Contracts

Nippon: Zaibatsu

Nippon: Zaibatsu is a new edition of Nippon, a fast-paced, area-majority economic game. Players control "zaibatsu": massive conglomerates of interconnected companies driving Japan's economy in the Industrial Revolution era.

During the game, players invest in new industries, build factories and railroads, and produce goods to saturate local markets and fulfill contracts — all to grow their influence and power and to become rulers of the new modernized country. Players are free to choose their playstyle and winning strategy: They choose what they score victory points for, control the game's pace with income turns, and race each other to get the most beneficial factories, markets, and bonuses.

All the core mechanisms of the original Nippon are present, but the components, art, and design are upgraded, and many gameplay features are reworked to get the game in line with modern trends. Nippon: Zaibatsu features new resource types, ships are heavily revised with new Iwakura mission rules, factories are much more variable, consolidation turns provide players with new rewards, and much more. Also, the game now has an automa-driven solo mode.

Formidable Farm

In Formidable Farm, you tirelessly try to fulfill the wishes of the village population for field crops.

At the start of the market day, you set the number of trades you need to fulfill until the evening. Initially, you do not know the details of the village population's wishes, and you can only work through the trades one after the other.

The village population follows simple rules for all their wishes: If you supply the needed field crops, you will get a reward. If a customer wants tomatoes, they give you two bags of wheat. If you organize a hoped-for sheep, the customer trades your surplus cucumbers for pigs. For two cucumbers and a bag of wheat, you immediately get details for another three wishes.

If you have delivery problems, you can make additional trades at the market to get needed rewards. You also can use each of your fulfilled trade cards to pay for advantages.

If you are the first to fulfill the wishes of the village population, you win Formidable Farm and enjoy an early end of the work day.

The Druids of Edora

The Druids of Edora is a game of strategic dice placement. Walk through ancient forests in the footsteps of fairy folk, past monolithic menhirs, and under strands of mistletoe. As druids you will place dice to take actions to gather provisions, gain knowledge, brew potions, and gain bonuses. Build stone structures, collect herbs, and leave your mark in the sacred wood.

Each turn is a few simple steps that with the right strategy will earn you prestige points and bring you closer to victory.

Dive into this fantastic new strategy game from the team behind The Castles of Burgundy.

Prove yourself worthy of the ancient ones and bring glory to your forest.

Thebai

Dark times loom over the kingdom of Thebes. The blind, old king Oedipus left the throne in disgrace and asked Polynices and Eteocles, his own sons, to rule the city together. But power corrupts and ancient feuds call for new blood to be spilled. Soon, Polynices finds himself leading an army from the rival city of Argos against his own brother. The Theban nobles support Eteocles as he maintains precarious rule over Thebes. The young king calls for defenders to man the seven gates of the city, while the invaders’ seven champions lead the attack on the gates. Meanwhile, the famous citadel of Thebes, the Cadmea, lies in disarray. It is as if the Fates themselves have lined everything up against the current rulers of Thebes!

While the common folks prepare for war, the noble families whisper among themselves that the time for new leadership has come, and the time to rebuild the Cadmea is now!

In Thebai, players assume the role of influential leaders from noble families during the tumultuous late Bronze Age. Throughout the game, players are tasked with rebuilding the Cadmea, the citadel of Thebes, while restoring the city’s exports, praying to the gods of the city, and protecting the lives of the citizens as grand heroes spill each other’s blood outside the gates.

The game lasts 10 rounds, each divided into an Action phase and a Fate phase. During the Action phase, players use one Citizen die, and then move their Archon on the Cadmea. During the Fate phase, players may get additional scoring opportunities, depending on their accomplishments and for protecting the city gates. After final scoring the player with the most Victory Points is the winner.

Xenology

An alien mothership has arrived at an uncharted planet brimming with mystery and discovery. As a member of this extraterrestrial crew, you must deploy precise away teams to gather knowledge, collect vital specimens, and erase all traces of your presence. Every decision shapes your quest for enlightenment, driving you closer to earning a place among the revered Elders. Will you unlock the secrets of this enigmatic planet?