Events

Hello, student beings! The cosmic faculty of the Technical Academy of Creation is delighted to welcome you to your Civolution, the final exam in Civilization Design!

For this occasion, we prepared a humanoid scenario on an isolated continent. Here, each of you holds the rank of a local deity which is closely linked to its very own civilization and must lead it to success over the other civilizations. Your developmental possibilities are endless and reach from cultural and technical progress to evolutional adaptations. For example, what would you consider more beneficial to your tribes: inventing the wheel or growing wings? Demonstrate your ability to operate your civilization console and show us how well you can adjust to changeable environmental conditions and mild creational chaos.

When the exam ceases after four eras, whoever managed to gather the most success points will not only pass the exam but will become a full member of the Technical Academy of Creation and garner the opportunity to be promoted to the next instance.

Civolution is a medium heavy to heavy euro-style game that utilizes a dice selection mechanism to trigger actions on a tech tree-like structure. As you figure out how to best use your dice and put your unique cards into play, tons of strategies and paths to victory emerge, though each time you play, you will only explore a fraction of the possibilities that the game’s system and many cards provide.

—description from the publisher

A webapp implementation of the V.I.C.I solo automa is available.

Runemasters is a co-operative tower-defense game in which 1-4 players work together as Runemasters whose sworn duty is to protect the Temple of Mankind against the forces of evil.

Each turn, new monsters (cards) spawn on the board and advance towards the temple. On their turn, Runemasters roll four unique dice and combine their results in various ways to attack enemies, move around the temple, prevent monsters from advancing, use their individual powers, or trigger powerful one-time effects.

Evil forces are relentless and will keep coming until dawn arrives. Werewolves, warriors, skeleton archers, trolls — all have their unique abilities, and you need to adapt constantly to new threats if you want to have a chance to survive until dawn. Runemasters have their own abilities, too, some particularly efficient at eliminating enemies while others focus on healing and protecting their teammates.

The game ends in victory if Runemasters successfully protect the temple until dawn (a special card placed among the final four cards of the deck) or in defeat if the Runemasters are killed or the temple destroyed.

-description from designer

It's 1977. You're an up-and-coming musician, dreaming of making it big with your band. Over the next few months you'll rehearse, play gigs, write songs, and promote your band. With careful planning and a little luck, you'll earn the most fame and become the best new artist of the year.

Designed by Jackie Fox (member of the 1970s rock band "The Runaways", four-time Jeopardy! champion, and designer of the narrative adventure trilogy The Adventures of the Chubby Slugz) and illustrated by Jennifer Giner, Rock Hard: 1977 allows games for groups of between 2 and 5 players, from 14 years old, in games lasting about 45-90 minutes.

Rock Hard: 1977 is played over a maximum of nine rounds, each representing a typical day of one month in 1977, from April to December. You win the game by accruing the most fame. How? Increasing reputation, chops and songs; achieving production, performance, and publicity bonuses; getting record deals and earning royalties; playing concerts; and hanging out at the hottest after-hours spot. Ready to live like a rock star?

—description from the publisher

Mantis Falls is a "sometimes cooperative" game of hidden roles, strategy and deduction for 2-3 players.

As witness to something not meant to be seen, you must escape the dark mob-ruled town of Mantis Falls alive. You are told another witness will join you, and together you must use cooperation to survive the increasingly dangerous roads of the night. Your ability to work with another could be your greatest strength, but what if they are not who they claim to be?

By the deal of hidden roles, each game could have only witnesses, meaning you must all survive together to win. Or there could secretly be an assassin hidden among you, subtly manipulating the situation and waiting for the right moment to strike.

Inspired by shadowy film noir worlds, Mantis Falls is a thematic journey that requires players to continually weigh the value of cooperation against the implicit perils of trust. Hand management and facedown card play combine with opportunities for betrayal to create a detailed blend of strategy, player interaction and suspicion. At every turn, players make concealed moves and develop hidden plans, but will also have thorough conversations as they discuss tactics, defend choices and bluff to protect carefully guarded secrets.

Mantis Falls is sometimes a game of competition balanced with indecision and sacrifice, and sometimes it is a game of cooperation challenged by doubts and distrust. With care, you may figure out which one you are playing before it's too late.

In Rats of Wistar, you play the role of one of the four rats who organized the escape from a lab. As such, you will have to lead your family to prove that you are the most deserving of leading the entire colony. Thanks to your extraordinary skills, you will be able to explore the Farm until you reach the pantry to be able to grab the appetizing cheese; exploiting the artifacts abandoned by humans at the edge of the Wood, you will create new inventions and expand your lair under the trees, digging new rooms and building new beds. You will meet native rats and mice that you will welcome into your family, and when necessary, you will visit the Alchemist mouse to gain some extra advantage.

The game takes place over 5 rounds (equal to the 5 days in which the challenge takes place) and you will earn victory points (VPs) as follows:

build beds,
excavation rooms,
by solving missions within the Farm,
welcome host mice,
build new Inventions,
claim Achievements.

At the end of the game, the player with the most VPs wins. In case of a tie, the player furthest in the turn order wins.

Note: Rats of Wistar is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology.

—description from the publisher