Bitbox is a game storage system for taking the components for your game — boards, rulebooks, and all those little pieces — and storing them, cutting down on the space required for all those game boxes. A unit fits within an IKEA Kallax cube space, and the video shows fourteen different games (Stone Age, Concept, Reverse Charades, Splendor, Power Grid, Telestrations, Machi Koro, Survive, The Lord of the Rings TCG base set, Ticket to Ride, RoboRally, Codenames, 7 Wonders, and Kingdom Builder were shown) stored in that single Bitbox. $50 gets you a Bitbox and a carry-to-game-night box. If we knew about this thing before it launched, you could have had that for $30.

The Prince Valiant RPG just came on Kickstarter last week. This game, set in the time of King Arthur and designed by Greg Stafford, is a storytelling game designed to be accessible to younger players. If you’ve wanted to tell stories about noble knights, you can get a physical copy of the game book filled with gorgeous full-color artwork from Hal Foster’s comic strip for just $30.

Well, after our last look at Crowdfunding Highlights, I think we’ve covered all the modular-board scenario-based standalone miniature battle games up on Kickstarter and — are you kidding me? There’s The Warriors: Turf War, based on the 1979 movie where a gang is set up for murder and all the gangs in New York City are hunting them down. Included in the base game are several miniatures, including the comical Baseball Furies (just called “Furies” here). Let’s do the rundown from last time: “early bird stretch goals not completely sold out (hurry!), more than three dozen miniatures (46!), second-ever KS from the company, $105 normal price tag. Come out to play.

Jackson Robinson does cards. You’ve got less than 19 hours to get some awesome currency-inspired playing cards. The cards are based on American and Chinese currency. (I’ve got one of his Wasteland decks and they’re really fantastic.) $14 gets you one of these decks, $28 gets you two. Stop reading and go now! There’s just *gasp* 18 hours left now! Go! Go! Go!

Honestly, I can’t wait for the US Presidential election to be over. There are soooo many Kickstarters that are trying to capitalize on Trump or Hillary that we just know aren’t going to fund or, god forbid they actually do fund, won’t be fulfilled any time before the election. Case in point: What the Drumpf, which is Apples to Apples with questions and Trump-like quotes “and the debate leader picks the funniest, most racist or most insane answer”. They want 3500 GBP for this thing.

Last week: People Vs. Politics, the “CAH with uncomfortable political discussion” game — how did it do? Unsuccessful, with just under half of the $4800 goal made.

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One of the busiest booths at NY Toy Fair’s first floor boardgame section was Asmodée’s. Several bright yellow tables were full of games–some demos, others simply set up to showcase the game. While there were dozens of games available for buyers to examine, there were a large number of items debuting.

Two games in embossed metal tins the size of the Timeline series where demoed first: Continental Express and The Builders: Middle Ages.

Continental Express is a game about completing train deliveries. Three cards are shown, each showing the three different train cars that are needed to complete a delivery. Underneath the three delivery cards is a matrix of train cards and workers. Draft a card into your hand from the left and all cards that row shift over. You’re seeing what train cars are coming up and may be maneuvering good cards to a position where your opponent can grab them easier. Add in a secret victory condition for each player, and there’s your fast-playing set collection train game in a tin. Continental Express is due in mid-March and retails for $18.

The Builders: Middle Ages is a card game about creating buildings in the Middle Ages. Pretty simple description, no? Square cards featuring buildings, like The Mill or The Aqueduct, are up for grabs, as are the labor force. Each building requires a certain amount of work effort in four different categories while each builder provides a few levels in each. Combine workers to complete and score buildings, redistribute your workers to various projects, and become the grand architect. The Builders is available now for $18.

Moving to larger boxes, Splendor is a game of bidding on gem stone cards to create works of jewelry for wealthy clients. This game retails for $40 and will be available before summer.

The classic game Hotel Tycoon will be making a move to North American markets “soon”. Travel around the board, invest in buildings, and try to be the last tycoon standing.

Concept is an interesting party game, where players try to guess a key word based on icons that represent different elements of the item. You know what? It’s better to go with an example for this one. Jean draws a card and selects a word on it, then starts placing markers on a board covered with icons. Feminine, art. We start calling out “Mona Lisa”, “The Statue of Liberty”, but Jean places a concept marker on face. Markers in the color used on art go on red, orange, yellow… all the color spaces. Female, art, face, multiple colors… lipstick? “Makeup!” This loud, abstract party game retails for $40 and should be available on February 28th.

Lewis & Clark: The Expedition, available near the end of March, is a game of exploration geared towards the hobby gamer. Players take on the roles of an expedition force, finding passage across western North America to the Pacific. Lewis & Clark is a resource management racing game retailing for $45. 

Formula D will have a new race circuit board, New Jersey on one side, Sochi on the other. This will be available in March. While no price was mentioned at Toy Fair, past expansions retail for $30.

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