Casual Game Crowdfunding: Gods, Inventions, and Music

Santorini (Roxley Games) – In this two-player strategy game, players can take on the roles of a wide array of Greek gods, each with unique abilities that substantially change gameplay. Each player controls two builders on a small island. On your turn you move one of your builders to a neighboring space, and can then construct a level of a building in any adjacent space to where that builder has just moved. Each building can be built up three levels then be taken out of play by having a dome placed on top. Your builder may step up one level during its movement or step down as many as desired. The goal of the game is to have the first builder who steps up onto the third level of a building.

Great Scott! (Sinister Fish Games) – Draft asset and concept cards to build outlandish, bizarre, and impossible inventions. But you have to come up with a story to explain how exactly the inventions work. Each card has a value, and matching symbols will earn you extra points, as will alteration. After each player has explained their invention, players secretly vote on their first and second favorite ones. But whether someone liked yours the best or second best will affect your score and only be revealed at the end of the game.

Shenanigans: The Musical (The People's Orchestra) – Each player is dealt a secret role in the orchestra. Each role has a different unique ability (such as swapping role cards or peeking at other players’ roles) and objectives (like kicking the artiste out of the orchestra or helping to cause trouble). The game is a lot of fun (you can read our review of it here) but in addition the proceeds are going to help support The People's Orchestra, a charity that works to help children who can't afford it to have a chance to get into orchestras.

Scuttle! (Jellybean Games) – A card game for two to three players with a fun pirate theme and cute pirate artwork. Each player is trying to be the first to reach 21 doubloons. On your turn your choices are simple: either play a card or draw a card. You choose whether to play a card as an action or as treasure. A few special cards can only be played as permanents and activate an ongoing effect. Gameplay is quick with the playtime at an estimated 5 to 10 minutes.

Clash of the Battle Goats (Studio Woe) – In this two player game, both of you get to choose which goats to add onto your team. Each goat comes with its own deck of cards. You shuffle all of your goat cards together to create the deck you will draw your hand from. When your goat attacks an opponent’s goat, your opponent gets to take their turn in order to respond. This is a more condensed, and easier to learn version of Gruff, a game that was successfully funded on Kickstarter last year.