Strategic Space

In this adaptation of the classic game “Battleship,” up to four players place five pegs in their upper pegboard to represent their spies' secret locations. At each turn, all the spies move and announce either where they were or are, attempting to capture enemy spies. At the end of each turn, a spy could be subtracted or added, or all players may have to manage a new group of spies. Master Spy is “a fast-paced, simple strategic game that tests your memory and cunning at a high price point that is still a great value,” CEO Mark Salzwedel of Strategic Space told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2009.

Up to six players deploy spaceships from the space station and send them out into the galaxy, waiting for permission to colonize various star systems. The first to colonize four star systems wins. Players can learn names and characteristics of stars, and the rule book teaches principles of astronomy and astrophysics. Young children able to take direction and match colors and numbers can easily play along. “A colorful board and card deck and easy rules make this an easy buy with parents and teachers, whether they want to spark an interest in the universe or just want to create imaginative fun,” CEO Mark Salzwedel of Strategic Space told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2009.

In this multiplayer strategy game, each player sends five followers out onto the wheel-shaped board of Samsara, dividing four moves per turn between them. One player’s followers absorb other followers, making them harder to be absorbed themselves. When a player’s followers have absorbed enough other followers, they can send others out of play (to nirvana). The winner is whoever controls the most followers when someone loses his or her last. Variant rules provide various levels of difficulty. “For game players that abhor dice and card decks, this game is very easy to learn, very difficult to master,” CEO Mark Salzwedel of Strategic Space told TDmonthly. Launch date: May 2009.

It is the year 2050. Radical animal rights activists have released a mutant strain of strong, fast, intelligent and aggressive deer headed for suburbia. A player (elite hunter) must bring back his or her quota of the mutant deer before any other player does. But, the deer can attack the hunters, too. The game is for up to eight players, who use dice to move and resolve attacks between the hunters and deer. “This game has a fun theme and is easier to play than most strategic combat games,” CEO Mark Salzwedel of Strategic Space told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2007.

In this adaptation of the classic game “Clue,” zombies have followed players into a deserted mansion, and they must avoid them, find a key and escape. If the zombies get a player first, he or she turns into a zombie and must try to stop the other players from escaping. This light and entertaining strategy game is for up to six players. “With the growing popularity of zombie games, this is the easiest multiplayer strategy game to learn and has the unusual twist of having players turn on the others if they have been caught,” CEO Mark Salzwedel of Strategic Space told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2007.