Today was an interesting day.
It started off with Kickstarter promoting our boardgame The New Science as “Project of the Day.” I assume by the time some of you read this it will no longer BE “of the day” but as I type this…yep…there it is front and center on Kickstarter.com.
Surreal.
It was followed by distributors contacting me wanting to carry the game. Funny how that works, eh? A few hours later we zoomed past our $15,000 goal and we’re currently sitting a tick over 17 grand with three weeks left in the campaign.
Surreal 2x.
Last weekend I was able to show the game off to the masses at Buckeye Game Fest, a small local con with a solid core audience. Richard Launius was there but I never got to meet him. Damn it. But The New Science was a clear hit. People are digging the theme, even the die rolling–sometimes the absolute bane of hardline Eurogamers– fits the theme so well than they don’t seem to mind. I tell you it’s crazy town.
I still need to write the Dark Souls PC review, which is coming along, even though I haven’t technically “finished” the PC version and have yet to see the new content. GFWL really hurts this game, but it’s impossible to not recommend. I’m also playing Borderlands 2, which I find fun, if a bit formulaic at this point. EA didn’t send me FIFA so I’m not covering it. Atlus is sending the new Sherlock Holmes game which Brandon can dig into as soon as I send it to him.
I have a demo for Card Hunter which I need to get to as well. That looks so damn cool, I just need to find the time to get into it. So I am alive, just sort of lacking the time to do a lot of game writing at the moment.
Oh, as for “other” boardgames, the new Star Wars X-WING minis game is freaking amazing. A-MAZE-ING. Yes it’s ridiculously overpriced and is a clear money sink (FFG knows this game…and knows it well) but hot damn if this isn’t awesome. It’s a pretty simple game but it’s exactly what I want out of a Star Wars combat game.
I defy any group to play this game without at least ONE “Stay on target!” quote coming out of someone’s mouth.
Told ya. My current X-Wing count. 2 starters, 4 tie advances, 2 y-wings, 2 extra x-wings and 2 extra ties.
I’m working on some scenarios based on Rogue Squadron and making some new pilot cards. My kid loves this game and adding some simple scenarios to it makes it a lot of fun.
That’s a nice newbie collection Dan. I have 3x cores, one each of the X-Wing and TIE expansions, 3x TIE Advanced, 3x Y-Wings, 3x A-Wings, 3x TIE Interceptors, and one each of the YT-1300 and Slave 1. Ok, so some of it is preordered. Still, I’m all in on this one and it’s tomorrow’s review.
The highest praise I can give it is that it makes Star Wars awesome again. And probably a Game of the Year short list position.
I’m almost done working on a fan made campaign which is a collection of about 8 missions focusing around Rogue Squadron. I’ve got custom ship cards and what not.
I need people to test it and you seem like someone who has enough stuff that could do it. If you’re interested hit me up. Specifically you need
4 X-wings
6 Ties
1 Y-Wing
2 Tie Advanced
Just played this last night and was pretty blown away by it. I couldn’t have imagined the movement system, simple as it is, would be so effective in capturing the feeling of a star wars dog fight. Although it seems unfair to call the mechanics simple when they manage to simulate something so well. They got the pace just right. Any more modifiers and this game would’ve lost something.
Speaking of miniatures, I played it at a hobby store “game night” and apparently Warmachine is the new black of miniatures gaming. Didn’t see a Warhammer game in sight.
Even as far back as 2005-2006, Warmachine was huge. In my shop, it outsold Warhammer and Warhammer 40k products literally 5 to 1. It’s much easier to get into and requires far fewer models which is one of the reasons it’s popular. It’s also a really good game, which doesn’t hurt it. And it’s also really well supported with in-store events. Oh, and then there’s the fact that the publisher doesn’t try to run game stores out of business to drive customers into their proprietary stores. ;-P
Had a huge Khador army, all painted in Soviet army colors. Bad business partner stole them.
Played Battle Beyond Space lasy night w/ the fam.
Total win.
Oh man, that game would be a quote machine.
‘The force is strong with this one’
‘That was too close’
‘Eject! Eject!’
‘Form up in attack formation’
I need to go watch the first movie now, thanks Bill. These next 9 hours at work just got that much harder.
I can’t shake him!
At what age does this get to be playable with kids?
Todd –
I play it with my 9 year old daughter and she picked it up fast and now is pretty good at it. i.e. I no longer have to try and take it easy on her.
The Intro rules are really simple.