Cross Hares: Testing Ground 2014

The first game in the Cross Hares line — each of which will be standalone with its own expansions — is Cross Hares: Testing Ground, a fairly straightforward game in which you want to move down a trail from your starting area in order to "defeat" a factory at the end of the line.

To start, each player chooses one of the six available characters. As you move down the trail, you'll draw cards, which might be good or bad for you, bad for opponents, or terrible for everyone at the table. You'll also acquire useful items and specialties — with each character having a different set of things to find — have adventures, and come into conflict with other players. Conflict in Cross Hares takes the form of either shoving each other back and forth around the map or stealing items.

Don't worry if you're far back on the path away from everyone else as with the right events or die rolls, you can race ahead of the others! Once you get to the factory, though, you'll need all of your skills and items to defeat it, so be sure you save some of your strength for that.