Author: Justin De Witt

Ultimatch earns Academics’ Choice Brain Toy Award for Mind-Building Excellence!

Posted on by
Academic's Choice Brain Toy Award seal next to box for Ultimatch card game.

We are pleased to announce that Ultimatch has been honored with a 2024 Academics’ Choice Brain Toy Award, a prestigious seal of educational quality, reserved only for the best mind-building media and toys. The independent Academics’ Choice Awards program and its seal of excellence are recognized worldwide by consumers and educational institutions as a mark of genuinely effective learning tools that stimulate the mind, and provide potential for the student to fully develop higher order thinking skills. Ultimatch is a winner of the Academics’ Choice Brain Toy Award in the toy category. The Academics’ Choice Advisory Board consists of leading thinkers and graduates from Princeton, Harvard, George Washington University, and other reputable educational institutions. Product-appropriate volunteer reviewers, combined with the brainpower of the Board, determine the coveted winners. Entries are judged by category (i.e. mobile app, toy, book, website, magazine, etc.), subject area, and grade level, and evaluated based on standardized criteria rooted in constructivist learning theory. The full list of winners is posted online at www.AcademicsChoice.com.

The hundreds of submitted products that are not chosen by the Academics’ Choice Awards team (and many that are chosen) are donated to a variety of worthy charities and other organizations across the globe.

About Academics’ Choice™:

Academics’ Choice™ helps consumers find exceptional brain-boosting material. Academics’ Choice is the only international awards program designed to bring increased recognition to publishers, manufacturers, independent authors and developers that aim to stimulate cognitive development. A volunteer panel of product-appropriate judges, including parents, educators, scientists, artists, doctors, nurses, librarians, students and children, evaluate submissions based on educational benefits such as higher-order thinking skills, character building, creative play, durability and originality. Only the genuine “mind-builders” are recognized with the coveted Academics’ Choice Award™.

Ultimatch coming in June

Posted on by — 4 Comments
Ultimatch box with cards laid out in a pyramid with the alta hand cards face up and the deck face down.

Fireside Games is thrilled to announce Ultimatch, an addictive, cooperative card game that hits stores worldwide June 12, 2024.

Ultimatch box with cards laid out in a pyramid with the alta hand cards face up and the deck face down.

Ultimatch is an addictive cooperative twist on matching card games that brings new options for making matches. The goal is to remove all the cards from a pyramid by matching them. You make matches by color, number, addition, subtraction, or even mixing colors, but you want to think through the best cards to use now and which ones to save for later. Single matches give you a rush, Ultimatches feel great, and clearing the pyramid feels amazing.

Diagram showing all the ways players can match an Orange 5 in Ultimatch

Ultimatch includes both public and private cards and requires the kind of clever decision making about when to use cards that seasoned card players enjoy. Silently trading 1 card facedown with 1 other player keeps all players engaged throughout, introduces a push-your-luck element, and calls on players to read each other. Will you risk trading a card with another player? If so, who is likely to know what you need? Is your card better to keep for later use? The thinking goes quickly as do the turns. Every match is a mini-win, and win or lose, players keep coming back for more.

Ages 10+, 1 to 5 players, 20 minutes, $9.95

Ultimatch is available for preorder and will be demoed at GAMA Expo, Dice Tower West, UK Games Expo, Origins, Gen Con, and more to be announced.

Best Gift: Games & Puzzles

Posted on by — Leave a comment
The Pop Insider's Winner Seal next to the Castle Panic box

We’re so thrilled to announce that CASTLE PANIC 2ND EDITION has been chosen as the winner of the Best Gift in the Games & Puzzles category for Pop Insider’s 2023 Holiday Gift Guide!

This fifth annual holiday gift guide is Pop Insider’s biggest one yet, and it’s filled with all sorts of fun stuff. We couldn’t be happier to get picked to part of this collection, and we’re excited to hear from new players that get to experience Castle Panic for the first time!

Justin’s Interview on the We’re Not Wizards Podcast

Posted on by — Leave a comment
Black and white hexagon with a line drawing of a wizard's wand crossed out.

Justin recently sat down (virtually) with Richard for a fun chat on the We’re Not Wizards podcast.

They discussed the thermodynamics of tea, what kind of kid Justin was growing up, selling games in today’s market, and “squeaky bum” moments. It really is all that and a bag of chips, or “crisps” rather.

You can listen to the podcast on the player above, or visit We’re Not Wizards to hear all the shenanigans for yourself.

Castle Panic Second Edition Launches

Posted on by — 1 Comment
Boxes for Castle Panic, Castle Panic Big Box, and Crowns and Quests over an orange sky background with the text Second Edition, Available Now!
The box for the Second Edition of Castle Panic

Today’s the day! After years of work, we are super excited to launch Castle Panic Second Edition. With all new art, heavier card stock, and a custom die, this version looks better than ever.

The Crowns and Quests box over a white background

In addition, we are launching the newest expansion, Crowns and Quests. This expansion adds 12 playable characters with unique powers and 18 Quests that completely change how the game ends. you can search the forest for magic scrolls, assemble magic portals to teleport the Castle to safety, and more. The combination of character powers and variety of quests means you’ll have almost endless adventures in Crowns and Quests. Fans of the first edition of Castle Panic will be happy to know that none of the components of Crowns and Quests are combined with any other components, so this expansion is completely compatible with the game they have at home.

The box of the Castle Panic Big Box Second Edition over a white background

For the fan who wants it all, we are also launching the Castle Panic Big Box Second Edition. This all-in-one box contains second editions of all the Castle Panic games (Castle Panic, The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, Engines of War) and Crowns and Quests. The Big Box also comes with 6 promo towers and 7 promo cards to round out the complete collection.

Insider tip: The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, and Engines of War won’t be released on their own until January, February, and March, so the Castle Panic Big Box is a great way to get them to your table right now.

More details on any of the games can be found in this post.

Thank all of you for your support and enthusiasm over the years. We can’t wait for you to try Crowns and Quests and enjoy these beautiful new editions. Good luck defending Castle Bravehold!

Brez Coffee Coupon

Posted on by — Leave a comment
Black cup of coffee with a small brown sample bag on a white countertop
Brez Coffee Company logo "By Gamers For Gamers"

We love a good cup of coffee while playing a game here at the Fireside Games office, and we’re betting you might too. We recently had the fine people at Brez Coffee Company reach out and send us some samples of their flavored coffees with very fanciful names.

We brewed up a few cups of fun flavors like “Minty Explosion”, “I Cast Fireball”, “Dark Knight Mocha,” and Justin’s favorite, “Dragons Breath” (a cinnamon dulce blend).

After chatting with them and learning how they are making coffee by gamers, for gamers, we came up with a fun cross-promotion that we’re running together.

Black coffee mug filled with coffee. Surrounded by 5 small brown bags of sample coffee on a white countertop

Right now if you visit their website Brezcoffeeco.com and use the coupon code ‘fireside,’ you’ll get 10% off your order.

They have lots of tasty game-themed flavors to choose from, including a “Fireside S’mores” roast made especially for us! It’s got a chocolate and marshmallow flavor that will go great with playing games on a cool fall evening.

A bag of coffee labeled "Fireside S'mores" on a white background

If you’re not into flavored coffees, you can pick up some of their “Critical Dark” for a simple, good dark roast.

That’s not all though. While you’re on their website, you might just find a coupon code that will get you a discount on games over here at firesidegames.com . . .

We hope you enjoy this offer as we move into the cooler fall weather and get ready for lots of gaming indoors with a hot cup of coffee!

Announcing Castle Panic Second Edition, a New Expansion, and a Big Box

Posted on by — Leave a comment
6 game boxes for the Castle Panic second edition over a white background

It may be hard to believe that Castle Panic first made its appearance on game tables almost 13 years ago in September of 2009. Since then, it’s been an amazing journey filled with adventures and stories as we added to the world with 3 expansions and 3 variations. After all those battles, the time has come to update everyone’s favorite cooperative tower defense board game. We are incredibly proud to announce the upcoming release of Castle Panic second edition!

The entire Castle Panic line is getting all new, bright, colorful art, a wide variety of diverse characters, and a few updates to make the game play even smoother. It’s still the same great cooperative game that players have loved for over a decade with a fresh new look.

What’s Different?

The biggest change is to the artwork, which makes the game look like it came right out of an animated movie. This is the same artwork used in the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection offered on Kickstarter in 2021.

New card designs make it easier to tell cards apart and to see what part of the board they affect.

6 cards from Castle Panic 2nd edition over a white background

The board is refreshed as well and now includes iconography to help color-blind players identify the different areas of the board more easily.

Castle Panic second edition game board

The game comes with a custom die that’s colored to match the medallions in each arc of the board.

A close up of a white six-sided die with red, blue and green numbers sitting on a colorful game board

The weight of the card stock used has been increased to provide a more satisfying feeling in your hand.

Lastly, the Castle has a name now! After asking our fans to submit their best ideas and vote on their favorite, we can all proudly band together to defend Castle Bravehold.

The rules are staying the same for Castle Panic. For The Dark Titan and Engines of War expansions, a minor change has been made to a few Monsters. The Dark Sorceress, Breathtaker, and Shaman are now all Mega Boss Monsters, like the Dragon from The Wizard’s Tower. This standardizes some rules that previously had those Monsters using their own ruleset.

When’s the Next Expansion Coming Out?

We are thrilled to announce the launch of a brand-new expansion, Crowns and Quests!

This expansion adds 12 playable characters with unique abilities that allow players to take on a role in the royal court defending Castle Bravehold. Each character is assigned to one of the six towers at the start of the game. If that tower is destroyed, the character is lost, and the player must continue without that ability.

The game box for Crowns and Quests next to 4 cards from the game over a white background

You’ll need those abilities too, since there are now quests that the players must try to survive to win the game. At the start of the game, players choose 1 Standard Quest and 1 Endgame Quest. Until both of those Quests are completed, the pile of Monsters will refill over and over.

Standard Quests include searching for magic scrolls, looking for a cure for a plague of madness, holding off magical stones that cause the Monsters to spawn closer and closer to the Castle, and much more. Once the Standard Quest is achieved, players move on to the Endgame Quest, which they either complete or perish trying. Endgame Quests feature challenges such as collapsing caves to stop the flow of Monsters, racing against time to destroy a cursed obelisk, and placing magical portals to teleport the entire Castle to safety. There are 11 Standard and 7 Endgame Quests to choose from, providing hours and hours of replay as players explore all the different challenges.

A Standard Quest and an Endgame Quest over a white background

Because none of the components in Crowns and Quests are combined with components of the base game or the other expansions, this new expansion is compatible with both the first and second editions.

What if I Want It All?

For players that are looking to collect the entire second edition all at once, we are launching the Castle Panic Big Box second edition at the same time. This (not surprisingly) large box contains Castle Panic, The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, Engines of War, Crowns and Quests, 6 promo towers, and 7 promo cards. The custom box also comes with a vac tray insert to hold all the items.

The box for the Castle Panic Big Box over a white background

When Can I Get It?

Castle Panic, Crowns and Quests, and the Castle Panic Big Box will be on store shelves on November 30. The Wizard’s Tower will hit store shelves January 25, The Dark Titan on February 22, and Engines of War  on March 22.

Thank you to all the amazing artists that made this new edition possible: Justin Chan, Anthony Cournoyer, Jakab Ferdinánd, Javier Guzman, Maggie Ivy, Tad Lambert, Britt Pezzillo, Quel. This line looks amazing because of your talent and dedication to the project.

We hope all of you are as excited to see this fabulous new version on your table as we are!

Gen Con 2022

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Only a few more weeks until Gen Con is here. Taking place every year in Indianapolis, Gen Con is the biggest gaming convention in the U.S. It usually features a mix of discovering new games and celebrating old favorites, and this year we’ve got some big stuff planned for both.

Fireside Games advertisement for Gen Con. Launch Party, Giant Castle Panic, and Pin Bazaar

Events

If you’re looking to sit down and learn how to play one of our games, jump into one of our events. There’s no cost and our volunteers will provide everything needed to play and teach you the rules. You can choose from Castle Panic (1st Edition), Here, Kitty, Kitty!, or Dastardly Dirigibles. You can find the complete list of events here. https://www.gencon.com/events?search=fireside

Launch Party

The Second Edition of Castle Panic is coming out later this year along with a new expansion, and we are throwing a launch party to celebrate! The party will take place on Thursday, August 4th at 8pm EDT in rooms 144 and 145. We’ll have multiple copies of the new edition plus Crowns and Quests (the new expansion) on the table so everyone can see the amazing new art and try out the games before you can buy them. Each attendee will receive an exclusive pin that is only available at this event. We’re also holding a raffle drawing to give away some great prizes. We’ll be raffling 3D prints of some of the minis that were used in the prototypes of Castle Panic Deluxe as well as copies of Castle Panic and Crowns and Quests to a few lucky winners!

Tickets are $2 and this event is filling up fast, so reserve your space now if you want to attend this celebration of all things Castle Panic.

You can buy your tickets here: https://www.gencon.com/events/209841

Booth #2323

When you’re walking the vendor hall, be sure to come see us at Booth #2323. You can get a sneak peek of Castle Panic Deluxe and see the new artwork and minis up close. We’ll be taking pre-orders for Castle Panic 2nd Edition as well as the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection and Castle Panic Wood Collection that were only offered through Kickstarter previously. While you’re at our booth, you can pick up our exclusive enamel pin that’s part of the Gen Con Pin Bazaar. Share your loyalty to the castle with this mighty dragon.

Pin with a red dragon breathing fire and the text "Castle Panic" below

You can also grab a few promos for your favorite games, and you won’t be able to miss Giant Castle Panic.

Giant Castle Panic

A giant version of Castle Panic, with 2 foot high towers on a carpeted floor

That’s right. We’ve made a huge version of Castle Panic and it’s taking over our booth! This giant game measures 10 feet across and is sure to make some jaws drop. Get your picture taken in front of our (almost) life-sized castle and show your friends how awesome Gen Con is.

Castle Panic Deluxe Pledge Manager Closing Soon!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Heroes stand before castle with text announcing Pledge Manager is closing soon

Heads up gamers, the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection pledge manager is closing on January 15th! There are just a few days left to place your late pledge or complete your pledge for the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection that was launched on Kickstarter.

This amazing deluxe version is available in a variety of options including Castle Panic Deluxe and The Wizard’s Tower Deluxe on their own, as well as both a Wood Collection and the Deluxe Collection to suit fans of any appetite.

Boxes for the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection and Wood Collection

Both collections contain all the components for deluxe versions of Castle Panic and ALL the expansions, including the not-yet-released Crowns and Quests.

The Deluxe Collection includes over 180 plastic minis for all the Monsters as well as wooden tokens, while the Wood Collection skips the plastic Monsters in favor of just keeping the wooden tokens.

These deluxe versions will only be offered in extremely limited quantities after the pledge manager closes, and time is running out to add this exciting collectible edition to your game shelf!

You can access the pledge manager at CrowdOx by clicking HERE. Don’t miss out!

Castle Panic Deluxe Collection Pledge Manger Is Live!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Castle Heroes stand near text announcing the Pledge Manger is Live on Crowd Ox

 

After quite a bit of fine-tuning, we are excited to announce the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection pledge manager is live! We have teamed up with the kind people over at Crowd Ox to send you a simple survey in order to collect the info we need to fulfill your rewards. Invitations were sent this morning at 10:30am Eastern time.

The invitation was directly to the email address linked to your Kickstarter account. Be sure to check your spam folder in case it was captured there!

You do not need to make a login and password in order to access your survey as you will receive an email with a unique link. If you want to go back to review your info, simply click on the link in your email again.

It is important to submit the completed survey as quickly as possible in order for us to commence fulfillment.

Crowd Ox gives you the opportunity to verify your reward, and verify and validate your shipping address. On top of all that, you can also upgrade your pledge level or add additional items and add-ons to your existing pledge!

If you run into any survey related issues, you can reach out directly to the Crowd Ox team right from the bottom of the form (see image below). They are very friendly and quick to respond!

arrows showing how to get support while using Crowd Ox

I have moved, how do I edit my address?

You can go back into your survey at any time to update your address.

Illustration of how to update your address on Crowd Ox

If you missed out on the Kickstarter, there’s still time to get in on the fanciest version of Castle Panic we will ever create! Just hop on over to the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection pledge manager at: https://app.crowdox.com/projects/fsd/castle-panic-deluxe-collection to get started. You can choose a pledge level, input your address, and even include extra copies or add-ons in your order.

Thanks again!

 

 

Castle Panic Deluxe Collection Ends!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Castle Panic Deluxe Collection campaign has ended. It’s been an amazing adventure on Kickstarter, and we are so glad to have gone on this journey with all of you. We’re very excited to bring this collector’s edition of Castle Panic and all the expansions to the tables of fans everywhere!

What’s Next?

Now that the campaign is over, we will switch our focus to finishing up the final touches before we go to production. We will be posting updates on the campaign page on Kickstarter, as well as on social media. These updates will include final graphics and minis for the new Crowns and Quests expansion, so stay tuned! We are expecting the games to be delivered to backers around the world by May of 2022.

Oh no, I missed it!

Not to worry! Late Pledges are now open and you can get there through this link. The Pledge Manager surveys will go out towards the end of June. Once the Pledge Manager opens you will be able to confirm you address as well as upgrade your pledge or include any add-ons you would like. This step will be necessary in order to complete your purchase, so keep an eye out for those surveys.

 

We will have copies of the Deluxe Collection for sale on our website and at conventions after the game fulfills, but they will be in extremely limited quantities. The best way to make sure you don’t miss out is to back the game now.

Thank you for your help in creating this amazing piece of Castle Panic history!

 

Castle Panic Deluxe Collection Live NOW!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

A group of heroes stand before the castle. Plastic minis from the deluxe game nearby.

We’re excited to announce that the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection is now live on Kickstarter!

Now you can defend the castle with all new art, wooden tokens, Monster minis with rotatable bases for tracking damage, plastic Castle and game pieces for the base game and all of the expansions, and a brand new expansion with a royal court and quests.

The campaign offers a variety of configurations to suit every fan. Have the Big Box and are looking for minis to add? You’ll want the Castle Panic Deluxe: Plastics Only pledge level and the Deluxe Expansions Plastics Only add-on. Looking for all the upgrades but not into minis? You’ll want the Castle Panic: Wood Edition pledge level. Want it all? Pick the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection.

New Expansion

This Kickstarter features the premiere of the brand new expansion Crowns and Quests in deluxe format. Become a member of the royal family or inner circle. Choose from a variety of playable Characters with unique game-changing powers. Survive the attack while attempting to complete Quests such as retrieving magical items, destroying a cursed temple, teleporting the entire castle to safety, and more.

Check out the pledge levels here:

  • Castle Panic: Wood Edition: Complete game that includes all new art, plastic castle pieces for the Walls, Towers, Fortify Token, and Tar, plus wooden Monster tokens for Castle Panic base game ONLY.

 

  • Castle Panic Deluxe: Plastics Only: Includes plastic castle pieces for the Walls, Towers, Fortify Token, and Tar, plus all the Monster minis for Castle Panic base game ONLY.

 

  • Castle Panic Deluxe: Complete game that includes all new art, plastic castle pieces for the Walls, Towers, Fortify Token, and Tar. Includes wooden Monster tokens and plastic Monster minis for Castle Panic base game ONLY.

 

  • Castle Panic Deluxe with The Wizard’s Tower Deluxe and Playmat: Complete games that include all new art, wooden tokens, plastic castle pieces and plastic Monster minis for both Castle Panic base game and The Wizard’s Tower. Includes the playmat.

 

  • Castle Panic Deluxe Collection: Complete games that include all new art, wooden tokens, plastic castle pieces, and plastic Monster minis for Castle Panic, The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, Engines of War, and Crowns and Quests. Includes the playmat.

You can also combine your pledge levels with these Add-ons:

  • The Wizard’s Tower Deluxe: Complete game that includes all new art, wooden tokens, plastic Wizard’s Tower, and Monster minis for The Wizard’s Tower ONLY.

 

  • Crowns and Quests Deluxe: Complete game that includes all new art and plastic pieces for Crowns and Quests ONLY.

 

  • Deluxe Expansions Plastic Only: Includes all the plastic pieces and all the Monster minis for The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, Engines of War, and Crowns and Quests.

 

  • Playmat: 20” x 20,” neoprene version of the board

 

This game will NOT be sold through distribution. It will be available on our website at an increased price. Don’t miss out! Back this project today!

CLICK HERE TO BACK ON KICKSTARTER

Castle Panic Deluxe Collection coming to Kickstarter May 11!

Posted on by — Leave a comment
Castle Panic Deluxe Collection Launches May 11

Castle Panic Deluxe Collection Launches May 11The official new date for the Kickstarter launch of the Castle Panic Deluxe Collection has been decided: May 11!

We’re excited to offer all new art, wooden tokens, Monster minis with rotatable bases for tracking damage, and plastic walls and towers for the base game and all of the expansions. They will be available in a variety of configurations to suit every fan. In addition, we’ll be rolling out a brand new expansion that will include a royal court and missions! Sign up now to follow the campaign.

Castle Panic Deluxe Collection relaunching in March!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Hey everyone!

First off, we wanted to thank all of you for your patience while we’ve been cranking away on getting this project ready for its relaunch. The big news is that as of today we are art complete! This means we have all the new art done for Castle Panic, The Wizard’s Tower, The Dark Titan, and Engines of War.

Castle Panic Heroes standing together

It’s a big step and we’re pretty darn excited! We are still working on completing all the minis and that’s going to take a while, but we are making good progress there as well. In addition, we have a lot of graphic design, logistics, and packaging issues to figure out, but it’s all moving ahead.

Which brings us to the next big announcement. Based on where we are and what needs to be done, we are going to plan on relaunching this project on Kickstarter as the “Castle Panic Deluxe Collection” and we are scheduling that launch for March. We won’t have the preview page up for a while yet, but we’ll let you know when we do.

We hope you’re as excited as we are to see this project relaunched, so if you want to follow along, be sure to keep up with us on our social media. Thanks again for all your support!

2020 Halloween Sale!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Looking for something a little spooky? Make this Halloween frightfully fun with 25% off horror titles from Fireside Games. In Dead Panic, you’ll search your cabin for items and weapons to hold off the zombies and sprint to the van to escape. Take too many bites, though, and you’ll join the undead against your fellow teammates.

Or vie to become The Village Crone by sending out familiars to gather resources for spells you’ll cast on unsuspecting villagers and complete your Witch’s Schemes. Either way, you’ll have a hauntingly good time!

Hot Diggity! We Won!

Posted on by — Leave a comment
Hot Diggity Award Winner Seal

We’re thrilled to announce that My First Castle Panic has been awarded a Hot Diggity Seal of Approval!

Hot Diggity Awards image large

 

The Hot Diggity Seal of Approval is awarded to the best products for families and pets. Their seal “signifies innovation, quality, entertainment and/or educational value, and a commitment to excellence.” Thank you to the team at Hot Diggity. We are honored to be chosen!

If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing your preschoolers play My First Castle Panic independently for hours, you’ve got to check it out.