We’re back again for the entry about the next big hit: Moonlight Board Game Festival 2019! As I promised in the previous entry, I’ll provide you with juicy spoilers and sneak peeks! Several publishers have responded to my request and here they are. There will be more coming and I’ll keep you updated.
We’ll divide the whole report into several posts so it would not be too long for you. Without further ado, let’s start with the spoilers galore part 1!
享想工作室 (Enjoy Thinking Studio): Kung Fu Fight!
Let’s start with something furry from Enjoy Thinking Studio! They will bring Kung Fu Fight! to the Moonlight Boardgame Festival this year. Kung Fu Fight! is a two-player card game taking place in a skirmish between the Monk Dogs and Ninja Cats. Each player will take the role to be the commander of one faction.
There are 6 animal cards used in the game with different Attacking Points (AP) and abilities; the commander needs to assign these animals into three teams that will fight in three arenas. The team with higher APs will win the battle. Each win in the arena will contribute 1 Victory Point (VP) and the commander will gain Reward Cards that help to win the battle.
At the end of the round, check if you have gained 4 VPs already. If you do, then you win the game! You may win the game by reducing the opponent’s Spirit Point to Defeated. Congratulations! You are the new Kung Fu champion, buddy.
A picture is worth a thousand words and I currently have some to share with you guys! Click the slider to see more pictures of the game components. The game looks really adorable with the fluffy furries posing with Kung Fu moves. It’s cute and it has dogs in it; this is the definition of perfect for me (Sorry, cat persons).
This Taiwan-based publisher and their Kung Fu Fight! will be waiting for you on Booth B4.
Play With Us Design: Vita Mors and many more
If you read our report on Essen 2018, you might be familiar with this publisher. They came all the way to Germany from Taiwan. Check here if you forget, though! They brought Vita Mors and Wonderland Xiii back then and they will appear once more in Moonlight Boardgame Festival 2019! Besides these two, they will also display other interesting games as well. You can find them at Booth A26!
Vita Mors
Vita Mors is an asymmetric card game involving secret identity. I said it’s asymmetric because every role has its own winning condition. You will vote for someone’s life (vita) or death (mors). Will you help the plague doctor to save lives or will you side with the Grim Reapers to bring death through the Black Plague?
Wonderland Xiii
In contrast, Wonderland Xiii has a lighter theme than Vita Mors. This game is the 13th chapter of Alice’s journey in Wonderland (the book has only 12 chapters, btw). This game is more to a press your luck game to gather the card set that will give points when scored. Your job is to bring as many Spirits as possible back to Wonderland through the tunnels. Each player will draw cards from the deck until he/she stops or busts. If you bust, you fail to bring the Spirits and you have to discards the cards! Be careful and don’t get too greedy!
Wonderland Xiii has very beautiful and aesthetic artwork. The pictures depict the Wonderland and its residents perfectly. If you like Dixit’s artwork, you will definitely love Wonderland Xiii’s, too!
Animania
In Animania, you will help your animal companion to be the King of the Zoo by attacking, defending, and scheming to conquer the other animals. Keep your health points as many as possible in order to win the game. Reduce the others’ health but be careful not to kill them accidentally or the other animals will despise your companion and you have to say goodbye to the zoo’s throne.
This game is played simultaneously between players. I really like how Play With Us Design really keeps the game so simple and it can still be fun, and of course, balanced. You can see the tutorial here.
Aves
Play With Us Design has something else up their sleeve: Aves. In this card game, you will be a bird with white feathers who gathers colourful rainbow tree’s fruits in order to dye your feathers to look gorgeous. This game features set collection and hand management. This game can be fun for a wide range of audiences, so do not worry to bring this game up for your kids and young cousins!
Cheers
Be ready, bartenders and mixologists, for the next challenge to make the drink combination based on the secret recipe. You will cooperate within your group to win the competition by placing cards to your colleague or to your competitors. Be careful not to get too many drinks because you will get ‘cheers’ and the drink you make must go. Cheers is a very light card collection game that will cheer your mood up on any occasion.
Soulaween
Apart from all those great games, Play With Us Design will also showcase Soulaween in Moonlight Boardgame Festival 2019. This game is a 2-player abstract game that brings you to the Gods of Death’s school during a chaotic race between the students and the teachers to reap a number of souls and seal it into jars. Whoever reaps three souls the first time wins the game. Soulaween is a game with variable player’s power; the rule is simple but the gameplay is quite tricky.
After two publishers from Taiwan, let’s take a break and look into one publisher from Japan, itten. This one has been one of my favourite since my first encounter with them in Essen 2018.
itten: Moon Base
I always feel intrigued whenever I see the latest game from itten. Their games give this experimental vibe. It feels like that it’s always lying in the borderline of weirdness. That’s why their games are always refreshing and of course, fun. One of the reasons why we really regarded them so high in our review for Here Comes the Dog and Hatsuden. We have covered their Kickstarter project, Stonehenge and the Sun, also in our report during Essen 2018 here.
Moon Base was inspired by the moon landing that has happened 50 years ago. It is said that in year 20xx, a collaboration between countries to cooperatively finish a project called ‘Moon Base’ is initiated. This is a 2-player abstract game; each player will compete to gather points during the in-game 6 years that depict 6 rounds of the actual game.
Each round, players will decide whether to put the ring on the crater or on the top of another ring. Utilising the three different colours, you will have to develop settlements and towers in order to gain points. Whoever gets the highest points, win the game.
Really excited to meet Nozomi cs once more there! I still do not get any information, yet, about the location of the stand for itten, but when I got more details, I’ll let you guys know.
That concludes part 1 of my spoilers for Moonlight Board Game Festival 2019. What do you guys think about those games so far? Are you interested in participating in the convention? I’m sure you’re as intrigued as I am right now. I will keep you guys updated, though! Do not forget to subscribe to our blog and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more updates ahead. It would be nice if you guys also go for the official Facebook fan page of Moonlight Board Game Festival here, too.
(photos: imgur)
I am a full-time food technologist during weekdays. However, when the calendar hits weekends, I transform into an avid board gamer. I am a hardcore Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) LCG player from Fantasy Flight Games (FFG). Current hobby: buying board games. My shelf of shame’s list is getting longer, thanks to you, Kickstarter.
DE 
EN