Kickstarter Lagniappe! CASCADIA ALPINE LAKES and SNOWDONIA GRAND TOUR + SPECIAL EDITION

On then board gaming discords that I frequent, some collective groans went up this month. These are the sounds that wallets make when they are flexed and opened as each new enticing crowdfunding project launches. October has been a particularly active month!

I want to chat about two games that came across the wire recently. The first one is a game I actually got to play, courtesy of our friends at Flatout Games. They sent us a review prototype for CASCADIA ALPINE LAKES, a brand new standalone version of the Spiel des Jahres winner, Cascadia. This version is also designed by Randy Flynn, who designed the original, and has that similarly gorgeous art on the cover by Beth Sobel.

In Alpine Lakes, players are still collecting tiles and animal tokens, and placing them into an ever expanding conglomeration of habitats, but this time Randy Flynn smooths out the edges of the original while still adding new strategy. If you like Akropolis, and the way that your tiles stack up on top of each other for scoring, Flynn employs a similar (but yet different) mechanism here.

Tiles are two pieces glommed together in the famous “peanut” tile shape, each with one of three biomes (instead of the original five). They also have symbols for the five new animals, and of course, can feature an “alpine lake”. The scoring comes from building and surrounding lakes, placing animals on the tiles to match the scoring cards that came out this game, grabbing the “pine cone” tokens (which help you mitigate luck or are worth points if you don’t spend them), and dramatically building up the biomes to the third level with animals on top.

Cascadia goes from a puzzle about blobs and shapes and scoring, to a spatial exercise with a cool three dimensional component. It was super breezy, and Jeremy taught it to me on our Twitch Tuesdays channel in just minutes. It looks like it will be hitting stores in 2026, but you can check out the Kickstarter page here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/flatoutgames/cascadia-alpine-lakes

Next up, Naylor Games sent us a press release for SNOWDONIA GRAND TOUR + SPECIAL EDITION. This is a complete refresh of the base game, if you don’t already have a copy, with new art. But even more importantly, this is a full expansion with new maps and a campaign mode that work with the base game or Master Set, and all designed by the original designer, Tony Boydell. are entirely compatible with OG Snowdonia and Master Set too.

Why did this pique my curiosity? I have never actually played the base game, other than a stumblin’ click fest on BGA, but the press release caught my eye because my buddy Jason Dinger raves about Snowdonia. It’s worker placement. It’s railway building. And now, it has beautiful art and new content to explore.

The press release also gave some info on what is coming in the project:

Alongside Grand Tour there is also a brand-new base game, featuring the classic Mount Snowdon scenario and all-new scenario: Stockton & Darlington, which recreates the birth of modern railway construction in 1825 England. This scenario allows players to relive one of the defining moments in transport history while introducing streamlined rules for new players.

Snowdonia: Grand Tour also introduces:
–>Campaign Mode – A linked series of scenarios that allows players to experience a narrative journey across different railways, with evolving challenges and rewards.
–>Updated Solo Mode – A refined system for solo players, providing a smoother and more challenging experience tailored to different playstyles.
–>New Map Board System – Each scenario comes with its own bespoke board, featuring original artwork and layout designed to immerse players in the unique geography and engineering challenges of that route. These scenario-specific boards also simplify setup and enhance replayability.

This is one I definitely need to check out when it launches soon. You can get more info or sign up to be notified here:

https://gamefound.com/en/projects/naylorgames/snowdonia-grand-tour

What I need to do is get Jason to come up to Lafayette one of these weekends and teach me the OG Snowdonia. I want to see what all the fuss is about!

Until next time, laissez les bon temps rouler!
— BJ from Board Game Gumbo