Tag Archives: fireside games

Fireside Games Launches the 2nd Edition of Hotshots

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Hotshots

From the creators at Fireside Games comes a deluxe edition release of Hotshots, a cooperative, press-your-luck board game where players become an elite crew of firefighters battling a raging forest fire. The deluxe edition of Hotshots will launch on Kickstarter April 21, 2026.

In Hotshots, 1–4 players step into the boots of highly trained wildfire specialists known as Hotshots, each with a unique ability and role on the crew. Players roll dice to contain the flames, cut firebreaks, and call in vehicles before the blaze overtakes the forest. Every roll is filled with tension, making every decision matter. If you fail a task the fire spreads, scorches the land, and pushes the team closer to losing everything. In this co-op game you either beat the blaze, or burn together.

The original version of this game was nominated in 2017 for Origins’ Best Family Game Award, and this Kickstarter campaign will update it for a whole new generation of players. Updates include enhanced game components, improved clarity, LED light-up fire tokens, and more.

Each session of the game begins on a changing forest made of modular tiles that flip when scorched, showing the battle between fire and crew. Players roll dice to match firefighting icons, press their luck to extinguish as many flames as possible, and coordinate their actions to win as a team or lose everything together when the forest burns out.

Hotshots plays in 45–60 minutes and is recommended for ages 10 and up.

Kickstarter and Extras
The crowdfunding campaign will spotlight the Deluxe Edition, which includes:

  • LED light-up flame tokens
  • Upgraded firefighter miniatures
  • Tile frames with connectible edges
  • Enhanced component quality and graphic design
  • Expanded content and more surprises to come

Those interested in joining the crew can follow the prelaunch page now to receive an exclusive Hotshots Badge Patch,
updates, early reveals, and exclusive day-one rewards when the campaign launches. Those who reserve their pledge will receive a Hotshots Collector’s Coin.

    Fireside announces Ham Helsing. A cooperative, deck-crafting adventure based on the graphic novel series

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    Ham Helsing

    Fireside Games presents… Ham Helsing! Based on the best-selling graphic novel by Rich Moyer about a reluctant monster-hunting pig, Ham Helsing is a cooperative adventure board game. Join Ham, Ronin, Malcom, and Lobos as they attempt to save the world! Using a deck-crafting system with transparent cards, you’ll protect locations from endless swarms of minions while improving your skills. Can you power up fast enough to stop the Villain from destroying Mud Canyon and save the day?

    • Blaze a path through the world of Ham Helsing, choosing your battles and leveling up your character.
    • Transparent upgrade cards let you enhance your deck in real-time. If a symbol fits on your card, you can slip the upgrade into the sleeve, improving your abilities for future turns!
    • Triumph together with your team, using card combos and location powers to help each other.
    • Fight fiendish foes, including 4 different Villains with their own unique challenges. But if your team hasn’t brought the Villain’s health to 0 by the end of the last player’s turn at Mud Canyon, your bacon is burnt!

    The game is for 1-4 players ages 10+ with games taking 60-90 minutes. Coming to stores Fall 2025.

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comes to Castle Panic

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    UVS Games

    UVS Games, Fireside Games, and Paramount Consumer Products are teaming up for a new take on the tabletop game Castle Panic with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed version. The game will be released in 2025.

    Since its original release in 2009, Castle Panic has been a staple in the board game community, challenging players to defend their castle from waves of villainous invaders. Now, with the Heroes in a Half Shell taking center stage, fans can expect a new adventure where teamwork is key to protecting the city from iconic villains. It’s time to grab your pizza, gather your crew, and prepare for some epic gameplay!

    More details about the release will be shared soon, including sneak peeks, exclusive reveals, and behind-the-scenes looks at this totally tubular project.

    Fireside Games announces Please Don’t Burn My Village!

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    Please Don't Burn My Village

    Fireside Games has announced Please Don’t Burn My Village! This enchanting market game set in the world of Castle Panic will hit stores worldwide in Spring of 2025.

    A fearsome dragon is threatening to burn all the villages in the Kingdom! Luckily dragons are greedy, so if you can bribe him with treasures from the battlefield like a Barbarian’s Axe or a Phoenix Feather, you might persuade him to spare your village. Unfortunately, all the other villagers have the same idea!

    Bribe with the right treasure at the right time to keep the dragon’s attention while buying treasures at the Black Market and cursing the other villagers’ treasures. When there’s no more treasure left, the dragon will burn all the villages except for one. Will it be yours?

    • Fantasy-Filled Fun: This enchanting game for 2 to 5 players features fantastic treasures and the dragon from the world of Castle Panic.
    • Market Manipulation: Play treasure cards to make or increase the value of a bribe. Or buy cards at the Black Market to curse a treasure.
    • Bribe the Best or Burn: When the deck of treasures runs out, you’ll score points for your bribes and lose points for unplayable cards still in your hand. Only the player with the highest score has their village spared from the dragon!
    • Simple Rules, Surprising Strategy: With easy-to-learn rules, Please Don’t Burn My Village! can be played in about 20 minutes. This makes it accessible to players ages 10+ with different experience levels, while still providing strategic depth.

    In addition, every copy of Please Don’t Burn My Village! is packed with a free new promo card for Castle Panic to help your team defend the castle together!

    Please Don’t Burn My Village! is available for preorder and will be demoed at GAMA Expo, Origins, Gen Con, and more to be announced.

    Please Don't Burn My Village

    Fireside Games Announces Launch Kits for Here, Kitty, Kitty!

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    Here_Kitty_Kitty_BoxFireside Games has announced Here, Kitty, Kitty!, a crazy cat-collecting game, will be available in stores April 1st and that brick-and-mortar hobby retailers can participate in the launch with special Launch Kits.

    Players will enjoy the challenge of strategic game play to maximize their kitty count while protecting their precious felines from covetous neighbors. Here, Kitty,Kitty! supports 3 to 6 players, ages 10 and up. It retails for $24.95, includes 40 cat minis, and takes 30 minutes to play.

    Here, Kitty, Kitty! is designed by a cat-lover and abounds with cat puns and homages to the personalities and finicky behaviors of our lovably indifferent furry friends.

    To promote the release of Here, Kitty, Kitty!, Fireside Games has created a Launch Kit promotion for retailers who would like to hold a game night event in their stores. In addition, the Envoy Program, through Double Exposure, will be providing in-store demo support for stores who sign up to be part of the game launch Splash occurring April 2–3.

    The Kits include a demo copy of Here, Kitty, Kitty!, promotional materials, and the special Milkshake promo card. These kits are in limited supply and are only available to hobby retail stores. Retailers can contact their preferred distributor for details.

    Here_Kitty_Kitty_Whole_Game

    Fireside Games Announces Summer Release – Dastardly Dirigibles

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    dastardly-dirigibles-3D-box-left

    Fireside Games is excited to announce a third product release for 2016. This summer they will release Dastardly Dirigibles, a Steampunk airship building game! Professor Phineas Edmund Hornswoggle, famed airship builder, is retiring and you are an engineer competing to inherit the Hornswoggle factory!

    This game features tarot-sized cards that are played in a constant action format where each time a part is added, ALL players MUST add the SAME part–which may replace an existing one. Build your airship from different parts of 9 beautiful suits, using Special cards to your advantage or to thwart your opponents. The round ends when the first airship is complete. But you score only the suit used most in your airship. The player with the highest score after 3 rounds wins!

    Dastardly Dirigibles will be available in July and will retail for $19.95. It can accommodate 2-5 players, ages 8 and up, and plays in approximately one hour.

    Dastardly Dirigibles joins Bears! and Here, Kitty, Kitty! as part of their line of fun, friendly competitive games under $25.

    Fireside Games to Release Bears! Second Edition March 2

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    Fireside Games has announced the release of Bears! Second Edition which features updating packaging that shows off the 40 custom dice that come in this fast-paced, dice-pairing game.

    To assist hobby stores with the launch of this new edition Fireside has created a special Launch Kit that is available only to hobby retail stores. The kit includes demo copies of the new edition of Bears! and the expansion they released last year, Bears! Trail Mix’d, along with promotional materials to get customers excited about the game. These kits are FREE to retailers with the purchase of 6 copies of Bears! The game and launch kits are available to pre-order now through distribution and the kits will begin shipping mid-February to be in stores in time to promote the game before its March 2 release.

    Fireside Games Brings Domestic Hobby Sales to Distribution In-House

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    fireside gamesFireside Games has announced that beginning January 2016 they will handle all sales to U.S. distributors for the Domestic Hobby Market in-house. This is no change for retailers, who will continue to purchase product, such as Castle Panic, through standard distribution channels. However, Distributors will now work directly with Fireside Games to procure their games. Fireside Games has been represented by Publisher Services Inc. (PSI) for all markets since 2009, and will continue that strong partnership for Specialty, Mass, and International Hobby Markets.

    As part of this change, Fireside Games has also announced that Chris Williams will be joining their staff as Domestic Hobby Sales Representative January 4, 2016.

    Williams has been in the board game industry for over 25 years and has experience across all facets of the business. He started off in retail at Games of Berkeley, where he supervised and maintained inventory, and then moved on to Berkeley Game Distributors, where he oversaw sales for 5 years.

    His experience includes researching and writing fiction and adventure gaming source material for numerous companies, and he worked as the Continuity Expert for Chaosium’s Dreamlands setting. As Managing Editor of Vortext Publishing, he brought that magazine from an unknown publication to an Origins Award nominee within 2 years.

    In the late ‘90s, he managed inbound and outbound shipments and assisted the Business Manager with the solicitation of new releases and the writing of advertising copy for R Talsorian Games. Most recently, Williams worked for 1A Games as the Sales & Marketing Manager and then the Operations Manager, where he expanded distribution, increased trade show presence, and managed Kickstarter campaigns.

    Fireside Games Releases The Village Crone

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    The_Village_Crone_Logo_STACKEDFall under the spell of Fireside Games’s newest board game, The Village Crone. Immerse yourself in the medieval village of Wickersby as you vie with other witches for the venerable title of Village Crone.

    Worker placement and resource management are key as you send your familiars to gather silver, soil, fire, and flour from different locations throughout the village. Use those ingredients and the proper incantations to cast spells that turn villagers into frogs, make them fall in love, teleport them to different locations, and more. When these spells meet the conditions of your Witch’s Scheme cards, score them for 1, 2, or 3 points. The first witch to 13 points is declared The Village Crone!

    The 6-piece modular game board can be reconfigured each time you play for a new experience every time. The game accommodates up to 6 players, ages 13 and up, and includes a solo play option. It retails for $49.95 and has a 90-minute play time.

    As an additional bonus, Fireside Games has created 3D printer files of all the game’s components for players who desire minis for the game. These files can be obtained on the company’s webpage and are free to download for a limited time. Please note that these files are for personal printing only.

    To celebrate the release of The Village Crone, Fireside Games is bringing a Something Wicked promotional tour to New England. They are visiting local game stores in six states over the months of September and October 2015, teaching players the game, talking game design, and encouraging new members of the board gaming community.