Interesting Kickstarters (Week of 2/4/2019)

As always, there are several board games of interest to solo gamers on Kickstarter! Let's sample a few for the week! 

1. The Clowdus Collection: Neolithic

Kolossal Games is currently republishing a set of games designed by John Clowdus, including Merchants of Muziris, Keep, and Neolithic. Of the three, Neolithic has solo mode (it is for 1–2 players). In this game, your goal is to build up a neolithic Village. Mechanically, the game is a mixture of hand building, worker placement, and deployment of multi-use cards. At 30 minutes, it is also quick-playing, which should suit solo gamers who are looking for a quick work night game.

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2. Dark Rituals: Malleus Maleficarum 

On the other end of the spectrum, Dark Rituals is a $100 big-box game packed with miniatures. This one is an asymmetric "one vs. all" game that also includes a solo mode. In the multiplayer version of the game, the heroes' goal is to defend a town from a coven of witches, while one player takes on the role of Witch Master. In solo mode, you are the Witch Master battling against game-controlled heroes—a potentially interesting twist, given that usually AI controls the overlord and makes the solo player pilot multiple heroes. 

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3. Parks: The Board Game 

Parks is actually a board game about hikers who are enjoying America's national parks and collecting memories of their experiences. You can improve your equipment to hike more efficiently, but your main goal will be to take the best collection of photographs. In the solo mode, you'll be sharing the trail with Rangers who are there to take care of the park. But while the Rangers are helpful and necessary to park upkeep, they will also act as your timer, because the season ends when they finish maintaining the trail! This game is committed to celebrating national parks, and some of its proceeds will be donated to the National Park Service. ​​

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