If you’re a board game fan, you know there’s a special kind of magic when strategy, storytelling, and sheer theatricality collide. And 2024–2025 is gearing up to deliver exactly that. Picture it: the fall of empires, the rise of mythical kingdoms, and a gloriously over-the-top spectacle of blood and satire. The folks over at BoardGameGeek recently pulled back the curtain on three upcoming board games that couldn’t be more different — yet all tap into what makes this hobby so endlessly fascinating.
Let’s break them down. Grab your meeples — we’re going in.
The Sick Man of Europe – Diplomacy on the Brink of Disaster
First up is a heavy hitter for history buffs: The Sick Man of Europe.
Imagine the final gasps of the Ottoman Empire just before World War I. European powers — Britain, France, Russia, Austro-Hungary — are circling like vultures, each one angling for influence, ready to peel off territories as the empire weakens. That’s your battlefield.
This is the latest from designer Tomislav Čipčić and publisher Wehrlegig Games, the same folks who brought us “Pax Pamir” and “John Company.” So you know the historical detail and intricate mechanics are going to be rich.
- It’s a strategic dance of politics, finance, and military might, where no two players fight with the same arsenal.
- Alliances are shaky. Nationalist movements can be weaponized to undermine your enemies.
- It’s got shades of Twilight Struggle, but layered with the messy politics unique to the era.
This one’s for the history nerds, the strategy sharks, the players who live for uneasy truces and long-game betrayal. Scheduled for 2025, and let’s be honest: worth the wait.
Éire: Myths and Monarchy – When Celtic Lore Meets Eurogame Strategy
Next, we jump from the real-world trenches of empire to a land soaked in myth and memory. Enter Éire: Myths and Monarchy, a game that transports you to myth-soaked medieval Ireland.
Designer Daniel Mersey — you might know him from his work on historical miniatures like “Lion Rampant” — teams up with PSC Games to deliver a Euro-style game with a shimmering thread of Celtic mysticism.
You’ll play as rival clan leaders, each trying to claim control of the land through a blend of diplomacy, warfare, mythology, and inheritance. Yes, inheritance! You’re not just building power — you’re planning dynasties.
- Asymmetrical clans with different abilities and strategic tools.
- Myth-infused events like ancient prophets, druids, and omens that twist the rules as you play.
- A semi-hidden map, which keeps exploration surprising and tense.
- A unique inheritance mechanic, where grooming a successor shapes what your future looks like.
Coming to Kickstarter later this year, Éire feels like a smart blend of crunchy mechanics and lush storytelling. It’s for players who want theme, depth, and just enough magic.
A Battle, Furious, Bloody…(You Get the Idea)
Okay. Deep breath. The next game doesn’t just kick open the door — it bursts through wielding a chainsaw and yelling in all caps.
Ready for it?
It’s called: A Battle, Furious, Bloody, Repulsive, Crimson, Gory, Boisterous, Manly, Rough, Fierce, Unmerciful, and Hostile.
No, really. That’s the title.
Created by indie designer Zak Fredricks, this game is pure satire, channeling all the glorious excess of gladiatorial combat and pumping it full of post-apocalyptic steroids.
Set in a twisted future where megacorporations control arenas for public “entertainment,” players become mercenary fighters battling for fame, fortune, and the approval of bloodthirsty fans.
It’s part combat game, part commentary on the media’s obsession with violence — think Rollerball meets The Hunger Games but filtered through a punk rock lens.
- Every fighter is ridiculously over-the-top: “Crimson-Fueled”? Check. “Unmercifully Sponsored”? Also check.
- It plays with game culture tropes — titles, abilities, even PR campaigns become part of your path to glory.
- It’s loud, self-aware, and completely unfiltered — a satire aimed squarely at the games industry itself.
Still in early stages with prototypes shown in 2024, this one is definitely niche. But for fans of clever chaos and genre-busting games, it could become a cult classic.
The Big Picture
What unites these three wildly different titles?
Conflict, in all its forms.
From the drawing rooms of imperial intrigue to the foggy battlefields of Celtic Ireland, to the neon-lit arenas of a dystopian bloodsport, each game explores how we fight — whether with words, with swords, or for the crowd’s roar of approval.
- The Sick Man of Europe was made for players who crave realism and political complexity.
- Éire feels like a love letter to both history and legend, perfect for Eurogamers with a taste for myth.
- And A Battle, Etc.? It’s shouting from the rafters, a hilarious, bloody wink to gaming itself.
No matter your style, there’s something to look forward to on the horizon — whether it’s planning a dynastic rise, orchestrating an empire’s collapse, or just lobbing explosives toward a corporate-sponsored berserker.
What’s Your Pick?
Which of these upcoming games has your group buzzing? Drop a comment, jump into the discussion on our Discord, and let us know — are you team Empire, clan chief, or chaos gladiator?
One thing’s for sure: your tabletop is about to get a lot more interesting.