At the Gama Trade Show ICv2 talked with designers from Dust Games who have created two card games, Mad Zeppelin and The Island that will be released in the U.S. this August by the Alderac Entertainment Group. 

 

Mad Zeppelin is a fast-paced game of sabotage that takes place on the Nostria, an armored zeppelin of the imperial fleet.  The game takes place at the height of the industrial revolution just as the Great Empire is about to take delivery of many secret crates from its colonies.  Players have to infiltrate the crew and passengers of the Nostria with traitors who attempt to dump the secret cargo overboard before it falls into the hands of the Empire.  The player who destroys the most cargo wins the game, but bribing the guards is of key importance in order to carry out the mission. 

 

Mad Zeppelin is easy to learn and play.  The game comes with 14 Traitor cards, 100 cargo cards, 10 Journey cards, 3 special dice, and 30 tokens representing gold pieces.

 

The Island, which is also a card game, takes place on an island containing a number of warring city states.  Players begin with their own city, which comes complete with an army that can be augmented by mercenaries and also by conquering other cities and absorbing their forces.  Some cards also add a magical component that can be used to augment a player’s forces in battle or to strengthen the defenses of a city.  The player who conquers the most cities is the winner.