Tabletop Talks Week 1

This week marks the first edition of Tabletop Talks! Over the next four weeks, we will be bringing you profiles and showcases of the most exciting indie games and developers that we think you should check out.

This week, we will be showcasing our favorite “Fantasy+” games. From questing RPGs to supernatural strategy deck-builders, we will be bringing you four up-and-coming games that mix tabletop with the fantastical genres we love. Whether you are a veteran fantasy gamer or just getting into the genre, we’re sure you’ll find your next board game obsession here! 

1. Heroic Commander

Curtis Castro’s Heroic Commander is not your average RPG or your run-of-the-mill deck-builder. This game takes the best elements of DnD and Magic the Gathering and fuses them into a unique tabletop experience with a fun fantasy theme. Heroic Commander is a competitive strategic board and card game designed for 2 to 4 players. Using a combination of board piece movements and card skills, players must attempt to remove all of their opponent's pieces from the board before all of their own pieces are removed. But what really makes this game stand out is the elimination of randomness. There are no dice rolls or random card draws, just pure strategy, patience, and the occasional mind-game...

Originally thought up as a modern take on chess, Heroic Commander became a truly unique RPG that is designed specifically to give players the greatest amount of agency possible. If you want to explore new and unique RPG mechanics all while dominating your opponents in a fun, fantastical setting, Heroic Commander is your next game!

Despite the frustrations of the covid pandemic, Heroic Commander has been able to continue its progress on Tabletop Simulator and now has a demo live on TTS! Also, be sure to check out the Heroic Commander website as well as these great videos of its TTS gameplay!

2. Heroic Commander Adventure

If you were intrigued by the concept of Heroic Commander but were looking for a more standard RPG, be sure to check out Curtis Castro’s second game, Heroic Commander Adventure! This is a 2 to 5 player role-playing game in which an Adventure Master guides a team of 1 to 4 players through an immersive adventure campaign full of quests, combat encounters, character progression, and treasure. This is an RPG for those who love options and agency! With 21 character classes, 128 active skills, and 24 passive skills to mix and match, Heroic Commander Adventure has a nearly limitless amount of choice. Once you create your hero, you’re set loose on a game board that is as unique and customizable as your character. Overall, this is a game that makes sure the experience is about one person, you!

Taking after Heroic Commander, Heroic Commander Adventure was created to minimize the randomness of traditional RPG’s. With only one defend/dodge dice roll required, this game’s combat is far more skill-based, fluid, and more active than many other games. We can’t wait for you to create, explore, and conquer each unique RPG experience with Heroic Commander Adventure!

A demo version of Heroic Commander Adventure containing about ⅓ of the campaign is already available on Tabletop Simulator! Also, be sure to give their website another look!

3. Canosa

Will sailors fall victim to the the call of your Siren?

Looking for your next fantasy board game fix? Looking for a theme and playstyle grounded in classic mythology? Looking for a game that seamlessly combines an abstract feel with quick, strategic gameplay? If so, we recommend Canosa! This is an upcoming two-player abstract strategy board game from One Day West Games. In Canosa, the player takes the role of the winged, half-woman-half-bird siren as they use their infamous song to seduce sailors to their doom. The goal of the game is simple: capture as many of the shipwrecked sailors as possible before your opponent does the same. Using turn-based play and the siren’s song (represented by the ring mechanic), each player must strategize, capture, and sing until they have brought four unsuspecting sailors to their island.

Canosa is born from a love of iconic Greek mythology and a desire to bring that normally underrepresented theme into the world of tabletop gaming. This desire is perfectly expressed by the game’s abstract design that gives you the space to imagine the setting, feel the waves, and hear the siren’s song yourself! We have found this game particularly fun over lyre music.

Following the covid pandemic, One Day West Games has been able to use TTS to continue development at a distance while still staying on track to release an abstract strategy game that we know you will love. Keep an eye out for Canosa’s Kickstarter launch on March 2nd, 2021, and check out their pre-launch site today to stay updated!

Don’t forget to play Canosa on TTS!

4. Primordial Secrets

Unfathomable beings play a polite and deadly game of politics

Primordial Secrets is an upcoming strategy deck-building game from GL HF Games. Built out of a love of classic hidden information games, Primordial Secrets allows players to take their place among a pantheon of strange god-like creatures as they dance, court, scheme, and devour. Factors such as Devotion and Sight influence play style and force you to create new and memorable strategies. There are many paths to victory, but balance is key....

This game was designed to be a high-energy, highly interactive deck builder. If you are a fan of constant scheming and behind-the-back strategizing, Primordial Secrets is sure to be your next gaming obsession. This energetic yet thoughtful gameplay is blended with a unique, stylish, and dark theme, perfect for the player looking for the game that will keep you on the edge of your seat and your hair standing on end.

GL HF Games has updated Tabletop Simulator with weekly patches for playtesting and demos and have also used our creation tools to replicate and expand its deceptively complex mechanics and wonderfully unique art style. Keep an eye out for Primordial Secrets when it launches on Kickstarter this Summer. Also, be sure to check out their website for the latest info on playtesting and beta access.

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