Guild Master is an upcoming fantasy board game where, instead of playing the hero, you’re playing the guys handing out the quests and contracts.
Currently taking orders on Kickstarter, it’s for 2-4 players, with everyone taking control of an adventuring guild. Each person is trying to recruit heroes to their guild, send them out on jobs and use the gold they bring back to upgrade your digs, hire new/better heroes and earn enough fame to win the game.
I actually got to play the game last year at a local con (the designers are Australian), and loved it. Guild Master has simultaneous action planning, which cuts down on the time spent waiting around for everyone else’s turn, and it’s also a game where you can get points and stuff for doing anything, which makes it easy to get straight into as a newcomer.
You can check it out here.