There are some new games coming this year. I am excited about these four and have been following them for some time. Many people have been anticipating them. Two of them has very successful Kickstarter campaigns last year.

The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth

One game that is coming out this year is The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-earth from Fantasy Flight Games. There has been many tabletop games with The Lord of the Rings theme like The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game and War of the Ring. But this is very epic indeed. For one thing, you can play solo. 

This is a cooperative game of adventure and exploration that supported by an app you use on your tablet or smart phone. The digital component to this game is interesting. It helps make it cooperative that the app would set up the game for the players.

You can choose from 6 characters with different abilities and skills. Each adventure would be part of a larger campaign. 

Each character has a card with their abilities and stats, but also each has a skill deck that is unique to each character. Your character can take on one of six roles like a pathfinder finding your way through the long dark corridor or the hunter taking down orc after orc in another adventure which also adds cards to your skill deck.

Then there is the journey map made up of double sided tiles that are modular so your map always changes from game to game. And during fights you place your miniatures on to battle maps for more close tactical combat versus monsters and other encounters. 25 well-made miniatures of trolls, orcs, and more darker enemies are in this game.

Each adventure is one part of the bigger campaign called Bones of Arnor. The campaign is made up of 14 adventures, but the game changes and increases the replayability with different set ups and encounters. The game is available for pre-order from Fantasy Flight Games and other game stores. It may be available in the Spring.

Nemesis

I had mentioned about the Aliens inspired Nemesis from Awaken Realms last year as it had a very successful Kickstarter campaign. 1-5 players semi-cooperative Sci-Fi horror where you and your friends try to survive while attempting to fulfill your secret objectives that may not always align with the interests of others. It enables full co-op as well as solo play experience.

It is a miniatures board game where the rooms are hexagon tiles that change from game to game. Your character is one of five crew members of the Nemesis starship and you awake in the hibernation chamber with no memory what you were doing. But each player does start with a secret objective. And you find a dead crew member in the hibernation chamber.

Each character has a unique deck of cards to be used for their actions and you go searching rooms for more equipment, gear, and weapons. One of your main objectives is to make sure two of three engines are working, set the course for Earth, send a radio signal, and return to your hibernation chamber. But all is not as seems. Every time you go somewhere you make a noise and it attracts something deadly...an Invader that has been hiding. Your ship has been infested. This makes it harder. And these Invaders grow. Invaders can be chosen at random from a bag filled with different tokens to determine which type of Invader reveals itself.

This game is also available in stores as a pre-order. The retail date is not yet determined, but it may be available this Fall.

Tiny Epic Mechs

Tiny Epic Mechs is a new game from Gamelyn Games. It is a tactical combat in a 3D environment featuring solo play, cooperative play, competitive play and team play. They are introducing ITEMeeples where you can add equipment to your Meeple and also place them in larger Mech suits for ultimate robotic combat!

Players take on the roles of highly skilled and athletic Mech pilots. They compete in a free-for-all battle royale over the span of six rounds. In each round, players select four of eight available actions to program. These actions keep you moving around the arena while allowing you to deploy defensive turrets, plant explosive land mines with hidden values, collect resources, purchase weaponry, and power up into your Power Armor or eventually the highly-sought-after Mech Suit. While each player has their own Power Armor, there is only one Mech Suit, reserved for the king of the hill.

It had a very successful Kickstarter campaign last year. Backers will be getting their copies in August so a retail version is not far behind.

Die Hard: The Nakatomi Heist Board Game

Yippee ki yay, board gamers! Yes Die Hard is now a board game from USAopoly. Surprisingly, it is not a Christmas board game though it would make a good Christmas gift if you can wait.

Die Hard: The Nakatomi Heist Board Game will use the one-versus-many, asymmetric gameplay to pit protagonist John McClane against other players acting as thieves, cooperating to foil the hero’s plan, which is to save the hostages in the Nakatomi Plaza high-rise. Movie buffs and hobby game enthusiasts will appreciate the forthcoming release’s distinct homage to the 1988 film, which packs rules and gameplay to the nines with references to Die Hard’s most memorable scenes and characters. 

They said the release date is this Spring. Be on the look out!

Disclosure: I am not making money for any of these games nor am I affiliated with any of these publishers. I am just sharing information.