What’s Inside: With the school holidays now underway, here’s a spotlight on a handful of upcoming campaigns that bring a welcome burst of bright family fun, because not every adventure needs to end in death…
1. Pilgrims: Curious Adventures
Upcoming Page | Machinarium’s creators hit the dice
Amanita Design, the brilliant studio behind a string of award-winning video games, is known for crafting worlds that are as imaginative as they are unmistakably unique. From the beloved Machinarium and Samorost to the upcoming Phonopolis, they’re famed for creating incredibly unique worlds. In 2019, Pilgrims offered a charming, story-driven experience where players helped fellow travelers complete their quirky journeys.
Now, Amanita is revisiting that whimsical world with a new board game: Pilgrims: Curious Adventures. The studio is set to appear at SPIEL Essen this October, where they’re (hopefully) set to showcase a playable version of the board game. While a release date hasn’t been announced, you can catch a glimpse of the incredible card art and follow more about the game over on BoardGameGeek.
2. Whisperwood
Upcoming Page | Bag-building never looked so good
Developed by Cardboard Alchemy, the studio behind the hugely successful, Flamecraft, Whisperwood marks their sixth crowdfunding project on Kickstarter. This time around, instead of dealing with dragons, a council of Druids is restoring the forest by awakening guardian golems and reviving its wildlife. The most accomplished druid will rise as Primus of the Council. While it’s a way off (Spring 2026), it’s worth a follow.
Bag-building game for 1-4 players
Multiple victory paths with scoring set across restorations, interactions and improvements
Players simultaneously plan their incantations, and then carry them out in turn order
✅ Lingo check: A "bag-builder" is a style of board game where players collect tokens, cubes, or similar components and add them to a personal bag. Each round, they draw a random selection to take actions, then return the items—creating an evolving pool of resources that shifts as the game progresses.3. Capybara Crush
Upcoming Page | The cutest animal on earth gets its own game
Dylan Coyle, the creator behind Capybara Crush, has a strong track record on Kickstarter. With three successful campaigns under their belt - including the adorable Park Life and the soon-to-ship Doom Cat - their fourth project is shaping up to be another hit.
Super simple: every turn just draw 1 card and play 1 card
Print and play will be available for backer levels of $1
Has a solo mode
4. Psychic Trash Detectives
Live Page | Solve crimes. Save trash
I stumbled on Psychic Trash Detectives after recently combing through past Table Top Award winners. The hugely successful TTRPG is available now for a minimum of $10, with hardcopy pre-orders being taken over on board-game.co.uk. Originally funded back in 2023, Psychic Trash Detectives has won multiple industry awards including ‘Best Indie TTRPG’ and ‘Indie Groundbreaker Award Nominee for Most Innovative’.
No roleplaying experience needed. Just open the book and read on!
A collaborative story game for 3-5 players
Shared-GM game experience makes it much less intimidating for new players
✅ Lingo check: A "Shared-GM" game is a tabletop RPG where Game Master duties are split amongst its players. This can mean rotating GMs, co-GMing, or using a GM-less system that supports collaborative storytelling. It tends to be accessible for most beginners.5. Chicken Fried Dice
Upcoming Page | Good enough to eat
Chicken Fried Dice earns points for the name alone, but there’s a cute game underneath. The roll ‘n write game from Urban Professional Games supports 1–5 players, tasking you with serving up tasty meals to hungry customers. Fresh off a positive showing at PAX and a wave of praise on socials, it’s definitely one to keep an eye on. You can sign up for updates via the newsletter here.
✅ Lingo check: A "roll 'n write" game is usually a small portable game that involve players rolling dice and marking the results on sheets of paper or erasable boards.