Dune,Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Saying Farewell to Gaming News

Welcome back toGaming Shelf , io9 ’s column all about board game and tabletop roleplaying game . This one is bittersweet because it ’s the last edition of Gaming Shelf I ’ll be doing for the web site . I ’ve shared more about that below , but in the meantime get ’s dive into the latest news show about act games forDuneandAvatar : The Last Airbender . These are a few of my best-loved things !

News and Releases

Dune: House Secrets Pre-Order

Dune : House Secrets is nowavailable for pre - orderfrom Portal Games . The concerted game has 1 - 4 players read on the role of rebel agents who have connect the resistance against House Harkonnen . It expend the same game car-mechanic as Detective : A Modern Crime Board Game and has a multi - chapter narrative where each department impact the next one . There ’s also a special version available that has extra content . I pre - consecrate a written matter of it myself ! I ’m just that into Dune .

Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game

The bit I see that there was going to be anAvatar : The Last Airbenderand The Legend of Korra roleplaying game , I call back , “ Yes . Humankind has achieved . ” This is seriously a fantastic premise for a tabletop roleplaying game . It ’s basically the game that elementary school day kids have been playing in schoolyards for years ! You get to make your own bender and send them on mission , protect the humanity … and maybe encountering the Avatar along the way . Avatar Legends will be on Kickstarter in August , but in the interim , Magpie Games has released afree quickstart guideso fans can ensure it out .

Gen Con 2021 Sheds Mask Mandate

Gen Conannouncedthat this year ’s in - person event would proceed as schedule in September , and the goal is to countenance fully immunized mass look the group discussion without masks or societal distancing . In a statement , the con claim that folk will be required to show proof of vaccination to have a special watch bracelet that clears them to attend mask - free , while unvaccinated attendees who take off their masks will be approached by staffers . There are many ways this could go wrongly — especially with the delta variant have a unexampled surge in cases — so it ’s potential we could see this determination changed in the coming calendar month .

Attack on Titan and Tokyo Ghoul

Japanime Games has made pre - orders available forAttack on Titan : The Last StandandTokyo Ghoul : Blood Masquerade , two extremely anticipated games establish on some seriously democratic anime . However , I ’d take this news with a vast caryopsis of salt , as the website says they ’ve been released as of June 29 but the links are still for the pre - orders — with a note that each biz “ may not ship until all line is in the storage warehouse . ” It might be best to reach out to the companionship before putting down some money for a copy .

Dungeons & Dragons

My colleague James Whitbrook publishedsome exciting newsabout the late D&D Live result , which announce the next two chapter in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition … among many other thing . Be sure to check out James ’ coverage for everything you’re able to expect from the time to come of D&D.

My Top 5 Games

Disney Villainous

There ’s a intellect I ’ve written aboutDisney Villainousas often as I have : because it ’s a really , really , really just game . What I have sex about Disney Villainous — besides the opportunities to geek out over my favoriteDisney baddies — is how each player acquire to do their own thing . It ’s perfect for phratry who do n’t want to constantly be stepping over each other to get ahead on the same biz board . you’re able to mess with other players , sure as shooting , but in the end , it ’s about what you ’re doing and how you ’re doing it .

Roleplaying Games

This is a bit of a slicker because I could n’t pick just one . It ’s still so new to me ! During my metre at io9 , I got into tabletop playact games . It was something I ’d never done before because I did n’t have multitude to do it with . Since then , I ’ve fetch to toy theDungeons & Dragons Rick & Mortyset with the game ’s Almighty — and DM a few D&D session of my own . I ’ve also been enter to unique roleplaying games likeStar Crossed , Til Dawn , andTales From the Loop . I still only feel like I ’ve dipped my toe into tabletop roleplaying games , and I ’m hope to witness more opportunity to search them outside of work .

Silicon Valley Start-Ups

I give up on Cards Against Humanity a prospicient fourth dimension ago — frankly , I ’m surprise it ’s still being sold in stores . I love a proficient party game , but CAH is little more than an excuse to be casually antiblack , homophobic , and misogynistic for the sake of shock value . Besides , there are plenty of beneficial party games that use similar mechanics , without the bigotry . One of my favorites is Silicon Valley Start - Ups . On the aerofoil , it seems like another stupid box set you ’d find at Target ( because it is ) , but it ’s also one of the best party games I ’ve ever played . player take turns make phoney start - ups using visiting card prompt , and then have to excuse to the potential “ investor ” what the hell their product does . It ’s part improv , part Shark Tank , all well clean fun . I do n’t know if you’re able to still find it in stores , but if you do I recommend picking it up .

Betrayal at House on the Hill

There are a good deal of things to regret from turn a loss a yr to the ( still - ongoing ) covid-19 pandemic . One of them , as small as it is , was having to stop a group playthrough of Betrayal Legacy my married man and I were doing with some friend . I loveBetrayal at House on the Hill . Much like Mysterium , it ’s a revulsion game that envelop you in its creepy-crawly , surreal earthly concern . It ’s Lovecraftian Horror meets a balmy , slow - going roleplaying game that just about everyone can get into . We ’ve since moved away from those friends , and hopefully they ’ll forgive us if we carry on the plot with someone else . I ’m dark !

Cribbage

This one is personal . Cribbage is a classic panel and posting plot date back to the 1600s , but I recollect it as the game my grandfather and I would act together . He taught me the prescript when I was , like , 6 or 7 years old , and we would make for regularly until he passed away . I ’m certain I was n’t very good , at least not at first , but that was n’t what count . What was of import was get to spend time with someone who I care about , just sitting down and play together . To this twenty-four hours , crib is the game I pull out when I want to relax . There ’s a reason my boy ’s middle name is in honor of his great - grandfather . It ’s not just because of who he was to the family . It was who he was to me .

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The cover art for Dune: House Secrets.