Publishing lessons

I play a lot of board games and have an open taste, always looking to discover new experiences and see how people are advancing the hobby. As a publisher, I find it fascinating to see the new ideas that come out each year, and I would like to discuss a few games I am excited to try.

Moku Tower

Moku Tower was first on Kickstarter a couple of years ago and I was lucky enough to discover it via a new version on Kickstarter.

The game itself is a fun looking dexterity game which I am keen to try, yet, what excites me is the balance between gameplay and modern art. Moku Tower is designed to allow you to leave components out on display in your home as it combines Japanese rock gardens with the Romanian infinite column.

Can you design a game that is beautiful enough to qualify as a piece of art to display in your home?

Tiny Epic Dungeons

Tiny Epic Dungeons is a game that is now available but I have not yet played my copy, which I need to rectify soon.

Dungeon crawlers are some of the biggest games in board gaming with giant boxes containing hundreds if not thousands of pieces. These games provide a grand experience that requires an investment in time, money, and shelf space.

Can a tiny box that’s a fraction of the size of these beasts offer a comparable experience?

Redwood

When I first saw the images of Redwood I thought the game looked beautiful and as I discovered it’s story I was intrigued. You play the role of a photographer who is looking to take the perfect shots of the scenes around them. The game features templates that represent the area your photo will include that are displayed neatly on stands.

There are many games that let you play the role of a person, but what I love about this is how the game brings you down to the board level, making you look through your characters eyes.

Can a game make you feel like you are looking out of your characters eyes?

Hand-to-Hand Wombat

I’ve always enjoyed werewolf and other social deduction games that involve you sitting around a table and reading players by talking to them. What Hand-to-Hand Wombat does is they replace some of the discussion with a dexterity phase, effectively giving both teams something they need to physically achieve without others noticing.

Combing existing mechanisms in new ways is a great way to create something new and this combination sounds very appealing to me.

Will the dexterity phase add to the experience, or will it interrupt what I love most about deduction games?

Are there any games you are currently looking forward to playing?

Credits:
Original photo of Moku Tower was taken by Louis Hsu.