Micro Space Empire is a short “express” type game for one player. It was an entry in the QPnP (Quick Print and Play) contest; it is designed to be portable and easily constructed (less than 20 cards to print, plus a player mat).
The player is the ruler of a single solar system. There are ten other systems available to conquer and each system has its resistance to conquest and can provide resources to your expanding Empire. Resources are used to enhance your military and research new technologies. However, creating a vast interstellar Empire is not without its challenges; events such as revolts and invasions can pose obstacles to your rule.
The object is to survive and accumulate as many victory points as possible before time runs out.
Patrol: Lost! is a free board game of combat on an ever changing hexagonal board. From the BGG description:
Patrol: Lost! is a Public Domain game system. It describes a board game, its rules and components but does not contan any theme of its own.
The game builds the board as it progresses by placing and removing hexagon tiles. It’s for two players, one takes control of the “Good Guys” and the other player controls the “Bad Guys”.
Players move their pawns around the board, one player trying to reach the End tile and the other trying to eliminate the opponents pawns before they reach the End tile.
Combat is resolved by rolling D6’s with modifiers being applied.
Lost Treasures is a free print-and-play dungeon crawl game. From the author’s description:
Lost Treasures is a simple two player game where each player must hire a party of adventurers to retrieve the treasure from a forgotten dungeon.
Each player represents competing Patrons who wish to recover treasures thought to be lost forever. They use magic and research to locate the treasures but must hire mercenaries to actually retrieve them. The intrigue between them means that when one discovers a treasure the other is not long to follow. One player recruits his adventurers from the noble worthy races, the other from the dregs and evil denizens. Unfortunately due to the rush to try and get there first, sometimes the parties are not as well equipped as they could be. . .
The game includes figures, dungeon tiles, cards and more.
Arkham Express is a quick play adventure game set in the Lovecraft mythos. From the Board Game Geek description:
Arkham Express is a cooperative dice-based game designed by David Willems. Players are working together to gather clues, kill monsters, close gates and eventually defeat the Great Old One (Cthulhu).
Players will select characters, each with a unique special ability. During a player’s turn they will roll 5 dice with unique symbols on each side, after rolling they have the option of re-rolling 3 more times. If the “Monster” symbol is rolled on a die it is locked and cannot be re-rolled. If 3 Monster symbols appear a new gate opens and a monster appears in Arkham. The other sides of the dice include movement points, clue tokens (used to close gates), healing, and combat symbols (used when fighting the monsters guarding the gates). Each player must carefully choose how to use their symbols to move around and try to close and collect six gates. If six gates are open on the board the players automatically lose.. However if the players manage to close six gates Cthulhu awakens and players must try to defeat him with their remaining items and abilities.
Miniature Wargaming is part of the "adventure games" hobby, which includes r ole p laying and board games. Wargamers recreate battles on the tabletop with toy soldiers, like a more complicated game of chess. Models range in height from 6mm to 28mm tall, with 15mm and 25mm being the most popular. There also is a growing interest in toy soldiers and military models, such as the 1/32 and 1/35 scale plastic soldiers from Conte, and Marx.
The most popular miniature wargames are fantasy and science fiction based, such as Warhammer, Warhammer 40K, Warmachine and The Lord of the Rings. World War II games such as Flames of War and Axis and Allies are new favorites. Other favorite historical periods include Napoleonics, the American Civil War, and ancients, such as Romans or Greeks. Other gamers enjoy miniature naval wargames, recreating battles like Trafalgar, Jutland and the Coral Sea.
Hobbyists research historical periods and paint their tiny soldiers in accurate uniforms. Others develop "historically realistic" rules sets or build scale battlefield terrain using model railroad techniques.
For pictures, visit the gallery.
Some of the bigger hobby companies are Games Workshop, which produces Warhammer, Wargames Foundry and Old Glory Miniatures. Wizards of the Coast produces several lines of pre-painted miniatures games, such as the Star Wars and Dungeons and Dragons miniatures games, and a historical game with pre-painted miniatures: The new Axis and Allies game. Wizkids produces a fantasy collectable miniatures game, such as the Mage Knight and Heroclick fantasy games, the science fiction games MechWarrior and Rocketmen, as well as the quasi-historical Pirates of the Spanish Main.