Happy Holidays! If you received a copy of The Village Crone for Christmas, you might be interested to know we have created 3D printer files for all the components in the game that you can download for FREE for a limited time!
PLEASE NOTE: Some printing services and/or programs may require you to enter the dimensions for the item to be printed. Please consult the ReadMe.txt file included in the download for a chart of proportional dimensions for all the pieces to fit your game appropriately.
We’ve been compiling a nice array of downloadable accessories for the Castle Panic fan in your life and now we have finally put them all together in one place!
You can click on the “Download the Pack!” button below to enhance your Castle Panic experience.
But what is included? We’re so glad you asked!
The Oracle – Remember those “cootie catcher thingies” from grade school? We made one that gives you some added player interaction to pull out when playing the game. Print it out, fold it up, and Presto! you have your own Castle Panic Companion Oracle.
Master Slayer Tracker – We put this together for International TableTop Day, but you can use it all year to keep track of who has been the Master Slayer the most times or with the most points. It’s a great way to settle arguments over who won the last time. Provided in color and in black and white.
Monster & Hero Coloring Pages – These will keep the kiddos busy when you need a little quite time before you break out the game for an evening of Monster slaying. It’s a great way to include younger players who aren’t quite old enough for the game yet.
Castle Snowflake Template – Who says gaming can’t be festive for the holidays? Use the template to make a few strategic scissor cuts (under supervision for the little ones, of course!) and watch the magic unfold to reveal a snowflake made of towers and walls with a token surprise in the middle!
(2.4MB PDF)
If you have an idea for a printable accessory, let us know! We’re always looking for fun ways to add to your gaming experience.
Let Fireside Games help you bring fun ho-ho-home this holiday season!
Back in October Castle Panic made its German language debut at Spiel Essen. We received some images of this version (published by Pegasus Spiele under license) and thought it would be fun to share them with you.
The tokens don’t come pre-punched, so if you like punching out your own bits and pieces you would enjoy this version. The board and box are also slightly larger than the English version to fit Pegasus Spiele’s standard box size.
It is fun to see the cards in a different language, as well. A little strange, but definitely cool.
What other languages would you like to see Castle Panic published in? If you are interested in a copy of the German language version, you will have to look for German retailer. It doesn’t appear to be available through online sales.
The weather outside can be as frightful as it wants to be when you have hours of entertainment at your fingertips (and no, we aren’t talking about your smartphone).
‘Tis the season for gathering with family and friends and being thankful for the time you have with them. What better way to engage with those you love than over a board game?
Here is a brand new list of gaming recommendations for you to share with your nearest and dearest this Thanksgiving and on through the holiday season.
2015 Holiday Gaming Recommendations
1. The Resistance – Indie Boards & Cards
Great for larger groups, this game of deduction and sabotage can accommodate 5-10 players. Work together to complete missions while trying to discover the spies hiding in your midst. This one was an alternate for last year’s list and is always brought up when we talk to other gamers, so you know it has to be good!
2. Chopstick Dexterity Mega Challenge 3000 – MayDay Games
Play it like a Japanese Game Show for the maximum fun. Flip a token, find out what shape and color you are vying for, and try to move all the matching pieces from the main bowl into yours using only your mad chopstick skills. Get a family member to commentate and let the chopsticks fly!
3. The Village Crone – Fireside Games
Slinging spells around the dinner table seems like a fun way to spend the holidays. This one is ideal for the families who love telling stories. It can be played with up to 6 players, so no one gets left out. Command your Familiars, collect your Ingredients, and compete to be the town witch. You might just find yourself making up little spells for all the dishes you cook up.
4. Graveyards, Ghosts, & Haunted Houses – Rather Dashing Games
Create the board as you lay your tiles trying to connect the longest run of your color and thwarting the other players’s paths. Watch out for the special tiles that let players rearrange the layout or the tokens that can block your path. This one is a mind puzzle, so you might want to lay off the eggnog while playing.
5. Hanabi – R&R Games
Put your communication skills to the test in this cooperative game. Work with the other players to put on the best fireworks display by playing your cards in proper order. The catch? You can’t see your own cards. You must take clues from other players to lay the right card or watch your chances of winning go up in smoke!
6. Lanterns: The Harvest Festival – Renegade Games
Compete to be the most honored artisan at the Lantern Festival by laying tiles to create the best display. Lay your tiles strategically to earn bonuses or block other players. This one plays in 30 minutes, so it’s perfect while you wait for the turkey to settle before digging into some pie.
7. Space Cadets: Dice Duel – Stronghold Games
Picking sides at the holidays is always tricky, but add in the threat of annihilation and it gets downright frantic! In Space Cadets, you must protect your spaceship from the other team by performing your crew member tasks and launching counter attacks. There are no civilized turns in this game, just instinctive action to survive. Get in the spirit with your best Star Wars jokes.
8. Codenames – Czech Games
Work in teams to decipher the clues and claim the right words on the grid for your team. Choose wisely or you may uncover the other team’s words for them. This one’s really popular this year so if you don’t already have a copy, you might have to wait and break this one out at Christmas after the next print run arrives in early December (we asked).
9. Splendor – Asmodee
Strategy is the key in this game of Renaissance reputation. Collect chips and cards to expand your gem mines and shops all to increase your prestige and become the most prominent purveyor of jewels. This one has won many awards and is fairly easy to pick up for those non-gamers in your crowd.
10. Double Feature – Renegade Games
This one’s for the cinephiles and pop culture junkies. Earn points by naming a movie that marries the themes from two different cards. One round you might have to name a movie that involves “Gorillas” and “New York” and the next you might have to name a “Black and White” “Cowboy” movie. You’ll have fun and you might even discover some new Must Watch movies.
There are so many great games out there, we’re sure we’ve missed a few you would have added to the list. Tell us your favorite games to share with friends and family in the comments below!
Want more recommendations? Check out our 2014 Thanksgiving Gaming List and our Independence Day List.
Find a Friendly Local Game Store near you to pick up a few of these titles!
Witches aren’t just for Halloween anymore! Find out why YOU should be playing The Village Crone through recommendations from gamers like you in this Review Roundup for our newest game (released September 30).
Dave Banks at Geek Dad flatters us with his comments on the components and gameplay quality, “I really appreciate Fireside’s devotion to quality, both in gameplay and components. Everything looks and feels top-notch, making for a great gaming experience… …I think Fireside is great at coming up with little twists that affect gameplay positively…”
“The game is easy to learn and play, but offers enough depth to keep players interested,” according to Mike N. over at Nerds of a Feather in his recap of the best games at GenCon.
Caylie Sadin from Nerdy But Flirty fell in love with The Village Crone when she first saw it at GenCon 2015, “The game is really fun to play, the art is beautiful, and the theme is awesome.”
She really likes the thematic use of spell-casting in this one: “One of the mechanics that makes the game super enjoyable is that every time you cast a spell, you have to say the incantation too. It helps players get into the spirit of the game.”
You can check out Caylie’s interview with Anne-Marie De Witt, the designer of The Village Crone, over on the Nerdy but Flirty website.
The Domestic Geek echoes Nerdy but Flirty with her praise, “I can’t get enough of this game.” You can watch Brittany’s Unboxing Video and her Video Review over on her blog or YouTube channel.
Jeremiah from Theology of Gaming enjoys the thinking aspects of the game:
“The interaction is great, the board is constantly shifting, and there’s a lot of guessing who’s doing what and trying to block them, or at least trying to stop other players from moving the pieces you need out of the ares in which you need them. You’re right, it is very much puzzle-like. And I like that a lot!”
The praise for this game is summed up nicely by Ryan Morgenegg over at Deseret News, “The Village Crone has a great theme and beautiful components.”
There you have it, folks! The Village Crone is a worker placement, resource management game with a puzzle-like quality and continually shifting landscape. Learn more about The Village Crone on our information page and pick up a copy at your Friendly Local Game Store today!
It is National Cat Day, and Fireside Games is pleased to take this opportunity to announce Here, Kitty, Kitty!, a new game that will be releasing in Spring 2016.
In this crazy cat-collecting game your neighborhood has a cat problem. The problem is they don’t all belong to YOU! Everyone in the neighborhood wants to claim those adorable kitties for themselves.
Outwit your fellow feline fiends as you lure cats onto your property, move cats into your house, and steal cats from your neighbors. All is fair in love and cat-collecting!
Here, Kitty, Kitty! will include 40 covetable cat miniatures. You will have a hard time picking a favorite! The game retails for $24.95, accommodates 3-6 players, and plays in approximately 30 minutes.
Designed by Kris McCardel Ware, a self-proclaimed “crazy cat lady,” this game is full of thematic jokes and cat puns. There are no blenders or explosions in this game, but if you use your “Catlike Reflexes” and avoid “Stray Dogs” and “Hairballs,” you might just “Land on Your Feet!”
Get ready for some feline fever this coming Spring with Here, Kitty, Kitty!
We were recently in the ATL for a distribution show and took a night out to visit Treefort Games in Fayetteville, GA.
It was a cool, calm Friday night when we pulled in to the parking lot at dusk. We got set up just in time for a group of curious players to walk up and take their seats at The Village Crone. Maureen explained the game to this crop of young witches and away they went, casting spells left and right and scattering Familiars all over the village! It was a really tight game with the last round being the true test. One misspoken spell was caught and the potential winner was left a few points shy of victory.
Meanwhile Kris was introducing a few players to the joys of backstabbing in Munchkin Panic. They embraced the spirit of the game and there were several uneasy alliances kept on the sly throughout the game. They managed to finish with 4 towers still standing! Excellent use of the bare minimum cooperation required in that game.
The second play through of The Village Crone had some veteran gamers who immersed themselves in the strategy and quickly racked up their points, choosing their schemes carefully to maximize their efforts. There were lots of laughs and plenty of thwarting of other player’s plans. After that they played Bears! and chatted about board games and themes and enjoyed their night at the table.
Kris guided a team of players through the perils of the zombie apocalypse in Dead Panic. They were having such a blast, and then one of them became a zombie. It was a test of friendship when the final two characters took a stand to fight off the horde and escape to the van together.
We enjoyed teaching so many players to play our games and getting to chat with the owner, John. He has created a great space for his local gamers and the community they have formed was warm and welcoming. Everyone seemed to know each other and inquired about family members and checked in on life.
It was really inspiring to see how the younger players look up to John and how everyone encouraged each other to be themselves and pursue their diverse interests. We feel fortunate to have gotten to be part of their world for an evening and encourage you to stop by Treefort Games if you find yourself in the Atlanta area.
Game for the Cause is an Austin, TX based gaming convention that donates ALL of its proceeds to SafePlace, an organization that works to end domestic violence. Fireside Games is proud to support this fantastic group of people in their mission. The Austin chapter is having their annual convention this weekend and we encourage you to attend, play some games, and help support a worthy cause.
Who: Austin chapter of Game for the Cause
What: $20 at the door get you access to open boardgaming, silent auction, and gaming events where all money raised goes directly to SafePlace
When: October 16, 5pm–midnight and October 17th, 9am–midnight
Where: Parker Lane UMC, 2105 Parker Lane, Austin, TX 78741
Why: Have a good time playing games while raising awareness and funds for SafePlace which strives to end sexual and domestic violence.
Website: http://gameforthecause.com/
We are so grateful the gaming community at large is such a caring group of people who regularly use their shared love of games to raise awareness for social causes and help support their communities through charity events like this. However you choose to give back, we thank you! Stay Awesome and Game On!
Well, that was a whirlwind tour! Thirteen stops in 25 days across 6 states! No wonder we’re tired.
The leaves are changing colors and there is a distinct chill in the air. It must be the approach of autumn and the time of Witches. It’s also the 12th stop on our Something Wicked Tour as we visit Crossroad Games in Standish, Maine!
This was a quick visit on our tour as we setup The Village Crone and spent some time chatting with Lacey and Chuck about the game business while waiting for some players to finish up another game.
Pretty soon it was game on and our players wasted no time in getting down to the business of scoring schemes. Familiars were flying and Villagers were changing to frogs and back into humans faster than you could say “Eye of Newt”!
The next game was just as fun, with the Forge filling up with frogs and some quick scoring at the end that took everyone by surprise.
We stuck around to sign some games and visit with fans, then it was time to hit the road.
It was a dark and stormy night… The 13th store visit on the 13th of October. Coincidence? We think not! But we couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up our Something Wicked Tour here in New England!
We made our way to Diversions Puzzles & Games in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and met up with the Events Coordinator, Ian, who let us have our pick of tables in their very cool play space downstairs.
Diversions is another one of those “Tardis-esque” game stores that has a really small front window, but once you get inside it just keeps going to reveal a massive amount of clean, open space filled with well-organized games, clearly displayed and more puzzles than we’ve ever seen in one spot. The downstairs play space is really big and made for a really great place to run our last demos of the tour.
We had barely set up the game when the first group gathered around and before you could say “Broomstick” we had a 6-player game up and running. As more gamers flocked to see what was happening it became clear we needed to spread the fun, so we set up a second game and ran another group through that.
Once the first game ended we had just enough time to catch our breath and take some photos before we got our third group started. This turned into a huge battle with players getting caught in a defensive battle of trying to use Protection to stop the other players from completing their schemes. It may seem like it works on paper, but it’s a losing strategy and sure enough, both players ran out of ingredients and couldn’t recover. But minutes after finishing the game, there was nothing but discussion of new strategies and “next time” plans being made.
We’ve had a lot of fun crisscrossing New England, catching some of spooky sights, playing games with so many people, and getting to see more of the Friendly Local Game Stores that keep board gaming accessible and fun. Thanks for joining us on our journey. We hope you’ve had fun following along. Now make sure you pick up your own copy of The Village Crone and bring fun home!
Our weary travelers have to score two more points as they wind down the Something Wicked Tour. Can they do it? Read on and find out…
1 POINT: Search for the Unexplainable – (Lake Champlain, VT) COMPLETED
The legends of a mysterious creature that lives in Lake Champlain go back centuries. The native Americans had their stories and colonial settlers had sightings that have continued up until just a few years ago.
“Champ” as the beast is called, has been a mystery for years, but not anymore. We found him! Watch the video to see our brave adventure as we go for our twelfth Witches Scheme on our Something Wicked Tour. Continue reading Hunting Monsters and Visiting Graveyards – Spooky Schemes Scored!
Two more stops on our Something Wicked tour led us back to Connecticut for an evening and then on to Vermont.
Gamer’s Gambit in Danbury, Connecticut is a sister store to the Dragon’s Den and it made for a great follow up visit.
The Village Crone was a popular table that night as we kept players busy casting spells and foiling plans from the minute we setup the game until closing time.
Much like the Dragon’s Den, Gamer’s Gambit covers a lot of gaming bases from minis, rpgs, comics, and board games to retro video gaming. As Justin browsed the store during a break in the action he noticed that in addition to games, they actually sell used game systems. He even found an old Atari Lynx on the shelf, looking for a new home! Continue reading Gamer’s Gambit and Quarterstaff Games
Amidst a whirlwind of store visits our heroes, Anne-Marie & Justin, still managed to keep their eye on the prize and complete a few more Tour Schemes. See how many points they earned with these and learn about some of the spooky things Connecticut and New York have to offer.
Continue reading Creepy Noises, Haunted Roads, and Eerie Echoes – Tour Schemes Completed
Last week saw a fair amount of city driving with several visits in and around New York City, and then a jog a up the Hudson Valley. In the past we’ve visited Lairs, Havens, and Taverns. The Village Crone has now taken us to us Cafes, a Lab, and a Den. Check them out!
First up we had one more trip into Manhattan to The UnCommons NYC, a popular game café with a very extensive game library. There is a cover charge to get in, but you can play as many games as you want from their massive collection and stay as long as you like. Looking in their windows you can see a lot of fun games in their window displays.
We unloaded our witchy goodness and got ready to cast some spells. Anne-Marie got the first group started and played with several groups of would-be witches throughout the evening. A lucky gamer got to go head-to-head with Anne-Marie in a 2-player game. It’s pretty cool to learn from the designer!
It was a late night, but a fun one. If you find yourself in Manhattan with a jonesing for a cuppa and a board game, this your place.
We also got to spent two pretty amazing afternoons at the Brooklyn Game Lab. It’s an after school program where kids can not only play great games but study them, and even make their own games.
The whole thing is run by a great team and Bob and his crew really do an amazing job of keeping 40+ kids focused every day. Some days it’s RPG’s, other days it’s board games and for Thursday and Friday the kids had a really special treat of getting to meet Justin and Anne-Marie while they learned Castle Panic and The Village Crone.
The older kids were started on The Village Crone while the younger players went into the outdoor garden area and learned how to play Castle Panic. A few kids even dared to go up against the bigger foes in The Wizard’s Tower.
After we played for a while, the kids all got to make their notes on winning strategies for the game, expansion ideas and even new components. It’s all an organized part of how the game lab staff gets the kids to really focus on the games they are playing and think about them.
After that we had a brief Q&A session where the kids got to ask Justin and Anne-Marie all about their inspirations, and what it takes to make a game go from an idea to a finished product. It’s a really unique program and we were very excited to have been a part of it.
It was a cold and rainy afternoon as we made our way to The Dragon’s Den in Poughkeepsie but we were warmly welcomed by David and Sean as soon as we walked in. They had gone out of their way to make our event special with fancy Halloween themed tablecloths, signs, and even tasty snacks.
No sooner had we setup than the first group of players wanted to know all about our latest release. We had two games going almost nonstop for the entire event with many new fans being made this day. One player even declared The Village Crone to be “The best game ever!” after thoroughly crushing their opponents.
We spent a few minutes talking with the owner David about business and what it takes to run a store like this. The amount of fun stuff here is pretty amazing. Retro video games in the back, comics on the sides, board, card and minis games in between, and tons of table space. It’s a great store and the gamers in the area are lucky to have such a cool place to hangout.
We played more games than we could count and even sold out all the inventory of The Village Crone the store had before we called it a night. Our thanks to the staff at the Dragon’s Den for a great time!
What’s Next?
This week we’ve got a quick stop in Connecticut at Gamer’s Gambit and then we’re heading North to Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine! To see our remaining schedule, check out our Something Wicked Tour blog!
There’s been so much to share with the Something Wicked Tour store visits and the launch of The Village Crone, we’ve gotten a wee bit behind on sharing the meta game Justin & Anne-Marie are playing! Here’s what they completed in the last few days in Massachusetts before heading off to New York and Connecticut (we’ll be sharing those schemes next week).
1 Point: Conjure a Familiar – Locate a Familiar in the Cambridge Village Green (Cambridge, MA) – COMPLETED
In The Village Crone, each witch has a different Familiar. The Familiars to choose from are: Bats, Rats, Cats, Snakes, Spicers, and Crows/Ravens. Anne-Marie and Justin had to scour the Cambridge Village Green to find one of these creatures to score this point.
Things can never be easy, now can they? The Cambridge Village Green was under construction at the time of their visit, so they had to get creative to find any creatures who stuck around, and hadn’t gone into their winter dens yet.
3 Points: Marry Magic & Mayhem – (Boston, MA) – COMPLETED
Three parts to this scheme include “Visiting Phineas Gage’s Skull at the Warren Anatomical Museum, Crossing Harvard Bridge, and Visiting Boston Neck Gallows“.
Phineas Gage was a railway worker in 1800s who famously survived an accident in which a large metal rod impaled his head, destroying much of his frontal lobe, but not killing him. He lived for another 12 years and has become a case study for brain and behavior for psychology and neurology enthusiasts and professionals alike. His skull is on display at the Warren Anatomical Museum.
The Harvard Bridge connects Cambridge and Boston. It is the site of a famous Harry Houdini stunt where he was shackled and jumped off the bridge into freezing water below. Spectators waited an agonizing 40 seconds before Houdini broke the surface of the water, shackle-less, to solidify his fame as a magician. Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926.
The Boston Neck, a narrow strip of land connecting the Boston peninsula to the mainland, was the former home of the Gallows where the first person sentenced to death for witchcraft was executed.
What’s the Score?
With the 3 points they scored previously, and the 4 points they scored above, Justin and Anne-Marie are at a total of 7 points toward the 13 they need. There’s plenty of spooky left to share, so stay tuned!
The Something Wicked Tour rolled along over the weekend with three more stores in two states and some crazy traffic!
Our visit to Sarge’s Comics and More in New London, CT was short and sweet. While setting up for the event I noticed they had this copy of the old Bermuda Triangle game. I haven’t seen that since I was a kid!
We gave overviews of The Village Crone to several customers and made many people happy with a free piece of Silver, which came in handy as an actual coaster as well.
On Saturday we braved Manhattan traffic to visit legendary NYC store of The Compleat Strategist.
For years we have heard about this amazing store deep in the heart of the Big Apple. It’s known around the world as “the” place to come see if you are a gamer in New York. It lives up to its reputation.
Not only is the store absolutely packed with games of every type, style and size, the owners Mike and Danny do a great job of matching customers to the perfect game they are looking for.
We were warmly welcomed and quickly setup right at the front of the store to show off The Village Crone. Within minutes we had people asking how to turn Villagers into Frogs, or what the binding rings did. In between giving overviews, we talked all kinds of business with Mike and Danny and learned a lot about what it takes to have run a game store since 1975!
Before we knew it we were signing copies of games and wrapping up the night. It was a great event for us and a very cool opportunity to see one of the most unique game stores in the U.S.
A sunny, fall Sunday in Manchester, Connecticut saw the Fireside Games minivan pull into The Portal’s parking lot and unload all our goodies. We made our way inside and grabbed a long table in the board game area to setup The Village Crone.
Sunday’s are board game day and before long it was standing room only in there and we had our first game up and running. 5 witches battled it out and we saw one of the best uses of scattering happen, sending almost every Familiar back to the Village Green! In the end it came down to just a few point spread, but we had our winner at 13 points.
In between games we took a few minutes to explore the store. In addition to a great selection of games and a ton of play space, The Portal has a massive demo game library! Hundreds of games stacked into bookcases mean that you can come here and play anything from an old classic to a brand new release. The hardest decision will be picking which game to try!
Our next game started up and was a quick 2-player battle that resulted in one of the most crowded Forges we’ve seen and to top it off, it gets Bound so no one can leave! The best part was that while 4 Villagers were in the Forge the other 2 had been turned into frogs, so that was all there was!
We had a great time and met a lot of great gamers there. If you’re anywhere near the Manchester area and are craving a game, The Portal is definitely the place to go!
We’re only halfway through the Something Wicked tour, so stayed tuned for many more store visits in another 3 states!
Fireside Games is growing! Thanks to fans of our games and the amazing support we have found in the board game industry, we find ourselves with more work than ever and looking toward many new opportunities and products. To get there we need help.
We are looking for new members to join the Fireside team in several departments.
Please visit our Careers page to see the openings we are seeking to fill and submit your resume.
We are accepting applications through October and will begin contacting candidates after we wind down our Something Wicked Tour.
