Kickstart Your Weekend - This War of Mine: The Board Game

This War of Mine: The Board Game

Type: Coop Board GameFunding End Date: May 31, 2016Funding Status:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/awakenrealms/this-war-of-mine-the-board-game

The Story

Throughout gaming, we typically experience the story through the eyes of Warriors, Heroes (reluctant and eager), or others capable of swaying the course of major events. What about those caught in the middle. What about those just trying to get through the horrors visited upon their Families and Friends?Based on the Video Game of the same name This War of Mine: The Board Game brings you down into the wasteland of a city torn apart by conflict. Inspired by the Real Life experience of the Video Game's Creators during the Siege of Sarajevo, This War of Mine: The Board Game brings the hardships of war into full focus as you and your fellow survivors try to scrounge together enough to survive until the conflict resolved and help could arrive.

The Gameplay

In This War of Mine: The Board Game you and several other survivors will forage for food and supplies while maintaining your shelter in attempts to survive through the war. Along the way, you will encounter different choices that affect not only the state of the game, but future events as well. The majority of the game is spent in your shelter, rebuilding, improving, and maintaining your living conditions. You will also venture out into the ruined city to find supplies and materials which enable you to do so.As you play through the game, you will uncover events. You may run into other survivors (friendly or not), Soldiers, bandits, and others. In these events you will be forced to make a choice, it could be to help a sick child, stop a bandit from killing someone, or a soldier from looting an old person's house. Whatever you decide, it will affect not only your character in the moment, but may come back to haunt or help you in the future through some sort of game mechanic.The objective of the game, is to reach the end of the war, which is noted once you reveal a Ceasefire card.The focus of This War of Mine: The Board Game is on how it mutates after each choice, or each encounter you have to give you a truly unique experience in every play through. It gives you the true feeling of desperation as your story unfolds. As you play, you will read through game scripts that dictated what happens as you play. This game boasts over 1000 different events.The game is designed for up to 6 players, and features a variable length that you can decide. You can go for a shorter 45 minute game; or it can be a Full Campaign, so long that the creators have build in a Save Mechanism for easy continuation.

The Aesthetic

This War of Mine: The Board Game has a HIGH level of production value. Since Awaken Realms is working directly with 11 Bit, the creators of the Critically Acclaimed Video Game, they have full access to all art assets of the Video Game. The Board, the Character profile pictures, the layout of the shelter, the font and colors used all invoke the same feel and look you got in the Video Game.Without holding the pieces in hand, we can really only go off the renderings they provide, but if they're accurate, these are highly detailed pieces and cards.

The Perks

Stretch GoalsAll Stretch Goal have been met and are added to every copy of the game purchased. Kickstarter Exclusives are marked with a * as these are not going to be available in the retail release.*Help the Children Promo CardKatia Character MiniatureAdditional version of the board*Secret ComponentsCveta Character Miniature*Dog MiniatureZlata Character Miniature*10 Promo Script cardsRoman Character Miniature*The Tactical Expansion (Included with the game in the Kickstarter, sold separately in retail)*Sewers Expansion (Included with the game in the Kickstarter, sold separately in retail)*Orphans Expansion (Included with the game in the Kickstarter, sold separately in retail)Backer LevelsAll levels contain the previous level$72 - You get the game!$87 - You get the Art book!$433 - You get all the things! (This includes all the add-ons listed below not painted where relevant)Add ons$15 - Memories of the Past Expansion$12 - Incidents Expansion$12 - City Map$12 - Save and Waste Bags$12 - This War of Mine OST$44 - Upgrade Characters to Resin$139 - Upgrade Characters to Resin Painted$73 - Resin Diorama$190 - Resin Diorama Painted$125 - Get your own Character$15 - Custom Box Art$15 - Art Book

The Verdict

Fund!

I loved This War of Mine. It is one of the only games in the last 10 years that has elicited an emotional response from me. When I'm reminded of it, I have to go back and play it. I don't know if I've found another game with a similar experience and from what I've seen, the board game is just another Medium that we get to experience this through. This War of Mine: The Board Game looks like the perfect Analog of the Video game, except with the added bonus of being a Coop game to play with others.The Quality better be on par with what they're presenting us, because this game looks gorgeous.I've said before that I don't like it when there are limited options for funding, but they have done the opposite and thrown so many options, it can't be done just with a pledge level. They've instead opted (Wisely so) in doing add ons. I have to say though, fact that they've made the Expansions a Stretch Goal for every backer is Amazing! I would have put those each in a discounted level, but they're just giving it to us!If I had unlimited funds, I would throw everything I could at this game to get everything from the color figures to the OST and the Diorama. Unfortunately I do not have unlimited funds, so I'll stick with the items that make my life easier. I will be funding at the $72 level and adding on the Memories and Incidents Expansions, the Fabric Safe and Waste Bags and I'm very of the fence about getting my figures upgraded to Resin. I'll have to see where I'm at with my money once they send out the add-on survey.At least get the Core level, this game looks amazing and the source material is a work of Art. Out of anything that I've written since starting KYW, this is by far the most exciting project I've seen. Now I might be fanboying out over the source material, but looking at the gameplay videos provided, the game looks to be just as fun as the Video Game. I can't wait for this to hit my doorstepHappy Funding!