Lionwake

The dragon has fallen. Now unchallenged, Nian beasts run rampant, raiding the village to sate their hunger. The ancient Lions have heeded the call to serve as the new guardians, but they cannot do so alone. A select few have been chosen and lent their mythical strength. In Lionwake (competitive; 2–4), players play drum cards to control your (asymmetrical) Lions to perform actions and position them for scoring, all to the sound of your beat. Resources may be spent to attach adornments and offer jade, pushing your Lions towards further specialization. Once prepared, battle the Nian (or rival Lions) head on or hang peach charms to expel the terror and free your village. Dare you wake your inner Lion? Blending Euro-style resource management, deck-building, and dice mechanisms, Lionwake features: Actions are driven by multi-aspects cards which combo by being layered and with Lion adornments. Experience the ups and downs of Lion Dancing as you navigate terrains of varied heights to get the jump on the competition. Two-layered dice-battling, namely first roll to “scare” and second for “combat,” presents choice in what makes a “strong” Lion. Player agency: Scoring objectives competed over by each player are dictated during play. —description from the publisher