Pulp Fiction Comics & Games

And by “special” this week translates as “late”.

What isn’t late, but, in fact, early is the freshly returned from Gen Con roleplaying game set in the universe of The Hobbit, The One Ring.  From Cubicle Seven, this new hardcover slipcase contains the first set of core rulebooks in what will become an expansive Tolkien-based roleplaying system.  Taking place five years after the events of The Hobbit, the Adventurer’s Book and Loremaster’s Book (both contained within) grant players and GMs the ability to create and explore the world of Wilderland.  The system received a hefty amount of buzz at Gen Con this year for being a rare Tolkien universe RPG that actually works.  And possibly the best part, if you enjoy the game there are plans to release future expansions that will push the timeline forward, eventually leading to the events of Lord of the Rings.  Oh, and one last thing, if you pre-order with Pulp or purchase one of the copies we currently have in the store (hurry or they’ll be gone!), you gain the option to pick up a promo world map for ten bucks!

When Cthulhu comes calling you can expect it to be a gloomy occasion.  That might be why Atlas Games decided to add a new version of the popular Gloom series to the shelves called Cthulhu Gloom.  As with the regular game, players attempt to maim, massacre, and murder their helpless human cards with whatever tools they have at their disposal.  Here those tools become the madness and insanity of the creepy crawlies that oozed from Lovecraft’s brain.  Opponents can also stall opponents murder spree by keeping their human cards alive with “happiness” and “joy”.  If your sense of humor errs toward the darker and demented, Cthulhu Gloom with have you cackling all night.

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya, laddies.  Set in the ancient countryside of merry ole Ireland, in Hibernia players battle to occupy specifically colored regions of the country.  Around the perimeter of the board is a colored track that leads to victory if you follow the order carefully.  Put those two elements together and you realize the strategy of the game is occupying colored regions in a coordinated manner so that you can make it around the track before anyone else.

Coming from the same game designers is Cambria.  Still focusing on the concept of occupation, Cambria has players swatting the Roman legions out of Britannia by surrounding and destroying their forts.  Each fort is given a number between 1 and 6, which coordinates with a D6 that players will roll.  Depending on the numbers, they will then place colored wooden markers on roads leading up to a fort with the same markings.  Once a fort has been surrounded, points are distributed to the player who did the most, uh, surrounding.

The deck building trend of the last couple of years receives an infusion of freshness with Wizkids hit game from Gen Con, Quarriors!.  That freshness comes in the form of dice and, boy howdy, are there are ton of them.  130 of them, to be exact, are contained within the stylish tin box the base game comes in.  Much like Dominion or Ascension, a set of cards is laid out in the center of the table.  What differs here is that players will not purchase the cards, but dice that are sitting next to them.  All a player’s dice are kept in one of the four silk dice bags that come with the game and used (depending on which one of the six sides/abilities was rolled) to either purchase more dice, reroll dice, or attack opponent’s creatures.  A beautifully designed, highly replayable game, Quarriors! is the love child of Dominion, Magic the Gathering, and Zombie Dice.  Also, for those who love free stuff, Pulp has a limited number of promo card sets that you get when you purchase a copy of the game.