Following up on this article and the one previous to it, Plaid Hat Games just released some new info for their upcoming game Dead of Winter: The Long Night. This time addressing some of the more popular questions being raised ever since the game was announced… Why stand-alone? Why couldn’t it be just like any ordinary expansion? Well read on to know what Plaid Hat has to say… Along with some rather “explosive details!” Read on and find out!
To start off, here’s some of the stuff that you’ll see in the new expansion:
According to previous reports, there will be 20 new survivors and 70 crossroad cards that will be included in the game, each with all-new abilities and background stories respectively. Let’s take a look at a new one named Lily Mae:
Looking at the stats she has a decent reputation with a very impressive attack value and a rather weak search value. But what makes this character stand out is her ability to lay down explosive traps…
Explosive traps you say? Well according to the publisher this new feature will be included at the back of every barricade token in the expansion, making them double-sided. In the base game, barricades served as an action that lets you “cancel-out” a zombie if it enters an area with a barricade token. Now, with the addition of explosive traps, not only does it prevent a zombie from being placed, it also destroys each and every zombie in a location or colony entrance! A really nice skill to have. Though rolling that 6 to use that ability might take a while.
Aside from double-sided barricade tokens, the noise markers get the same treatment as well. Now, these new tokens can be “flipped” to indicate whether that noise attracted a zombie or not during the “Add Zombies” step of the colony phase. Double-sided helpless tokens were also teased, but not much detail was stated aside from the fact that they have a chance to become “unruly” in the colony. Really simple touches that adds a lot of thematic flavor to the game!
The original 6 locations make a return here (Police Station, Grocery Store, School, Library, Hospital, Gas Station). But this time they come in a thicker stock unlike the rather flimsy ones included in the base game, that for some reason I really wanted to sleeve but can’t find the right size for it.
There are now 8 new items decks that update both the starting items and location items. Some cards get an additional function, like the Gas item pictured above, which could be used to contribute fuel to the colony, to move (without rolling for exposure) or use it to eliminate a zombie in a location.
Probably the most awesome piece of equipment I saw was the Pulse Cannon. Twice per round you can move a bandit, zombie or survivor from your location to a different location. This could lead to some interesting strategies.
Here are some other details on the components from the website:
“There are new versions of all of the other groups of cards and standees as well: 5 new main objectives plus 2 special scenarios, 5 new exiled secret objectives, 10 new betrayal secret objectives, 24 new non-betrayal secret objectives, 22 new crisis cards, 30 new zombie standees in 3 new versions of art, and 100 plastic standees (to allow extras for exclusives).”
Here’s what James Sitz (Lead Playstester) has to say on why the game is stand-alone (taken from the website):
“One big reason to make the new game stand-alone is to open it up to the widest range of players. Whether someone is brand new to Dead of Winter, or they’re a die-hard Doug, they’ll be able to pick up Dead of Winter: The Long Night, take it home, and start playing right out of the box. Sometimes between print runs a person might only have access to the new expansion. We don’t want these players to be left out in the cold. Some players who may have passed on the original might be intrigued by the direction the game is heading. There’s so much new stuff here that there’s a lot to like for existing fans as well.”
Personally I think making the game stand-alone is a great way for the veteran Dead of Winter players to experience the new expansion in its fullest, without the feeling of being “diluted,” as is the case of some expansions once they get mixed with the base game, they tend to lose the overall feel. In this way, after playing the expansion, they can incorporate it to the base game, giving it new life.
And there you have it!* If you’re dying to get your hands on a copy (and you’re in the Philippines), you can preorder the game RIGHT HERE from Gaming Library!
On our end, we’ll make sure to keep you guys posted for any new updates as they come. As always, keep it here at UnGeek and keep on gaming!
*Oh wait are you asking about the big guy in the picture? Well you have to check back here soon to know more!