Behind the Line - Kickstarting the habit

Board gaming is an addiction. Like with many addictions there are enablers.

One of those enablers is Kickstarter.

Please proceed at your own risk.

DINGO'S DREAMS

Designed by Alf Seegert and being published by Ryan Lauket's Red Raven Games, this 2-4 player family game has you trying to successfully guide your animal through the dream world.

You start with a grid of 25 tiles, set up at random in a 5x5 dreamscape. You also start with one extra tile, with a picture of your animal on it. On the opposite side of each of your tiles is a picture of your animal. Each turn, a random card is drawn, telling players which tile they should flip. When you flip a tile, it means your animal is travelling through a part of the dreamscape. Your goal is to guide your animal through the dreamscape by putting him in specified spaces (which are different each time you play). Each time after a card is drawn, you take your extra animal and slide him into the dreamscape, shifting one row or column of tiles until a new, different tile emerges from the opposite side. You'll use this tile to shift another column or row on your next turn. Play continues until one player's dreamscape tiles matches the goal. The player then shouts his or her animal's name-- "Dingo!", for example, to win the round.

As with all Red Raven Games, the artwork alone is awesome, coupled with the opportunity to pick up the 2nd edition of Ryan Lauket's City of Iron makes this a project worth checking out.

CULTISTS OF CTHULU

Cultists of Cthulhu is a semi-cooperative game for 3-6 players. All but one of the players are Academics, working together to accomplish the scenario-specific goals, while the final player is the Cultist, who pretends to be an academic while secretly working to kill the other players.

This takes an exploration mechanic like Betrayal at House on the Hill, but instead of a random player being selected to be the traitor this game begins with a traitor already in play. Can you figure out who is working against you?

PRIMETIME

As a big shot executive you need to keep your network stacked with the best shows in Prime Time. A basic goal for any TV show is to "win" its time slot for the network by having the highest ratings, and thus the highest ad revenue. As you add talented actors, producers and writers to the show, you’ll have to decide how to arrange your TV Guide to win over the most viewers. Will you be putting your best shows early in the week? What will you leave for the Friday night death slot? Make your choices wisely so you can become the #1 network.

A Euro-style game based in the world of TV networks, if the theme clicks well with the mechanics I can see this being alot of fun. 

CAT TOWER

Cat Tower is a dexterity-based, tower-building game starring CATS! You and up to five players have the grueling task of stacking unwieldy, lethally cute cats in various, precarious positions based on the roll of a giant cat die.

Not much to this one, the description gets it all, but look at the cute and relatively low price of $20, this looks like a fun filler.

KICK OF THE WEEK

TABLETOPIA

Tabletopia is a sandbox. Players should know the rules of the game to play it. There is no AI or rules enforcement, but at the same time it has the freedom to play the game your way - exactly as if you were playing at a real table.

This is my choice for my first KICK OF THE WEEK. The sheer gaming potential of such a program is limitless, as well as the creative implementations for game designers this looks incredible.

KICK THE HABIT NOW!!