In order to Kickstarter Good ideas are hardly enough to be financed. The projects have to compete against hundreds and, above all, stand out. The Shivers did it – through a design feature that is rarely used: pop-ups.
The Shivers is a mixture of escape game, RPG and pop up backdrops. The game impresses with its beautiful design, but the story and the fun have to be convincing. Over 4.400 backers on Kickstarter are already hoping that it will. Financing has already been secured, but there are still outstanding stretch goals. What is particularly interesting is the possibility of actively shaping the game. There will be PDF files for printing and designing. This way you can bring your own character into play.
Quality is crucial
There will be a total of eight episodes, each filling about an hour of playing time. Like many Escape Games, the game can only be played once, otherwise you will already know the story and the puzzles. But since no material is destroyed here, you can pass it on to friends, wait for the next expansion or act as a GM.
The game is played with two to five players and the narrator who accompanies the players through the story. The Game Master can also adjust the difficulty. The game is recommended for ages 7 and up, on the one hand because of the material and on the other hand because of the RPG factor of the game. This is also the attraction for more experienced players. The Shivers builds on cooperation and storytelling.
Many people probably still know pop-ups from children's books in which dragons or castles were brought to life by the pop-up mechanics. But what you probably also remember is that you always had to handle these books with special care if you didn't want the dragon to fly wingless through the fairy tale landscape.
But in a game, it is precisely these pop-up backdrops that are exposed to permanent use. With The Shivers even stronger than with other games in the category. Because behind hidden doors and in mysterious chests are the clues that are supposed to advance the game play. So that means frequent opening and closing of the various cardboard parts. The fear that the game will soon end up in the waste paper has its justification somewhere.
But Andy Logan, the author of The Shivers, promises durability and high-quality material so that this does not happen. It is assumed that you should play carefully anyway. The prototypes of the game are developed in collaboration with Renee Jablow. She is anchored in the pop-up industry and has already developed pop-ups for well-known industries such as Disney. That then increases expectations in terms of quality and durability.
The Shivers: And this is how it works
Before starting, each player chooses his character. The characters come with player boards that contain traits and background stories. However, these tableaus are also intended as notepads and can be written on. Several times with a marker. The players take turns in their moves and examine the room together.
Found items can be noted for further use. Your character can move through the individual rooms, which are clicked together with magnets so that nothing slips. So you try to solve the puzzle together. The Game Master directs the game by giving you hints and telling you whether the actions you take are successful or not. This is "rolled". The GM sees the clues and story at the back of the room, keeping track of things.
Until August 8th the Kickstarter campaign is still running and it looks like the other stretch goals can still be met.
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