Dice Tower News - May 28th, 2026

0:59 Good morning, everybody. I'm Mike Delisio.

1:02 I'm Zee Garcia.

1:03 I'm Joey Evans.

1:04 And yes, I'm an impostor. I'm only here for 1 week filling in for Tom, who is off

1:11 gallivanting

1:11 gallivanting

1:12 or cavorting

1:13 at the All Aboard convention in Thailand.

1:17 So, um

1:18 Yeah, he's he's over there representing the Dice Tower and I'm just going to be pushing slides. These two are here doing all the heavy lifting.

1:26 We're not. It's definitely Mike we expect to do most of the speaking.

1:30 He tells us what to say. It's actually written on the cue cards.

1:33 Yeah.

1:34 Do you want to

1:34 That's a great joke, Joey. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

1:37 Ni- Nicely done, Joe. You go by Joe?

1:42 Um I didn't put the Y on.

1:43 Oh, okay.

1:44 Is this

1:44 Hey.

1:45 Aren't you a big man?

1:47 I typed way too much on those.

1:50 Yes. Hey, everybody. Really quickly, Dice Tower East is coming up. We're talking about it a lot because we're very excited about it and we would love to see you there. It's not too late. You have not missed the boat. So often we're telling people yeah, we'd love to see you but you're too late. You're not too late but you want to do it now because if you buy them at the door it's going to cost you more and why do that to yourself?

2:12 You know, it's amazing every year you're like okay, nobody's going to be like it's too late now. They're going to all know and then sure enough when it closes down people like

2:20 [sighs]

2:21 I didn't know. So now is your time to get it.

2:24 put it off.

2:24 Yes.

2:25 put it off. Do not be like me with taxes.

2:29 Are you still working on 2019?

2:31 No, I'm good at that.

2:32 Do you really have to pay your taxes though? I thought that was like a it's you know

2:36 Yeah, I thought it was a recommendation.

2:37 want to vote pay your taxes. If you don't want to vote then you don't pay your taxes. That's right, right?

2:41 To anyone watching from the IRS

2:44 I am [snorts] meticulous about somebody else doing my taxes.

2:48 Oh yeah, 100%. Hire somebody.

2:50 Hey, we got some shout-outs because this channel is dependent upon the support of all of you lovely people and so we want to shout you out. You want to shout out some people?

2:58 No, I'll do it, Joey.

2:59 No, you don't want

3:00 for this show. I looked at the news, Mike put it together. Why don't you go ahead and attribute

3:04 right here and okay.

3:05 And going through this last one right here.

3:07 Attribute country.

3:08 got the name and then you got a little note.

3:10 Starting right here.

3:11 Right here we go. Oh wow, look at this. This is the most work Joey has done all week.

3:14 Thank Thank you to Adrian Bergston.

3:19 Fire.

3:20 Yeah.

3:20 Oh wait, I'm supposed to say this.

3:22 Yeah, yeah.

3:22 All right, Adrian the gray imminent of Attic, Sweden.

3:27 Another Sweden.

3:28 baby.

3:29 Yes.

3:29 Harland and Sarah Goatsinger Getsinger.

3:33 Okay.

3:33 They even phonetically spelled it for me and I butchered it. That's nice.

3:36 Goatsinger.

3:37 Can't Gets Getsinger.

3:39 Cannon Cannon and Sherry from Ottawa, Canada.

3:43 Oh, I like that. I know where that is, by the way.

3:47 Um Mike Demandelicio for his great taste in games. Z is all right too. And that is from Jimmy Two Toes.

3:55 Jimmy Two Toes.

3:57 All right. And then Jordan Schoenberger, Western PA Gaming.

4:02 Say that one again. I was doing a grass blowing.

4:04 Jordan Schoenberger. Do you know Jordan?

4:07 Oh, Jordan. Oh, don't read that again. Move on.

4:09 I act like he's never heard the guy's name before.

4:11 Jordan who? All right. Tyler Vandermoss says the butterscotch boys. That's good, man.

4:18 I do like butterscotch.

4:20 I would watch that movie.

4:21 That's an underrated flavor, butterscotch.

4:23 Seriously?

4:24 It is.

4:25 Do you like You both like it?

4:26 Yeah, it's caramel adjacent.

4:28 It's insanely good. You don't like butterscotch?

4:29 Can you eat it if it's not been in your pocket for 2 weeks?

4:31 No, no. I like butterscotch flavor. I don't like just eating the hard candies. Although that's okay.

4:35 Oh, I'll give you that. Yeah.

4:36 Butterscotch flavor.

4:38 Butterscotch flavored anything is insane.

4:40 All right, I'm back with you. All right, we got Chris Weeks. The Weeks family, Chris, Laura, Ben, and Megan. All right. Shawn and the Game Night Fellas.

4:50 Point.

4:50 You He knows his

4:51 Oh, I got to go all the way.

4:52 No, no. You got to go to the end of that.

4:53 joy. That's nice. Melinda Humphreys and Marina Stephenson and Samuel Carey. All right.

5:04 Related to Drew, do we think?

5:05 Oh, a son, I think.

5:06 Okay, okay. There's not that many Carreys in the world, am I right?

5:09 think so. No, no.

5:10 Oh, there's got to be like four at most.

5:12 for your support, everybody. Let's get to the news.

5:18 everybody?

5:19 Everybody.

5:19 Everybody?

5:20 Yeah. That's what happens when you eat butterscotch. Yeah. You start talking smooth. Everybody. Everybody get your butterscotch. All right, here we go. First story. Hey, we already mentioned this. Come to Dice Tower East, but I figured maybe you want to see a picture of the Caribe Royale.

5:35 That is where we're staying. It is a tremendous [clears throat] resort. You got pools. You got water slides. You got a little water cascade-delio you can stand under and be like

5:46 [sighs]

5:46 utter peace.

5:47 You do that like an hour a day. It's weird.

5:50 I love it. I love it.

5:51 I'm going to talk

5:52 Sometimes I do it in the middle of the night so and and security hasn't caught me yet. So

5:56 That's true.

5:57 Yeah, that's true. The only thing the Korean needs is a butterscotch fountain. Oh, butterscotch fountain. That's too much butterscotch. You can do a butterscotch what is that called where you dip

6:07 Yeah, the fountain.

6:07 Yeah, that's what I meant. Yeah.

6:09 Yeah, what is that called? Fondue? Fondue? I I always try want to say fondant.

6:13 That's different.

6:14 That's that's the stuff you put on the

6:15 on the cake. Yeah.

6:15 That tastes terrible.

6:16 Sorry, we double hit you with Dice Throne that's only because my memory is terrible and I forgot I put a slide in there. All right, here we go.

6:23 So, ACD

6:25 C

6:26 distribution announces an exclusive agreement with Incredible Dream. So, Incredible Dream Studios is now they bought the IP for Mex vs. Minions from Riot.

6:37 Well, they bought this game.

6:40 They bought this game? Is that what it is? Well

6:41 The IP of this game is

6:43 Oh, got it. So, they

6:45 everything that Riot is

6:46 Okay, cuz basically, right? Cuz if they buy that IP then they are

6:50 game.

6:50 billionaires

6:51 Well, so what I'm reading and may maybe it's just the way it's written is and I misread it. Incredible Dream, the publisher of the Kinfire Chronicles, licensed the Mex vs. Minions IP from Riot Games and will release a new product line

7:05 Mhm.

7:05 Oh, so they're not putting out this game again. They're doing games using

7:09 Yes.

7:10 their their intellectual property here which is their big game. I now I'm blanking on what that game is called.

7:17 Kinfire Chronicles?

7:18 No, no, no.

7:18 No.

7:19 Oh, you know, Riot's game. The the their game. My gosh, their big game.

7:24 these in Kinfire Chronicles, I will lose my mind.

7:27 Anyway, I can't remember what it's called, but somebody's going to correct me momentarily. A video gamer will cuz I am blanking on what this massive massive world is called.

7:36 World of Warcraft?

7:37 No, but it rivals that.

7:39 Oh, it's every By the way, League of Legends?

7:43 Yeah, League of Legends.

7:44 Legends says the curtain. What was that disembodied crypt keeper voice?

7:48 Yes. WOW.

7:49 LEAGUE OF LEGENDS.

7:51 BY THE WAY, OH, WE GOT WATTO OUT THERE. WELL, LADIES and gentlemen, Watto's here.

7:57 Hey, honey, HAVE YOU PLAYED LEAGUE OF LEGENDS?

8:00 BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW YOU can play this at Dice Tower East, right?

8:02 You can. We have a copy of this here.

8:04 Oh, I'm dying, honey.

8:06 Um more information about that upcoming board game will be revealed over the summer. Incredible Dream is putting a presentation out on ACD at the ACD Expo. When? Today. Oh.

8:17 Get out of here.

8:18 That's 10:00 a.m. Now, I don't know

8:20 watching this, done watching this, you can go watch that, assuming it's Eastern Standard Time.

8:24 Right. You may have to wait a few hours, but what's a few hours amongst friends. All right.

8:28 League of Legends, yes.

8:29 League of Legends.

8:30 League of Legends.

8:31 Wormspan is going digital, folks.

8:34 Let's go.

8:35 It's getting on your iPads. It's getting on your Steam Deck. It's getting

8:40 all up in your phone.

8:41 Uh so, this is the same company that did Wormspan or um Wingspan.

8:47 did Wormspan. Yeah, yeah.

8:51 Monster Couch, Polish Studio, uh the ones behind the adaptation of Wingspan is now coming out with Wormspan. And so, that's cool. Um it's it's uh if you've not played Wormspan, it's definitely got some of the feels of Wingspan, but it's a deeper Wormspan.

9:09 Yeah, worms.

9:10 It's got dragons.

9:11 We worms.

9:12 Yeah. Yeah.

9:13 Okay, cool. Yeah, they do good they do good work, these guys. So, I'm looking forward to seeing what this looks like. I assume it'll be very uh similar and of course more more cavey and more dragony, but otherwise

9:23 uh rock solid, I imagine. Yeah.

9:25 It looks very very good and you can see that's one of many screenshots I've seen and they all are similar in quality to that one. Hey, Tom. I wish Tom, I wish today.

9:37 we'll add we'll add him in in post popping up over your shoulder being like, "Don't talk about HeroScape without me." And then he'll retreat.

9:44 I'm not here.

9:45 My

9:46 Hey, Annie.

9:47 My ignorance of HeroScape will likely show here, but the

9:50 Oh, I [clears throat] can't wait. I can't wait.

9:52 If every time HeroScape put out a new project and I put it in the news, that's all you'd have every every week, but I get the impression that this is and you can tell me maybe it's a two-player battle box. I don't remember

10:06 You're an idiot.

10:07 I don't remember seeing that

10:11 out before. They have the core box and they have as far as I know this nothing like this has been out. They have the big big box that they they republished when when Renegade picked this up. And then they put out armies and terrain and all sorts of stuff. A ship recently.

10:26 Yeah.

10:26 Yeah, it's a pirate ship. Yeah.

10:27 Terrain, I guess.

10:28 Yeah. But this [clears throat] is a new like jumping-on point is the idea, which I think is a great great move. They're making trying to make this game accessible at a price point that makes it a little more sense for somebody to get a little taste. It's like it's kind of like grabbing a butterscotch out of your grandma's purse. You're like, "I want just a little taste, Grandma." And now you're hooked for life. You see what I'm saying? And that's what Renegade is counting on. Let this be your butterscotch.

10:55 my brother is of course immediately refuting that and said any idiot would know that they have had three other different two-player battle boxes.

11:04 Can we ban my brother?

11:05 But this is a new one. So, Okay, so basically what this is though is this is something that will allow everything two-players need to get in. So, I guess this and the other ones it's a neat idea. Six minis, modular hex terrain, shroud shroom pieces, dice, markers, cards, rules, and scenarios. Retails for $65, but how about you want them pre-painted? $80.

11:29 That's not terrible. $80 more

11:31 for two players and everything you need. I like that. I think that's a reasonable

11:35 Like this is a little sample of HeroScape. That's the thing. If you do get hooked on 80 to 80 dollars is not cheap. Let's be fair for what for a few minis and some terrain. I think that's fairly pricey considering when you back up like I was going to say a Seamon game and Asmodee game now. Um that's a hundred and that's a full boom blah blah game with miniatures got all foreign pirates coming out of your ears. But it's good. I mean I'm glad that this product exists cuz getting the big boys going to be more. But if they hook you boy, if they hook you and they hook you for the painted ones.

12:11 Your first taste isn't free. It's $80. But

12:15 But then they got you.

12:16 Also, I like the fact that Mike Heller knows that you actually own one of these.

12:20 I do, but I haven't opened it yet.

12:21 Okay, hold on. What? How does he know that?

12:24 I don't [clears throat] know. I might have grabbed it from somewhere.

12:26 Why does he know that? He does not live here. He doesn't he

12:30 He sneaks around my house. I see him sometimes just like wandering around my game collection. Which weird. It's awkward.

12:37 All right, moving on. Who's a fan of Lego?

12:40 Yo.

12:40 Who's a fan of board games?

12:42 Yo.

12:43 They've come together and now they're continuing to come together with Lego Ninjago Destiny's Bounty and Destiny's Bounty Adventures. That's a mouthful.

12:53 Don't go chasing plastic bricks. Listen to the wallet crying and asking for mercy.

13:02 Yes. I like that. That was good.

13:04 Copyright strike. This is now losing us money this show.

13:07 Um this is right now on pre-order with a scheduled release date of July 17th of this year. It was originally announced in January, but now we're getting more information. We're starting to see uh some some pictures for it and you can see the mini figs on the board there, which is you know, cute. Um I don't really uh know much about Ninjago. My kids like Lego, but they were never really into

13:32 really know much about Ninjago. My kids like Lego, but they were never really into the Ninjago kind of set.

13:39 Ninjago is a thing outside of Legos, or is it just created for the Lego?

13:42 It's for Lego, I believe. Lego came up with Ninjago, and they made it it it's made them bank.

13:49 Okay, yeah.

13:49 So, it was not like one of those incorporated like Batman and Superman.

13:51 No, they've had No, no, no, no. Like apparently, they even like I I watched some Lego documentary where they had like a lot of ups and downs. They were really down down, like apple down, like they might be done.

14:01 And I think if I'm not mistaken, that it was Ninjago that like dug them out of a hole, and they're back on top of the world.

14:07 Cuz they had cartoons and and video games and all this kind of stuff.

14:11 It was either Ninjago or that sci-fi one. Uh They have another made-up world.

14:17 Do they have a

14:17 Bionicle?

14:18 Oh, the Bionicle, too.

14:19 It was one of those two that they were like they picked a thing, made up some crap, and boom.

14:24 Yeah. Apparently, it's the 15th anniversary of Ninjago. So, that's

14:29 There it is.

14:30 All right. Moving on, we've got a hot a new Harry Potter themed game. This is coming from Mina Lima. Now, I'm not familiar with that publisher at all, but it says that they are the graphic designers of the Harry Potter film universe.

14:48 What does that even mean?

14:49 I don't know. I don't know.

14:51 publishers? Are they the designers? Is it one in the same?

14:55 I I don't

14:55 The words are weird to put together.

14:57 I I'm very confused because they're Mina Lima is on the box twice. It's at the top in a logo above Harry Potter, and then at the bottom, a board game by. So, I It's like you I have a feeling like if if this is really you'd have to be a mega Harry Potter fan to know what Mina Lima is.

15:17 I assume so.

15:18 then, you probably wouldn't know what Mina Lima is.

15:21 so, yeah. This seems strange. I don't think this is coming from

15:23 seems to be a defend the castle kind of game or maybe throw in with the bad guys because he who shall not have a nose is showing up.

15:31 Mhm.

15:31 And he's going to be attacking and you got to either help him or or stand against.

15:37 sense. A castle defense type thing with that.

15:39 Yeah, it makes sense. I just wonder how I wonder with this pedigree like I'm sure it's going to look real good.

15:45 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

15:46 Right, yeah.

15:46 But

15:47 Yeah.

15:48 All right.

15:50 So Mina Lima is an artist who is the designer? Well, we don't know. Yeah.

15:53 That's a little This cover is a little gaudy, BUT

15:56 OKAY, THE GAME IS CALLED GAUDY, JOEY.

15:59 IS THAT where the word came from, by the way?

16:01 Gaudy.

16:02 You say something's gaudy gaudy is that that's not where that means, right?

16:05 When you say something's gaudy

16:06 That's not because of this guy, is it?

16:08 No, no, no, no.

16:09 No, no, no, no. That came from a guy named Earl Goash.

16:13 That joke is a banger, folks.

16:15 He liked it.

16:16 Rewind it later and come back cuz that's a good joke.

16:18 nice box art.

16:19 Yeah.

16:20 Uh Devir Games is releasing Gaudy, a new game about the 19th century Catalan architect, and this is coming into retail, so it doesn't look like it's not going to crowdfunding. I don't think Devir tends to do that very often. Uh September 26th, and it was designed by Danny Garcia, who is very well known, uh has uh designed many games for Devir and others.

16:39 Including Barcelona.

16:40 Including Barcelona. Um and I like that Devir will oftentimes showcase and highlight things from Spain and the surrounding regions. I like that they're continuing to do that here with a Catalan architect.

16:53 why I like Devir is because a lot of companies you kind of know what's going to be in the box before you open it. Devir, you have no idea.

16:59 No.

17:00 be something uber light, it could be something uber. It's like it's just whatever. They're like, "Yeah, this looks great."

17:05 You're right. We don't You don't know. Like they they they make them of all sorts.

17:08 do. They do. Yeah, it looks like you're going to be exploring the architect's life and work. You're going to earn victory points in different categories, nature, Catalonia, and religion. You will create trencadís art patterns. I don't know if that's correct, but it's going to be a Euro game. It's going to be victory points in a Euro game, but it looks like in a lovely setting and celebrating the life of an architect that I was not familiar with, and so maybe you can learn something. It's retailing for $50, $49.99. It's not bad.

17:39 how board games have now gone the way of like

17:43 artsy?

17:44 Yeah, but like films, for example, eventually like, you know, there were movies and they movies have done this forever, of course, but like there's more and more movies about real people.

17:55 Yeah.

17:55 You know, biopics, right? Autobiographies or biographies in books, biopics. And now we have bio games. I don't know what to call that. You know what I mean? But it's like that's such an interesting development where lately in the last 10 years we've had this game's about this guy. This game's about Galileo. This game is about Marie Curie. You know what I mean? It's like, huh, we're making games now about real people, where they used to be about like a barbarian. You know what I mean? I am a dwarf. Yeah.

18:30 You're you're doing a little bit of forecasting there.

18:32 Yeah?

18:33 Oh.

18:33 Yeah, I like to forecast. Today, it might rain.

18:38 All right, moving on.

18:39 Oh, it will rain.

18:39 You'll get caught up in the Crossfire!

18:43 [screaming]

18:44 It's back, baby.

18:45 Oh, I cannot wait to play this, guys.

18:47 Hasbro is bringing back Crossfire.

18:50 It hasn't been available for a while?

18:51 It hasn't been available. It has not been available. This is coming back into US hobby retail in July of this year.

18:58 That is July's going to be a hot hot month. Everything's coming out in July. This, Spider-Man. Yeah, Spider-Man, Dice Tower East.

19:06 Yes.

19:07 July's just a banner month.

19:08 Yeah, July, you're right. Um, the first version of this game, fun fact, was produced the year I was born.

19:15 Really?

19:16 1926. No, 1971. 1971. It was originally by the Ideal Toy Company, and then it was picked up by Milton Bradley, and now you've got Hasbro Games bringing it back. If you've never played, it's a game where you've got this kind of launcher, this metal marble launcher, and you can I mean the Like games from that era, you can tell how to play the game by looking at the cover on the box.

19:38 Right. That's what you do.

19:39 they didn't have the joking has everything on there, right? They're like

19:41 No, as a matter of fact, you'll figure it out.

19:43 They had a cookbook that came with it on how you can incorporate the marbles into your recipes.

19:48 God, I remember trying to shoot these up as much as like you got to try to shoot the guy. They just you you couldn't get

19:53 I do remember these commercials were really intense.

19:56 Oh, yeah. Everybody If you were grew up around this time, you saw these commercials.

20:00 Absolutely, yep. So, yeah, I think a lot of people are excited about that. It's going to be retailing for $29.99, so

20:07 Does it close together?

20:08 Yeah.

20:09 Ah.

20:10 It's got to that because otherwise, how can you take it to the many locations you will play Crossfire?

20:15 That's true.

20:16 Right?

20:17 At the beach, Crossfire. At school, Crossfire.

20:21 That's a commercial, right? That's a Kickstarter.

20:23 At the Golden Corral, Crossfire.

20:25 Oh, they play that there.

20:28 Mhm.

20:28 All right, Compelled. Now, this is a game that has eluded me. I've heard about this game. I've had people tell me I need to try it.

20:34 This took off, man, in a big, big way.

20:37 It really, really has taken off, and now this is

20:39 This is the third release, and they are all, I assume, mix just mix and matchable, right? They're

20:45 I believe so.

20:46 you played it, right?

20:47 I've played the first one with Tom, and Tom and I reviewed it, if I'm not mistaken. I couldn't tell you a whole lot about it, because I did not like it.

20:53 Yeah, okay.

20:54 This one is stand-alone, but you're right, it can be it can be a

20:56 is the second, I believe, stand-alone, but then you can mix and match. It kind of has a little bit of a feel of a a trading card game-esque kind of feel, but small small footprint, you know, very well condensed.

21:10 Yeah.

21:10 Yeah, people seem to love it. It's got a very I don't think I'm in the wrong for saying a divisive kind of look and a divisive kind of theme.

21:18 I don't think so.

21:18 Uh this sort of techy computery the cards are are more ideas and concepts than they are like, you know, concrete things. But yeah, people really like it and I know Tom liked it. I was I'm I'm clearly in the minority here, but that's cool.

21:31 Yeah, it says that each of the mains and there's three now as a standalone game with 12 protocols and they can be mixed. There's also this little auxiliary three pack that is going to be coming out. Now, this one is interesting I think because it's the the protocols here are based on the seven deadly sins.

21:48 Oh.

21:48 Oh.

21:49 And so you've got envy, pride, wrath, gluttony, lust, greed, and sloth as well as five non-themed non-sin themed protocols. So, that's interesting, right?

21:58 What are they? What

21:58 Also, the

21:59 Okay, you want you want to know the five?

22:01 Yeah, the five. What are they based on? Give me one and I'll try to guess the other four, right, Joey?

22:05 I don't think you'll ever guess the other four. I'll just give you the first one, ambush.

22:09 Ambush.

22:10 Mhm.

22:10 Retaliate.

22:11 Nope.

22:11 Dominate.

22:12 Nope.

22:13 Crossfire.

22:13 Nope.

22:14 you're right.

22:14 Fulcrum, momentum, nova, and overwhelm.

22:17 No.

22:18 Now, one thing that this does add for the first time is a solo mode. It has not previously appeared in a compile main game. So, solo players, if you've been interested maybe now you got a chance to play this one solo as well.

22:32 Nice.

22:32 All right. Something I think that I know you and I will be excited about. I don't know if you've played Have you played Far Away, Joey?

22:38 Yeah, yeah, I have.

22:40 Here we go. We got a new expansion that's announced.

22:42 Look at them.

22:43 And I looked this up because that's the kind of work I do as the compiler of the news.

22:48 Wow.

22:48 Do you Do you Do you speak French? Did you ever take French?

22:52 I did.

22:52 How would you pronounce that at your best?

22:54 Oui. Still in French right now. Au delà du voile.

22:59 That stands for beyond the veil.

23:02 Oh.

23:02 Oh.

23:03 Beyond the Veil.

23:05 Okay, yeah.

23:06 I like that.

23:06 Fancy.

23:07 It looks cute and I did look into it cuz I saw it in the news. I'm like, "Oh, this is so nice. These guys do these little It's probably like a booster pack looking thing, you know, like those little paper booster packs. But it's neat because it it adds not just more cards for the deck.

23:22 Right.

23:23 It adds some goals on the side of the table, right? That everybody can kind of can kind of go for, yeah.

23:28 Yeah.

23:28 cool.

23:29 I do like

23:30 that.

23:30 Because yeah, it gives you another thing cuz sometimes in Far Away you can get to a point where you're like, things just aren't working out for me. You know what I mean? Like the things I tried to set up just aren't working out or I'm not seeing the thing. This maybe gives you something new you can focus on, you know what I mean? So

23:44 that and then the artwork is so interesting. It's very different from the the artwork that is in the game now. It's all animals.

23:51 Mhm.

23:51 They're looking at you straight on.

23:53 Right.

23:54 They look like totems a little bit.

23:56 Yes.

23:56 Yeah, I like this look a lot. This this is an interesting one. This is definitely a good one to throw in.

24:00 And I'm betting you're right. I'm betting it's one of those little booster packs. Which is great cuz they're super cheap and

24:05 I love booster packs, man.

24:06 Booster packs are the bomb. Okay, I'm very excited about this next one because I think that I have guessed what the game is and I have not heard Now, I don't look everywhere, but I have not seen anyone make the guess that I'm about to make. Okay, so there's a new Stefan Feld game that is teased, okay? And and this came from Facebook from Ralph Bruhn of Hall Games and he's designed a bunch of games with Hall and Pegasus Spiele is going to be the manufacturer and distributor of this along with several other games they've done. Um No, the design has no announced title as of yet, only a mock-up cover I put in the notes, but Mike has definitely guessed what this is.

24:44 Okay, so it looks

24:44 I feel very confident I know what this game is.

24:47 It has a largely white cover that seems to be like a staff with a snake on it kind of like the medical

24:54 And this is a big This is a huge tell. The there's a letter M there.

24:59 M

24:59 M And I think that won't be white. I think eventually that's going to be filled in with more art. Medical snakes. I will tell you I think

25:07 What do you think it is?

25:08 This is Merlin duel. Merlin the duel. Because you see two player boards. You see that kind of round kind of rondel type looking that you had in the original Merlin game. It was based around the nights of the seven you know the whatever the

25:22 Wait, which Merlin game? The queen one?

25:24 No, the Stefan Feld Merlin game. Yeah, he he designed a game called Merlin. I'm putting it out there right now.

25:31 Merlin

25:31 This is Merlin the duel or the duel of Merlin or I feel confident.

25:38 Well, I figured I was going to go with

25:40 Yeah, you have a guess? I want to hear your

25:41 I do. I I don't think that's an M. I think that's the top of the staff myself and I think that is clearly a medi- medicine symbol, right? Definitely an M. And I know that

25:50 he's been doing city names. But he's going to Yeah, but he's going to be a little cheeky. You know? And I was like oh, you know, I'm kind of getting like a Helsinki vibe but I think he's going to call it Helsinky.

26:03 Helsinky Oh, and it's about a medical oh

26:07 Yeah, Helsinky. Helsinky. You go around.

26:10 I I hope you're right.

26:12 Helsinky. I got you. Bam.

26:14 I'm going to be very disappointed if someone has already made that guess publicly. All right, of mine. Not of your ridiculous guess.

26:20 Staff snake.

26:20 All right, here we go. Um Monolith is going to launch a new Conan Kickstarter campaign in Q3 of 2026. That includes the board game and the role playing game. Um

26:37 I got to say when I saw this on the news, I saw this I'm like this game follow now really looks like Conan. And then I'm like oh yeah, there it is.

26:45 Yeah, so I know very little about this. I think you may know Z a little bit more about this.

26:50 Yeah, Conan the the Conan game that uh is Monolith they put out some time ago has been out before. I guess they're bringing it back. I don't know about the role-playing game, but I'm sure Mike Keller's going to jump up to correct me. Um So, yes, this was a this is an interesting game with the caveat that yes, the rules were rough. And then these guys are the ones who took that game, made the Batman Gotham City Chronicles or whatever inspired by the Conan game.

27:16 Also a rough

27:16 And the rules were also rough in that.

27:18 Yeah.

27:19 Yeah, I played that one.

27:21 So, hopefully fifth time's the charm here. They've done this a few times.

27:25 So, was this before Batman then?

27:27 This is before Batman came out, yeah.

27:29 fixed it for Batman, but not

27:31 Yeah, right. And then the other thing being the other issue kind of being that in this game you were taking on a character and there was Conan and there was everyone else.

27:41 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

27:42 Right. At least Batman you'd heard of the other

27:44 Jimbo, Conan's cousin and you're like, "Who?" So,

27:49 Right, right.

27:50 So, hopefully they've uh they've truly and deeply thought about the rule books on these, given them to other people, just just you know, made it made it work out. I'm I'm hoping that it's that it's all fixed up cuz the game is interesting and I I like what it does, you know, the scenarios are interesting. It was a game that had a lot of guest designers for scenarios.

28:10 It had that

28:10 Including Catala. Catala did a

28:12 Really?

28:13 It had that kind of like that river system, right? That kind of the action system that things kind of slid down. It does say that um fans will be able to order both the new Conan board game and the new edition of the RPG and both will feature new content. How much I don't know and of what type I don't know.

28:28 Well, at least the future at least a new rule book.

28:30 I would love that. Uh it'll also offer up reprints of older board game and RPG content that was chosen or will be chosen, maybe? I don't know, by a fan community vote. So, I don't know. Letting the fans uh vote is always always um not problematic at at

28:45 I am definitely a Monolith apologist.

28:47 Boaty McBoatface.

28:48 I'm definitely a Monolith apologist cuz they they put out Claustrophobia when Claustrophobia was was not available. So,

28:56 Wait, who put out Claustrophobia?

28:58 Monolith?

28:59 Monolith.

28:59 Monolith, you say? Oh, transition. Segue Plaid Hat.

29:06 Wait.

29:06 Huh?

29:06 He's going to be bringing the Monolith to Kickstarter.

29:09 Not by Monolith.

29:10 No, this is Plaid Hat. Now, at first I was thinking to myself when I saw this I'm like, "Wow, this is really outside of Plaid Hat's wheelhouse." But then I thought, not

29:19 No.

29:20 really. They've done a lot of battling games, right? I mean, Settl- Summoner Wars is battling and that Ashes Reborn or whatever that that was a battling game. This

29:28 Yeah, sure.

29:29 just has a different look where it has like minis on a map and some big,

29:33 dark

29:33 you know, piece sitting in the middle there. That seems different. Also, this is interesting. Three to four players only. And I like that.

29:42 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Stick to your guns, man.

29:44 I I like that a lot. Don't put a two-player version in there if it's not going to be the best version of the game.

29:50 save it for the stretch goals.

29:51 Yeah, so um Humans discovering an alien planet. Ancient monolith of unknown origin has laid waste to their minds, turning them into frothing, violent lunatics.

30:04 I like [snorts] that.

30:05 nothing more than to kill for the glory of the bloodthirsty zone stone. Okay, so you're going to be taking on the role of Shau-

30:11 This monolith is straight evil. It really is.

30:13 It's a game of Monoliths are nice.

30:15 Smart maneuvers, vicious combats, upgrading Shamans with unstoppable powers. To me, all of that sounds like you could say the same thing about Summoner Wars.

30:22 Multiple adjectives.

30:23 Yep.

30:24 Um

30:25 But this doesn't. Packed with gobs of highly detailed miniatures.

30:29 Say gobs.

30:29 Okay. It says gobs. I didn't just I don't just throw the word around gobs. All right? So, we don't always talk about things that

30:34 All right?

30:35 So,

30:36 we don't always talk about things that are coming to Kickstarter. That's kind of what Crowdsurfing is for. But this I think is

30:41 That's cool.

30:41 notable.

30:42 It's a little outside their wheelhouse for sure. But I'm excited to see what

30:45 Okay, we know very little about this except that they're going to be showing some of it at the UK Games Expo at Dranda Games booth. This is the new expansion for Explorers of Navigators. It's called World's Edge. And so really it's just if you are going to the UKGE, unfortunately we are not. Is that happening right now?

31:06 I believe so.

31:06 I think it's happening now or this weekend. If you're interested in Explorers of Navigators, which is a really good game, many of us here have enjoyed it. You can take a look and see maybe what this is going to be adding and and

31:19 They said they're it's adding quite a bit this expansion. So that's cool, but we don't know. Yeah.

31:23 So they're going to view meaning they're going to just like show it off there. They'll just show like prototypes.

31:27 New to view.

31:28 Pre-production, yeah, yeah, yeah.

31:29 Everything rhymes at the UK Games Expo.

31:31 It does. It does. Okay, and this is kind of late breaking news here. Just got this recently. Publisher Play for Keeps.

31:40 Hey, it's a brand new publisher, right?

31:42 They are, but I wonder are they rebranded because

31:46 They seem like they came out of nowhere with this announcement to me.

31:49 So I got this in an email because I had backed a previous campaign. It was the String Railway collection and the I My Favorite Things. And I didn't think Maybe it was Play for Keeps. I don't remember but but either way Play for Keeps is the publisher. You can see their logo on those boxes there. And they announced that they're going to be releasing new editions of Mexico, The Bridges of Shangri-La, Gaos, Gios

32:14 I think I've always said Gaos.

32:16 Gaos and Real Rivals, which is based off of El Caballero.

32:22 El Caballero.

32:23 Okay, so let's talk a little bit about each of these. So in Gaos here you can see a little bit more. These are obviously rendered mock-ups but still gives us a bit of an idea. Um, you're taking on the role of spiteful gods and you're vying for the adoration of the peoples on an archipelago. All right. It's going to be a Euro game for sure. Two to four players, tile laying, and it says what's new in this edition and I like there's something new in each of these. Wooden temples. Previously, they were illustrated on the tiles.

32:50 Mhm.

32:50 Um you needed to remember before that you couldn't cover tiles with temples on. Now, you don't have to worry about that. Okay? Doesn't look like they're changing the gameplay, but some of the components maybe make it more usable. Next up, Real Rivals. You are collectively creating a marshy landscape of Okay, that's the theme. What are you doing? Well, it's a Euro game by Wolfgang Kramer, another tile laying game. And what's new in this edition? A lot, it says. It's based on El Caballero, tile laying follow-up to El Grande, the granddaddy of area majority area control games. And it says while the DNA of El Caballero is still there, they have changed a lot of things, they said, to bring it into the 21st century. So, I don't know, did they streamline some things? Did they maybe I don't know, smooth out some of the high interaction that old Euros have that now you don't tend to see that type

33:41 Maybe. Maybe.

33:42 I don't know, that's a complete just guess on my part.

33:45 Interesting, yeah.

33:46 Yeah. And then, you've got the Bridges of Shangri-La. This is a Leo Colovini game.

33:50 cool. I like that board.

33:52 Yeah, and it looks like many Leo Colovini boards that have paths, right?

33:56 Yeah, my man loves paths.

33:58 to go up paths and and yeah. Um So, area control game, two to four players. Um You're going to be going across crumbling bridges, but beware each bridge crossed will collapse behind you, changing the landscape. So, that kind of a game. What's new? They've added a two-player mode, and they've swapped out the 168 punchboard student tokens. He's allergic to to cardboard, just so you folks know. Uh with heat transferred wooden pieces. And it's a quality-of-life upgrade, as they need to be picked up, put down, and moved around routinely. And so, yeah, if that was cardboard before and it's wooden now,

34:34 That's cool.

34:35 That would be I think a big

34:36 This is not one off play.

34:39 But I yeah, I remember the original release. I can picture it in my head. So it's it's cool. And these are also across the board another thing. I know you have Mexico to talk about, but it's another thing they seem to be doing is putting all of these in smaller boxes.

34:53 Right.

34:53 Yeah, they're going they're they're [clears throat] doing a little counter culture here where normally when somebody picks up an old Euro game and releases it again, we're going big. We're going to deluxe. We're going to go big.

35:03 Riding mini. We're going to wake it up.

35:04 These guys are going the other way. We're going smaller. We're going to be able to fit all these on your shelf, yeah.

35:09 Yeah, which is yeah, I think that is

35:10 not bad.

35:11 Not bad. And then the one that I'm most interested in for a couple of reasons, and this is Mexica.

35:17 Now, this one before you get to what it's about, I had it myself a shame for a while only because the components were so nice, right?

35:24 part of what I want to talk about. So

35:25 the original

35:26 scared of touching them? What do you mean?

35:28 Well, no. I no, I there's no, I just never played it. But I had kept it because the components were so nice.

35:32 So the original Mexica was part of that mask trilogy by Kramer and Kiesling, Ravensburger, right?

35:38 right?

35:38 The original ones? No, no. That was a standard Ravensburger, but then few well, maybe what, 5, 10 years, not even 10 years back, Super Meeple redid all three of those mask games, Teocal, Mexica, and what used to be Java, they call Cusco, right? All of them upgraded [clears throat] with those very thick cardboard and resin

36:00 Yes.

36:00 mini pieces. Beautiful editions of those games, right?

36:04 Yep.

36:05 Now, this looks very nice to me.

36:07 Mhm.

36:08 Oh, there's a

36:08 But they're saying, "Our focus has been in ensuring that it's the definitive version, including a visual over overhaul." Now, will this be the definitive edition when there's already a pretty beautiful Super Meeple edition out there? I I know. Some people I think will prefer screen printed wood over those big chunky

36:30 Mhm.

36:31 resin pieces. I don't know. I do think this is a good looking version. I do wonder though, I think when you compare against any of those three Super Meeple games, those are stellar productions.

36:42 Yeah, this is the only one that's going to have some some stiff competition in that whole new edition wipes away the old editions.

36:49 Yeah.

36:50 Right, Gaea's is fine. Gaea's was was a nice enough edition. Came in like a you know

36:55 Carcassonne box, it was fine.

36:56 Yeah.

36:57 Uh the backs of the tiles were white for some reason, like not printed at all white, which was I always thought was really weird, but um it was good. Bridges of Shangri-La is like a typical old production, Euro production. El Caballero, same thing.

37:11 Princes of Florence, you know that? They redid that recently. It looks like that.

37:14 Yeah.

37:14 Yeah.

37:14 But this one has had really nice editions. I think they might be saved here by the fact that they're going smaller.

37:20 Mhm.

37:20 And then the push can be well, it's more portable. It's a little easier to bring to the table cuz you need less footprint, you know, things like that.

37:28 Here's the other thing that I think could be a change in this is that they have added in addition to the visual overhaul, a second map.

37:37 Yeah, on the back. I'm guessing

37:39 a shorter, tighter game. Now, that I'm I'm intrigued by making this game a little bit shorter. It wasn't a long game, but I'd gosh, you can get this kind of a game in 30 minutes, that'd be pretty great.

37:49 Yeah.

37:49 Um I'm not they're not promising 30 minutes. That's just cuz I think the regular game was probably listed at 45 to 60 would be my guess.

37:56 it?

37:56 Yeah, I think the original game was

37:58 game was maybe 90 minutes. Yeah.

38:01 Maybe 90 minutes.

38:03 Yeah. Uh it's an area majority game where you're kind of re you're you're cutting off pieces of the map and it could be very mean like uh all of these games kind of could be.

38:12 This is a very interesting slate of games they're picking up. I do worry that they're kickstarting or crowdfunding, I don't know how uh all of these at once in the same project.

38:22 Yeah.

38:23 And I do wonder if they'll come combat each other a little bit. But I think this is neat. This is four very interesting games to reprint.

38:32 Oh, I was going back to the front here to see if it I don't have information about I don't know if they've released information about how they're actually running that campaign.

38:39 Yeah, I don't know, but I do know it's one campaign for all four.

38:42 Yeah, I'm assuming you'll be able to buy them individually or in groups and probably the biggest discount will be if you buy all four.

38:48 I'm sure. I imagine

38:50 and so, yeah.

38:51 Yes.

38:52 All right, folks. Well, that is the news for today. Um, but boy, we've got more. We've got more today. We have got a top 10 top 10 list. Top 10 verb and write

39:09 what we're calling it?

39:10 games. I don't know what we're actually calling it.

39:12 You know what we mean.

39:13 But it's verb and write is you know

39:15 Roll and write, flip and write.

39:17 write, flip and write.

39:17 Smack and write.

39:18 Smack and write.

39:19 I love those.

39:19 You could do flick and write. Will a flick and write game show up on any of the on the list?

39:23 Oh.

39:24 Maybe. Could be.

39:25 There's one.

39:27 I mean, is there a stack and write yet?

39:29 Stack and write?

39:30 No, but that would be fantastic.

39:32 it.

39:33 Yeah, design it.

39:34 I'll put it on my desk by the end of the day. It'll be on the list.

39:37 All right, folks. There you have it. Come back at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time for our top 10 list and but until then, uh, I'm Mike.

39:45 I'm Zee.

39:46 I'm Joey.

39:47 Bye-bye.

39:48 Bye.

39:55 Hey everybody, thanks for watching this video. If you liked this review or whatever you just watched, wasn't it amazing? Uh, check out our channel, Dice Tower. Uh, we have all kinds of things. We review games, we do top 10s, we play games live. It's all about board games, but especially the people who play them. Check out Dice Tower YouTube channel.