Board Games

  • Review: Frosted Blooms

    ByiMisut Hours
    Comments 0 Comments

    The crisp Dutch air still carries the chill of winter, occasionally blanketing the awakening polder fields with a delicate morning frost. Yet beneath this fleeting shimmer, the first determined tulips push their way toward the sky, showing vibrant colors that promise a radiant spring. As ambitious gardeners, you will compete to cultivate the most admired tulip display. Carefully select plots of land and strategically place iconic windmills and barns, all while assigning diligent workers to create a harmonious and valuable landscape. Will your garden, caressed by the cool dawn, bloom into the most celebrated masterpiece of the season?

    This is how we are introduced to Frosted Blooms, designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc (Cyclades, Mr. Jack). First published in 2026 by Synapses Games in an English and French edition. The artwork is handled by Simon-Pierre Bernard, marking his debut in the board game industry.

  • Review: Feya’s Swamp

    ByiMisut Hours
    Comments 0 Comments

    Three years have passed since the expedition returned from the west with the discovery of Feya’s Swamp, our new home. We have established our first settlements, and peace prevails among the four clans. The swamp, brimming with life and mana, offers us a promising future, and the ancient temples that encircle it beckon us to venture into the unknown in search of ancestral treasures. We live in a time of opportunity where each clan can forge its own destiny, striving to thrive as best it can. Each guide among the four clans is doing remarkable work fostering our growth in harmony with the others, and soon we will leave behind the dark times of our past. Even in times of peace, we want our clan to be the one that adapts best and prospers most effectively in our new home; after all, no one can strip us of our pride…

    This is the premise behind Feya’s Swamp, designed by Helge Ostertag (Terra Mystica) and Anselm Ostertag (Wulong). First published in 2025 by Fractal Juegos in an English and Spanish edition, it is a reimagining of Kaivai. The illustrations are handled by Mihajlo Dimitrievski, responsible for the look of titles such as Claim and the West Kingdom trilogy.

  • Review: Stupor Mundi

    ByiMisut Hours
    Comments 0 Comments

    Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Germany and Italy, was a historical figure of extraordinary culture, energy, and ability. His contemporaries nicknamed him Stupor Mundi (“the wonder of the world”), and with good reason, as many historians consider him the first modern ruler of Europe. His realm, centered in Sicily and southern Italy, stood as a model of efficient bureaucracy, remarkably similar to the centralized governments of the modern era.

    This is the premise behind Stupor Mundi, designed by Nestore Mangone (Autobahn, Darwin’s Journey, Baghdad: The City of Peace). First published in 2025 by Quined Games following a successful crowdfunding campaign. The artwork is provided by Maciej Janik (Stroganov, Oak, Neuroshima Hex).

  • Review: Ostia

    ByiMisut Hours
    Comments 0 Comments

    In 103 AD, Emperor Trajan built Portus Ostia, which became Rome’s most important port. Arranged in an elegant hexagonal layout, this port received vast quantities of goods from across the entire empire and became the logistical hub that sustained the prosperity of the imperial city of Rome. You assume the role of the owner of a massive fleet of ships, where crowds of merchants and nobles flock to the port of Ostia to charter your vessels. Use the money and resources earned from chartering to expand your enterprise and meet the demand for wheat and other goods, thereby earning the favor of the people. Using your ships to explore other territories is also vital: your adventure tales and the discovery of exotic artifacts will undoubtedly spark the curiosity of both emperors and nobles. The one who achieves the greatest fame will be blessed with victory by the Senate and citizens of glorious Rome!

    This is the premise behind Ostia, a design by Totsuca Chuo (Sweet Lands, Aqua Garden). First published in 2022 by uchibacoya in an English and Japanese edition. The illustrations are by Tatsuki Asano and Rocinante Urabe, both responsible for the artwork in games like Aqua Garden and Sapporo 1876.

  • Review: Finspan – Sharks & Reefs

    ByiMisut Hours
    Comments 0 Comments

    Now you can Cultivate colorful Coral Reefs in each of the 3 Dive Sites in your Ocean. Healthy Reefs allow you to play powerful Reef Fish, unlock Abilities, and gain end-of-game bonuses. Meanwhile, Sharks scatter Fry Schools (to form more Schools elsewhere) and leave behind food scraps that any Fish in your Ocean can Consume.

    This is how Sharks & Reefs is presented to us, the first expansion for Finspan, designed by Michael O’Connell. First published in 2026 by Stonemaier Games in an English version. The artwork is provided by Ana María Martínez Jaramillo (Wingspan), Catalina Martinez, and Mesa Schumacher (Ecosystem).

  • Review: Nippon – Zaibatsu

    ByiMisut Hours
    Comments 0 Comments

    In the mid-19th century, Japan finally realized how far behind the Western world it had fallen in economic, industrial, and technological terms. The Meiji Restoration marked the beginning of a rapid industrial revolution powered by zaibatsu—vast conglomerates of closely intertwined companies. In this economic strategy game, you will manage your own zaibatsu: constructing and modernizing factories, establishing the production and supply of goods, attracting investments, fulfilling contracts, developing mining and technology, laying railways, and recruiting foreign experts. All of this to catch up with Western nations and prove to the Emperor that your zaibatsu is the most valuable. Lead the industrial revolution and guide Japan toward prosperity!

    This is the premise behind Nippon: Zaibatsu, designed by Nuno Bizarro Sentieiro and Paulo Soledade (Asian Tigers, Madeira). First published in 2026 by CrowD Games following a successful crowdfunding campaign, it is a reimplementation of Nippon, originally published in 2015 by What’s Your Game?. The artwork is illustrated by Maya Kurkhuli (Enigma: Beyond Code, City of the Great Machine).