Fantasy

In Everdell Duo, you either compete against your single opponent or play co-operatively with another player to earn the most points. You accomplish this by placing workers to gather resources, then use those resources to play cards face up in front of you, creating your own woodland city.

Cards may be played from your hand or from the face-up area on the board called the meadow. However, only cards touching the sun or moon token may be played from the meadow, and players move these tokens each time they perform a turn. Therefore, planning for and timing which cards you play is critical.

Each game you try to achieve various events, the requirements of which differ from game to game, making certain cards and combinations more important to pursue.

The game lasts for four seasons, then players add their scores to determine the winner. If you're playing co-operatively, check the requirements for the chapter you are playing to see whether you have won.

—description from the publisher

Sir Ocelot and Professor Penguin are exploring a newly discovered cave system and competing for precious gemstones found inside. To locate and collect gemstones, players use tools — compasses, lamps, and pickaxes — and their trusty companion's good instincts. Gemstones, geodes, celestites — the deeper the rivals go into the cave, the more valuable the treasures to be found!

To set up Sir Ocelot's Cave, place the amethyst tokens for each of the three cave levels into their appropriate bag, then randomly place the level 1, 2, and 3 cave tokens on the empty spaces in the appropriate levels. Each player starts with a companion and a set of fifteen double-sided tool tokens that have different tools on opposite sides.

Each turn, place one of your tokens — either tool or companion — on the game board. After placing a tool or your companion, check to see whether any cave token is "seen" on three different sides by all three tool types. If so, you claim that token by removing it from the board. If you collect a geode or a complete set of celestites, you draw a random amethyst tile from the bag matching the appropriate level. Each amethyst has a fixed value or scores based on the cave tokens you collect or the cave tokens left behind.

Once both players have taken sixteen turns and placed all of their tokens, the game ends, and whoever has the more valuable collection of gemstones wins.

Welcome to the wild, weird world of FANTASTIQA!

Fantastiqa is a deck-building board game set in a fantastical landscape of dark forests, mist-shrouded highlands, and frozen wastes. As you and your foes journey around the board, you will subdue strange creatures and fulfill fabulous quests.

Each creature you encounter has both an ability and a vulnerability. By playing card symbols to which a creature is vulnerable, you can subdue it and recruit it as an ally. Each creature you defeat is added to your expanding deck of cards, making its special ability into an ability of your own! A defeated Enchantress will wield her beguiling charms to help you overcome wandering Knights. Knights in turn subdue Dragons, adding their fiery breath to your cause. By combining the powers of different creatures you can fulfill curious quests, for example:

Send forth your Rabbits of Unusual Size to Nibble Through the Violin Strings of the Violent Vampire Volnar!
Deploy a party of web-slinging Spiders to String a Bridge Across the Chasm of Chaos!
Send your Dragons and Vampire Bats together on a mission to Ignite the Whisker-Wick'd Candle Guarded by the Ice Cats of Kituviel!

Some of the creatures you encounter carry precious gems, which you can spend to purchase powerful artifacts or to summon mythical beasts to your aid. You begin with a handful of household items, but you will grow in power as you adventure and gather allies! By completing quests you score victory points and claim other special rewards. The board changes every time you play, so prepare for a new, exciting adventure each time you enter the world of Fantastiqa!

Fantastiqa is easy to learn but challenging to master – a game for families and gamers alike. Additional simplified rules are included for beginners and children.

The components are lavishly illustrated with fine art by Caspar David Friedrich, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Arthur Rackham, John William Waterhouse, John Bauer, Edward Burne-Jones, Francisco Goya, and others.

A resounding bell tolls, signaling the epic battle that awaits. Ever vigilant, you assemble your team, scour your stockpiles for supplies, and arm yourselves to confront the ruthless hordes of barbarian and pirate invaders. Engage in competition with fellow players to etch your name into the annals of town legend. However, cooperation could be crucial to keep Chaos Cove from the brink of oblivion. And once victory is achieved, revel in triumph by tapping into barrels of the finest rum, throwing a legendary party the world will talk about for ages!

Experience Martin Wallace at his best with this highly interactive worker placement game. Command the unique abilities of each of Chaos Cove's 16 valiant heroes, harnessing their talents, capitalizing on location perks, and amassing the essential resources to combat increasingly formidable invaders. Accumulate victory points by triumphing in both land and sea battles, erecting mighty forts, deploying rugged ships, and hosting epic rum-soaked celebrations. Marvel at the exquisite craftsmanship of the 16 charming hero meeples, each brought to life by the unparalleled artistry of Mr. Cuddington.

But here's the twist that sets this game apart: every hero in Chaos Cove is distinctive with their own special ability. With 16 unique heroes to choose from, every player has the chance to step into the shoes of each hero during the game, making each playthrough an exciting and unique adventure. And don’t forget the locations, each one offering a different strategic advantage. The dynamic interplay of hero placement and location choice leads to extraordinary interactions that position you for victory over the relentless pirates and marauding barbarians.

Should the town of Chaos Cove withstand four harrowing rounds without succumbing to the invaders, a protector of Chaos Cove shall rise. Do you possess the mettle and strategy required to be the protector of Chaos Cove? Outwit your foes as you embark on an unforgettable journey to become the stuff of legends in the beloved town of Chaos Cove!

—description from the publisher

In Tales of the Arthurian Knights, you are a hero or heroine in a story of adventure and awe! You and your fellows will travel the land at the behest of the renowned King Arthur. Through a series of quests, you will make impactful choices that will steer the course of your journey. Secure your place in history by achieving glorious feats, lest your efforts be doomed to obscurity. Gather your band of Knights around the table to enjoy your own epic tale as it unfolds!

Building on the mechanisms from the classic storytelling game Tales of the Arabian Nights, you now find yourself in the age of chivalry alongside Lancelot, Merlin, and many other characters from Arthurian lore. Quests will lead to glorious battles, daring rescues, and the discovery of such marvels as the Holy Grail.

As you navigate through this paragraph-driven experience, an updated victory point system will track your success. Tales of the Arthurian Knights eliminates matrixes and charts in favor of a streamlined method of dictating the paragraphs that will shape your adventure. After making your choices, a single roll plus skill bonuses will determine success or failure.

Choose your actions carefully, and you will be rewarded with skills, renown, and nobility. Choose poorly, and be scorned, cursed, or made a pariah. Bring the age of King Arthur to life in this incredibly replayable board game with a plethora of tales that are sure to challenge, amuse, surprise, and entertain!

—description from the publisher