Crusaders Games

Kickstarter Journey

Since 2015 kickstarter became a key place for me to find new great looking fantasy adventure games, and i still selectively back a select few where i think they could challenge my own collection. Here is my kickstarter history starting with the most recent.

Vestige (Dec 2024) – A follow up to Vindication set in a sci fi world with streamlined rules and most importantly a solo co-operative nemesis gameplay mode. Due in late 2025. See original game review here > Vindication

Lands of Evershade (Dec 2024) – a new awaken realms story rpg adventure game. This is a development of Tainted Grail into a new fantasy world and it looks like another improvement and extremely captivating. Delivery realistically early 2026 > Evershade

Bardsung : Tale of the Forsaken Glade (Oct 2024) – a follow up to this great dungeon crawler, with a forest theme and improving on the rule mechanics of the original. Delivery due April 2026. See original review here > Bardsung

Nemesis Retaliation (Dec 2023) – the final instalment with a more combat heavy focus. I want to try this out against the original to see which is better. Delivery due in 2025 > Nemesis

Spirit Fire (Nov 2023) – a new game from Orange Nebula which is aimed at a solo adventure with some superb artwork and neat ideas. Delivery due in 2025 > Spirit Fire

Gloomhaven (Jul 2023) – a second edition remake of this legacy style adventure campaign in a fantasy world. I have owned and sold the first edition and Jaws of the Lion to get this version. Delivery due 2025. See review here > Gloomhaven

Elder Scrolls (Apr 2023) – a chip theory game building off Too Many Bones mechanics into a full fantasy campaign adventure with dungeons to explore. Delivery due early 2025 > Elder Scrolls

Tainted Grail : Kings of Ruin (Sep 2022) – a follow up storyline with some gameplay improvements. The orginal has not seen a huge amount of play but remains a series that one day i expect to spend more time on. Delivered in April 2024 > Kings of Ruin

Euthia (Aug 2022) – a questing adventure across a hex map similar to the likes of Mage Knight and Runebound. This is a second printing with an expansion alongside. I also backed the 2024 Cruel Frost final expansion. Delivered in February 2024 > Euthia

Tidal Blades : Rise of the Unfolders (Apr 2022) – the theme and fantasy world setting is one of my favourites and this co-operative campaign scenario game offers a very different game to its predecessor.  Delivered in December 2024Tidal Blades

Eleven (Sep 2021) – finally a football manager board game that looks and plays well, all about running a club but does feature match days and league results alongside game objectives to complete. Delivered in December 2022. See review here > Eleven

Arydia (Sep 2021) – an adventure game where you explore a sandbox world, encountering locations, creatures and interacting with its inhabitants while levelling your character in rpg style. It comes with pre-painted miniatures. Delivery due in early 2025 > Arydia

Edge of Darkness (Aug 2021) – final printing of this competitive card crafting game blending a mix of worker placement with building your own action cards for your guild, with wonderful fantasy artwork, with a solo option. Delivered in January 2023 > Edge of Darkness 

Primal The Awakening (Feb 2021) – a large monster co-operative hunting game with deckbuilding and upgradeable weapons and armour. This game features interactive card play between players and amazing models. Delivered in May 2024 > Primal the Awakening

Bardsung (Nov 2020) – a great looking dungeon crawler, with a blend of many good ideas from other similar games. This one stands out from many kickstarters that compete in this genre and was chosen over Massive Darkness 2 and Chronicles of Drunagor. I backed the 2024 Forsaken Glade edition. Delivered in March 2022. See review here > Bardsung

Machina Arcana (Oct 2020) – finally grabbed a copy of this dungeon survival game on its third kickstarter printing run. A steampunk meets Cthulhu mythos dungeon adventure with great looking artwork and storyline adventures. Delivered in April 2022. See review here > Machina Arcana

7th Citadel (Oct 2020) – a return for this neat adventuring series, with a more fantasy world adventuring theme. The core mechanics look very similar to its predecessor 7th Continent. Delivered in February 2024 > 7th Citadel

Oathsworn (Oct 2019) – a campaign game with a mix of roleplaying adventure with huge miniature boss showdowns. It looks remarkable and is so well produced, with both card and dice battle options. Delivered in July 2022. See review here > Oathsworn

Dice Throne Adventures (Aug 2019) – a dice rolling combat game based on yahtzee but now with a co-operative dungeon exploration and bosses to fight. Delivered in February 2021. Also backed the missions and x-men characters in 2023. See review here > Dice Throne

Trudvang Legends (Aug 2019) – a story campaign adventure with a great artwork style and loads of miniatures. Despite its development troubles this one is an easy story adventure, but expansions remain delayed. Delivered in February 2022 and September 2024. See review here > Trudvang Legends

Altar Quest (Jun 2019) – a dungeon adventure based on a heroquest looking board and room objects to interact with, with modular quest decks and villains. I added the lurker pack from the May 2020 kickstarter. Delivered in October 2020. See review here > Altar Quest

Tainted Grail : Fall Of Avalon (Dec 2018) – a dark story led game from the producers of Nemesis which looks amazing and was a really successful kickstarter. It has story telling with some neat card play mechanics. Delivered in November 2019. See review here > Tainted Grail

Sword & Sorcery : Ancient Chronicles (Nov 2018) – a welcome return for this miniatures dungeon exploration game with new storyline campaigns set in an ice wilderness. Delivered in May 2021. Abyssal Legends expansion backed in July 2023. See review of the original > Sword & Sorcery

Tidal Blades (Nov 2018) – a worker placement game with dice upgrades as you defend your island from an onslaught of monsters while taking part in style related competitions. The fantasy world artwork really stands out. Delivered in October 2020. See review here > Tidal Blades

Everdell (Sept 2018) – a worker placement game with card combinations and amazing artwork where you build your village. Delivered in September 2019. New expansions Pearlbrook, Spirecrest & Bellfaire were added in 2019 and then Newleaf & Mistwood in 2021. See review here > Everdell

Nemesis (Feb 2018) – awakening on a drifting space ship, your task is to survive the aliens and complete your mission. This game has theme, tension, secret objectives, great models and the co-operative gameplay is really atmospheric keeping you in suspense. Delivered in November 2018. See review here > Nemesis

Vindication (Feb 2018) – A questing adventure game using cube resource management, it combines fantasy in a competitive format. The artwork and production is really nice and i backed the leaders expansion in 2019 and chronicles in 2020. Delivered in December 2018. See review here > Vindication

Sine Tempore (Jun 2017) – a sci-fi fantasy campaign mission game with miniatures, to compete with the likes of Imperial Assault or Galaxy Defenders. This is a good alternative to a more purist fantasy world with a lot of visual appeal. Delivered in July 2019. See review here > Sine TemporeSold September 2020 after completing the main campaign

City of Kings (Apr 2017) – this adventure questing game uncovers a map as you move, with heroes and workers combining together, and characters have unique development boards and skill trees. Delivered in March 2018. Expansion characters added in the 2018 kickstarter. See review here  > City of Kings

Thunderstone Quest (Mar 2017) – a remake of this highly rated deck building game with new cards, artwork and rules, improved the gameplay and immersion. Delivered in February 2018. The excellent barricades solo / co-operative expansion was backed in 2018 and every annual quest pack since. See review here > Thunderstone Quest

Kingdom Death Monster (Dec 2016) – an expensive campaign game in a horror world with great miniatures. Build up a settlement and hunt intelligent monsters to survive the arena battles. Delivered in October 2017. See review here > Kingdom DeathSold March 2018 to free up funds for other campaign games

Massive Darkness (Jul 2016) – a streamlined dungeon crawl with a great array of models, however ultimately its campaign lacks any real depth, and it is better for one off adventures. Delivered in August 2017. See review here > Massive DarknessSold December 2020 as it just didn’t live up to expectations

Darkest Night : 2nd Edition (Jun 2016) – a deluxe version of a co-op battle against the necromancer. The finish on this game looks amazing and the huge choice of different characters. Delivered in January 2018. See review here > Darkest Night

Too Many Bones (Mar 2016) – an amazing final product with dice and chips making it a fairly unique combination. Delivered in April 2017. Undertow expansion was backed in 2018 and the finale Unbreakable backed in 2021. See review here > Too Many Bones

Sword & Sorcery (Nov 2015) – a miniatures exploration game with a set storyline adventure campaign. This turned out to be one of the better dungeon games with a great monster AI. Delivered in June 2017. See review here > Sword & Sorcery

7th Continent (Oct 2015) – a solo adventuring game, set across tiles making an island map that unveils as you explore. Has a great tile laying concept which each contain decisions you need to make and affect the future adventure. Delivered in August 2017. See review here > 7th Continent

Gloom of Kilforth (Sept 2015) – the first game i ever supported, largely off the back of the designer’s free contributions to other games i like. The artwork for this game and the final product quality is exceptional. Added the expansion pack in the 2017 kickstarter. Delivered in June 2017. See review here > Gloom of Kilforth