Finnish board game company Tactic has recently expanded its North American presence, coinciding with the release of its latest strategy game Kaleva.

(Click any image for larger view.)

Tactic Group is well-known in Europe, and now Tactic Games are available in the U.S. through independent reps, and are also available via Lion Rampant. Tactic offers a variety of family and party games, but also has several Euro-style strategy games available, including the newest, Kaleva.

Designed by Esa Wiik, Kaleva is a two-player strategy game where players compete to overcome their adversary’s defenses with a variety of powers provided by Finnish heroes, gods, and legends depicted on different cards.  The goal is to move three game pieces past their opponent’s magical defense shield. The game is for 2 players, ages 10 and up. MSRP is $25.00.

Terra Evolution: Tree of Life is a deck-building /world-building game where players build their planet one continent at a time, and populate it with evolving species.  Each player is trying to dominate the continent, and must use population and resource management to thrive. Players can also use cataclysms (ice ages, volcanoes, asteroid impacts) to attack the other players’ species, hoping to wipe them out.  This edition includes both the original Terra Evolution base game and the Tree of Life expansion. The game is for 2 – 5 players, ages 10 and up, and plays in 60 minutes. MSRP is $25.00.

Realm of Wonder is an area control/bluffing game set in a fantasy world with spinning continents.  Players take the roles of various fantasy creatures (yeti, rockman, dwarf, cyclops), each with an objective assigned by the scenario.  Players use bidding each turn to see who will use magic first, and who will move first. In the magic phase, players can either enhance their own character’s abilities with magic, or harm their opponents.  In the movement phase, players move across the continents, some of which can be rotated to hinder opponents, or expose blocked areas. The goal is fulfill the scenario objective, and return to the king’s castle first.  There are random elements to the game which can be minimized with an alternate rule set to make the game accessible to younger players.  The game is for 2 – 5 players, ages 10 and up, and plays in 45 minutes. MSRP is $50.00.

Kings of Mithril is a world-building game designed by Esa Wiik. Players are Dwarven chiefs vying for the kingship of the Dwarven Kingdom surrounding Mount Mithril. Players use miners, lumberjacks, farmers, merchants and road builders under their control to advance their part of the kingdom around the mountain.  Players build forts and guard their borders as they attempt to control enough territory and resources to be crowned king.  The game is for 2 -4 players ,ages 8 and up, and plays in 45 minutes. MSRP is $25.00.

Mexican Train is a popular dominoes-based game originally published in 1994. The game is deceptively simple, and can be played as a single, 30-minute game, or expanded to a 12-round game which can last for hours. The goal is to lay a chain of dominoes (called trains) from the center domino piece, or to add pieces to the common chain (the Mexican Train). The first player to finish wins.  The game is for 2 - 8 players, ages 7 and up. MSRP is $25.00.