Does your inbox fill up every Tuesday with Kickstarter emails? Well, mine does - so I decided to start writing my thoughts on new tabletop gaming Kickstarters every Wednesday.

My original plan for this column was not to *only* focus on the big huge Kickstarters and get a bunch of smaller campaigns as well. That wasn't possible this week. Apparently March 22 was the day that *everyone* decided to launch Kickstarters, and I want to talk about them all so let's get into it.

((Remember, most of these are based on initial impressions, not detailed looking through the entire campaign info))

The RPG Tracking System ft. Paladin Woodworking

I've become a big fan of Wyrmwood thanks to their YouTube channel, however I haven't backed any of their Kickstarters because I'd have to take out a second mortgage to do so! So it's nice to see a Wyrmwood kickstarter within my gaming budget. Of course, these people are pros, so their campaign lays it out quickly - it’s a series of panels that you can swap out to act as a wooden character sheet. The basis for the idea is pretty cool too: there was a guy with a really cool idea/design (Paladin Woodworking), who showed his stuff to Wyrmwood. They liked it so much that the two cooperated to bring the product to the masses.

So in a way, this is kind of an indie product?? The only pledge level is $17 to get access to the pledge manager, and this Kickstarter is well overfunded. Looks like to get the basic "tracker keeper" and 3 panels is a little over $100, so not bad if D&D5e is your game of choice. Although I'm excited for this one, I do have to mention one downside and that not all the panels are that great. The spellcaster classes are all pretty cool but I've played a Rogue a lot in 5e and that panel is not good. Why tf do I need a dial for my armor class and sneak attack D6s? AC rarely changes and Sneak Attack is only every couple of levels so those seem like a waste. Some other friends have noted the same about classes that they play - seems like whomever did the final design doesn't play every class equally and were guessing on what to put on each panel. However, getting the HP and general spell slot panels along with a weapon seems like a good investment.

Jurassic World: The Legacy of Isla Nublar

Another big campaign with only 1 pledge level: $120 for a Jurassic World legacy game! Staying within my video guidelines, they scrape in at the end of the first 30 seconds telling you the base concept of the game. Of course, when the title/byline of your campaign lay out the concept, you can be a bit more thematic in the video. I do wish the video gave more of an idea of how the base gameplay works, but given this is a legacy game, that does make it difficult. Funko Games/Prospero Hall does some awesome game design though, so I imagine this will be extremely thematic.

Will I back it? Probably not. First of all, I have too many games on the shelf to throw down $120 upfront for a board game that I don't know if my gaming groups will commit to playing. Secondly, I'm not really *that* into the Jurassic Park franchise. I've seen the first two movies, heck I even read the books those two movies were based on. But….that's all. Never saw Jurassic Park III, and have not seen any of the Jurassic World movies. So I doubt this game was really designed for me anyways. Would I play it if someone else got it and showed up at game night? Sure!

Ares Expedition: Discovery · Foundations · Crisis

Sigh…I have a complicated relationship with the Terraforming Mars franchise. Didn't understand the game the first time I played so I got overwhelmed, then the second time I played I loved it so I bought all of it, even as more expansions came out. Yet, the more I played it, the least enjoyment I got out of the game as time went on. Then…I got blocked by Steven Buonocore on Twitter for calling out behavior that I thought was questionable (long story). So I got spiteful and that basically drove a nail in the coffin for Terraforming Mars. That was like 3 years ago though, and Steven isn't even in charge of Stronghold Games anymore. That bias aside, the card game version of TM sold incredibly well, and so they are back with a series of expansions.

This game is an expansion, so the normal video guidelines don't really apply - did you like the base game? Well here are expansions! That's all you really need to do to sell the game to people. If you didn't back the base game, but wanted the dual layer boards from the original Kickstarter, you do have that opportunity here. Also, I do like the addition of a co-op experience to the game. Personally, I've been drifting towards more co-op game experiences as I like working with my friends, not against them. So that intrigues me some. Will I back it? Eh…hard to say having not tried the base game. Maybe I need to borrow it from someone over the next few days to give it a shot…

Tidal Blades 2: Rise of the Unfolders + Cypher System RPG

Once upon a time, any Monte Cook Games product/cooperation was enough to get me to back a Kickstarter immediately. The team there is phenomenal when it comes to designing RPG books - the artwork is terrific, the layout is easy to read/understand, etc. So, hearing that they were making a Tidal Blades RPG with Druid City Games was enough to make me go click the link and check out the campaign. No explanation in the first 30 seconds, but they do some world building and immediately follow it with a glimpse into how the board game plays, so I'll let that slide. Board game looks amazing - lots of minis, storybooks with lots of different options and ways for the game to progress. Hey its even cooperative!

However, I'm gonna have to take the same reasoning as Jurassic Park and pass on this one. While the game looks amazing, its hard justifying $89+ for a game that might never get played. For me, this game seems perfect for trying out at a convention booth with my friends and seeing what their feel for the game is. Then, throwing down money and walking out with the game then and there. As for the RPG, it's by Shanna Germain, one of my favorite RPG authors so it is *extremely* tempting. Yet, over the years I've learned that while I was a fan of the Cypher System, not all my friends are as keen on it as I am. A lot of Monte Cook Games products have shifted to offering D&D5e options, so I've been going that route. But since this is a Cypher System-only product, I might have to pass. Only reason I would back it is to read for potential story fuel for other campaigns I run in the future.

Casting Shadows

Last one for this week comes from the creators of Unstable Unicorns. I've never played Unstable Unicorns, but it is a game that has gotten quite popular, and I *am* a fan of the art style. Mainly because it's from the creators of the Teeturtle website, which I buy a shirt from at almost every convention I go to. Once again, this video looks amazing but basically acts as a teaser for the campaign, showing off the world of the game for a minute and a half before we talk about the game. Which…they don't really do. BUT, they do make a point early on to mention all the unlocks and stretch goals they have planned. That part sours my stomach some, as you don't even talk about how the game plays, you've only talked about the high level concept of the game.

As beautiful as this game looks, its going into the "need to try" first pile for me. I've backed Kickstarters for cute artwork and then barely played them and sold/traded/given them away at later dates. I've gotten more restrictive on my game purchasing, but I will say at a $30 entry point, it is a very tempting gamble. Maybe I can sell one of my friends on it based on the artwork…

What do you think? Any of these campaigns grab you? What smaller campaigns did I miss with all the big hitters this week?

Note: I generally assume I know nothing. So if I've missed something, let me know in the comments. Or let me know on Twitter or Facebook. If you like these types of posts, consider subscribing to our patreon.