Goblins & Gunpowder

Goblins & Gunpowder combines the light chess-like strategy with the fun chaos of Hot Potato. It can be played competitively or casually, becoming anything from an intense competition of minds to an explosion-filled laugh fest.

In the game, the players take control of a team of Goblins and attempt to take out the opposing Goblin Kings by tossing gunpowder barrels at them. But gunpowder is not very reliable: the barrels might explode at inopportune times, adding an element of risk to every interaction with them.

Each player gets to put together their own team from a selection of Goblin Minions, each of which has a Special Ability that allows them to excel in their own ways: one is better at tossing barrels, another at kicking while a third can grab barrels from nearby squares - even from the enemy team! But even if all your Minions die, worry not! Your Goblin King will absorb their Special Abilities and be able to do everything all by themselves, allowing players to make a comeback even if they are down to just their King.

Each turn is divided into three phases: Explosion, Replacement and Action. Each turn begins with the passing on of the “Worst Goblin” token, marking the player who goes first. In the explosion phase, that player is in charge of checking whether any barrels on the field will explode. If a barrel does not explode, its fuse is shortened, making it more likely to explode in future rounds.

In the Replacement phase, exploded barrels are divided among the players and replaced by the slingshot minions outside the field, causing the barrels to not always land where you want them to. Finally in the Action phase, each player has two actions to get to those barrels and toss or kick them towards the enemy goblins and hope that they explode in the next turn… if not, it’s likely that they will be returned to the sender!