Hand Management

It is 13th century Italy. Trade is flourishing between the city-states and the Levant. Venice, Florence, and Genoa are all bursting with wealth. However, each city-state is also plagued with a weak national army, leaving them defenseless against invasion from their envious neighbors. Enter the Condottiere.
As veteran English soldiers returned from the Crusades, Italy found itself with an influx of desperate and capable men. These hired swords were contracted to fight for individual city-states by an agreement known as a condotta. The most elite of these men were the mercenary leaders known as the Condottiere.

The object of Condottiere is to acquire four connected provinces in renaissance Italy. To do this players auction off different provinces on the board and bid on these provinces with a hand of cards representing mercenaries, seasons, scarecrows, and political figures. However, unlike standard auctions in which only the highest bidder loses their bid, in Condottiere every player loses their bid. Players are, in effect, bidding the number of troops they are willing to lose in order to win a province. However, several special effect cards shake the contests up and keep the players guessing.

Torres is an abstract game of resource management and tactical pawn movement. Players are attempting to build up castles and position their knights to score the most points each turn. Players have a limited supply of knights and action cards that allow special actions to be taken. Efficient use of pieces and cards, along with a thoughtful awareness of future possibilities, is the heart of this game.

Torres is considered by many to be an informal member of what is referred to as the Mask Trilogy.

As a koi fish, you spend your days (turns) swimming to and fro by playing a number of movement cards, with the goal of gobbling up as many dragonflies and frogs as you can every day. Each movement card has from two to four programmed moves — straight, turn, rotate any direction and leap over a space — with some moves being mandatory when played and others being optional.

Your tranquil koi pond begins with some decorative stone and a few lily pads, but you will also receive natural beauty cards in your hand that allow a player to add more lily pads, cherry blossoms, ornamental stone and frogs — which both enhances the beauty of the pond and causes turmoil beneath the still waters for the other koi. Lily pads are great as they spawn dragonflies every turn, each of which is worth 3 victory points when eaten. Cherry blossoms ripple the surface of the water as they land, causing all living things to scatter in the opposite direction — and if you play the blossoms wisely, right into your mouth! Stones prevent fish from entering a space and are best placed to block an opponent's path to a meal. Frogs are delicious 1 VP meals all their own, but they also eat dragonflies in adjacent spaces, so often they are placed to deprive opponents of their dinner.

As the weather changes and a new event card is revealed for the day in KOI, so must your strategy change. At the end of seven days, the game comes to an end, with the best-fed fish being declared the winner. Be wise, be quick, or go hungry. Persevere and you shall succeed.

Also features a solo play mode, where you must outscore a programmed AI opponent, with adjustable difficulty settings.

Subatomic: An Atom Building Game is a deck-building game in which players compete to build a number of available elements, which score them points.

Each player starts with the same small deck of cards that consist of proton, neutron, and electron cards. They use these cards to build upon their current atom (by playing these cards face-up as subatomic particles) in an attempt to construct one of the available element cards. Alternatively, players may use their hand of cards to purchase more powerful cards for later use (by playing them in combinations of face-down cards as energy and face-up cards as subatomic particles). Subatomic introduces a unique variation on deck-building with a highly accurate chemistry theme, with the ultimate goal of building elements to score points, but allowing many varying types of strategies.

Root is a game of adventure and war in which 2 to 4 (1 to 6 with the 'Riverfolk' expansion) players battle for control of a vast wilderness.

The nefarious Marquise de Cat has seized the great woodland, intent on harvesting its riches. Under her rule, the many creatures of the forest have banded together. This Alliance will seek to strengthen its resources and subvert the rule of Cats. In this effort, the Alliance may enlist the help of the wandering Vagabonds who are able to move through the more dangerous woodland paths. Though some may sympathize with the Alliance’s hopes and dreams, these wanderers are old enough to remember the great birds of prey who once controlled the woods.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the region, the proud, squabbling Eyrie have found a new commander who they hope will lead their faction to resume their ancient birthright. The stage is set for a contest that will decide the fate of the great woodland. It is up to the players to decide which group will ultimately take root.

Root represents the next step in our development of asymmetric design. Like Vast: The Crystal Caverns, each player in Root has unique capabilities and a different victory condition. Now, with the aid of gorgeous, multi-use cards, a truly asymmetric design has never been more accessible.

The Cats play a game of engine building and logistics while attempting to police the vast wilderness. By collecting Wood they are able to produce workshops, lumber mills, and barracks. They win by building new buildings and crafts.

The Eyrie musters their hawks to take back the Woods. They must capture as much territory as possible and build roosts before they collapse back into squabbling.

The Alliance hides in the shadows, recruiting forces and hatching conspiracies. They begin slowly and build towards a dramatic late-game presence--but only if they can manage to keep the other players in check.

Meanwhile, the Vagabond plays all sides of the conflict for their own gain, while hiding a mysterious quest. Explore the board, fight other factions, and work towards achieving your hidden goal.

In Root, players drive the narrative, and the differences between each role create an unparalleled level of interaction and replayability. Leder Games invites you and your family to explore the fantastic world of Root!

—description from the publisher