I’m now thinking the real golden age of board games wasn’t brought on by Kickstarter, but right before it really took off. Just broke out Terra Mystica and damn it’s still a fine game. But it got buried under an avalanche of Kickstarter projects, stacks of metal money, endless ranks of gratuitous plastic, and semi-tested stretch goal expansions.
Along with getting back to some other old favorites like Eclipse, I’m taking a harder look at what boardgame Kickstarter campaigns have actually delivered amazing experiences.
Right at this exact moment, 7th Continent is still treating us right. And I’m not sure any publisher would have ever touched it. Gloomhaven will show up next month, a similar story. The new edition of High Frontier was purely a reprint/update thing, just barely a Kickstarter-y project at all.
Ehh…Maybe it’s just nice to get back to these excellent games that continue to hold up so very well.
I think the rise of Kickstarter has also put other game companies on notice and they’ve stepped up their game as well.
Prior to Kickstarter games like Shadows Over Camelot and Dominion created new game genres. Now the dynamics of Kickstarter are creating genres of archetypal Kickstarter games. Zombicide for instance.
7th Continent very quickly jumped to a necessary KS. I’m all-in on that one now. (Well, I thought I was and then they keep adding add-ons.)
Also, is there a new Gloomhaven KS coming, or are you talking about the new printing hitting stores/backers?
Jesse Coombs That Mat addon seems gratuitous. It adds nothing to the actual game, and I am skipping it. If the addon does not have cards that make the game itself better, I have no interest. I have similar feelings about other KS. If the base game truly needed that addon, then it should be part of the game.
It is possible to still appreciate the pioneers without that meaning there’s anything wrong with the new.
Oops, forgot to liberally pepper my post with extensive IMOs and IMEs. I’m usually more careful about that.
Glenn Rittenhouse I was wondering about the mat. Thanks! I’m skipping the sleeves too because I like touching cards and I hate the feel of sleeved cards. Also, we’re in the age of Legacy games. One should not be afraid to let the world fall apart…