At New York Toy Fair, publisher Thames & Kosmos debuted several new board games for 2017, including a new board game based on Ken Follett’s “Kingsbridge” series.

A Column of Fire, is based on Ken Follett’s novel of the same title. Designed by Michael Rieneck (The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End), the game is set in Europe in the time of Elizabeth 1. As England, France, Space and the Netherlands vie for power, enterprising operatives and secret agents plot to secure power. Amid the assassination attempts, rebellions and invasions, secret groups work to build tolerance and compromise, and hope to come out ahead of the tyrants quelling change. The game is for 2 – 4 players, ages 12 and up. Release is planned for September, MSRP is $49.95. A Thames & Kosmos representative also told ICv2 that the company plans to re-release The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End to the U.S. soon (see “Mayfair Announces Spring Releases” and “'World Without End' Board Game”).

Another Michael Rieneck designed game, Brutal Kingdom, will release in June. Player take the roll of one of 20 anthropomorphized animal characters competing for power in the king’s court. The goal is to attain the greatest amount of power in three categories: royal, clerical, and mystical. The game is for 3- 4 players, ages 12 and up, and plays in 30 minutes.

Klaus and Benjamin Teuber (Tumult Royale) will introduce some magnetic magic to strategy games this August in Mag-O-Mag, the Magnetic Labyrinth. The box includes a vertical holder with interchangeable game boards and magnetic game pieces that allow player to compete in several different games. There is a racing game, a golf game, and a treasure hunt game. Each game has both cooperative variations and special rules for two-player games. The game is for 2 – 4 players, ages 8 and up, and plays in 30 mi8nutes. MSRP is $39.95.

EXIT: The Game is an “escape room” series of party games. Players attempt to solve a series of riddles and puzzles to unlock doors, which reveal new riddles. The goal is to solve all the puzzles as fast as possible, using the fewest number of hints possible to escape the location and score the most points. The game is for 1 – 6 players, ages 12 and up, and play in 1 – 2 hours.

The first three titles: EXIT: The Abandoned Cabin, EXIT: The Secret Lab, and EXIT: The Pharaoh’s Tomb will be available in May, MSRP is $14.95 each. Thames & Kosmos will be offering a floor display as well as a table display to the hobby industry.  More titles will join the EXIT line soon.

Ingenious is a hexagonal tile game designed by Reiner Knizia (Tigris & Euphrates, Ra) which was originally released in 2004, and distributed in the U.S. by Fantasy Flight Games (see “FFG Offers Mass Market Edition of 'Ingenious'”). Players take turns placing tiles in the shape of two connecting hexagons in hexagonal grids on the board. Each tile includes two colored symbols, which players match to score points. When the game ends, players total up their lines of matching colored symbols, and the lowest scoring color is that player’s score. Whatever player has the highest ‘low’ score wins.  The new edition includes a redesigned plastic board. The game is for 1 – 4 players, ages 8 and up, and plays in 30 – 45 minutes. MSRP is $29.95. Release is planned for July.

Jungle Party is a family game that adds a wildlife theme to a classic memory game. Players must remember which animals are swimming in the river and which ones are hiding under the bridges.  The game is for 2 - 4 players, ages 5 and up. MSRP is $34.95. Release is planned for July.

Word Slam is a fast-paced word game designed by Inka and Markus Brand. Players join one of two teams, which each have a storyteller. The storytellers are given the same word, and they must describe it to their team so they can guess the word. The trick is that the storytellers can neither speak or act out their story. They must use the deck of 105 cards to tell the story.  The game is for 3 or more players, ages 12 and up, and plays in 45 minutes. MSRP is $39.95. Release is planned for June.

Kerala, The Way of the Elephant is designed by Kirsten Hiese. Players are participating in the elephant festival in the Indian province of Kerala. Each player is competing to build the most festive platform, with at least one tile of each color, in a specific color order, with as many elephant symbols showing as possible. The game is for 2 – 5 players, ages 8 and up, and plays in 30 minutes. MSRP is $39.95. Release is planned for July.

See images of all the games in the gallery below!