Year: 2014

2014: A Year In Review

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2014 was an amazing year for Fireside Games. We appreciate all the opportunities that came our way this year and would like to especially thank everyone who plays our games and shares them with new players. We love making games as much as you love playing them.

We put our heads together and came up with our Top 5 Highlights from 2014.

  1. Now that’s a cake!

    Celebrating 5 Years of Castle Panic – It was such fun getting to share behind the scenes details and talk directly with our fans at the Google Hangout and the official Birthday Party, sharing the Oracle as a bonus game piece, reminiscing about the early days and hearing from all of you as you shared your Castle Panic memories, and the cake, oh yes, the cake!

  2. Company Growth & New Staff – A major step forward for Fireside was expanding and growing the company with the addition of Kris and Maureen to our full-time staff. Kris has elevated our Customer Service to enviable levels and Maureen has helped keep our planning on track so we get to see more of you out and about in the world. We look forward to more expansion in the coming year and being able to serve you even better.
  3. Upgraded Website & Ecommerce – Our website got a great-looking facelift with added features and lots of helpful information for our long-term fans and new customers alike. The addition of e-commerce has allowed us to bring you the fun branded merchandise you used to only be able to get a conventions, like T-shirts, patches, and replacement pieces.
  4. New Avenues for Sharing Our Games – Our games were shared with new fans through foreign licensing (Munchkin Panic is already available in Russian and German, with more languages underway for it and other titles!), a fantastic show at GenCon, and being featured in articles, blogs and on top game lists (from Boing, Boing to Boardgamegeek.com) across all our titles. We were fortunate to enjoy new partnerships with Steve Jackson Games and Texas Frightmare Weekend, and be published in Rue Morgue and SciFi Now Magazine!
  5. Expanding the Panic Line – With the release of Munchkin Panic we have expanded our line of Panic games, which already includes Castle Panic and Dead Panic, by giving you another unique play experience built on familiar mechanics with new features and objectives. We were also very excited to get How To Play videos up for all our games to make learning more accessible to everyone who gets a copy of one of our games. We even have small, break-out videos for many of the new twists in the different Panic games so you get the best experience and training you can.

We are taking some much needed rest time in the next week, but are already working on big plans for 2015. We invite you along for the ride. It’s going to be amazing!

Castle Panic Snowflake Pattern – FREE Download!

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Add a little Castle Panic cheer to your holiday with this FREE snowflake pattern.

It’s easy to make and you can use them for fun, gamer decor this holiday season. Hang them on your tree, on a window, make a garland of them, or just attach one to that special package under the tree… you know, the one that holds The Wizard’s Tower expansion for the Castle Panic player in your life!

How To Make Your Very Own Castle Panic Snowflake

  1. Download and print the PDF pattern.
  2. Cut out the circle template
  3. Fold the circle in half, then in half again to make a quarter circle.
  4. Fold the quarter circle in thirds, using the grey lines as guides and keeping the pattern wedge visible.
  5. Cut away the grey areas of the pattern. Be careful around the skinny parts!
  6. Unfold the snowflake and revel in your creativity!

Happy Holidays from Fireside Games!

Want to get this kind of thing delivered to your inbox? Join our monthly newsletter mailing list! We shared this pattern with our subscribers a few weeks ago.

“The Dark Titan Cometh” Tour Dates

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We’re taking this show on the road!

Fireside Games will be traveling to the mountains January–March 2015, bringing “The Dark Titan Cometh” Tour to Denver and Salt Lake City and surrounding areas.

Here are the dates and venues we currently have booked. Check back often as we may be adding more!

January 25    12–5pm    Shep’s Games    Aurora, CO
February 7    6–9pm    The Haunted Games Cafe   Fort Collins, CO
February 10  5–9pm    Adventurer’s Quarter    Arvada, CO
February 25    5–9pm    Blakfyre Games    Pleasant Grove, UT

February 28    6–10pm        Game Haven    West Jordan, UT
March 2    6–10pm        Game Haven    Bountiful, UT

March 4    6–10pm        Game Night Games    Salt Lake City, UT
March 7    12–4pm        Dragon’s Keep    Provo, UT
March 9    7–10pm    Dragon’s Keep    Lehi, UT
March 12    5–8pm        Game Haven    Tooele, UT
March 28    12–7pm       Game Depot    Tempe, AZ

 

The Dark Titan is the next expansion to Castle Panic, our cooperative tower defense board game. It is scheduled for a Spring 2015 release. You can learn more about The Dark Titan and it’s related base game, Castle Panic, and additional expansion, The Wizard’s Tower on our website.

Ask Fireside – Our Favorite Holiday Traditions

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This time of year is all about traditions and the enduring sense of wonder and excitement that the dawning of a new year can bring. We would like to share some of our favorite traditions, both old and new, with you.

Kris, Customer Care Manager

When I was a kid I loved hiking out into the woods to find and cut down a Christmas tree. It was usually just me and my dad and maybe one of my brothers. It was a nice quiet time spent outside.

As an adult, New Year’s Eve is my favorite. It’s all about expressing gratitude for the past year and hope for the new.

 

Anne-Marie, CEO

My favorite childhood holiday tradition was baking cookies for the Christmas tree. My mom used a special sugar cookie recipe that made cookies unusually thick. We stuck a toothpick through the tops of them before we baked them, decorated them after they cooled, and then strung yarn through the holes to hang them on the tree. My brother, sister, and I would sneak cookies off of the tree until Christmas day.

My favorite current holiday tradition is lighting farolitos (candles set in sand in paper bags). When Justin was growing up in New Mexico, his family adopted the tradition that originated with Spanish merchants, who were influenced by Chinese paper lanterns, and then picked up by the Roman Catholic church as a way to symbolize hope that the spirit of Christ would be guided to the home. Typically, roadways and driveways are lit to show the path to the home. There’s something warm and comforting about seeing those little flames against the cold.

Justin, Chief Creative Officer

My favorite holiday tradition from when I was a kid was that we would get to open one present on Christmas Eve. It was always a really big deal and I would spend the days leading up to it looking over all my presents trying to pick that special one.

Now that I’m older, my favorite holiday tradition is probably decorating the outside of the house with lights. While I don’t go as overboard as I do for Halloween, I do get a kick out of trying to be creative with strings of white and multi-color lights.

Maureen, Marketing Manager

On Christmas Eve when I was a kid we would get to give and open the presents we had bought for each other (Christmas morning was for Santa). I grew up with 4 siblings. I love GIVING presents & I am terrible at waiting, I would spend the week leading up to Christmas begging to be allowed to give someone something. I was always giddy about getting to see everyone’s faces when they opened my present to them.

As a “grown-up” I still love giving presents more than getting them. But I also really love the new tradition we started with friends for New Year’s Eve. We have a themed party and everyone dresses up in costumes to match. We drink, play games, and all look fabulous doing it!

What are your favorite holiday traditions? Share in the comments below!

Monsters, Monsters Everywhere!–New Monsters in The Wizard’s Tower

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Retailer location map

We’ve covered magic (Wizard cards) and fire. What’s left? MONSTERS!

There are many new threats in The Wizard’s Tower box, and they will test your mettle to its limits.

In this video, Justin talks about the new, standard Monsters that join the fight from Centaurs to Ogres, and Imps to Gargoyles.

You will be removing some of the base game Monsters and replacing them with these new Monsters. (See page 3 of The Wizard’s Tower rulebook for the new Monster “recipe.”) Some of these Monsters have special immunities and special vulnerabilities. Some will only spawn alongside other Monsters. Some are just really hard to kill with higher health points than you may be used to!

Flying Monsters

In the expansion there are even Monsters who fly! You have to use Archer cards to hit these Monsters. Knights and Swordsmen are useless against them. They are also immune to the perils of the Giant Boulder! Justin explains how you fight them in this video.

Mega Boss Monsters

Last, but certainly not least, are the Mega Boss Monsters. These Monsters are so big, they aren’t just Bosses, they are MEGA! Four- and five-points make these guys tough to kill, plus they come with extra abilities that stay in effect as long as they are alive. They can also move in unpredictable ways, so you’ll need to stay alert to properly strategize their demise. Mega Boss Monsters are covered on pages 13 & 14 of the rulebook. The game also comes with handy reference cards players can easily refer to when a new Monster is drawn.

You can learn more about all the Monsters in the videos shared above, as well as in the rulebook (pages 11-14). Be sure to also check out our FAQ page for specific Monster effect questions and those occasional scenarios that give you pause.

Happy Hunting! May your Wizard’s Tower remain standing & the cards be on your side!

For the complete playlist of The Wizard’s Tower videos, check out our YouTube Channel, or past blog posts.

Bringing the Heat–How Fire Works in The Wizard’s Tower

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If you’ve been following this week’s blog series on The Wizard’s Tower expansion for Castle Panic, you know how to set up the game by removing certain Monsters and replacing them with new ones, swapping a Tower, and shuffling in the new Castle cards. You’ve also discovered the Wizard deck and all the wondrous magic it holds.

Today we are going to teach you about FIRE!

With this expansion you will encounter Monsters who breathe fire and can catch your Castle structures on fire! But don’t worry, there are ways to put the fire out and even use it to your advantage. You are now able to catch Monsters on fire as well! After all, Dragons are only flame retardant on the INSIDE.

Watch the video for a full explanation of the different ways fire will play a key role in your game play.

How to Set Monsters on Fire

Some of the Wizard cards allow you to set Monsters on fire. When on fire, Monsters will take 1 point of damage for each flame token on it during the Move Monsters Phase of a player’s turn. You can use this new mechanic as part of your strategy by catching Monsters on fire while they are in the Archer ring and letting them burn themselves out before reaching your Castle.

What Happens When the Castle Is on Fire

Among the new Monsters included in The Wizard’s Tower expansion are a few Monsters who can breathe fire and will catch your Castle on fire! Castle structures on fire are weakened and can be destroyed with no damage to the Monsters (they will not take damage when hitting a flaming structure) on that turn. However, a Monster knocking down a flaming Wall will take on that flame token and on his NEXT movement he will take fire damage.

Your Castle structures can handle up to 2 fire tokens and remain standing. However, the third fire attack by a Monster will destroy the Wall or Tower automatically. No Monsters are injured.

How to Put out Burning Castle Structures

Players are able to extinguish flaming structures by playing 1 Brick or 1 Mortar card on their turn for each flame token on the structure. If there are multiple flame tokens on a Wall, you will need multiple Bricks or Mortars to put out all the flames. You may also use the Fortify Wall card to extinguish all flame on a Wall, but you do not get to also fortify that wall.

For more details on how you will be interacting with Fire see pages 7 & 8 in the The Wizard’s Tower Rulebook.

You can also check our FAQs page for The Wizard’s Tower if you have questions about other mechanics and situations.

Wizard Cards in Castle Panic: The Wizard’s Tower

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Games Magazine 2011 Traditional Games 100 Award

One of the biggest changes to Castle Panic when you add The Wizard’s Tower expansion is the addition of the Wizard deck of cards that infuse the game with magic and new abilities for the players.

How Do You Get Wizard Cards?

Players can obtain Wizard cards during Phase 2 of their turn: Discard and Draw 1 Card. You can only get one Wizard card per turn this way. You cannot draw up to your full hand in Phase 1 from the Wizard deck. You may also obtain a Wizard card during your Trade cards phase if another player is willing to trade you one from their hand.

The Wizard deck is only available to players while the Wizard’s Tower is still standing on the board. If the Wizard’s Tower is knocked down by the Monsters, you lose access to that deck of cards and all the magic within.

What is in the Wizard Deck?

The Wizard cards include new ways to attack Monsters, including cards that you can play against Monsters that are still in the Wizard Card examplesForest. Remember, in the base game, you cannot attack Monsters until they enter the Archer ring. The cards with Forest play options have a tree symbol on them to help remind you. There are also some new cards with the Castle symbol you will recognize from the base game as indicating you can use them against Monsters that have entered the Castle ring.

Some Wizard cards require you to play them with another card such as a Hit card or to “pay” to use the card with an additional card. An example of this is Mystical Manufacturing, which requires you to play a brick or mortar card with the Wizard card to be able to rebuild a Tower.

Oh, yes, you can rebuild a Tower! You need the Mystical Manufacturing card to be able to do so, but this gives you an additional chance at survival by allowing you to recover from a lost Tower.

Watch this video for a quick overview of the Wizard deck and what you get when you add The Wizard’s Tower expansion!

Of course, the expansion doesn’t just make the game easier, we’ve added lots of new Monsters with new abilities and movement effects. Stay tuned for further videos that explain the mayhem that comes with the expansion. You can see a full list of the Wizard cards, as well as the Monsters and new Castle cards, in The Wizard’s Tower Rulebook.

Need replacement pieces? We’ve got you covered if a Troll has gone missing or your cards are showing wear. Check out our webshop where you can get new pieces and the special Castle Panic Promo Pack of past promotional game pieces with in-game effects, as well as some extra fun swag!

The Wizard’s Tower–How to Set Up the First Expansion to Castle Panic

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You are pretty sure you have mastered Monster slaying and are looking for a challenge.

You’ve check our guide for How To Tell if You’re Ready for The Wizard’s Tower and decided to take the plunge.

Here’s a helpful video on getting the expansion to Castle Panic set up with the base game.

You will be removing some of the old Monsters and adding new, including Mega Boss Monsters! You get new Castle cards and a whole new deck of Wizard cards. You also get to upgrade one of your standard Castle Towers.

A helpful tip: All The Wizard’s Tower pieces (and cards) have a little wizard hat icon on them so you can easily switch back to the base game if you need a win to boost your morale.

Have a question about the rules? Check out our FAQ page for The Wizard’s Tower. Remember, a lot of the rules for the base game carry over, so if you don’t see it in The Wizard’s Tower rulebook double check the Castle Panic rules.

If you have any advice for new expansion players, share it in the comments. We’re all in this together, after all!

Burgers & Boardgames – What Do Dining and Gaming Have in Common?

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Emerald Tavern Game Cafe Austin TX
Emerald Tavern Game Cafe in Austin, TX

It looks like the world at large is catching on to what we’ve all known for years. Games are fun. And places you can go to play games are fun places.

Aside from our go-to places to play games with friends and strangers, such as libraries, hobby game stores, and our friend’s house for game night, there is a new growing trend with Game Cafes. Take the coffee shop idea and add board and card games to the mix and you get a place you can meet friends for a sandwich or cup of joe AND a game of Castle Panic. And you don’t even have to bring your own copy.

The Atlantic recently shared an article about the spread of Board Game Cafes around the world and spoke to the possible reason for their growing popularity: “the rapid proliferation speaks to something deeper: the need to connect with people in a public/private space, the need to have a meaningful interaction that doesn’t use emoticons, and perhaps the need, in an increasingly complex world, to work with friends and family toward a clear goal.”

Fireside’s CEO, Anne-Marie, was just discussing this same topic (why board games are drawing in new fans) on her podcast interview with The Gaming Careers‘s resident interviewer Steven Ruduski. She cited smartphones as a possible trigger for the recent increase in board game popularity.

“I actually think it’s because of smartphones. People are turned back on to gaming again because games are so easy to find and play on their phones and it has kind of really reminded people of how fun games are to play. I think the nice thing about table top games is they are significantly more social than playing an app on your phone. So I think that has really reminded adults that you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy games.”

Ruduski seconds that sentiment saying, “It’s that social aspect.” He goes on to explain that he is a big RPG fan, but as an adult it is hard to get a group of friends together who have 12 hours for a campaign. “But a board game, you capture a lot of that same social interaction with predefined times, a time packet of 40 minutes, 90 minutes, and then you get to go home.”

The idea that modern tech has spurred a resurgence in good old-fashioned hanging out is echoed by Devon Trevelyan in a recent article by The Daily Free Press. “Online gaming has taken such a turn, [to the point] where you can communicate with people across the world. I like that, but I think there is a real quality about face-to-face interaction and laughing with your friends when they’re in your presence.”

Trevelyan runs Knight Moves, a gaming cafe in Boston, MA, that champions the casual, comfortable feel of European cafes and strives to pair it with the social community that gaming imparts.

What do you think? Is there is a connectedness people have been missing with all the tech in their lives? Do boardgames help fill that need?

We’d love to hear about game cafes in your neighborhood! Tell us your favorite place to hang out and play games in the comments below.

Sources:

“How Board Games Conquered Cafes” by Hana Schank for The Atlantic.

“Boston Restaurants Offer Diverse Culinary Experiences” by Heather Goldin & Ayush Kumar for The Daily Free Press.

The Gaming Careers podcast with Anne-Marie over at thecompanybard.com.

Can You Handle the Heat?

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So, you’ve been playing Castle Panic for a while now. You still have a good time, but you are wondering if there is more. Well, I’m here to tell you there is SO MUCH MORE! The Wizard’s Tower is the first expansion to Castle Panic and it really amps up the excitement and challenge of the game. There’s also the not-so-little matter of The Dark Titan, the second expansion that is due out in the Spring of 2015, which brings all new threats and some fun new twists.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Not everyone is ready to tackle the Mega-Bosses right out of the gate. It is a good idea to hone your Monster-slaying skills before taking the leap. If you need some help mastering Castle Panic, check out our How To Play videos in the How to Defend Your Castle post for some pointers from the designer, Justin De Witt.

“How do I know if I’m ready?” you may ask. We’ve put together this helpful guide.

How to Know if You’re Ready for The Wizard’s Tower:

1. You win more often than you lose (if you lose at all anymore), and you often have all or almost all of your Towers still standing.

2. Somebody in your gaming group says, “Castle Panic? Isn’t that a kid’s game?” and you want to shake them up a bit.

3. Fire has always held an allure for you and you want a fun way to play with it without actually getting burned.

4. You find yourself saying, “Oh, it’s just a 3-point Troll” when placing Monsters and long for more variety in your trophies.

5. You wish you had magical powers and have always wanted to face off against a mythical Monster such as a Dragon or a Chimera.

If any of these describe you, you may be ready for The Wizard’s Tower. But be warned, the forest is full of dark and dangerous things and the Castle will be depending on you.

Already playing The Wizard’s Tower? Tell us how/when you knew you were ready to advance. What is your favorite addition to the game from The Wizard’s Tower? Tell us in the comments.

If you are interested in purchasing The Wizard’s Tower, you can do so at your Friendly Local Game Store or through our web store.

How to Defend Your Castle

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How To Play Castle Panic

Been wondering what this Castle Panic game is all about? Now you can satisfy your curiosity with our Official Overview video where Justin gives you a succinct explanation of the objective, the mechanics, and what you need to do to win.

This is also a great video to share with your friends to if you are already a fan of the game and want to get them into it. It does some of the preliminary teaching for you, so you can get straight into playing the game with them on your next game night!

Is your interest piqued? Then may we suggest further viewing satisfaction with our Official How To Play video. In this video, Justin takes you through game setup, the order of play on a player’s turn, and some special Monster tokens that affect how the Monsters behave and even some tokens that interact with the Castle differently than Monsters.

After watching these videos you should be fully prepared to band together with your friends and defend the Castle!

Once you’ve mastered the base game of Castle Panic, you’ll want to consider adding The Wizard’s Tower expansion! It adds magic, fire and more Monsters!

 

Munchkin Panic – Review Roundup

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It’s been a little over a month since Munchkin Panic hit store shelves across the U.S. and we’ve been awed by the outpouring of support and affection for this game! Thank you so much to everyone who has welcomed our latest game into their homes and onto their game tables.

We’ve been seeing reviews for Munchkin Panic popping up all over from blogs to YouTube and wanted to give those of you still considering this game some resources. We think this game is awesome, but as Levar Burton from Reading Rainbow would say, “you don’t have to take my word for it.”

Tom Vasel of The Dice Tower gave it the Dice Tower Seal of Approval and said, “Munchkin fans will be totally at home here.” You can see his video review on his YouTube channel or the review page over at DiceTower.com.

Vince, over at Dad’s Gaming Addiction, states “‘Munchkin Panic’ takes the best parts of both games and mashes them together both elegantly and brilliantly.” He gives it a final verdict of 9/10. You can read his review and check out his video at dadsgamingaddiction.com.

GeekedupGaming‘s Anna and Tim say, “This game is awesome! Add it to your shelf. And your library, because we all have more than one shelf.” Watch their verdict at 45:57 in their YouTube play-through.

The Post Post Modern Dad blog says, “Many of the elements are similar but the execution is vastly different” when comparing Castle Panic and Munchkin Panic. Then states, “This is a really fun and challenging game, one that really can bring members of the family together.”

Dave Banks of Geek Dad says, “…Munchkin Panic may very well be our go-to cooperative game … as long as I am wearing the Sandals of Protection.”

At ObsessiveMommy.com, she quotes her 16-year-old son’s review of the game. “My favorite part about this game is that the objective changes throughout the game. One turn you may want to save the castle to rack up more trophies, and the next you’ll want to sabotage the castle to ensure your win.” He pretty much nails the Mini Expansion with this description. He goes on to say, “I also enjoy how creative this game can get… I really enjoyed this game and I would recommend it to my friends.”

Jonathan Nelson of Gaming Bits says Munchkin Panic “mashes up the best parts of Munchkin with Castle Panic… This is a game that fans of both Munchkin and Castle Panic will love.” He gives it an overall 9/10.

Blogcritics‘s Jeff Provine gives Munchkin Panic 95/100, commending it for how it “brings together the best of two exceedingly different systems.”

Board-Game-Brooke calls Munchkin Panic “One of the Best New Board Games of 2014”. She provides an excellent overview of the changes made to Munchkin Panic from the original inspiration games. She says, “the changes to the game make it more complex and more challenging, plus add some visual and verbal whimsy to the play… I highly recommend the game to anyone who enjoys the concept of Castle Panic and the wacky aesthetics of Munchkin.”

If you’ve been wondering how Munchkin Panic is different from Castle Panic, we recommend checking out Board-Game-Brooke‘s review, as well as checking out our video on the differences, and our blog about all the Panic Line games.

We hope this roundup of the reviews for Munchkin Panic has saved you some internet search time so you get back to playing games. Let us know what you think of the game in the comments section.

Have you written a review for Munchkin Panic or another of our games? Please email us your information for possible inclusion in future roundups.

The Cardboard Vault Reveals Secrets About The Dark Titan

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At BGG.Con 2014, Anne-Marie & Justin sat down with Phoebe Wild from The Cardboard Vault to discuss Munchkin Panic and the just-announced Castle Panic expansion The Dark Titan.

Phoebe catches Justin in a sharing mood and gets him to reveal some secrets about The Dark Titan.

In the video interview Justin gives more detail on how the new Support Tokens work and what some of the new Monsters bring to the game. He also shares some info on how Agranok’s adjustable levels of difficulty work, giving you control over how hard you have to play.

Attention then turned to Munchkin Panic. Anne-Marie explains how Munchkin Panic upends the expectations of Castle Panic players, adding Treasure and Backstabbing to the familiar cooperative style of play.

She goes over how a turn plays out and some of the variations in how you slay Monsters by using Treasure cards and how you use Curses to boost your advantage over the other players. You’ll want to watch this video if you still aren’t quite clear on how the games differ as it gets to the heart of why Munchkin Panic is such fun and how it offers you a new play experience.

Check out The Cardboard Vault’s YouTube Channel for loads of interesting videos from BGG.Con 2014 about all your favorite games.