-playable games with active campaigns on Kickstarter. I am not currently backing any of them (not in the budget), but I am still happy that they exist.

Book of Dragons

Book of Dragons is a card game system that is designed to allow you to use the same set of cards to play several different games. The art in this card system is lovely, and if enough people invest, there will be essentially endless possibilities for gameplay. The open nature of the system, however, will probably lead to a mixed bag of gaming options. So far there is only one set of solitaire rules, but the design is by Daniel Solis, which is definitely a good sign. You can read the solo game rules here, if you're interested.

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Darien Apocalypse

This game is based on an actual historical event—a failed attempt by the Scottish to build a trading colony in the Isthmus of Panama. In this fictional reenactment, colonists battle the elements as represented by the four horsemen of the apocalypse. This worker placement and resource management game can be played either competitively or cooperatively, and is explicitly designed for 1–4 players. Darien Apocalypse caught my eye in part because Ricky Royal did a preview for it, and if anyone can be called a tastemaker in the world of solo gaming, it's Ricky Royal. However, I'm a bit unsure of the theme (in my mind, the apocalypse part doesn't totally hook up with Scottish colony worker placement). Also, the description on the campaign page asks, "How will you fair (sic) against these infernal forces?" Typos happen. Hell, there are probably several on my blog! But I'd say that they should not happen in your top-of-the-page Kickstarter copy. 

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Simulacra Games: The Wilson Wolfe Affair

This one seems like a lot of fun. The premise of this game, which can be played solo or cooperatively, is that you receive a seemingly-innocuous box of cartoon memorabilia. Not all is as it seems, however—hidden within all of that cartoon art are clues to a mystery of global proportions. I already love mystery games like Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective, and it would be so much fun to get to sift through the evidence myself rather than simply read about it. It's likely that The Wilson Wolfe Affair is a game that I would really enjoy. I just wish it weren't so expensive! The base game is approximately $79 US, which is pretty steep given that a mystery game of this nature is unlikely to have a lot of replay value. I'm expecting a hundred or more hours of gameplay out of Gloomhaven, which I backed on Kickstarter for $99. Also, if you want a mystery puzzle, you can get a more bare-bones escape room game for $15 or less. If I were rolling in cash, though, I'd totally back this.

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