GameCentral looks forward to a new year of board game and trading card releases, with news on Warhammer, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dungeons & Dragons, and more.
2025 is the year of the trading card game. In every gaming café across the country you have to fight through swathes of One Piece players just to get to the counter, while social media is rife with rumours of the new League Of Legends Project K. The trading card game calendar is filling up with big events, such as The Pokémon World Championship in Anaheim, California and there’s plenty of desperate Disney fans keen for Lorcana to announce the date of their World Championship event.
The Pokémon Company has also had huge success with the Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket mobile app, which continues to top the mobile game charts and is due to introduce online trading at the end of this month, which will completely shake up the meta. UK trainers are also hoping that the McDonald’s X Pokémon happy meals will make their way to the UK, as they have codes for Pocket digital currency.
If card games aren’t your thing don’t worry, as there’s plenty of other interesting tabletop games coming out this year, with many more to be announced in the months to come, but for now these are the most exciting new releases that have been confirmed so far.
Warhammer: Age Of Sigma – Soulblight Gravelords
The Las Vegas Open tabletop convention in January had a lot to get excited about, including some shapely new Eldar figures, but what I can’t stop thinking about, now the paint has dried on Hera the Bride of Death’s questionable features, is the new Soulblight Gravelords miniatures. The new miniatures showcase some stunning new sculpts, reinforcing the faction’s undead dominance with a mix of fresh characters and units. These models are impressively creepy, with sharp details that capture an eerie, otherworldly vibe.
At the heart of the new wave are some imposing leaders, including a vampire lord called Prince Vhordrai, the Master of the Crimson Keep, astride the zombie dragon Shordemaire, Lord of Revenants. The attention to detail is exceptional, with sculpting that embraces the faction’s gothic horror aesthetic, from the haunting faces to the gnarled, decayed armour and rotting Draconith wings.
Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet-Journey Together Elite Trainer Box
With many shops in the States limiting the number of boxes trainers can buy in a single outing, I’m beginning to think the world has gone Pokémon crazy. You had to have quick fingers when the latest Journey Together Elite Trainer Box came up on the Pokémon Center website, because if you blinked you missed it. Packed with exclusive content, including special foil cards, a set of booster packs, and premium accessories, it’s clear why everyone is desperate to get their hands on it.
The gorgeous art features fan favourite pokémon in vivid new designs, including the return of Trainer’s Pokémon cards that indicate who owns which pokémon. So, I can’t wait to see cards with the more recent trainers, such a Lillie and Marnie. Other cards I’m excited for are competitive powerhouse Lycanroc, whose new move Spike Energy sees damage counters forced on opposing Pokémon for a boost to the move Grabbing Fangs. But the one everyone wants the most is the secret rare card of Articuno showering snowflakes across your playmat.
Release Date: March 28, RRP: £54.99
Horrified – Dungeons & Dragons
This is the fifth in Ravensburger’s cooperative game franchise Horrified, which pitches players against all kinds of different legendary monsters, and now it’s the turn of the Dungeons & Dragons bestiary. Most prominent on the artwork so far is the bug-eyed Beholder, often referred to as the Sphere of Many Eyes and an instantly recognisable Dungeons & Dragons monster, but three further creatures are yet to be announced (can anyone say Mimic?).
The game uses the same gameplay mechanics seen in all the earlier Horrified editions, except with the introduction of a 20-sided die. The game has been designed by Peter Lee, the mind behind almost a dozen Dungeons & Dragons board games, as well as the Horrified – Universal Monsters game.
Release Date: summer, RRP: around £30
Disney Lorcana Set 9: Fabled
Hot on the heels of info about Archazia’s Island and Reign Of Jafar, Ravensburger has just announced another new Lorcana set, which is coming in the third quarter of 2025. Set for release around the second anniversary of this still comparatively young trading card game, the newest Lorcana set reveal hints at a classic Disney character vibe (think Steamboat Willy) and a hark back to the much-loved movie characters of old.
Apart from the launch visual depicting Mickey and Minnie making googly eyes at each other, the main takeaway from the teaser info is the tagline ‘power in the tales we tell’. Also, if you’re a fan of the franchise, like me, and just watched the North American Challenge, you’ll be keen to learn when and where the much-anticipated, first ever Lorcana World Championship will take place.
The Fellowship Of The Ring: Trick-Taking Game
The first of a slew of Lord Of The Rings titles to hit the tabletop world this year, this game has a box as pretty as the One Ring itself. Designed for two to five players, it cleverly weaves thematic elements into the traditional trick-taking format, where you play a card each turn ‘into a trick’, which matches the same suit as the lead player.
So, if Frodo plays a Hill card the next player should try to match that with Hill as well, with the winner being the character with the highest value card. This format allows players to win tricks and to progress through the chapters creating a game that feels both familiar and refreshingly new.
Each card reflects a part of the epic struggle against good and evil, with suits representing iconic characters and locations such as Bag End and the Lonely Mountains. The addition of special abilities, tied to specific cards such as Gandalf’s Strategic Insight or The Burden of the One Ring, adds a layer of strategy that enhances replayability. The game’s clever design ensures every round feels narratively rich, while maintaining the core competitive essence of trick-taking.
The Art Nouveau aesthetic and production quality are top notch, making this a treasure worthy of The Great Hall of Thráin. Newcomers to trick-taking games may need some guidance, but as a Tolkien fan I loved it.
Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual
The updated Monster Manual promises to be a treasure trove for Dungeon Masters and your Dungeons & Dragons party will get a thrill out of its new offerings, especially if the amazing Mind Flayer alternate artwork cover is anything to go by. Building upon the iconic 5th Edition version, this revision introduces expanded lore, reimagined creature designs, and refined mechanics to breathe new life into encounters both familiar and fresh.
Wizards of the Coast has teased revamped stat blocks that emphasise dynamic combat and storytelling flexibility, giving Dungeon Masters more tools to challenge and surprise players. New artwork showcases impressive reinterpretations of classic monsters, from menacing dragons to sinister aberrations, while also introducing a roster of 500 entirely new horrors ready to terrorise your table – just don’t mention the Arch-Hag or upset the primaeval Owlbear.
I’m particularly intrigued by the inclusion of ‘legendary upgrades’ for some lesser-used creatures, enhancing their tactical depth. While some purists may lament changes to established lore, most of us couldn’t be more excited to do battle with a revamped Mind Flayer.
Release Date: February 18, RRP: £59.99
Street Masters: Tide Of The Dragon
Not going to lie, I’m extremely keen to hear literally anything new about Sega’s Streets Of Rage Revolution video game, but in the meantime the Street Masters miniatures game from Steamforged looks like an exciting distraction. Tide Of The Dragon is the latest standalone expansion to the hit co-operative beat ‘em-up board game, Known for its fast-paced combat and immersive storytelling.
This new instalment and standalone expansion introduces a gritty, Hong Kong-inspired setting where you take on the role of a martial artist battling against ruthless triads, enigmatic assassins, and shadowy criminal overlords. Featuring new fighters, stage decks, and an expansive story-driven campaign, the game promises even more tactical depth and replayability. I’m especially keen to try out the new mechanics tied to the Dragon Gauge, which allows players to unleash devastating abilities as they build momentum through combat.
Pre-Order until: Feb 25, RRP: £49.99
Marvel Crisis Protocol – War Of Kings Crisis Card Pack
With Kraven the Hunter managing to hit new Metacritic lows at the box office it’s good to see some positive superhero hype on the tabletop, in the form of Marvel Crisis Protocol. While Asgard has been dominating this miniatures game’s meta with hammers (and Kaiju Thor) rather than strategy, the game is about to get a brand new card pack to shake things up. It features five new Extract Crisis Cards and five new Secure Crisis Cards, all inspired by the events of the War Of Kings comic book storyline.
These cards provide the synergy to create a new campaign system, with five new narrative missions, and will add new ways of playing the game, so it’s bound to sell out if you don’t pre-order. Along with the cards, you get Gladiator, leader of the Imperial Guard, who deals huge damage with his Praetor Punch move.
Release Date: March 14, RRP: 44.99
Yu-Gi-Oh! Blue-Eyes White Dragon Destiny
Is it time to fall back in love with Yu-Gi-Oh? There’s something about the simplicity of this trading card game that means it holds a special place in my heart. Blue-Eyes White Dragon Destiny delivers a thrilling homage to one of the franchise’s most iconic monsters, that everyone has been wating for. Whether you’re a long-time duellist or new to the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!, this set feels like a celebration of what makes the Blue-Eyes White Dragon an enduring symbol of power and majesty.
The 50 card deck is packed with new support cards, as the set revitalises classic strategies while introducing innovative new ways to compete. The Neo Kaiser Sea Horse card is especially useful for its flexibility and revival qualities, as it maintains the synergy between spell and trap cards. The standout, as usual for Yu-Gi-Oh!, is the artwork; gorgeously rendered new visuals elevate these cards and I’m keen to get my hands on one of the Quarter Century secret rare versions of Maiden of White, Wishes of the Eyes of Blue, or the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Spirit Dragon.
Release Date: February 12, RRP £11.99
Magic: The Gathering – Aetherdrift
The latest Magic: The Gathering set is a breath of fresh air, fusing high-octane racing with the franchise’s signature multi-planar storytelling. Set against the dazzling backdrop of Avishkar’s Ghirapur Grand Prix, this expansion combines speed, strategy, and chaos in a way that feels both bold and refreshing.
The 10 racing teams include the artefact-fuelled precision of the Guidelight Voyagers and the anarchic mayhem of the Goblin Rocketeers, as every faction brings unique mechanics to the track. The Alacrian Quickbeasts reintroduce the saddle mechanic, offering clever synergies, while the Speed Demons exude a retro 80s vibe led by Winter – a character bursting with personality. Beyond its thematic novelty, Aetherdrift introduces clever new gameplay twists, including Exhaust which is a mechanic that helps create resource management with tactical depth.
Release Date: February 14, RRP: Commander Deck £39.99
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