Gold Coast Gambits: Boca Raton & Palm Beach

🎲 The board game is coming to Kickstarter!

Gold Coast Gambits is the digital version of our hand-drawn board game Boca Raton & Palm Beach: two games in one box, with wooden gold bars and gold-foil cards. Follow the project on Kickstarter to get notified at launch: search for “Boca Raton & Palm Beach” on Kickstarter, or use the “Visit the website” link on this page.

Welcome to Gold Coast Gambits!

Hey everyone! I’m Lars Backhans, the indie developer behind Backhans Games, and I’m thrilled to introduce you to Gold Coast Gambits!

As a board game designer, I built this digital adaptation—based on my physical tabletop games Boca Raton and Palm Beach—to answer a single question: How do you create the ultimate, high-energy game night experience that gets everyone laughing, shouting, and demanding "just one more round"?

Whether you're looking for that perfect game night gem to host with friends or you're an indie enthusiast who loves exploring rich, real-world local lore, this game was built for you.

And best of all? With Steam Remote Play Together, only YOU need to own the game. You host the lobby, invite up to 3 friends, and immediately deliver an incredible game night. You get to be the host who introduced everyone to their new favorite title!

100% Hand-Crafted Indie Art (No AI)

In a world filled with generic asset flips and generated graphics, Gold Coast Gambits stands out as a true labor of love.

A Family Project: This game is deeply personal. My daughters, Alva and Tilda, contributed hands-on artwork and provided invaluable feedback throughout testing to help make the game what it is today!

Direct Tabletop Heritage: Every single card artwork, icon, and map tile was hand-drawn directly from the physical board game.

Zero AI Generated Content: We take pride in authentic indie craftsmanship. Every asset you see in this game was created by human hands with attention to detail, charm, and character.

Live Like a True Florida Local (Real Locations & Local Lore!)

In Gold Coast Gambits, you step into the sun-soaked, high-stakes world of Boca Raton and Palm Beach, Florida. Your goal is simple: flex on your rivals and build the most prestigious portfolio in town.

You’ll accumulate prestige points by snapping up Property Cards and Luxury Cards:

High-Prestige Flexes: Buy a professional soccer team, a private jet, or a personal mini-sub!

Low-to-Medium Flexes: Acquire a sleek sailboat, fine wine, a pet tiger, or a pair of impossibly stylish shoes.

Discover Florida While You Play!

Every map card in the game depicts a real-world location across Boca Raton and Palm Beach. As you play, you'll discover authentic local lore and history tied to these famous Florida landmarks. It’s an immersive experience for locals, Florida lovers, or anyone planning a future trip to the area!

🎲 🎲 🎲 🎲 Push Your Luck: You Decide the Odds 🎲 🎲 🎲 🎲

At its heart, Gold Coast Gambits is an addictive, fast-paced push-your-luck strategy game. Every flip offers that pure dopamine rush—but every flip carries real risk.

Risk vs. Reward: Play it safe on stable tiles, or roll the dice on high-yield Atlantic and Lagoon cards for massive cash payouts?

Luck Meets Skill: We carefully balanced the game so tactical experience matters, but a lucky streak can let a newer player pull off an incredible comeback. Experienced players won't win every time—keeping match outcomes exciting for everyone!

Ever-Changing Maps

Never play the exact same match twice! The game board is generated using hand-drawn map cards that are shuffled anew before every session.

Because the landscape rearranges every time you start a match, you’ll constantly need to adapt your spatial strategy, react to fresh tile spreads, and plan new routes to victory.

10 Asymmetric Characters & Deep Tactics

Choose from 10 unique characters, each designed around distinct playstyles.

Special Abilities: Leverage your character's unique text powers, scarce Re-rolls, and high-value +1 Turns to tilt the odds in your favor.

Master Grid Control: Be the last person to flip a row or column on the map to snatch a lucrative Line Bonus. Watch the board closely so you don't gift bonuses to opponents—or burn an extra turn to claim a whole row yourself!

Control the Auctions: Two game-changing property auctions sit waiting to throw the match into chaos. Players decide when an auction starts. Do you trigger it early to catch your rivals broke, or hoard gold to guarantee a win?

2 Ways to Play: Solo Tactics or Multiplayer Chaos

Whether you’ve got 15 minutes solo or a full evening with your gaming group, we’ve got you covered:

1. The Tactical Solo Campaign (50 Gambits)

Test your skills against AI "Visitors" across 50 unique solo gambit challenges. You’ll have to win under tricky custom conditions—like winning both property auctions, surviving starved economies, or pulling off specific luxury combinations.

2. Board Game Setup (1–4 Players / Bots)

The full tabletop sandbox! Recreate the complete physical board game experience online with friends via Steam Remote Play or solo against AI bots.

Fast Rounds & Quick Games

10–15 Minute Fast Mode: Lightning-fast rounds where you can easily squeeze in 3 or 4 matches during a single evening.

20–30 Minute Standard Pace: Deep, classic tabletop flow.

Learn in 5 Minutes (No Manual Required!)

Nobody wants to waste game night reading a 20-page rulebook.

Jump straight into the action and learn the mechanics seamlessly by playing through the first 4 gamified Gambits. Download the free demo today and test your luck on the Gold Coast!

See you on the Gold Coast,

— Lars Backhans (Backhans Games)