Winter (2012)

Winter has come. There's a brief cease-fire. The factions begun preparations for the next stage of war, a brutal clash that will come in a few months. In the meantime, though, they are reinforcing their troops. Thanks to the new resources found near the gigantic Frozen City, new leaders are preparing for spring. Winter sleep is, in the end, just a cover for a secret arms race...

Winter, an expansion pack for both 51st State and The New Era, introduces new rules and 54 new cards to both games that will reward gamers who prefer sustainable development over unpredictable aggression.

Winter lasts six weeks – i.e., six rounds – and during that time players prepare for the war that will take place after winter. Each round players can send their workers to Frozen City, a special mini board, to hire mercenaries and find new leaders. With Winter, the aim of the game has changed; you no longer fight for 30 victory points (VPs), developing in a rush to hit that total and win before the other player. Now you have a precise amount of time in which to plan and build, in which to develop your faction.

Winter introduces a new Texas faction that's crowded with people (four workers in the production phase) and has the possibility of using one of its faction contacts twice in a round.