Latest news with #boardgame
Arabian Business
3 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Business
Riyadh Monopoly board game unveiled, showcasing Saudi capital's culture and landmarks
Riyadh Monopoly, a new edition of the world's most iconic board game, has officially been unveiled in the Saudi capital. The game was launched on June 26, 2025 at a high-profile event held at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) Conference Centre, attended by government, cultural, education and media leaders. The launch marks Riyadh's first-ever Monopoly edition, designed to reflect the capital's most recognisable landmarks, historic streets and visionary developments — from ancient quarters to cutting-edge urban hubs like KAFD. Riyadh Monopoly Mazroua Al-Mazroua, Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, at the King Abdullah Financial District Development and Management Company (KAFD DMC), said: 'Riyadh Monopoly reflects our goal of making big, strategic projects accessible and engaging to all ages. 'As the leading destination for international and local businesses in Saudi Arabia, we are creating new opportunities for the next generation to thrive. We want the new generation to recognise the names and places shaping their future. What better way than through play?'. With over 50 per cent of Riyadh's population under the age of 20, the game aims to bring families and young people together through competitive play — all while promoting awareness of Saudi Arabia's rich culture, modern transformation, and investment in youth empowerment. The Riyadh Monopoly edition is expected to appeal to both local families and international visitors, offering a dynamic introduction to the city through an interactive lens. Riyadh Monopoly will hit stores across Saudi Arabia in September 2025, and is expected to become a popular souvenir and educational tool — helping residents and tourists alike explore the city's transformation from historic capital to modern megacity. Among the iconic locations included in the board game's latest edition are: KAFD Financial Plaza Souk Al Zal Diplomatic Quarter King Fahd Road The Ritz-Carlton British International School
Arab News
4 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Roll the dice: Monopoly Riyadh set to hit shelves this September
RIYADH: The launch of a Riyadh edition of the iconic Monopoly board game was announced on Thursday at a preview event that even feature an appearance by the game's mascot, Mr. Monopoly. The new version of the game, which will be on sale in September, was created, according to a statement, to celebrate 'the rich heritage and modern transformation' of the Kingdom's capital and features locations including the King Abdullah Financial District, Saudia Airlines, Souk Al-Zal, the Saudi Cup, the Diplomatic Quarter, Tamimi Markets, Jazean coffeeshop, Bujairi Terrace in Diriyah, Olaya Street, and King Fahd Road. 'We strive to include both the traditional and the modern in terms of landmarks and to create a story. So as you're going through the Monopoly board, you are learning about, and getting insight into, the city of Riyadh, and you're passing roads that most real residents would pass by on a day-to-day or weekly basis,' Hamad Alowaishiq, founder and chairman of official partner the Saudi Youth Society (SYS), which acted as a cultural advisor for the game's makers, told Arab News. 'It's a responsibility and a pleasure to be representing Riyadh on such a platform. And with that responsibility, we have been dedicated to delivering the identity and culture of Riyadh,' he added. According to Guinness World Records, Monopoly is the best-selling board game in history, with more than 275 million units sold worldwide over the past 90 years. 'There's something really interesting about seeing our city culturally represented within an international brand,' Princess Nourah Al-Faisal, vice-chairman of SYS, told Arab News. 'It says a lot about how far we've come and how important our market and our community has become on the international scale that Monopoly would come and do this—and quite right too.' 'I remember playing this game when I was young with my grandfather and family,' Liam Johnson, the racecourse director of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia's Saudi Cup, told Arab News, adding that he believed the Saudi Cup's profile would be raised globally by being featured in an edition of a game that 'cuts through the different audiences.' Diriyah has three places on the board: Wadi Hanifah, Zallal, and Al-Bujairi Terrace — all of which have become staples in Riyadh's events and hospitality sectors. 'As the birthplace of the Kingdom and its significance to the country, to be able to bring that legacy and that heritage onto the board is a true honor,' Nicola Cope, executive director of brand marketing at Diriyah, told Arab News. The Ritz-Carlton's Mazen Allam said: 'Over the years, we've been privileged to host moments that actually matter, from royal visits, world summits, weddings, quiet weekends, all woven under the fabric of this city. Now, with Monopoly, we get to join families and communities across generations. And the fact that we can create joyful memories that extend beyond our walls is something very special.' KAFD, home to 95 interconnected buildings, where more than 20,000 people work — not including the thousands of daily visitors and residents, is a pivotal inclusion on the board. Mazroua Al-Mazroua, KAFD's chief marketing and experience officer, told Arab News: 'We all grew up playing Monopoly. We understand the game — it's strategic, competitive, and centered around real estate. Today, KAFD reflects those same qualities. It's not just an iconic business district; it's Saudi Arabia's first vertical urban city and a dynamic lifestyle destination. 'It only makes sense for KAFD to be featured in the Monopoly Riyadh Edition — a perfect match between a game of strategy and a district that lives and breathes it every day.'
Gulf Business
4 days ago
- Business
- Gulf Business
Riyadh lands its first official Monopoly board game
Image: Supplied Saudi Arabia's capital has just passed 'Go' for one of the world's most iconic board games. Riyadh Monopoly , the city's first official edition of the world's best-selling board game, was officially unveiled on Thursday at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), turning skyscrapers, heritage sites and infrastructure projects into tradable tiles. The launch, hosted at the KAFD Conference Centre, brought together senior figures from government, business, education and culture to celebrate what organisers called a 'storytelling platform' for Riyadh's transformation. First launched in 1935, Monopoly has sold over 275 million copies and holds a Guinness World Record as the best-selling board game in history. Riyadh now joins the ranks of global cities, including Dubai, with custom editions. The game will be available in stores across the Kingdom from September 2025. This edition of Monopoly is licensed by Hasbro and produced by KEAD Entertainment. 'Riyadh Monopoly reflects our goal of making big, strategic projects accessible and engaging to all ages,' said Mazroua Al-Mazroua, chief marketing and experience officer at the King Abdullah Financial District Development and Management Company (KAFD DMC). 'As the leading destination for international and local businesses in Saudi Arabia, we are creating new opportunities for the next generation to thrive.' More than just a novelty, Riyadh Monopoly is being positioned as a cultural artefact: one that captures the Kingdom's economic ambitions, youth demographics and growing global visibility. With over half the city's population under the age of 20, the game's developers see it as both an educational tool and a piece of national branding. 'This colourful board game captures the city's energy and ambition,' Al-Mazroua added. 'It's a fun way for families and friends to connect with Riyadh's heritage and its exciting future.' Featured landmarks include KAFD, key government entities, and prominent schools such as the British International School Riyadh (BISR). 'We're thrilled to be featured on the board,' said Anna Power, Principal at BISR Diplomatic Quarter. More than just a game The move also reflects Saudi Arabia's broader cultural shift. In line with its diversification goals, the Kingdom has rapidly emerged as a hub for leisure and entertainment. Sharif Hamad bin Majed Alowaishiq, founder and chairman of the Saudi Youth Society, said the game offers a rare blend of education and civic pride. 'This is a brilliant platform for young Saudis to engage with their culture while dreaming big. New generations can see the city's stunning transformation, with important investment in both urban development and cultural preservation.'
Geek Dad
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Dad
Kickstarter Tabletop Alert: ‘Deep Regrets'
Can you keep your sanity while fishing up increasingly strange things from the ocean? What Is Deep Regrets ? Deep Regrets is a strategic, horror-themed fishing game for 1-5 players, ages 16 and up, and takes about 30-150 minutes to play. The base game, along with the new expansion, Even Deeper Regrets, is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, with a pledge level of 65 British pounds sterling, or approximately $87 USD, for an all-in copy of Deep Regrets, the new expansion Even Deeper Regrets, and the mini expansion Lamentable Tentacles. Deep Regrets fulfilled from its initial Kickstarter campaign earlier this Spring, and backing this current campaign is the only way right now to get a copy of the base game. The Even Deeper Regrets campaign will run through July 17th, 2025. While I did not receive a copy of Even Deeper Regrets to review, Tettix Games did send along the original base game, Deep Regrets, for me to take a look at. Deep Regrets was designed by Judson Cowan and published by Tettix Games, with illustrations by Judson Cowan. New to Kickstarter? Check out our crowdfunding primer. Everything that comes in the box. Image by Paul Benson. Deep Regrets Components The game box contains the following: Omen Die First Player marker Life Preserver 5 Madness Cubes Fishcoin Day Tracker 5 Fishbuck Trackers 5 Boat Meeples Port Board Sea Board Two-sided Madness Tracker / Ocean Survey Board 5 Two-sided Angler Boards Ocean Survey Pad 15 Player Dice 24 Tackle Dice Dice Bag 60 Regret Cards 25 Dink Cards 10 Reel Cards 20 Supply Cards 117 Fish Cards 10 Starting Provision Cards 10 Reference Cards I was sent a copy of the Kickstarter version of the game, and before even opening the box, the theme can be seen in full effect. The main difference between the Kickstarter and retail versions of Deep Regrets, is that the Kickstarter version comes wrapped in newspaper, much as fish sellers used to wrap their wares. It's not actual newspaper, of course, but rather a thick paper printed to resemble an old-time newspaper. Your fresh game catch of the day. Image by Paul Benson. Underneath the wrapping paper is the still-thematic game box. The box size is fairly compact, and will fit easily on a shelf. The Deep Regrets box. Image by Paul Benson. Game designer Judson Cowan did all the artwork for the game as well, and his artistic skill is on display throughout the components. This is immediately apparent not just on the outside of the box, but also on the inside of the lid. The inside of the box gives you an idea of what you're in for with the game. Image by Paul Benson. I'm quite a fan of Judson's art style, with its tongue-in-cheek portrayal of sea life that's unusual, to say the least. His artwork infuses the high-quality components throughout. As a matter of fact, I don't generally show pictures of the rulebook, but I think it's worth it in this instance: The well-organized rulebook. Image by Paul Benson. Here's the Sea Board, where you will spend your actions out at sea on. There are three different depths that you will fish from, depending on how you've positioned your boat. The Sea Board. Image by Paul Benson. Instead of fishing out at sea, you can return to Port, where you can sell or mount fish, and acquire more dice or equipment. Available actions, and their respective costs, are conveniently found on the board. You will also use the top of the board to track the rounds of the game. The Port Board. Image by Paul Benson. While we're looking at boards, let's take a look at the one dual-layer board in the game, the Madness Tracker board. This board has room for all of the players' madness cubes, and shows all the effects that take place depending on a player's level of madness. Madness is determined by the number of Regrets that a player accumulates (hence the title!) The Madness Tracker side of the board. Image by Paul Benson. The Madness Tracker board is double-sided as well, with the reverse side used for the solo/cooperative game. Each player will take one of the 5 double-sided Angler Boards. These boards are solely for the player color and for personal flavor, and otherwise function identically. One side of the Angler Boards. Image by Paul Benson. If you're a fan of H.P. Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth, you may choose to use the reverse side of your Angler Board. You might even start out 'normal,' and flip your board over as your character descends into madness: Those days out at sea can change you…literally! Image by Paul Benson. Many of the player components are screen-printed wood. Each player will have both a Boat Meeple and Madness Tracker in their player color: Boat Meeples and Madness Cubes. Image by Paul Benson. Each player has 3 Player Dice in their color. There are also Tackle Dice which you can purchase (though you randomly draw them), and an Omen Die tied to an Artifact that you can fish up. The dice are not your typical shape, and several have different sides from each other. All the dice in the game. Image by Paul Benson. Fish have different numbers, to indicate what depth they're found at, as well as illustrations of the fishes' shadows on the backs of the cards which hint at what size the Fish is. The bigger or deeper the Fish, the more difficult it can be to catch. Fish can be either fair or foul, and as a rule of thumb, the deeper you go, the higher the percentage of foul Fish. A sampling of some of the many fish in the game. Image by Paul Benson. There's one metal component, a Fishcoin. Certain fish have an ability that requires you to flip the coin and resolve either the heads or tails effect accordingly. Both sides of the Fishcoin. Image by Paul Benson. All the cards in the game have a linen finish. That, combined with the many wooden components, give a luxurious feeling to the game. How to Play Deep Regrets You can download a copy of the rulebook here. The Goal The goal of Deep Regrets is to fish, sell your catch, and end up with the highest score by the end of the game. Setup for a 2-player game. Image by Paul Benson. Setup Each player takes an Angler Board and places it in front of them, either side up. They then receive a Fishbuck tracker in their color, which is placed on the '0' space, 3 Player Dice in their color, 2 Reference cards, 1 Can of Worms card, and 1 Lifeboat card. Each player's Boat is placed at Depth I on the Sea Board. The First Person Marker is given to the player who has had the most regrettable day. An example of a Player setup. Image by Paul Benson. The Port Board is set at the end of the table, with the Day Tracker placed on Monday. All of the Tackle Dice are put into the bag, which is placed nearby. Shuffle all of the Regret cards, then take 10 cards per player and place them in a single pile next to the Port board, creating the Regrets deck. Return the rest to the box. Shuffle the Rods, Reels, and Supplies decks and place them below the Port board face down in their respective spots. Some of the Rod, Reels, and Supplies cards. Image by Paul Benson. Place the Life Preserver, Fishcoin, and Omen Dice nearby, as well as the Madness Tracker. Place each player's Madness cube on the top row of the Madness Tracker. Place the Sea Board beside the Port Board. Shuffle the Dinks deck, and place it in the designated space at the top of the board. Some of the Dinks cards. Image by Paul Benson. Shuffle all of the Depth I Fish and deal them out in piles of 13 to form a row of three Shoals at Depth I. Do the same for Depths II and III, leaving space for Graveyards to the right of each Depth row. Gameplay Deep Regrets is played out over the course of 6 days, or rounds. Each day is broken up into 4 Phases: Start, Refresh, Declaration, and Action. Phase I: Start Note: this phase is skipped on the first day. Move the Day Tracker up, pass the first player token clockwise, and discard all revealed Fish at Sea. Trigger any Day effects shown on the Day Tracker: Wednesday and Friday, all players flip their Can of Worms face-up. Thursday, all players gain $3. Saturday, all players take one orange die from the bag. All players at Sea must move their Boat up one Depth, if they are not already at Depth I. Phase 2: Refresh Each player takes all dice from their Spent Pool, adding any number of dice from their Fresh Pool, and rolls them. They then choose dice to place into the Fresh Pool until their Max Dice limit is reached. Leftover dice are placed into the Spent Pool. The player who has the highest total of Fresh Dice values takes the Life Preserver and gives it to another player of their choice. The Life Preserver can be discarded at Sea to reduce the difficulty of a single Fish by 2, or at Port to reduce the cost of visiting a single Shop by $2. Image by Paul Benson. Phase III: Declaration Starting with the First player and proceeding clockwise, each player declared whether they will spend the day at Sea or Port by placing their Boat at the appropriate location. If players own any Rods or Reels, they may equip one of either or both to place in the appropriate space on the Player Board. These remain equipped until the next Declaration Phase. Phase IV: Action This is the bulk of the game. Starting with the First Player and proceeding clockwise, each player can take one action or pass. The actions will be determined by whether they are at Sea or at Port. This continues until all but one player has passed. Once a player has passed, they are skipped and can no longer take actions, eat Fish, or use items or Dinks until the next Day. Passing Rewards: When a player first passes, and each time they are skipped in turn order, they may either draw a Dink, or discard one random Regret card. Last to Pass: Once everyone but one player has passed, the remaining player gets 2 more turns, then play proceeds to the next day. Sea Actions On your turn, you may either Fish or Abandon Ship. Cast: Select a Shoat at your current Depth or above. If the top Fish of the Shoal is facedown, flip it over to reveal it. If it's already revealed, skip to step 3. Trigger: if you revealed a fish with this action, check to sea if it has any reveal abilities. If so, resolve them. Pay: Check the Fish's Difficulty in the upper right-had corner of the card. To catch the Fish, you must spend dice equal to or greater that the Fish's Difficulty. Spent Player Dice are moved to the Spent Pool, spent Tackle Dice are put into the dice bag. If you cannot afford a Fish or choose not to pay it, you must spend one die of any value and draw the top card of the Dink deck instead. Catch: If you catch a fish, check if it has any catch abilities and resolve them, and then take the card into your hand. If you ever catch the last Fish in a Shoal, you immediately draw one Regret card. Catching fish will often result in randomly drawing Regret cards. Image by Paul Benson. Once per game, if you are at Sea and your Lifeboat is face-up, you may, as an action, flip over your Lifeboat to immediately Make Port. Your Boat is then moved to the Port Board, and for the rest of the Day, you may only take Port actions. However, a flipped Lifeboat increases your Regret Value by 10. Every player has a Lifeboat card. Image by Paul Benson. There are also a number of Free actions you can take on your turn, that don't count as an action: Drop Sinkers. Before fishing, you may spend a die of any value to move your boat down one Depth. You must spend one die for each Depth you wish to descend. Use your Can of Worms. Before revealing a Fish, you may flip your worms to peek at a Fish on the Sea Board and decided to put it back either on top or bottom of its Shoal. Eat Fish. If a fish has an Eat ability, if may be used at any stage of fishing by discarding it from your hand. Use the Life Preserver. Discard to reduce a Fish's Difficulty by 2. Use Dinks & Items. Some Dinks, Rods, Reels, and Supply items can be used at Sea for various benefits. Port Actions On your turn, you may Sell, Shop, or Mount. Immediately upon arriving at Port, players will first: Take all dice from their Spent Pool, adding any number of dice from their Fresh Pool, and roll them. They then choose dice to place into the Fresh Pool until their Max Dice limit is reached. Leftover dice are placed into the Spent Pool. Flip your Can of Worms Face-Up. Discard 1 Regret Card. The Can of Worms, before it is flipped faceup. Image by Paul Benson. After you have done the above steps, you are now free to start taking actions at Port. The actions a player can take are: Sell Fish. Choose any number of Fish in your hand and sell them for their Value, modified by your current Madness on the Madness Tracker. Take the correct amount of money and discard all Fish to their respective graveyards. Shop. You may only visit each Shop once per day. Pay one of the amounts indicated on the Port Board for the particular Shop, and then draw and keep the number of cards shown for the amount spent. If you purchase additional dice, immediately roll them and place them in your Fresh Pool. Mount Fish. Choose up to three Fish from you hand and mount them in any empty slots at the top of your Angler Board. Mounted fish get multipliers to their value at the end of the game. As Free Actions, you may also on your turn: Use the Life Preserver, discarding it to gain a $2 discount at a single Shop. Use certain Dinks, to reduce the cost of a Shop. Game End The game ends on the final day, once all players have passed. At that point, players reveal and count the value of their Regret cards, also adding 10 to that value if they flipped their Lifeboat during the game. The player(s) with the highest total Regret value must discard a Fish according to player count. Next, players add: The values of their Fish in Hand modified by their current level on the Madness tracker. The values of their Mounted Fish first modified by their current level on the Madness tracker, and then multiplied by the mount modifier. 1 point for every 2 Fishbucks The player with the highest score wins. Tiebreakers are lower total Regret value, followed by fewest Regret Cards. Ocean Survey This is a solo/co-op mode that is included in the base game. Each game you'll spend 5 days trying to reel in as many Fish as possible. You play it as a campaign, checking off every Fish on the Ocean Survey sheet until you have ultimately caught everything and brought it to Port. The instructions on how to play the Ocean Survey can be found in the rulebook. There's a whole pad of sheets for the Ocean Survey, so you can repeat that mode as many times as you want. Image by Paul Benson. Even Deeper Regrets The Even Deeper Regrets expansion adds several new elements: 117 new Sea Fish Inland fishing, which adds another board and Fish supply that can be chosen to visit during the Declaration phase. Most fair Inland Fish also reward the player with Clout, which can be spent at Port or used for endgame bonuses. Pets which may be purchased as Supply cards. Polyps, which become more valuable the more of them that are caught. The Even Deeper Regrets expansion can be pledged for by itself for approximately $34 USD if you already own the base game, or as part of the 'All the Regrets' bundle with Deep Regrets and the Lamentable Tentacles mini expansion. Why You Should Play Deep Regrets Have you ever played the horror fishing video game Dredge? Are you a fan of H.P. Lovecraft's classic story The Shadow Over Innsmouth ? Do you like the macabre but humorous cartoon artwork of Gahan Wilson? Then Deep Regrets is definitely your thematic cup of tea! Judson Cowan even admits to Dredge being a huge inspiration for Deep Regrets. This is a gorgeous game where the artwork definitely fits the theme. The components are top-notch, with the screen-printed wooden pieces having a slightly off-kilter quality in keeping with the offbeat nature of the game. I also appreciated that the Player Boards were made of cardboard instead of cardstock. The First Player token and Day Tracker. Image by Paul Benson. Deep Regrets is easy to learn how to play, and to teach to others. It definitely helps that all of the information you need to play can be found on the cards and boards used in the game, as well as on the two double-sided reference cards, of which every player gets a set. All four sides of the 2 Player Reference cards. Image by Paul Benson. There is a fairly high luck factor in the game, as you often won't know what exactly you'll find when you flip over a Fish card. It does generally help to know the size of a Fish based on its shadow on the back of the card, but that doesn't let you know what abilities it might have, or whether it is a Fair or Foul Fish. Yes, you have your Can of Worms, but this must be used judiciously as it will only be reset when you either go to Port, or when you reach Wednesday and Friday on the Day Tracker. Supplies, Rods, Reels, and additional Dice can help manage that luck, but those are only available in Port, and you have to balance your Port visits with the time needed out at sea fishing, so that you have something to actually sell when you return to Port! Obviously, there's a lot of risk/reward decisions at play in the game. I enjoy the gameplay quite a bit, but I also enjoy the theme, which definitely helps contribute to my overall enjoyment of the game. If you're not drawn to the dark comedy of Deep Regrets, you may not enjoy the gameplay as much. I also wish that Deep Regrets played a little faster. 30 minutes per player seems a bit long for the gameplay. You can optionally play a shorter game by starting the Day Tracker on Tuesday, but then it feels like you don't have enough time to get everything accomplished that you want to in the game. Overall, I'm very fond of the little offbeat horror fishing game that is Deep Regrets. I'm very intrigued by the gameplay additions in Even Deeper Regrets: they seem to add some nice variety and endgame scoring options without adding much to learning the game, and may even solve my problems with the game length. Of course, I won't know that until trying out the expansion myself, but for the moment, it looks to me like a very promising expansion and possibly even a 'must include' for rounding out Deep Regrets. And if nothing else, there's a bunch more of that wonderful Judson Cowan artwork to enjoy. For more information or to make a pledge, visit the Even Deeper Regrets Kickstarter page! Click here to see all our tabletop game reviews. To subscribe to GeekDad's tabletop gaming coverage, please copy this link and add it to your RSS reader. Disclosure: GeekDad received a copy of this game for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
Geek Dad
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Dad
Kickstarter Tabletop Alert: ‘Red Dog Junction'
You've got a ship, a crew, and a dream—but so does everyone else. Who will be able to take home the most gold? What Is Red Dog Junction ? Red Dog Junction is a resource management game for to 2 to 5 players, ages 14 and up, and takes about 30 to 60 minutes to play. It's currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, with a pledge level of $67 for a copy of the game. The game rules aren't too complex so I think you could go perhaps as young as 10 as long as they can handle some direct conflict in the game. It was originally launched on Kickstarter in October 2024 as Space Freight with placeholder artwork, but the publishers decided to cancel the campaign and try again. This review is based on my original Space Freight write-up, but modified to reflect the changes, which are primarily art-related. Red Dog Junction was designed by Tyler Cheves and Brendon Cheves and published by Waterworks Games and Healthy Pixels, with art by Marie Bergeron. New to Kickstarter? Check out our crowdfunding primer. Red Dog Junction components. (Prototype shown) Photo: Jonathan H. Liu Red Dog Junction Components Note: My review is based on a prototype copy, so it is subject to change and may not reflect final component quality. The plastic spaceships in the prototype were 3D-printed and I assume they will not all be yellow in the finished game. Here's what comes in the box: Red Dog Junction tile Haberdashery tile 4 Planet tiles 5 Home Base tiles 5 Ships 15 Super Deal tiles Metallic Gold D4 die 6 Plastic D6 dice 5 Player Aid cards 81 cards 50 Gold cubes 30 Scrap cubes (black) 30 Ruby cubes (red) 30 Ice cubes (clear) 30 Oxygen cubes (green) 30 Gas cubes (yellow) 30 Whiskey cubes (brown) Space Freight had experimented with a 'no rulebook' system, where the component trays had lids that explained the game as you unpacked it. The publisher realized that most players still preferred just having a rulebook, so Red Dog Junction does not use the same panel system. Unique ships, one loaded with cubes. (Prototype shown) Photo: Jonathan H. Liu The plastic ships are quite large—each one can hold up to 12 resource cubes on it, and they also serve as your player piece for moving around the table. The cubes themselves are a standard size, mostly plastic, while the 'gold' and 'whiskey' cubes are made of metal and have an impressive heft to them. The dice for the trading exchange are similar: one plastic die for each of the six resources, and then a metallic D4 for the gold. The ships all have unique shapes, which gives them a fun bit of personality—particularly if they end up all being grey plastic. (I'm not sure what the finished ships will be.) The resources tray is nice because you can just set the whole thing on the table as a supply. I noticed that, along with renaming the resources from Space Freight , they've also adjusted the colors some—there's now a brown metallic cube for whiskey, and the yellow cubes are now 'gas' or 'fuel' (but I still think having both yellow and metallic gold as resources can be a little confusing). Also gone are the tiny mineral icons, replaced by different colored cube icons—though it would still be nice to have a legend somewhere, because the 'green' icons looked like grey to me, which is the color of the scrap cubes in the prototype. I've been told the finished version will have more distinct colors so everything is more easily distinguished. Instead of a folding board, the locations are now large tiles that you just place around the table, which feels fitting for a game set in space. The illustrations are by Marie Bergeron, who also illustrated Thunder Road: Vendetta , and it gives everything a lived-in feel. This isn't a polished, shiny sci-fi where everything looks like it was designed by Apple; it's beat-up and rusty and feels a little bit more like the world of Firefly . (I'm not sure why the store location is called the 'Haberdashery' other than maybe they liked the sound of the word—it doesn't appear to be a clothing store.) How to Play Red Dog Junction The Goal The goal of the game is to have the most points by the time the gold supply runs out. 4-player setup. (Prototype shown) Photo: Jonathan H. Liu Setup Set up the various location tiles with the resource tray nearby. Place the scrap cubes on the table in space; the rest of the cubes stay in the tray. Put the D4 in the center of Red Dog Junction set to '1,' and then roll the other six dice and place them randomly in the six spaces around it. Shuffle the two stacks of Super Deals (there are 6-value tiles and 8-value tiles) and place them in the Haberdashery, face-up. Player setup. (Prototype shown) Photo: Jonathan H. Liu Give each player a ship, a player aid card, a Home Base, and a set of starting crew: 3 Cowboys, 1 Miner, 1 Scavenger, and 1 Agent. Players will start with some gold based on turn order. Place your ship on its home base, and your gold in storage on your home base. Shuffle the cards and place the deck off to the side, and reveal six cards to form the market. You start with four crew types, but you may be able to recruit others during the game. (Prototype shown) Photo: Jonathan H. Liu Gameplay On your turn, you may take two actions from the following: Load/Unload : Move any number of resources between your storage and your ship while docked at home. : Move any number of resources between your storage and your ship while docked at home. Move : Move from any dock space into space, or move from space to any open docking space. (Special: you may move from one dock to another at Red Dog Junction for a single move rather than having to move into space first.) Only one ship is allowed at a planet at a time. : Move from any dock space into space, or move from space to any open docking space. (Special: you may move from one dock to another at Red Dog Junction for a single move rather than having to move into space first.) Only one ship is allowed at a planet at a time. Mine : While docked at a planet, gain cubes of that color onto your ship. : While docked at a planet, gain cubes of that color onto your ship. Salvage : While in space, collect cubes from space into your ship. : While in space, collect cubes from space into your ship. Trade : While docked at Red Dog Junction, trade resources. : While docked at Red Dog Junction, trade resources. Purchase Gold : While docked at the Haberdashery, turn in resources to complete a Super Deal and earn gold. : While docked at the Haberdashery, turn in resources to complete a Super Deal and earn gold. Displace : Move ships from docks into space (requires Rustlers crew). : Move ships from docks into space (requires Rustlers crew). Swap : Trade resources with another ship while you're both in space (requires Outlaws crew). : Trade resources with another ship while you're both in space (requires Outlaws crew). Buy: Buy a card from the market row. This ship can salvage cubes from space—currently there's only scrap floating around. (Prototype shown) Photo: Jonathan H. Liu The strength of many of the actions is affected by how many crew you have. For instance, at the beginning of the game you have one Scavenger, so a salvage action lets you take 1 cube. If you had 3 Scavengers, then you could pick up 3 cubes for 1 action. Cowboys give you capacity for your ship—you start with 3 Cowboys so your ship capacity is 6 cubes; at the end of your turn if you have more than your capacity in your ship, you must choose cubes to jettison into space, where they could be salvaged by any players on future turns. This ship could trade 3 oxygen for 4 whiskey or 1 gold. (Prototype shown) Photo: Jonathan H. Liu When trading, you may exchange resources matching the two dice next to your ship, as well as gold, and the exchange rate is equal to the values of the dice. For instance, in the photo above, the oxygen die is 3, the whiskey die is 4, and the gold die is 1, so you may make any swaps at a ratio of 3 oxygen : 4 whiskey : 1 gold. Your trader crew cards give you more trades per action; you may also use a trade to increase or decrease one of the D6 next to your ship, manipulating the economy. (Note that there is no whiskey planet, so the only way to get whiskey is through trading.) Docked at Honest Jose's Haberdashery. (Prototype shown) Photo: Jonathan H. Liu If you dock at the mission center, you may turn in the required resources shown on one of the Super Deal tiles to gain the gold payment, and you also take the tile, which is worth 1 point. Remember: you still have to get the gold back home safely! Jose might be honest, but you can't trust your fellow players. Buy crew, officers, and boosts at the card market. (Prototype shown) Photo: Jonathan H. Liu You may buy cards from the market no matter where your ship is located, but you may only spend resources that are already in your storage, not from your ship. Crew cards will make your actions more efficient, and Boost cards are single-use cards that usually give you an extra action after you play them, letting you set up a powerful turn if you can time it right. Officer cards are the most expensive, each costing 8 resources, but they give you an ongoing ability for the rest of the gameand are also worth points. The Pathfinder can move directly to any open docking space without stopping in space; the Quartermaster can unload directly to your storage from space without being docked at home. Game End The game ends when all of the gold has been moved to player's storage (so if it's still floating in space or on a player's ship, the game isn't over yet!). Players earn points for all of their crew, officers, and mission tiles, and 1 point per gold in their storage. The highest score wins, with ties going to the player with the most remaining boost cards, and then the most crew cards. Why You Should Play Red Dog Junction One of the gimmicks for the older prototype (while it was still named Space Freight ) was the fact that it didn't have a rulebook, but that idea was scrapped. The other thing that stood out, though, was the big spaceships that held the resource cubes. There's definitely a bit of a toy factor there, but it also makes it really obvious who's carrying what, because although this is a pick-up-and-deliver game, there's also a lot of space piracy happening. Just because you've picked up some goods doesn't guarantee you'll actually get to keep them, unless you can get home and offload them into your base. Mining for ice. (Prototype shown) Photo: Jonathan H. Liu Okay, so how's the gameplay? Your turns are pretty short, particularly at the beginning, because most of your actions are fairly simple. It'll take you two actions just to fly your ship somewhere and dock, and then maybe on your second turn all you do is mine two resources if you made it to a planet. Or, perhaps you started by loading some gold into your ship with the intentions of trading. Your goal is to just accumulate as much gold in your storage as you can, but there are multiple ways to go about that. If you see that the markets have made a particular resource more valuable (if the die is low, you can trade fewer gems per gold), then maybe it's worth making a run to that planet so you can load up and then go trading. Or, maybe there's a good combination where you could take your starting gold and trade it for something that's needed for a Super Deal. Either way, the two primary sources of gold are Red Dog Junction and the Haberdashery, turning goods and scrap (however you managed to acquire them) into gold, and then shuttling that back home. Powering up your actions with crew is also key, and each crew member can be purchased with a specific type of resource or you can spend gold, though that's usually if you're desperate to beat somebody else to the punch. Cowboys increase your ship capacity so you don't have to fly back and forth as often, and Miners and Scavengers let you gain more cubes per action. Agents make your trading stops more efficient, both because you can manipulate the market dice but also because you can make more trades per action. Then we get to the other crew: Outlaws and Rustlers. You don't start with any, but as soon as somebody acquires these, prepare to be boarded. Rustlers let you dislodge players from their docks, putting them into space. That's handy if somebody's mining a planet but you want that spot, or if they're hogging the space you need at Red Dog Junction. But the real one-two punch comes when you have Outlaws, which let you swap resources on your ship with somebody else—why go to the trouble of mining and then trading at Red Dog Junction, when you can just hang about in space, maybe scavenge some scrap metal, and then dump it on those merchants and take their gold? You get so many more actions if you don't have to spend them docking and undocking all the time. The Rascal is a special crew that is very expensive, but every turn you can decide which crew it is, so it gives you a lot of flexibility. Carrying a lot of cargo? It's a Cowboy this time. Time to mine? Let's make it a Miner. Boost cards cost 1 gold but can be quite effective. (Prototype shown) Photo: Jonathan H. Liu Finally, there are boost cards—these all cost 1 gold, which means you're spending a point to acquire them, but they give you really amazing effects once. You might be able to manipulate dice at Red Dog Junction (including the gold die!), increase your ship's capacity temporarily, or get a boosted mine, salvage, or swap action. Whenever a boost card comes up in the market, everyone should take a look at it because even if it's not directly useful for you, it may be worth buying so your opponent can't use it against you. Once the game gets going, things can get pretty heated. Multiple players want to be on the same planet, or are racing for particular resources because an officer card just appeared in the market. If you see somebody collecting resources that match a Super Deal, is it worth trying to outpace them, or do you go for something else instead? When you're done trading, do you use some of your trade abilities to change the die and make the exchange rate worse for everyone else? Super Deals: are they worth the risk? (Prototype shown) Photo: Jonathan H. Liu Super Deals are worth 1 point just for buying them, but also give you a decent amount of gold. The problem is, if there are Outlaws about, there's no guarantee you'll get that gold home to storage. In our games, it was often a dilemma whether it was more efficient to complete missions or trade resources for gold, and one of the limiting factors was always the amount of time it took to fly back and forth between locations. The different crews between players can also make for some funny outcomes. In one game, one player had a lot of Outlaws so if they accumulated enough of anything, they could swap out and take pretty much my whole stash of gold before I got it home. But I realized I had a lot of Scavengers and they didn't—so if I jettisoned all my gold into space, at most they could get 2 of them in a turn, and I could try to scoop up the rest and flee for home! There can be a bit of a stalemate, though, depending on how determined players are. If you have gold and you're not in space, it will take you at least two turns just to get home, and then you can't unload until your next turn. But that means you're a sitting duck for anyone who has a Rustler and some Outlaws. If they undock you and take some gold, do you try to get it back, or just go back home and unload whatever you have left? We had some long tug-of-wars over gold in one of the games I played and eventually one player just had to give in so the game wouldn't go on too long. There are only 5 unique officers in the deck. (Prototype shown) Photo: Jonathan H. Liu The officers are a game-changer, and since there are only five of them in the entire deck, there's no guarantee that you'll even see all of them in any given game. We did feel like the Pathfinder, which allows you to teleport anywhere, felt like it was the most valuable of them, because saving an extra action per turn just lets you unload gold before anyone else can get to you, and it feels unstoppable. Some of the others can be pretty handy, but nothing really compares to teleportation. I would have liked to see either some more officers, either multiple copies of the same ones or some additional powers, because it's possible that the player who's first to get an officer can just run away with the game. Overall, Red Dog Junction is a solid pick-up-and-deliver game that can spark some really exciting moments, but can also feel a bit limiting at times because you only get 2 actions and flying through space is time-consuming. It's not too complex once you learn the different actions, though coming up with a winning strategy can still be a challenge. The components have a fun toy factor with the ships carrying the cubes around the board. For more information or to make a pledge, visit the Red Dog Junction Kickstarter page! Click here to see all our tabletop game reviews. To subscribe to GeekDad's tabletop gaming coverage, please copy this link and add it to your RSS reader. Disclosure: GeekDad was loaned a prototype of this game for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
