Some of the best games I’ve played have been Kickstarter games.
Cards Against Humanity started as a Kickstarter project in 2011. I pretty much threw my money at Slash: Romance without Boundaries the moment I saw it. I’ve also mentioned Dungeon Dice, which is like a spectacular dice-based version of Munchkin. Over Valentine’s Day weekend, my roommates and I broke out Marrying Mr. Darcy, which is also a pretty fabulous twist on “Pride and Prejudice.” It even has an “Undead” expansion based on “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.”
And not too long ago, we talked about Exploding Kittens, which earned $8.7 MILLION in funding after an initial $10,000 request.
We’re always working to bring you fantastic games. But over on Kickstarter, you can get those games before they even enter production! If you’ve got some spare cash lying around and want something new and different, there’s no shortage of ways for you to burn a hole in your pocket, so to speak.
Today we’re bringing you our very first Kickstarter Roundup! We’ve scoured the crowd-funding site to find diamonds in the rough (and guaranteed winners) that are looking for people like you to help make them a reality. So without further ado… here are the latest Kickstarter games you need to add to your collection:
1. Trickerion
Let’s be clear here: Trickerion is going to DEVOUR your table. It’s huge. But it looks absolutely fantastic. The artwork is stunning and I want prints just to hang on my wall.
In the city of Magoria, talented magicians face off against one another in a contest of skill, wit, and strategy. They compete to earn the favor of the magician Dahlgaard the Magnificent and inherit the Trickerion Stone, a powerful magical relic.
Trickerion is a worker placement game that involves a lot of strategy. It supports up to 4 players and playtime should be about 30-60 minutes depending on players and whether you play the simple or advanced version of the game. If you want your own physical copy, it’ll run you $49, or $59 for the full set with expansions. Estimated delivery is October 2015.
There are only a few days left on this one, so throw your money at it now, lest you miss out.
2. PlayMe: Alice in Wonderdice
Here’s another beautiful game, this one inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. If you’re a fan of the book, you’re going to want a copy of PlayMe: Alice in Wonderdice. Again, the artwork just looks superb and I want prints for my wall.
The premise is simple: You need to get out of Wonderland. To do that, you need to catch the White Rabbit. Gameplay happens in real time, with each player rolling their own set of dice. You can block other players with your own dice. Beware of unleashing the Jabberwocky, at which point the gameplay changes and becomes half cooperative — assuming you don’t betray your fellow players.
Just $30 will get you the full version of the game, but there are fancy collector’s sets at higher tiers. Estimated delivery is May 2015.
3. Legendary Showdown: Machines and Magic
Machines and Magic is a standalone expansion to the original Legendary Showdown. Like the original, which was based on The Adventures of Dr. McNinja, this game is inspired by a web comic — or two, rather: the Hugo Award-winning Girl Genius by Kaja and Phil Foglio and Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell.
It’s a battle-style card game. I haven’t played the original myself, but the play demo looks interesting: Players have a set number of characters per round, and a set number of cards to use within that round. The cards you play allow you to give your characters weapons and bonuses, or screw with other players’ characters. This game is going to take a mix of strategy and willingness to screw with other players. A round ends only when 2 players have passed their turns in a row, and the winner of that round is whoever’s character has the most points.
You can get the full game for just $29, and all sorts of goodies and collectibles as add-ons or as part of higher tiers. Estimated delivery is July 2015.
4. Warlords & Sellswords
Warlords & Sellswords right off the bat reminds me of Dominion. Which is a good thing, because Dominion is pretty awesome. It’s a deck-building game where each player works to build an army that will earn approval from the King’s advisers and ultimately the King himself. There’s wizards and mercenaries and special items to collect — and the artwork is pretty cool, too.
Today is the first day for this particular game, too — so it’s really a diamond in the rough. Backing the project for $30 will get you a full game. They’re even offering play mats….with the option of custom artwork. Delivery is expected in November 2015.
5. Stipulations
Here’s a game that, like Cards Against Humanity, is going to appeal to terrible people. It’s a party game where the sole purpose is to somehow subvert someone else’s announcement or accomplishment in a terrible way. You have a lifetime supply of kittens? That’s great, but you’re the one giving birth to a litter of them every week.
A $25 contribution will get you the full version Stipulations.
So what are the best Kickstarter games you’ve backed? Which ones are you eyeing right now? Tell us about them!
