Casual Game Crowdfunding: Galaxies, Imperium, and Spaceships

Tiny Epic Galaxies (Gamelyn Games) – Part of the Tiny Epic series, which includes Tiny Epic Kingdoms and Tiny Epic Defenders, this game takes the tininess (and epicness) out into space. Players attempt to control the most powerful galaxy as they colonize new worlds, manage resources and both exploit and influence the planets. Players attempt to create combos with actions dice and must make strategic decisions regarding the order they plan to take their actions in. The entire game fits into a pocket-sized box and is easy to carry around.

Pocket Imperium (LudiCreations) – This 30 minute micro game has the ambitious goal of fitting an epic space board game into fewer components and even less game time. Players explore the universe, expand their fleet and attack other players. If more than one player chooses to take the same action in a turn, both their actions have less effect. There's all the temporary alliances and strategy of the two- and three-hour epic space games, fitted into a neat, easy to play board game that demands a much shorter time investment. The game started out as a free print-and-play and received such positive feedback that it's now been picked up for a full commercial release.

Nova Cry: Redux (World Within) – In this science fiction card game, players begin by drafting a task force of a captain, ship, weapon and crew members. They then set out into space, using cards for a movement system that takes you to new planets. Different planets offer different challenges and rewards, and you never know what will happen on each planet — you may earn victory points or possibly even lose crew members (probably the ones wearing the red shirts).

Battle of Durak (Fedor Sosnin) – A quick fifteen-minute card game in which players take on the roles of thieves, magicians, barbarians, and necromancers as they battle it out and attempt to be the first player to run out of cards. Players use power and ability cards to attack and defend and attempt to add more cards to their opponent’s hands while depleting their own.

Gang Up! (Robin Keijzer) – In this card game, players are competing to become boss of Crimetown by raising their status points to 20. You gain more status by committing crimes, which you must draw randomly. There are four different types of crimes and each type has different benefits and consequences depending on whether you succeed or fail. To successfully complete a crime, you need both status and manpower. Manpower comes from the cards you play, which have different values and special abilities. Once a crime is underway, other players can start playing cards to sabotage the whole endeavor.

Original Spin (Castle Key Games) – Most party games require lots of players. That's usually what makes them party games. What sets Original Spin apart is that it's a party game specifically designed to be fun with as few as two players. A question card is laid on the table and spun to determine which of the four questions will be asked. Players then choose one of their answer cards in an attempt to come up with the funniest response. Random answer cards are shuffled into the played cards to increase the number of answers. Players then secretly award points to the answers they think are the funniest (excluding their own). The cards have a clever color-coded mechanic and unique design that adds to gameplay.

El Dorado Canyon (Ben Weemes) – A simultaneous card game in which all players pick a card and play at the same time. There's a lot of player interaction as you gain infamy, shoot each other's characters and mine (or steal) gold. Players collect both gold and infamy and the game ends when one player reaches 10 infamy. However, your final score is based on whichever of the two resources you have the least of, meaning you have to strategically collect both.