Game publishers both big and small released new board games at a dizzying rate in 2018. This is the first of two parts of our look at the 19 most anticipated games of 2019, with titles on this list presented in no particular order.

Project: Elite Deluxe Edition

While originally released in 2016, this new edition of Project: ELITE has all of the awesomeness we’ve come to expect from CMON Games: new art, new card designs, and, of course, new miniatures. In this 1-6 players game, you’re a member of an elite squad of fighters tasked with stopping an alien invasion. Combat is fast and furious as you’ll have two minutes of real-time dice rolling to deal with the waves of aliens. Along with the upgraded art and components, this new version of Project: ELITE will also have new ELITE members, weapons, and enemies.

Tiny Epic Mechs

It’s always exciting whenever a new title is added to Gamelyn Games’ Tiny Epic series, from the space exploration of Tiny Epic Galaxies to the Zelda-like adventure of Tiny Epic Quest. Slated for an August release, here’s what I previously wrote about Tiny Epic Mechs: “The newest Tiny Epic game takes players to the year 3030, when people are entertained by Mechanized Entertainment Combat Heroes (M.E.C.H.) battles. Featuring the popular ITEMeeples where players add weapons and other items directly onto their meeples, Tiny Epic Mechs is a competitive, arena-style game. You’ll pick up weapons during the battle royale and you’ll be able to place your meeple into one of the ultra-cool mech armor suits!”

Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef

As young heroes trying to become elite guardians of an island realm called Tidal Blades, you’ll attempt to complete challenges in three arenas. After five rounds of competition, the hero with the most points will become a Tidal Blade. Teri summed up why Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef has so many gamers fired up: “This game has a lot of moving parts, but it also offers a lot of meaningful choices. It offers a lot to those looking for a heavier gameplay experience.”

On Tour

In On Tour you’re in a new rock band, which means piling into a van and touring the United States to find fans and hopefully catch the break that takes your group to fame and fortune. It’s up to you to schedule the band’s stops on its 100-date tour via 10-sided dice. Roll the dice, create two two-digit numbers (for example, 2 and 8 creates 28 and 82), then write those numbers in a state. At the end of the game draw a route on the map that connects adjacent states with higher and higher numbers to receive points for each state your band visits.

Football Highlights: 2052

The next evolution of football is here. Just like what Baseball Highlights: 2045 did for America’s Pastime, Football Highlights: 2052 will do for the Sunday warriors of the gridiron. By distilling baseball down into its best moments designer Mike Fitzgerald created an outstanding card-drafting, deck-building, and hand-management game. We’re hoping he’s struck gold again, with this football-based version garnering a lot of pre-release hype. Using unique multi-purpose cards you’ll build your team of the future featuring humans, cyborgs, and robots, then play games in a fraction of an actual game’s time.

Reavers of Midgard

Set in the Champions of Midgard world, Reavers of Midgard is a single worker placement and dice placement game where you attempt to raid villages and castles on land while also battling monsters on the open sea. The Reavers are the elite warriors you’ll recruit to join your band of Vikings. This standalone sequel to Champions of Midgard will feature everything you love about the original (dice-driven combat) with a whole bevy of new challenges for your crew.

Edge of Darkness

Taking the amazing Card Crafting System from Mystic Vale and adding worker placement and deck-building mechanisms, Edge of Darkness is sure to satisfy die-hard gamers everywhere. You’re the head of a powerful guild in the city of Aegis, trying to become its new leader. The Card Crafting System isn’t just a gimmick, either; the unique cards literally change as you upgrade them, just like in Mystic Vale. With variable locations, card-driven worker placement, and an actual Threat Tower that shoots out cubes to dictate how threats will attack, Edge of Darkness promises to be a fully immersive experience.

Starcadia Quest

Set in the same world as CMON’s dungeon-crawling Arcadia Quest, Starcadia Quest takes adventurers to never-before-seen worlds in space. In this multi-game campaign, you control a crew of heroes trying to work defeat your enemies in the Starcadian Alliance. Each hero has unique abilities that you’ll need to crush those monsters, which are deployed via the modular monster dashboard, thus ensuring a different game experience every time. Only one crew will emerge victorious, though; will it be yours?

Rap Godz

How many more games featuring European traders, zombies, or dragons can publishers make? Do we really need another game about Vikings or Star Wars? Thankfully, Rap Godz will be here soon to inject some diversity in subject matter and artwork into the hobby.

Each player is a rapper with a unique special action. The game is played over three rounds, representing the three albums you’re creating. You’ll earn money and improve your rapping skills while building up your street cred. Earn the most record sales and you become one of gods of rap.

What games are you looking forward to playing in 2019? Tell us in the comments! And keep your eyes peeled for part 2 coming tomorrow!

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