Campaign Trail, by David Cornelius

I typically think politics belong in late-night Facebook posts and arguments with my Granddad, and certainly not in my board game sessions. There are few things more divisive than a quick chat about energy policies, or the role of government in healthcare, or the more hot-button issues that we yell about every day.

Somehow, Campaign Trail manages to avoid all of this negativity, while capturing the fun of watching the twists and turns of a Presidential campaign. Republicans have a 15% lead in Illinois? Just wait until the Independents launch their huge ad campaign and claim the state. Democrats are polling well on Environmental Issues in California? Great, but they've been overtaken by the Republican candidate with a strong message on international trade.

These swings and targeted strategies push and pull electoral votes (the score markers in the game) and create some of the most compelling drama I've felt in a game. Keep reading, and I'll go into a bit more detail about what I like in Campaign Trail.

Updated Update: Campaign Trail is now live on Kickstarter, with a lower price, free shipping in the US, and a deluxe version available that I've happily snapped up. Check it out by clicking here! 

Back It! with Luke Crane, Head of Games at Kickstarter

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Back It! with Jeff Cornelius of Campaign Trail

Upcoming Interview with Luke Crane, Head of Games at Kickstarter

I'd like your help in picking questions to ask Luke Crane, the Head of Games at Kickstarter, in our upcoming video interview.

Kickstarter announced today that they've restructured their company to be a "Benefit Corporation", and also their intention to "commit to donate 5% of annual post-tax profits to arts education and organizations fighting inequality."

Luke and I have been working to schedule an interview for a while now, and this announcement gives us an excellent reason to finally video chat and have a nice discussion.

Please use the Google form below to submit questions on any gaming- or Kickstarter-related topic, and I may use your questions (and credit you, if you provide your name). Please keep your questions short, specific, and respectful.

Thanks!

Unboxing Tiny Epic Galaxies

The Nerd Nighters // Episode 121 3 year birthday party recap

Unboxing Jamey Stegmaier's Newest Thing

First Impressions of Epic, by Rob Daugherty

$15 tuck box with four factions? Seems good...

Epic isn't just an exclamation anymore; it's also the next in the line of Rob Dougherty's genre-defining card games, which includes Star Realms and various Ascension expansions. Epic's not a deck-builder, so that's new territory from one of the hobby's giants, but the rest of the game will look very familiar to fans of Rob's previous work.

Epic was delivered to Kickstarter backers this weekend, and I've played about 10 games, including a quick two-player draft session. I've already had a half-dozen heated conversations on such subjects as "is it good" and "of course it's good" with my close gaming friends (also backers), so it's time for a quick first impression for those who aren't getting KS copies, or who may have a chance to pick up the game elsewhere. 

Back It! with Ed Bryan of Recall of Cthulhu

The Nerd Nighters // Episode 120 Stephen Buonocore

The Nerd Nighters // Episode 119 Scott Morris