BBG Digest - Outliers on Kickstarter!
Plus other great Zine Month projects
Outliers Update
Big news today: Outliers is coming to Kickstarter!
Far Horizons CoOp is launching a crowdfunding campaign for a print run of Outliers. If we fund, we’ll also be making stickers and a digital Designer’s Commentary Version, which will include insights from the team about Outlier’s development and how my experiences as a research assistant shaped the game.
The digital release of Outliers received some wonderful praise and was even a recipient of The Awards 2023. We can’t wait to bring it to print.
The physical version will be spiral-bound with a frosted cover to elevate the research lab vibes. You can sign up to be notified when we launch on Feb 15!
Editing for Zine Month
February is Zine Month, which means a ton of indie TTRPGs are launching crowdfunding campaigns. Aside from Outliers, I’m involved in 3 other projects, all of which I’ll be editing.
Death Game
Death Game by Laurie O’Connel is about contestants battling to survive - only one will walk away alive. It’s inspired by stories like Hunger Games, Battle Royale, and Squid Game (all of which I love).
Above is a short video I made about Death Game, which is only crowdfunding for a couple more days.
ARKYVR
ARKYVR (pronounced “archiver”) by Rhodrick Magsino is a toolkit for Mothership 1E that puts players in the role of documentary filmmakers. Characters attempt to complete their Shot List while surviving the horrors of space and facing the ethical dilemmas of distributing their footage. I was immediately hooked by this concept and could not be more delighted to be ARKYVR’s editor.
If you’d like to learn more (other than by checking out the Crowdfundr page), the podcast Talk of the Table released an interview with Rhodrick Magsino about ARKYVR. I highly recommend listening - they’ll be releasing more Zine Month episodes throughout February.
Rom Com Drama Bomb
Rom Com Drama Bomb by Elliot Davis is a 3-player game that asks the question: what if two people who shouldn’t fall in love are forced to act out a rom com by a supervillain?
If that pitch doesn’t grab you I don’t know what will. I couldn’t stop grinning when Elliot described this game to me. The campaign isn’t live yet, but you can sign up to be notified when it launches Feb 14, Valentine’s Day.
Also, My First Dungeon, one of my favorite actual play podcasts, will be releasing a Rom Com Drama Bomb episode on Valentine’s Day in which Superdillin will be playing the supervillain. I absolutely cannot wait for this.
Other Zine Month Projects
There are so many incredible projects funding this month - this unofficial website lists most of them.
Here are a few rapid recommendations that still need help reaching their goals.
Buried Deep, about a family uncovering the dark secrets of their family history. Inspired by gothic literature.
Seelie Court, about creatures from Scottish mythology participating in courtroom drama. Designed for 3 players who take the roles of the judge, the defense, and the prosecution.
Void Above, about a crew who complete contracts in a colorful, hard sci-fi universe. The design of this game looks lovely and I’m surprise this project hasn’t received more attention.
CONVICT-ION, about convicts struggling against a system which aims to “normalize” them. Inspired by Life is Strange, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and Persona, and the philosophies of Butler and Foucault.
Solo Martial Blues, about a martial artist fighting against the odds. This is a singleplayer game by the same designer of Fight to Survive: Role-playing Martial Arts Meets Heart (which I’ve read and was really impressed by).
Thanks, as always, for reading. Until next time!
~ Sam Leigh