Barrage, the beloved hydroelectric dam-building euro by Simone Luciani and Tommaso Battista, is getting a new expansion, and this time the players helped design it. Barrage: Earned Authority launched on Kickstarter on 6 April and funded in under 10 minutes. The campaign has since raised over EUR 39,200 from 1,426 backers, blowing past its EUR 5,000 goal by nearly 800%.
The expansion introduces 16 new Executive Officer (XO) cards, the variable-power characters that shape each player's strategy in Barrage. What makes this one unusual is that the XOs were designed by the community, with fans submitting ideas that Cranio Creations then developed and balanced. The tagline, "Player creativity meets industry prestige," is not just marketing. It is a genuinely interesting model for expansion design that gives the community a direct stake in the game's evolution.
For those unfamiliar, Barrage (BGG rating: 8.16) is a heavy worker-placement game where players compete to build dams, manage water flow, and generate power across a fictional mountainous landscape. Luciani also designed Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar and Grand Austria Hotel, and the game has been a staple of the heavy euro scene since 2019. It has won seven awards and currently sits in BGG's top 60.
At an average pledge of EUR 28, the expansion is affordable relative to the base game, and the campaign runs until 28 April. Whether you have been playing Barrage since launch or only recently discovered it on Board Game Arena, 16 fresh XOs should keep the replay value climbing. If you have strong opinions about dam placement, this is your moment.
Sources: Kickstarter | Kicktraq | BGG - Barrage | BGG - Simone Luciani
