For independent game developers Kickstarter has become an indispensable financing platform. When board game fans can support their favorite titles right from the start, they develop a bond with the author team. The more board games using Kickstarter should be financed and the greater the competition, the more closely potential “backers” look at the details before they invest their hard-earned money in a project that is still in the development phase. You can see that crowdfunding has a positive impact on the board game world when you take a closer look at the many great ideas behind the Kickstarter projects in the field of board game development.
A small selection of these innovative board game ideas will be presented to you again this month. Have fun with the Kickstarter Report for July 2016.
Game of Energy - board game about energy and environmental protection
The first interesting title not only aims at an entertaining gameplay, but also wants to convey some instructive content from the topic of environmental protection. For understandable reasons, the developers at Nimex Games decided to use the board game Game of Energy with regard to the degree of difficulty rather in the lower range. For this, the rules and the game should be understandable for children from 14 years of age.
The financing phase, which has already started with good support from the board game community, will run until August 30, 2016. 145 fans have signaled their support and donated around half of the funding target with US $ 7.000. Game of Energy is aimed at small to medium-sized playgroups consisting of 1 to 4 players. With a playing time of 45 minutes, the lap time is moderate, so Game of Energy could also be used as a family game. In terms of content, the aim is to optimize the energy requirements for the world's population, while at the same time paying attention to the protection of the environment. In times of the energy transition, the end of coal-fired power plants and the phase-out of nuclear power, this board game deals with a topic that is as current as it is explosive. Is playful Game of Energy a placement game with elements of resource management. The board game is made exciting thanks to a card mechanism in which the cards played not only affect the opposing players, but also one's own energy management. In addition to a solo mode, different profit targets are available for 2 to 4 players. Game of Energy is not only a thematic specialty of this Kickstarter report. You can find more information if you are interested here.
Fire of Eidolon - Dungeon crawler in 16-bit optics
Fans of classic dungeon crawlers will be pleased that the cooperative fantasy board game Fire of Eidolon has already exceeded its funding goal of $ 12.500 by 100 percent. Since there are still 12 days left until the end of the financing period, other supporters of the Kickstarter campaign for this board game in 16-bit optics are likely to join. The Magic Meeple Games development team deliberately relies on a comparatively short playing time of less than an hour in order to make this co-op board game accessible to the largest possible target group. Complex dungeon crawlers with game lap times of epic proportions often only appeal to die-hard fans of the genre. Exactly that could work out with Fire of Eidolon change: 1 to 6 players, ages 14 and up, spend around 30 to 45 minutes in the 16-bit dungeons.
The focus is on a mixture of laying strategies and the tactical use of skills. So that there is no boredom during the purely cooperative game rounds, Magic Meeple Games promises a short downtime and thus a short waiting time between the individual moves. Who games like Pixel Tactics from Pegasus or Dungeon Crawler like Great Dungeon Explore likes, should consider in the next 12 days whether the support of the Kickstarter Project is not worth at least one US dollar. As expected, the players take on the roles of tough pixel heroes who have to make their way through dangerous dungeons in order to ultimately free the eponymous Fire of Eidolon from the hands of the shadow cultists. The cooperative board game has low barriers to entry and a focus on quick rounds of play Fire of Eidolon a gap in the area of classic dungeon crawlers. You can find more information here.
Infusion - deck building in space
The Kickstarter campaign for the deck building game Infusion started recently. So far, the author Jennifer Wehner has been able to inspire around 20 supporters with her idea of a sci-fi deck building game. After all, two supporters have pledged the maximum amount of US $ 1.000. With deck building games in popularity unbroken, I am sure that Infusion will be successfully funded by the end of the campaign period. The goal of 70.000 US dollars sounds a little arbitrary - as does the stretch goals, which are 150.000 and 300.000 US dollars. But since it is a sci-fi card game, some previously unknown and particularly expensive technologies are certainly hidden behind the high costs. So let's wait and see how generous the supporters will be in the next 30 days.
As a sci-fi fan, I like the idea of a new card game in space. 480 playing cards and 12 heroes are enough game material to draw 2 to 4 players into an exciting game. One of the special features of Infusion are undoubtedly the heroes based on well-known literary figures. Every hero starts at Infusion with different starting conditions, so that the change between the hero characters alone should provide long-term motivation. The first artworks were successful, the basic gameplay rules are fixed and can be found on the Infusion Kickstarter campaign page. This is how card game fans get their first clues about the entertainment value of this deck building game. More information about Infusion over here.
