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!
One of the best developments to come out of Star Trek Panic is a better understanding of the whole Panic line. It would drive us crazy when we’d be at a convention happily demoing and we’d overhear this conversation between two friends walking by.
Friend 1: Ooo, Dead Panic. What’s that?
Friend 2: That’s just Castle Panic with zombies.
“No!” we wanted to say, “It’s a whole different experience! Come back! We’ll show you!”
Now, friends are debating which variation in the Panic line is their favorite. That, of course, means they are talking about the differences among the games. To help the discussion, here are the ways each game connects and differs in the Panic line.
Castle Panic
Overview:Castle Panic is the cornerstone of the Panic line and what started it all. It’s a friendly, cooperative tower-defense style experience that appeals most to light gamers and families. It’s often referred to as a gateway game, a game that can be used to introduce new people to the board game hobby. It’s the nicest of the Panics.
How It Plays: In Castle Panic, you work together to defend the 6-tower castle in the center of the board against the monsters coming out of the forest at the edge of the board. The board is set up in colored concentric rings that the monsters move through to get to the castle in the “bull’s eye.” You use cards to hit and slay the triangular-shaped monsters in specific rings and colors. It’s like a conveyor belt of evil! When the monsters are hit, you rotate them down to show how many health points they now have. To win, you must slay all 49 monsters and have at least 1 tower left standing.
How It Forms the Foundation: The concentric-ring design of the board, the triangular-shaped monster tokens, playing cards to hit/slay the monsters, and rotating the tokens to track damage are the elements shared by all of the variations in the Panic line. Beyond that, the ways that the other themes integrate with the system (changing objectives and rules and introducing additional mechanics) create unique experiences.
Dead Panic
Overview:Dead Panic is the first variation in the Panic line and has a much more cinematic feel than Castle Panic. The way players excitedly retell the game afterward sounds more like a movie. The new mechanics make it a better choice for people with some experience playing modern board games, although this is not a brain-burner by any stretch. The lack of gore in the art makes it a good choice for families who enjoy a little zombie-slaying together as well. Our favorite memory of demoing this game was to a father and son, who had this exchange.
Son: Dad! I can’t believe you killed me with a chainsaw!
Father: Son, I had to! You were a zombie!
Dead Panic has also had a surprisingly strong appeal to tween girls. Something specifically empowering about cutting down all of those undead coming at you.
How It Plays: In Dead Panic, you play as characters in the game with special abilities. You search the hunting cabin in the center of the board for items and weapons you can use to hold the zombies at bay while survivors attempt to bring radio pieces to you. After assembling the radio pieces, you have to call the rescuers and make it out into their van in the woods to escape to safety. If you die in the process, you return as a zombie and fight against your former teammates. Players who have experience with Castle Panic often make the mistake of trying to defend the cabin. You will die doing that. This game is all about escaping the zombie apocalypse while you can.
How It Differs: In addition to the introduction of characters that can move around the board and have abilities, the possibility of dying and returning on the opposite side of the battle, and the change in objective, Dead Panic also includes Event cards that change up the conditions of the board each round. And instead of simply marching straight toward the hunting cabin (as monsters move toward the castle), zombies are attracted to humans and will rotate toward any in their line of sight. Those changes create a completely new experience. No one has ever played Dead Panic and said, “Yeah, that’s just like Castle Panic.” Usually, they breathlessly jump up from the table and yell, “I can’t believe we made it out!”
Munchkin Panic
Overview:Munchkin Panic is most like Castle Panic in its basic play. That was a decision to introduce Munchkin players to the foundational Panic mechanics before throwing them into the full Munchkin-meets-Castle-Panic experience that the More Munchkin Mini-Expansion provides. We should have known better. No need to coddle a Munchkin player after all!
How It Plays: In the basic setup, you work together to defend the castle towers against the Munchkin monsters emerging from the forest. Unlike in Castle Panic, these monsters are carrying treasure. When you slay the monsters, you draw cards from a treasure deck that you can combine with the Castle cards for stronger attacks. The Castle deck also now includes Curse cards that you can use to thwart opponents and end up with the highest monster-point count. Playing for individual points is one way to play Castle Panic, but it is the ONLY true way to play Munchkin Panic.
How It Differs: The differences really shine with the More Munchkin Mini-Expansion. (Did we mention that it’s included in the base game? It is! I know, right?!) With the expansion, you no longer have to defend that needy castle. It’s all about the points. In fact, if you are in the lead, you might want to play Monster Enhancers to help take down some towers and end the game quicker. Now the card combos take on a deeper dimension, and the negotiating gets intense. No polite, mutually beneficial trades happening here. It’s all about the art of the deal! You also pick a character based on the Races and Classes from Munchkin and use their ability to gain an advantage. Unlike Dead Panic, though, the characters do not appear in the game and are not in any danger themselves. Why risk your own skin?
Star Trek Panic
Overview: The latest entrant to the Panic line has brought a whole new level of excitement. (Munchkin Panic is a little jealous. Dead Panic is eating brains—again. Castle Panic just wishes everyone would get along.) The objective here is to fend off enemy threats while trying to complete 5 missions. It comes with a model U.S.S. Enterprise that players maneuver (what?!), the enemy’s attacks are ranged, and the defensive responses are based the direction the Enterprise is facing. There might also be a little cloaking going on . . .
How It Plays: Players work together as members of the original Star Trek crew, with special abilities drawn from their functions on the T.V. series, to defend the Enterprise while completing 5 missions. The missions are based on episodes from the original series and the classic Klingon, Romulan, and Tholian enemies provide a lot of the Star Trek flavor.
How It Differs: The prime difference (see what we did there?) is in the change in objective. You must complete missions while defending the central structure (in this case, the Enterprise). Completing a mission may require committing certain cards, maneuvering the Enterprise, and more. It borrows the concept of how character abilities work from Dead Panic, but the actual abilities are based on the world it’s set in (Star Trek, for those not following along). There is no discarding. You get what they came to space with. (OK, you do get to draw and trade each turn.) During the Play Cards phase, you may also maneuver the ship 1 space clockwise, counter-clockwise, or forward. And a lot of decision-making goes into whether to use cards in defense/repair of the Enterprise or in completion of the missions.
The best thing about the Panic line variations is that you don’t have to choose. Let your mood pick your Panic. Up for a friendly, welcoming game? Castle Panic’s the one. Ready for a heart-pumping, edge-of-your-seat, “will-we-make-it-out-alive?!” time? Dead Panic will do the trick. Need a back-stabbing, treasure-grabbing good time? Munchkin Panic pairs nicely. Feeling bold, adventurous, and ready to reunite the crew? Star Trek Panic does the job. It’s all about choosing your experience.
For more on the differences between Castle Panic and Dead Panic.
Here’s a teaser for Star Trek Panic (that attention-hog).
And for how-to-play videos of all of our games check this video out.
Final preparations are underway for Gen Con 2016, and we couldn’t be more excited! We’ll have free demos, promos, events, and all kinds of fun!
Free Demos in Booth #743: Want to check out the latest games from Fireside? This is the best way to make sure you’re taught the rules correctly with friendly people who want to make sure your experience is great. We’ll be demoing Star Trek Panic, Here, Kitty, Kitty!, Dastardly Dirigibles, and Bears! in booth #743.
Promos for Demos: We’ll also be giving demoers these hard- to-find promos for checking out the games.
• Star Trek Panic: Vulcan Mind-Meld
• Here, Kitty, Kitty!: Milkshake
• Dastardly Dirigibles: Smoke Bomb
• Bears!: Alarm Clock
Extras: Dastardly Dirigibles winners can pose with the dapper Heir-on-a-Stick to show their win to the world. And purchasers of Star Trek Panic receive a spare U.S.S. Enterprise! It’ll look great on your desk. That is, until you need to replace the one in your game after all of that damage!
Events: This year, Fireside Games is hosting events for the first time! We sold out of our original events within 3 days and opened up more. Just 4 seats remain open. One for Dead Panic, and three for The Village Crone. Click here to sign up. After you click on the link, select the Board Game category to find our events. Hope to see you there!
You can participate in the fun by visiting one of the stores listed below that will be providing FREE demos of the various games in our Panic Line. You can also host a game day with your friends and help spread the Panic!
If you are playing our games that weekend, please tag us in your social posts with #PanicDay and let’s see how far we can get this thing to go.
Don’t forget we have lots of helpful How To Play videos on our YouTube Channel if you run into a tricky situation and need a little guidance. There’s no shame in asking for a little help, especially when you are clearly panicking!
And don’t forget our special Panic Line Bundle will be available starting June 18! It includes one copy each of Castle Panic®, Dead Panic®, and Munchkin®Panic®. Each of these variations offers a different set of objectives and gameplay twists for a variety of game play experiences each time you sit down at the game table.
Each game in the bundle comes with an EXCLUSIVE promo piece only available in this bundle and the bundle is only available through brick and mortar game stores!
RETAILERS! Are you hosting an in-store event? Not on the list below? Contact Us and let us know so we can add you to the list!
STORE NAME
LOCATION
Dragon’s Keep Gaming Room
Fayetteville, AR
Imperial Outpost Games
Phoenix, AZ
Game Kastle
Fremont, CA
Crit Castle Games
Aurora, CO
Dragon’s Lair
Wallingford, CT
Emerald City
Clearwater, FL
Smallville Hobby Store
Macon, GA
Tyche’s Games
Athens, GA
The Armchair Adventurer
Honolulu, HI
GameQuest
Fort Wayne, IN
Game Preserve
Indianapolis, IN
Better World Books
Goshen, IN
Secret Door Games
Elkhart, IN
TableTop Game & Hobby
Overland Park, KS
Boom Comic Shop
Lawrence, KS
A+ Comics and Games
Lexington, KY
Hobbytown USA
Frederick, MD
Brainstorm Comics & Gaming
Frederick, MD
Acropolis Games
Adrian, MI
TC War Room
Traverse City, MI
Game Nite
St. Louis, MO
Dark Knights Gaming
Long Beach, MS
maCnarB Gaming
Gautier, MS
Penta Smite Gaming
Pearl, MS
Red Door Games
Richlands, NC
Spielbound
Omaha, NE
The Game Shoppe
Bellevue, NE
Arcana Toys, Games, and Hobbies
Washington, NJ
Elite Battlegrounds
Green Brook, NJ
The Game Room Store
Woodbridge, NJ
Alterniverse
Hyde Park, NY
Legendary Realms Games
Plainview, NY
Rockin’ Rooster Comics & Games
Cincinnati, OH
Six Feet Under Games
New Holland, PA
The Temple Games
Pawtucket, RI
The Game Cave
Hermitage, TN
The Next Level Games
Madison, TN
Clockwork Games & Events
College Station, TX
The Island Games
Centreville, VA
Leesburg Hobbies & Collectibles
Leesburg, VA
The Compleat Strategist
Falls Church, VA
Diversified Games
Chehalis, WA
Pegasus Games
Madison, WI
The GameBoard
Sheboygan, WI
Lost Legion Games & Comics, The Rifleman
South Charleston, WV
That’s A LOT of places to PANIC! We hope you can join us for the fun.
Let us know what games YOU’LL be playing on International Panic Day in the comments!
Have you been considering picking up the Panic Line? Want to try all the different variations for the unique experiences they provide, but don’t know which one to start with? Well, we’ve got you covered with the special Panic Line bundle coming June 18!
The Panic Line Bundle will include one copy of each of the Panic Line variations currently available from Fireside Games: Castle Panic®, Dead Panic®, and Munchkin®Panic®.* Each of these variations offers a different set of objectives and gameplay twists for a variety of game play experiences each time you sit down at the game table.
As a special bonus to this bundle (which is already being offered at a great value of $99.95 MSRP for all three games), each game comes with an EXCLUSIVE promo piece only available in this bundle!
You can get the “Laser Sight” for Dead Panic®, the “Potion of Mwahahahaha” for Munchkin®Panic®, and the special “Promo Tower” for Castle Panic® that was only available in 2015 as part of TableTop Day!
These bundles will be available starting on June 18 to help celebrate International Panic Day and will only be available through brick and mortar retail game stores. Let your Friendly Local Game Store know you want one so they can put in their orders today!
A little Panic can be a good thing, and A LOT of Panic can be a GREAT thing… when it comes to games, that is!
Find a Friendly Local Game Store near you with our handy Store Locator map!
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.
What a way to start the summer! We returned to Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH after a few years away and were greeted with warm smiles from eager gamers.
When the hall opened on Thursday morning there was a steady stream of attendees getting their first look around the hall and we even had a few beeline straight to make their Bears! Trail Mix’d purchase. This expansion to our fast-paced, dice-pairing game Bears! doesn’t officially release until June 24, but we had a stash of advance copies and people weren’t shy about snagging one of their very own.
We had a lot of interest in The Dark Titan expansion to Castle Panic and kept that demo table running regularly most of the weekend. There were many Castle Panic first-timers sitting down so they got to experience the true panic the expansion brings to the game. The ratio of wins to losses was pretty evenly matched and everyone seemed to actually enjoy the anxiety brought by the new Monsters and Agranok.
There was a heightened interest in Dead Panic so we cracked open a copy for the second demo table and that one stayed full most of the weekend as well. We had a fantastic play through with a young gamer and her dad. She was a boss at taking out zombies with her chain saw and there were a lot of smiles in that apocalypse.
The best thing about doing game conventions is all the familiar faces and the new friends we make, and this year’s Origins Game Fair was no exception. We want to thank everyone who came by the booth to say hi, pick up the latest promos, and take a copy of a game home with them.
If you missed out on the 6th Level Agranok promo or the Bears! Alarm Clock, don’t worry, we’ll have them at other shows this year. Check out our Calendar for future appearances.
We hope to see many of you in July at GenCon in Indy. (We’ll have The Village Crone on the table there, as well as a special promo you’ll want to be sure to pick up.) We’ll be in booth #1949.
We had representatives on the ground at two additional events for International Table Top Day this year. We’re excited the growth of the company has provided us the additional staff so we can play games with more people in more locations on more occasions in the future.
First up, we started the day in Hudson, OH with Kris and Maureen on location at The Malted Meeple, a gaming cafe that offers a wide variety of snacks and beverages (craft beers and sodas, and hand-crafted milkshakes!) as well as an extensive game library. Kris debuted the Flame Hat in her intro video for the event. You can watch it in action below:
We got set up in an event space off the main room around 11 AM and there were already several gamers at other tables enjoying games. We were set up to handle demos of Castle Panic with The Dark Titan, as well as Dead Panic and Bears! Partway through the day they broke out a copy of Munchkin Panic to show a few gamers how they were different and get a couple more demos underway.
Aside from the event room we had copies of the games out at tables in the main room among the throngs of people who kept the staff at The Malted Meeple hopping all day with milkshake orders and lots of snack prep! There was rarely an empty table and the place stayed full well into the evening. Maureen even played a couple of raucous games of Bears! right at the bar!
It was great fun to see our games making the rounds and meet some big fans who came out specifically for Castle Panic swag. We even got to see our Troll coasters all over the place with each drink order!
Next up, a few hours later and entire time zone away, Edgar and Gabby were at Dragon’s Lair Comic & Fantasy in Austin, TX for their in-store event!
They ran several demos of Castle Panic with The Dark Titan as well as a few with Castle Panic and BOTH The Dark Titan and The Wizard’s Tower expansions! Edgar also ran some people through some exciting games of Bears! They ran out of space and time as the tables remained full all day, but managed to talk to a lot of people about the upcoming Bears! Trail Mix’d expansion to Bears! as well as the forthcoming The Village Crone, expected out this fall.
Dragon’s Lair is an awesome store and they planned a big event with several game companies represented and lots of open gaming happening. The staff there was very accommodating and supportive and the event attendees were great fun. There were even a few people who survived The Dark Titan! It was a long day full of fun, Castle destruction, and awesome people.
We look forward to future events at Dragon’s Lair and hope to see more of the Austin gaming community out at events like this. Thanks to the folks at Dragon’s Lair and The Malted Meeple for helping us have such a successful International TableTop Day!
Kris & Maureen will be back at The Malted Meeple later in the month as we are in their Publisher Spotlight this month. So if you are local in Ohio and missed TableTop Day you get a second chance at the fun. Check our calendar and watch our Facebook for information on the next visit.
You’ll be seeing more of Edgar as well as he heads up our new volunteer corps, The Torch Program. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for Fireside Games, we are currently actively recruiting for the Austin area as well as for GenCon 2015. Contact us for more details.
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