variable player powers

Apotheca

Players craft potions in a secret marketplace. Hide ingredients to deceive opponents, and use magical powers to mix concoctions. But beware - your opponents are brewing schemes of their own!

Apotheca is played on a 4x4 grid. Players gain points by making matches of three potions of the same color in a row. The first player to make three matches wins. It's easily learned, but the combination of asymmetric powers and secret facedown potions make the game a delicious challenge.

On each turn, players take 2 of 4 possible actions:

Reveal: Reveal a secret potion and gain a gem of that color
Restock: Draw, look at, and place secret potions on the board until there are exactly 3
Power: Use one of your active apothecary powers
Hire: Spend gems to hire new apothecaries

Whenever a player makes a match, they must place it on one of their apothecaries. This removes that apothecary's power for the rest of the game, so it's important for players to keep revealing potions, collecting gems and hiring new apothecaries... all while keeping their opponents at bay!

Deduction is key to Apotheca. Players trap each other with clever spatial moves, bluffing and misdirection. The action economy is very well balanced, so every turn offers an opportunity for strategy and tough decisions.

The feeling of the game differs with every number of players:

2 player is the most cerebral and controlled
3 player is the most chaotic, yet still within your grasp
4 player is played in teams, offering neat collaborative gameplay

Stronghold (2nd Edition)

Stronghold is a two-player game telling the story of a siege. Players take opposing sides: one has to defend the stronghold, and the other has to break into the castle as soon as possible. The game board represents the stronghold itself as well as the surrounding terrain, where enemy forces are placed and whence they proceed to the walls.

The defender has a small number of soldiers manning the walls, while the invader has an infinite legion of attacking creatures. A desperate fight takes place every single turn. The invaders build war machines, equip their soldiers, train them, and use black magic rituals to achieve victory. Meanwhile, defenders repair walls, build cannons, train soldiers, and do everything they can to hold the castle as long as possible.

If the invader manages to break into the castle before the end of seven rounds, they win; otherwise the defender wins.

This second edition of Stronghold features:

• Ten objective cards for the invader and ten hidden defense plan cards for the defender; each objective encourages the invader to consider a particular move, while each defense plan shows the defender different ways to surprise the invader
• Shorter gameplay than the first edition, with attackers being placed on the board during set-up
• Gameplay limited to two players only, replacing the team rules in the first edition
• Streamlined rules and an enhanced rulebook
• Improved components, such as a larger game board and new, drab, brown artwor

Grind

Suspended just above a lake of seething magma, this flamescorched arena is ground zero for the most brutal sport ever created—Grind! Here 10-ton, ash-spewing, steam-powered robots called steamjacks fight to move a giant, spiked ball into the other team’s goal. Using every weapon in their arsenal, these steamjacks slam, smash, and crush their way through the opposition as they tirelessly slug it out for the title.

The Destructodome is the battlefield for two rival teams of armored metal warriors: the Iron Storm and the Steel Fury. With their eyes on
the prize, these two teams will stop at nothing to own the blistering field, so pack your playbook with cunning maneuvers, loadout your
team with devastating weaponry, and get ready to stake your claim to glory. For the next hour, you’ll be calling all the shots as you vie for total domination of this metal-on-metal contest.

Your strategy must be merciless. Your resolve, indestructible. In Grind, only victory can quench the burning fury within these unstoppable machines.

The Grinder is about to drop. Stoke your fire and brace for battle!

Stronghold

Stronghold is a game telling the story of a siege. Players take opposite sides, one has to defend the stronghold, the other has to break into the castle as soon as possible. As time passes, defenders get Victory Points every turn for their efforts on the walls.

The game board represents the stronghold itself as well as the surrounding terrain, where enemy forces are placed and whence they proceed to the walls.

The defender has a small number of soldiers manning the walls, while the invader has an infinite legion of attacking creatures. A desperate fight is taking place every single turn. The invaders build war machines, equip their soldiers, train them and use black magic rituals to achieve victory. Meanwhile, defenders repair walls, build cannons, train soldiers, and do everything they can to hold the castle as long as possible.

World of Yo-Ho

World of Yo-Ho is a fantasy game of adventure and piracy on the high seas, combining the tangible elements of a board game with the interactive mechanics of a video game. The game features a board with a gridded map of the world of Yo-Ho and a downloadable app that turns your smartphone into a ship. Simply place your phone on the map and set sail for adventure!

Become the most famous captain of Yo-Ho, a parallel world teeming with intelligent animals, lost islands, and wild magic! In search of fame and fortune, you will explore the mysteries of Yo-Ho and battle sea monsters and other booty hungry corsairs in tactical naval engagements. Fill your holds with plunder you can use to upgrade your boat and acquire useful items and more powerful weaponry. Stock up on swag and fly your colors high.

You're the master of your own destiny: Will you be a bloodthirsty swashbuckler, brazenly hoisting the Jolly Roger as you plunder all those you cross? Or will you choose to stand as defender of the innocent and a peaceful merchant? Whatever your freebooting predilection may be, the stage is set and you will play a vital role in the saga of Yo-Ho, if you are but bold enough...