Hand Management

Drako: Dragon & Dwarves is an asymmetrical game for two players, with one player leading a team of three dwarves who are experienced dragon hunters and the other playing a red dragon that has spread terror amongst local peasants. The dwarves have managed to trap the dragon in a shady valley at the foot of the mountain where it lives – apparently dragons can't resist the smell of freshly slaughtered sheep – but despite being in chains, the dragon is still young and ferocious, providing the dwarves with the difficult task of killing it without being killed themselves.

Each player has a unique deck of cards, and each card has symbols on it to indicate possible actions. The dragon can move around the game board, bite, shoot fire, fly (in a limited way), and defend itself from attacks; the dwarves can attack with their axes, shoot crossbows, move individually or in groups, protect themselves with shields, and cast nets.

Each player can have up to six cards in hand, and managing these cards and maneuvering their characters on the game board are the keys to victory. Has the opponent run out of defense cards? Can the dragon nip the strongest dwarf and take him out without opening himself up to attacks from the others? The dwarves can attack the dragon's wings to keep it from flying, chop its legs so it can't move, and cut its throat to prevent it from breathing fire.

If the dwarves kill the dragon before it breaks from the trap – that is before dwarves run out of cards – they win. If the dragon survives or defeats the dwarves, he will manage to free his trapped leg and fly away, triumphing over his opponents.

5211 is a fast-playing card game with a unique scoring method that rewards clever play!

This game has cards 1-6 in five colors. Each player starts with a hand of five cards. Players play two cards face-down, then simultaneously reveal them. They refill their hand, then repeat this process two more times, but only with one card.

The cards of the majority color will score — unless too many are present, in which case the color busts and the second most color scores. In case of a tie for majority, the tied colors are also out. These rounds are repeated until the deck runs out. The player with the most points wins.

5211 is a new edition of 5 COLORS that has all new art.

BattleLands is a fast and furious game of turf warfare for 3-5 players. Send your fighters to seize key locations, or recruit even fiercer warriors who can help you turn the tide! Use your faction's abilities to play dirty and keep your opponents guessing your next move!

Set in the world of the upcoming Adventure Book game Aftermath, BattleLands: Aftermath Edition takes place in a post-apocalyptic land in which humans are extinct. Now the animals of the world try to survive by competing for territory, food, and precious technology.

—description from the publisher

Shahrazad is a game for one player playing solitaire or for two players playing cooperatively.

In the game, the player starts with one hand card, then draws a second. From these two, they play a card to the tableau. Cards are played touching, in columns left or right but shifted halfway up or down. In the one-player game, a column is restricted to 4 cards, in the two player, the limit is 3 cards. Alternately, you may exchange a played card with a hand card. But next turn, after drawing, you must play down two cards so your hand is back down to one before drawing.

Once all the cards are played, cards are turned face-down if any card on its right is of a lower number. Then the player tries to find paths in the tableau from the far left to the far right side. Think of this as telling the story. Any cards that are not part of a valid path are also turned down.

Now you score for colour groups, and deduct points for face-down cards and gaps in the tableau. After keeping a column, shuffle the deck over and play a second round to get your final score and the King's opinion!

For two players, it's the same--with both players working a hand of two cards each. You cannot consult about which card to play, but after choosing, you may confer about placing. The final score this time reflects a test of your friendship.

Publisher's summary:
"You shall be rewarded if your tale amuses me."

The eccentric king issued the edict to all over the country. You are a bard who is willing to take up that challenge. You have to make up a tale by mixing stories in the world and enchant the king with the tale.

With 22 beautifully illustrated tarot cards with four background colours, this card game demands you make a succession of tough decisions. You will be excited to see how the storyline barely keeps consistency.

Basically, you play a card from two cards in your hand each turn. When you have played all cards, the first round ends and you score according to the card positions. With some of these cards remaining in play, the game proceeds to the second round in the same way. The total of two rounds is your final score.

The deluxe edition of Coloma includes content not found in the retail edition.

Besides the base game components and retail edition stretch goals, the Deluxe Edition of Coloma includes 40 Chips, 30 custom Gold Nuggets, 5 custom Score Markers, 1 custom Round Marker, 1 Metal First Player Marker and all of the "Deluxe Only/Kickstarter Exclusive" Stretch Goals that were unlocked which included 6 new characters each with a unique ability not found on characters from the base game!

They are:
Robber - You may spend 1 Wagon action (forgoing its usual movement Ability) to gain 3 Gold Nuggets from the Gold Cart (not the Gold Supply on the board!).

Homesteader - You may spend 1 Tent to build a Town Building card from your hand, paying the Saw cost on the card.

Renegade - Each time you add a Dude to your Graveyard, draw 3 cards.

Range Rider - Each time your Wagon moves over (or stops on) a vacant Horseshoe space on the Frontier Map, draw 1 card.

Maverick - Discard 1 card to gain either 1 Buck or 1 Dude.

Vigilante - Discard 1 used Barrel to place Dudes according to the usual rules.

The custom components in the Deluxe Edition replace the standard components from the Retail Edition.

The Deluxe Edition is for Kickstarter backers only and will not be available in retail (except the retail stores that backed the Kickstarter). However, it will be available in limited supply at conventions, through contests, online at the BGG promo store, and directly from the publisher's website.

About the game:
Coloma is the town where an unexpected event happened that shaped history of the Western Frontier. In the winter of 1848 a man building a sawmill on the South Fork of the American River spotted some bright nuggets in the tailrace waters below. Sure enough, it was gold! Though he tried to keep his discovery a secret, word spread quickly and it triggered the California Gold Rush of ‘49.

Thousands of people arrived from far and wide, making Coloma one of the fastest growing boomtowns in the country. Claims were staked, camps and makeshift homes were built, and hotels and saloons sprung up almost overnight. Everyone wanted their cut of the land’s wealth. For many it was Coloma or Bust!

In the game of Coloma, you are a pioneer who has recently traveled out West to strike it rich and make a name for yourself. You will prospect for gold and use your windfalls to recruit workers, rustle up horses, and establish businesses. You will also get opportunities to explore the surrounding riverways and frontier lands. But alas! You are not alone—every other pioneer seems to have gotten the same idea! Therefore, it will take extra cunning tactics on your part to not go Bust with the rest of them…

Overview of Play
At the beginning of each chapter, you and the other players will simultaneously select an action to perform on the board. Once your selections are revealed, you must check if a majority of players chose the same action. If so, it is a Bust—which disables the Boom bonus that would be included otherwise. Then the players take turns performing actions, such as gaining resources, moving wagons on the map, building bridges and businesses, and placing camps and gunmen. After that, a section of the board is rotated—slightly changing the layout of the actions for the upcoming chapter.

When the rotating section hits high noon, the round ends with a bang: a shootout against an ever-growing number of outlaws! If you and the other players can outnumber the outlaws with your combined gunmen, you will get your fair share of the rewards. But if not, the rewards drop, and some of the gunmen will go to the graveyard... The game ends after the third shootout, and the player with the most points wins!

Coloma is a fast moving game with many paths to victory. It offers unique twists on simultaneous action selection, resource management, and engine-building. The town cards in your tableau allow you to play more efficiently, gain extra actions, and bend the rules to your advantage. With these cards and the bridge tiles (which add points based on what you achieve), you can create the perfect combination for your strategy and play style.

—description from the publisher