Happy New Year! With the dawning of 2021 comes a whole host of new board games, expansions, and some brand new collectible card games. We may not always know what the future will bring us, but these releases give us hope that the new year will be a fun one!
When it was released in 2017, Gloomhaven took the tabletop gaming world by storm—it's an intricate combination of board and roleplaying game, about exploring and surviving a fantasy city. In 2021 we're finally getting the sequel—Frosthaven! This time the players find themselves in a lonely outpost in the north, amid freezing weather and terrible conditions. They must save the settlement from a variety of monsters and hazards, and pray the elements don’t get them before the creatures do! It is a standalone adventure, so hardened fans of Gloomhaven and new players alike will have a way into the fun.
Wingspan was the little indie game that went big, amassing an enormous following and going on to win both awards and critical praise. The expansion Wingspan: Oceania brings the bird-watching players to Australia and New Zealand, introducing a whole new host of creatures to observe (as well as new late-game mechanics). It adds complexity and interest to the main game—and the art is as gorgeous as ever. From rainbow lorikeets to sulphur-crested cockatoos, it's time to expand your menagerie of beautiful birds!
If the odd creatures you like to study are human rather than avian, you can take part in their political adventures in Oath: Chronicles of Empire & Exile from Leder Games. In an ancient kingdom portrayed with gorgeous and charming art, the players fight for the future of the nation—will they support the old regime and maintain order, or will they plunge their people into anarchy and petty warfare? It can be played in a single session, or as a continuing saga, with each episode furthering the story of the turbulent world.
Trains have provided fodder for a surprising number of popular board games, and Maglev Metro takes that tradition in a futuristic direction. Magnetic levitation technology powers new rail lines, carrying humans and robots alike. It’s a faster and more elegant system of transit, but it needs constant work to maintain. In this tile-placing and network-building game, players are constantly managing their robot workers and upgrading their available technology, working towards a science-fictional form of perfection.
Moving from board games to collectible card games, we're looking forward to a brand new CCG, or the return of a classic, depending on your perspective— Digimon! In our research we discovered that unlike Pokemon, Digimon started as a Tamagotchi-like line of toys. Their popularity eventually spawned a TV series and card game. That game didn't last long in a world dominated by Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh around the turn of the millennium, but this new version may just have some legs. Look for it in late January.
Lastly—do you like vikings? Or heavy metal? Or Yggdrasil, the world tree? If so then check out the new MTG set, Kaldheim. And what about having a sword as your commander—you can now live this dream with Halvar, God of Battle, one of the early spoilers for the set. Kaldheim also marks the return of the Pathway dual-lands, completing the cycle of ten that began with Zendikar Rising. Get inspired by the art on the showcase viking legends with their interlace-stye, or the sagas carved from real wood in Norse fashion. A Norse mythology-inspired plane is something that Magic players have been asking for since the 90s, and we're excited to get our hands on it. At-home prerelease is coming up! We'll see you there.
Let’s hope for a new year of health, friendship and happiness—and plenty of great games!
—Mira G. & Irenee W.