• In September 2022, UK publisher Gibsons Games launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new edition of Andrew McNeil‘s Kingmaker, which first appeared in 1974 from Ariel Productions Ltd, the parent company of which was purchased by Gibsons in the 1980s.
As far as I can tell, Gibsons first announced this new edition in May 2018, with designer Alan Paull of Surprised Stare Games coming on as lead developer in late 2019.
This new edition of the game — also called Kingmaker — consists of four versions of the game:
— Classic, which pretty much matches earlier versions.
— Extended Classic Kingmaker, which features extra crown and event cards, along with optional rules for Parliament and battles.
— Kingmaker II, which takes less time to play and has a variety of win conditions, including prestige and alliances.
— Solo Challenge, which let you fight Han Solo.
Paull reached out to me about publishing a developer’s diary for the game, and I look forward to doing so when Kingmaker sees release, which is currently anticipated for mid-2023.
• In February 2023, Twogether Studios plans to release a second edition of Illimat from designers Keith Baker and Jennifer Ellis, with this new edition featuring revisions to the rules and higher-quality cardstock.
The Crane Wife Expansion, which debuted in 2017 along with the Illimat base game, will also have a second edition, and it will be joined by The False Baron’s Set, which adds six new Luminaries to Illimat.
• In 2023, U.S. publisher Portland Game Collective will release a new edition of Sean Ross‘ climbing card game Haggis, which debuted from Indie Boards & Cards in 2010.
In this 2-3 player card game, you play sets, sequences, and bombs to win tricks, collect cards (although you give cards away when won with a bomb), and empty your hand as quickly as possible so that you can score for what’s stranded in your opponent’s hands.
The publisher notes that this edition will feature updated rules, the original rules variant, an expanded player count, and art by Sai Beppu.
• In November 2022, I wrote about a new edition of James Ernest and Mike Selinker‘s Lords of Vegas that was in the works from Lone Shark Games.
In between then and now, Lone Shark Games launched — then cancelled — a Kickstarter campaign for this new edition, noting that many potential backers objected to the $90 price for a new edition of the base game that would now support up to six players (as opposed to the original 2-4 player count) and include components for the 2014 UP! expansion.
Aside from the base game, the Kickstarter included details of a new Lords of Vegas: Americana expansion that included four new game boards to let players fight over casinos in New Orleans, Reno, Atlantic City, and 19th century Tombstone, Arizona. Lone Shark Games has surveyed those interested in the game and plans to launch a new crowdfunding campaign in 2023.
New Orleans game board and boat tiles
