Kickstarter remains one of the biggest trends in the gaming industry, and so from time to time we take a moment to let you know what’s currently on Kickstarter so you can take a look and not miss out on a game (or a deal) that might not be available later.
Mutant Chronicles Third Edition: Mutant Chronicles is the second Kickstarter entry from Modiphius Entertainment (their first was Achtung! Cthulhu, a WW2 setting for Call of Cthulhu and Savage Worlds). This time they’re bringing back the Mutant Chronicles RPG, which originally appeared in the 1990s. Like Shadowrun, it features a mix of sci-fi and fantasy, but set on a much broader scale and further in the future. Earth has been left behind and humanity has spread throughout the solar system, with megacorporations replacing governments. The fantasy elements come from the Dark Legion, an ancient evil awakened by humanity’s exploration. The core rules for the new edition of Mutant Chronicles was developed by Jay Little, who was also led on Star Wars: Edge of the Empire (which you may recall we rather liked). With 11 days to go, the Kickstarter already stands at over £82,000, which means that, in addition to the Dark Symmetry core book, they’ll be publishing a lot of supplements. Normal sorts of physical pledge levels run from about $64 for the core book to about $400 for almost all of the books produced as a result of the Kickstarter (currently 7), although there are also cheaper digital only options and pay a giant amount of money to get something unique options.
Höyük: Höyük (that’s a Turkish word, I have been informed) is a tile-laying and area control game in which each player controls one of the Neothilic (stone age) clans who are building and growing a village. Players will build houses – plus other structures such as shrines, ovens, and pens – in order to score the most victory points, with some points being scored for various aspects of the settlement during the game, and then VPs for controlling blocks at the end of the game. Players most also deal with various catastrophes that will strike the village during the game. Höyük just hit Kickstarter, and is halfway to its goal, with a stack of component stretch goals sure to get unlocked. The game (including stretch goals) is $50.
Kill Shakespeare: You may recall from prior Kickstarter updates that I have a bit of a soft spot for games with literary themes, so you can imagine why a game called Kill Shakespeare caught my eye (the first pledge level is “We Bite Our Thumb At You,” which is terribly cute even though asking me about it might lead to you getting a 15-minute lecture on how Romeo and Juliet is not really a tragedy, but rather a comedy with a sad ending). It’s the first game from IDW Games, but the game was designed by the designers of Yedo, which I rather liked. A semi-cooperative area control and resource management game, Kill Shakespeare pits the players as various Shakespearean characters against the forces of Richard III and Lady Macbeth. Kill Shakespeare has 17 days left on Kickstarter, is already funded (and is working on stretch goals), and it will run you $50 for a copy of the game.
Zeppelin Attack: Set in the world of the Spirit of the Century RPG, Zeppelin Attack is a deckbuilding game that focuses more on combat and resource management rather than constantly feeding new cards into your deck. Each players assumes the role of an evil mastermind bent on world domination, and pits his or her mighty airship forces against rival evil overlords. Zeppelin Commander is only on Kickstarter for another 4 days. Zeppelin Attack has already hits its funding target, and will a little help will finish unlocking its stretch goals. A copy of the game is just $30