INORI: Become the most dedicated Guardian of the Great Tree of the Inori Valley.
In the Inori Valley, villages are built under a giant sacred tree in which spirits live. All year long, village chiefs make offerings to these spirits and assemble altars in the hope of becoming the Great Tree Guardian for the next year.
For each of the four seasons comprising a complete game of Inori, players place their offering markers on the spirit cards or on altars for the Great Tree. This allows them to activate abilities, earn points, or obtain favor tokens. At the end of a season, a spirit card with all spaces occupied gains bonus points and is replaced, creating new opportunities.
At the end of the game, offerings for the Great Tree give points according to their color for players having the most favors of each color.
The Guardian of the Great Tree for the next year is the player with the most points.
Let's discover this wonderful game by clicking the link below:
https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=inori
And let's thank the Space Cowboys publishing team, as well as Mathieu Aubert and Théo Rivière for their support to bring the game on our platform. Of course, no games without developers and this adaptation has been brought to you by LeSteffen who did a remarkable job.
Play it and let us know your opinion about it!
That's our Monday release, so see you on Wednesday for another game.
Until then, take care and... play fair!
TREOS: Run through the forest! Run!
Four characters on a quest to turn their luck around forever....
On a stormy night, rumor spreads about a luck potion that one can buy for 20 gold coins on the black market in TREOS. The realm is vast, its forests dark, and the roads dangerous.
Courier runs pay richly, so each one who dares to venture outside the protective walls of their home town...
Collect gold coins, deal with gangs of robbers to outmaneuver your competition, and explore remote corners of the realm using runes. Every step you take needs to be well planned. Your opponents are hot on your heels! After all, who knows how many more potions there are? Whoever manages to collect 20 gold coins the fastest, wins the game.
Players have to choose among 4 asymmetrical characters, deal with highwaymen and other obstacles and - most of all - outmaneuver the competition.
The game is played over several rounds (called days), composed of 5 phases each. Movement cards are drawn and must be chosen wisely, because only the numbers on the cards will reveal the turn order. Each round you will plan three turns, which you will then carry out one by one. This cycle repeats until someone collects 20 gold (or more), thus immediately winning the game.
As if that weren't enough adventure, the map offers a completely new world with every game: the game board can be arranged in more than 1.500 variations!
It's a very interesting game filled with storytelling that you can learn in no-time by starting the tutorial, or simply by clicking the link below:
https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=treos
Let's celebrate the work done by firgon to bring this new game from Lookout Games, and the support from them as well as the game designer Arne aus dem Siepen.
We're glad to have this novelty online for all to enjoy!
That's it for your Wednesday release.
See you next week and until then...
Take care and play fair!
DVONN: A legendary abstract game now available!
Do you know what the GIPF project is?
The GIPF Project is a series of abstract combinatorial strategy games created by Kris Burm between 1997 and 2017, which pit two players against each other.
The project is named after the first game in the series, GIPF.
What the games in the project have in common is that they are played on a hexagon-shaped grid and involve a progressive reduction in terrain. Each game can be played independently, but there are special pieces called “potentials” which a player obtains by winning a game in one of the project's games, and which can be introduced into GIPF to add new features. The various games have achieved great success among strategy games, with YINSH, DVONN and ZÈRTZ winning the Mensa Select2 award.
If you are interested, you can find more information all over the Internet.
Today we are releasing DVONN, which is about piling pieces. It is played on an elongated hexagonal board, with 23 white, 23 black and 3 red DVONN-pieces. In the beginning the board is empty. The players place the pieces on empty spaces of the board, without restrictions. They place the DVONN-pieces first and their own pieces next.
Then they start stacking pieces on top of each other. A single piece may be moved 1 space in any direction, a stack of two pieces may be moved two spaces, etc. A stack must always be moved as a whole and a move must always end on top of another piece or stack. If pieces or stacks lose contact with the DVONN-pieces, they must be removed from the board. The game ends when no more moves can be made. The players put the stacks they control on top of each other and the one with the highest stack is the winner.
If you feel like you're ready to play a game, you can click the link below or try the amazing tutorial included:
https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=dvonn
And that's it for this Monday!
We would like to thank Kris Burm of course, and the support from the publisher HUCH! for bringing this game to the platform. Also, let's thank EINSTEIN for developing this adaptation to BGA.
Will the other games from the GIPF project come to BGA?
Who knows what the future holds. But we are glad we have this one to start with!
Enjoy your week, and as always,
Take care and play fair!
CASTLE COMBO: Must be the reason why I'm king of my castle!
Castle Combo is an abstract family game with an open draft.
The concept is that players take cards from the board into their tableau, forming a 3x3 at the end, as players take one card per round for 9 rounds (even if one or more are turned over).
Cards are paid for with money (some cost zero) and when added to the tableau they can provide money and/or keys, and more importantly, points at the end of the game depending on the conditions on the card. Players must take a card from the row where the pawn is located, but can pay keys to move the pawn to another row or discard all existing cards and replace them. Players can take a card at any time and place it face down on the board, earning 6 dollars and 2 keys.
Cards are open, combos are readable by everyone around the table, and it is a very pleasant game to chill.
Castle Combo is a fun game that offers a lot of options and variety in a fairly short time, as the game is quick- also quick to learn. You do not trust me? Click the link below to learn more about it, or simply try the tutorial provided to get a glimpse of it:
https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=castlecombo
Let's thank CatchUp Games , Grégory Grard & Mathieu Roussel for their authorization to adapt this game to BGA, and let's celebrate another fine release from our developer, thoun!
That's it for your Wednesday Release Time.
We're happy to release some easier and simpler games, mostly because, you probably know, we try to keep the balance. So any lightweight game release could mean a heavier one is coming. Any guesses?
Lastly, note that you can also check the statistics about the Summer Calendar from this year in the related forum post. Thx to all for paticipating!
Thanks for your time, and as always: Take care and play fair!
See you next week.
TAKENOKOLOR: Panda palette pen party!
Make your debut as a gardener! You must develop your bamboo grove, create watering places, and attract fish and ladybugs to make your garden a little piece of paradise resplendent with color.
Each turn, one player throws four colored pencils (green, yellow, pink, and blue) then chooses one. The other players choose one of the remaining pencils in turn, then all players simultaneously color on their sheet, one bamboo section corresponding to the same color and to the same symbol as the pencil ring they chose: circle, square, or triangle.
Who will finish their bamboo grove first? Who will be the best gardener? Click below to start a game or do the tutorial to learn how to play this new game:
https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=takenokolor
Let's thank of course the game designers, who are no less than Antoine Bauza & Corentin Lebrat, as well as Bombyx publishing.
And please celebrate the work done by thoun to make it playable on all devices, and the fantastic rendering of the game on browsers.
If you are back from vacation, we wish you the best for this year to come.
But that's a very good start for the 1st release of September!
Let's enjoy the last few weeks before autumn by celebrating colors...
And as always, take care and play fair!
HARMONIES: A journey through nature’s wonders!
A nice blend of strategy, beautiful artwork, and a balance between relaxing and challenging gameplay.
In Harmonies you will build landscapes by placing coloured tokens and creating habitats for animals. The goal is to earn the most points by incorporating habitats wisely into your landscapes and settling as many animals as possible.
How does it play? Easily! You can take these actions in the order of your choosing:
- Take and place tokens: Draw three tokens from any one space on the central board. Then place them on your personal board following specific placement rules. Tokens can be stacked to create trees, buildings, or mountains.
- Take an animal card: Choose one animal card from the five face-up cards and place it above your personal board. You can have up to four cards simultaneously.
- Place an animal cube: Place animal cubes on your personal board according to the habitat patterns depicted on the animal cards. Each animal card indicates the required pattern and the specific token colors needed to place the animal cubes.
The game ends when either the pouch is empty when you need to refill the central board, or there are two or fewer unoccupied spaces on any player’s personal board. At the end of the game, players tally their points based on the landscapes created and animals placed. The player with the most points wins!
Harmonies offers a wealth of variability that contributes to its sustained engagement across numerous sessions. Each playthrough introduces fresh challenges and opportunities, thanks to its randomized setup and the diverse array of animal cards and tokens. Players must continually adapt to varying token placements and habitat configurations, which invigorates the gameplay. Furthermore, the exploration of different strategies, such as concentrating on particular habitat types or optimizing the arrangement of animal cubes for maximum scoring, affords players multiple avenues for mastery.
Harmonies stands out as a meticulously designed and highly captivating board game, excelling in both solo and multiplayer formats. Although some may find the solo scoring system less gratifying, this minor drawback does not detract from the game's strategic complexity and its potential for replayability.
Immerse yourself in its charming world, explore its varied strategies, and see how your landscapes evolve with each game, click the link below to play it NOW, from solo up to 4 players:
https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=harmonies
We would love to thank the game designer, Johan Benvenuto, and the Libellud publishing team for their authorization to develop and host this amazing title on our platform, using the wonderful artworks made by Maëva Da Silva. Let's also mention the fantastic work done by Mizutismask for you all to play on most devices. Try it now!
Only a few days are remaining on the Summer Calendar. Did you check the front page?
And that's all for today.
See you next week for more games, more fun and more animals!
Until then, as always, take care and play fair!
THE FOX IN THE FOREST: a fox...and a forest. + DUET, it's 2 nice trick-taking games for 2!
The Fox in the Forest is a trick-taking game for two players. Aside from the normal ranked- and suited-cards used to win tricks, fairy characters such as the Fox and the Witch have special abilities that let you change the trump suit, lead even after you lose a trick, and more.
You score points by winning more tricks than your opponent, but do not become greedy! Win too many tricks, and you will fall like the villain in so many fairy tales...
What makes this game special is the scoring.
It is not a simple majority-wins-all situation. The player must either avoid collecting many tricks (0-3 tricks) or a set number of tricks (7-9) to score a maximum 6 points for each round. You do not receive any points if you overshoot and win ten or more tricks. If you win all 13 tricks and score zero points, your opponent will also score the maximum points! Collecting between 4-6 tricks will score you between 1-3 points.
The tug of war between the two players is truly innovative. It is usually important to have some weaker cards to lose some tricks. It is possible to score 0-3 tricks if your cards are low enough. To avoid collecting tricks is not easy, considering your opponent can see this coming a mile away.
There are so many more possibilities here that you will probably need to crawl through the tutorial to learn the game quickly and discover why it's so good, or simply click the link below:
https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=thefoxintheforest
But wait, there's more!
What if you want to play a cooperative rule? And get a whole different game based on the same spirit of THE FOX IN THE FOREST?
We have you covered, as the publisher and his team are also providing THE FOX IN THE FOREST: DUET!
Discover it right now by clicking the link below, or simply learn it through the included tutorial by Nekonyancer:
https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=thefoxintheforestduet
We would love to thank Renegade Game Studios and Foxtrot Games, as well as Joshua Buergel for these games to happen on BGA, as well as the very nice work done by ufm to bring them here, online, for all to play.
This is the 26th release for the Summer Calendar. Only a few left for this event!
But whatever happens next, see you on Wednesday for another amazing release.
Until then,
Take care and play fair!
GLASS ROAD: Clear the land, hire specialists, build and gather to make your own trade empire.
The game Glass Road commemorates the 700-year-old tradition of glass-making in the Bavarian Forest. (Today, the "Glass Road" is a route through the Bavarian forest that takes visitors to many of the old glass houses and museums of that region.) You must skillfully manage your glass and brick production in order to build the structures that help you keep your business flowing. Cut the forest to keep the fires burning in the ovens and spread and remove ponds, pits, and groves to supply yourself with the items you need. Fifteen specialists are there at your side to carry out your orders...
In more detail, the game consists of four building periods. Each player has an identical set of fifteen specialist cards, and each specialist comes with two abilities. At the beginning of each building period, you choose a hand of five specialists. If during this building period, you play a specialist that no other player has in hand, you may use both abilities on that card; if two or more players play the same specialist, each of them may use only one of the two abilities. Exploiting the abilities of these specialists lets you collect resources, lay out new landscape tiles (e.g., ponds and pits), and build a variety of buildings, which come in three types:
- Processing buildings
- "Immediate" buildings with a one-time effect
- Buildings that provide bonus points at the end of the game for various accomplishments
Mastering the balance of knowing the best specialist card to play and being flexible about when you play it- together with assembling a clever combination of buildings- is the key to this game.
You can try this game right now from your browser by clicking the link below:
https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=glassroad
We're happy to welcome another game by Feuerland Spiele on our platform, and thank Uwe Rosenberg for the authorization to have this game online here. Also, let's celebrate the work done by bartoleo & Sir Heo for adapting it to #BGA.
That's it for your Wednesday Release Time!
What's up next? Did you check our daily releases on the front page SUMMER CALENDAR?
There's so much more to discover!
See you next week and until then, as always...
Take care and play fair!
MOUNTAIN GOATS: Goatest of all titles!
In Mountain Goats you work to move your goats to the top of 6 different mountains where they can score points as long as they stay there. You can share spaces with other goats on the way up, but there is only room for one goat at the top of each mountain. If someone else's goat moves to the mountain top, they will kick you off and you will have to start your trek over.
It is a game about timing. You need to not just get to the top of the mountain, but get there when no one else is in position to knock you off.
It is also a game about keeping your eye on your opponents. Maximizing your score, but also making sure you do not let anyone else score too much.
There is the fun chance to knock each other off the mountain. But it does not feel too mean because you can only knock back goats that are in a scoring position, and it is not a huge setback. It is just a normal part of the cycle of the game.
Curious? Yes you are! Click below to know more and start a game right from your browser:
https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=mountaingoats
Let us thank Allplay publishing, as well as Stefan Risthaus for their authorization to bring this game to the platform, and celebrate the work done by pasko92 to make it work flawlessly: it's a cool game to play on mobile devices!
That's it for today!
Where are you in our SUMMER CALENDAR challenge?
Already got a trophy? Or two?
There's 15 more days to try it right from the front page.
Thanks for your time, and as always, take care and play fair!
NEWTON: When an apple did the job...
It is always like a small keynote to release such a tool of fun and entertainment.
The middle of the 17th century was a period of great changes; with the arrival of the scientific method came what we now call the Scientific Revolution. Many great scientists, with their theories and ideas, changed and shaped our perception of the universe: Galileo Galilei, Copernicus, Kepler, Bacon and, above all, Sir Isaac Newton.
In Newton, the players take the role of a young scientist who wants to become one of the great geniuses of this era. To reach their ultimate goal, they travel around Europe, visit universities and cities, study to discover new theories, build new tools and work to earn money.
The game is played over six rounds. Each round, every player plays five cards from their hand, and each played card allows the player to perform one of the many actions of the game. An action can have a variety of effects, which depend on the symbols on the board. At the end of the round, a player can take back all the cards except for one. One card has to remain on the board, which means that you give up one possibility of doing that action, but also that that very action will be carried out with greater strength. Fortunately, you can acquire new cards with additional powers to perform more actions.
After six rounds, you calculate your final score, and the player with the most VP wins.
That's it. No updates, no additional stuff to connect: you can play it right now on #BGA by clicking the link below:
https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=newton
And you can also play it alone with the SOLO mode!
We would love to thank Cranio Creations as well as Simone Luciani & Nestore Mangone for their authorization to bring this game online, and the fantastic work done by xevizero for developing it.
But wait, there's more...
We have a great tutorial included (thx Nekonyancer) for you to learn it in no-time, even if you are not logged in. Like magic!
Share the link below with your friends before asking them to join to help them prepare : https://boardgamearena.com/tutorial?game=newton
Do not forget about the SUMMER CALENDAR on the front page: we are close to the halfway point this month!
That's it for today. As always...
Take care and play fair!
(and just out of curiosity: who is using an iPhone for the news readers? Or Android? Or else? Let us know in the comments!)