The Kraken - a gaming vacation - Schloss Neuhausen, Germany
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BOARD & CARD GAMES

Exclusive KRAKEN Demo & Playtest with the Designer

Gods War

Designer: Sandy Petersen
Hosts: Sandy Petersen & Chris Lemens


Gods War is a competitive strategy game based on the vigorous mythic realm of Glorantha in which 3 to 5 players summon minions and gods, build temples and shrines, and cast spells. The players go on heroquests, gather mystic runes, try to destroy their enemies, and capture their territory. Each faction has its own unique set of spells, mortal units and immortal gods. For example, the Darkness faction features trolls, the Mistress, shades, and the Hellmother; while the Sky faction has archers, the Emperor, Phoenixes, and the Sun God. The game has a world-shattering 'mythic' feel to it, rather than a 'fantasy adventure' sensation. Gods War is based on the vigorous mythic realm of Glorantha, which has been the basis for multiple tabletop board, roleplaying, and even digital games, as well as numerous works of fiction. Its depth and scope has been recognized by numerous aficionados of fantasy and gaming, and now it is brought to you in all its astounding power.

The game starts in the Action phase where players spend power they have earned by constructing buildings from last turn. They then spend power to do heroquests, obtain runes, do battle with enemy factions, summon lesser gods' and their greater god, and use powerful empire specific gifts. Victory is determined by obtaining victory points via buildings controlled each round and runes. The game is scheduled to become a Kickstarter project this fall.

More images of concept art and miniature models can be found here.

Gods War
The prototype of Gods War with the Chaos Rift in action. The miniatures are just random game pieces that Sandy took from other games. He choose them because they come close to the 'feel' he wants for the finished minatures.

Gods War cards
Some of the prototype Gods War Expansions fraction cards.


Exclusive KRAKEN Game with the Designer

Cthulhu Wars

Designer: Sandy Petersen
Hosts: Sandy Petersen
& Sons

Cthulhu Wars is a fun, competitive strategy game in which 3 to 5 players produce cultists and monsters, build mystic gates and awaken Great Old Ones. The players earn spellbooks, try to destroy their enemies, and capture their bases. Each faction has its own unique set of monsters, spells, and its own Great Old One(s). The game features over 60 highly detailed monster miniatures!

Cthulhu Wars
Cthulhu Wars set up in its full glory and ready to be played at THE KRAKEN 2014.


Exclusive KRAKEN Demo & Playtest with the Designer

ORCS MUST DIE!: THE BOARDGAME

Designer: Sandy Petersen
Hosts: Sandy Petersen & Sons


The award winning computer game Orcs Must Die! has made its way to the table top! Orcs Must Die: The Boardgame dares you to preserve your stronghold sieged by orcs. You have traps & weapons galore, and can team up with your friends to obliterate the nasty orcs and their grotesque allies. The game includes scores of figures of favorite heroes, plus hordes of orcs, crossbow orcs, kobolds, gnolls, trolls, ogres, and more. Build an exciting fortress using a tile-based system, then watch as swarms of baddies plunge through your defenses to abolish your Rift.

Orcs Must Die


THEOMACHY

Designers: Tomasz Bylina, Adam Kwapinski & Jakub Wasilewski
Hosts: Sandy Petersen & Sons


When gods fight, human blood flows. Theomachy lets you take the place of a high god – lord of a group of devoted followers. You have one goal and one goal only: annihilate your foes'believers and seize absolute power. Achieve this task by staking the souls of your followers, using the same bluff, psychology, and tactics that have made Texas Hold 'em Poker the world's premier card game. Once you seize victory, you can rest, and listen to the cheerful song of your people. You have won the clash of the gods. You have won Theomachy. Now is your opportunity to face off Poseidon against Ishtar! Thor against Cthulhu! Morrigan against Yog-Sothoth!

Theomachy


Dicenstein!

Designers: Chris Fernandez & Tom McGinty
Hosts: Sandy Petersen & Sons


What if the power to grant life was used on the best parts of the world's most infamous monsters? What if you knew this secret? Would you make the world a better place, or just a better place … for you? Dicenstein lets you dig up body parts, use them to build a monster, then use that monster to attack your rivals' monsters, all the while assembling a monster army for world domination. It features heaps of dice rolling and constant decision-making to better your monster and your parts collection. You have to balance creating your monster army (which means spending body parts) with creating the best monster possible (which means hoarding monster parts). The monsters are constructed by rolling monster part dice and assembling them onto a slab in your lab. Each monster has its own unique ability - combine multiple monsters to get more abilities!

Dicenstein!


Axis & Allies: Classic

Designer: Larry Harris
Hosts: Peter & Fabian


1942, the world is at war! Come and battle out WWII with Major Peter Küsell and Generalfeldmarschall Fabian von Küchler. Playing Axis & Allies is another KRAKEN tradition. Will the Schloss management prevail against the overwhelming forces of THE KRAKEN team? The game will be set-up and then be run all KRAKEN. Turns will played in the gaming breaks. Yeah, that is how we roll.

Axis and Allies
Peter (USA) directing the action of the Allied forces of Remy (England) and Denis (Russia) while Sven (Japan) is looking on during THE KRAKEN 2014. Needless to say the allied situation was already hopeless.


Exclusive KRAKEN Game with the Designer

Secret Project

Designer: Gianni Vacca
Host: Gianni Vacca


secret project
A secret project by Gianni Vacca. Whoever comes to the Kraken shall know more...

Gianni Vacca's Secret Project
First 'real' game after the first round of rules modifications. Gianni won. (We like the cheeky faces)


KRAKEN Demo & Playtest

CREDO

Designers: Chris Gidlow, Michael 'MOB’ O'Brien & Jeff Richard
Host: Michael O'Brien


The long-awaited new edition of Chaosium classic card game CREDO draws closer!

It is the Year of the Lord 325, and the bishops and patriarchs of the Christian Churches have gathered under the watchful eye of the new Roman Emperor to decide the most important questions of the day — who is the Supreme God of the Universe and what is his relationship to first century preacher Jesus of Nazareth?

Players take the parts of factions in the early church, using secular power, barbarian tribes, rioting racing fans, recently discovered ancient manuscripts or relics, charges from the Imperial secret service, intersessions from the Emperor's concubine, support from wealthy lay people, beautiful new liturgies or silk vestments or - if all else fails - theological argument, to make sure their views prevail and their flock becomes the largest.

All the doctrines represented in the game (from whether there were one, two, three or lots of Gods, whether Jesus was a man or a god or the God or something in between, whether communion should be celebrated with leavened or unleavened bread to who was actually in charge of the Church) are genuine matters of heated debate of the period. All the actions, from having one of your bishops exposed as a pagan con man or secret worshipper of the Unconquered Sun to devising theological sea shanties or composing a Gothic version of the bible to gain converts, actually effected the development of the Christian Church.

The game is fast, furious and immensely funny. It's been played by atheists and vicars, ancient sages or ten year old girls, seminarians, or people with a vague recollection from their school days about Jesus. You can play it with beer and pretzels or with a copy of the Daily Missal or the King James Bible to hand.

Credo
The CREDO Cover art by Kalin Kadiev






October 2-5, 2015