Stonemaier Games launches Scythe on Kickstarter

Sometimes a game catches you with an intriguing theme.  Other times, it’s the mechanics behind it.  I have to say with Stonemaier Games latest game Scythe, both look very interesting, and it just launched on Kickstarter today.

Designed by Jamey Stegmaier with art and worldbuilding by Jakub Rozalski, Scythe is a competitive 4x game (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) set in an alternate-history, 1920s Eastern Europe. Scythe tells the stories of 5 unique factions competing over an unclaimed patch of land surrounding the mysterious Factory.

Every copy of Scythe includes 25 miniatures, 200+ custom wooden pieces, and 130+ pieces of original art. It plays 2-5 players in about 115 minutes. With over 750 multiplayer blind playtests and 300 solitaire blind playtests, Scythe is our most playtested game yet.

The Kickstarter campaign will run from October 13 to November 5, after which we’ll stop accepting pre-orders for the special editions, and the price will go up for the retail version and add-on pre-orders.

The Scythe Kickstarter campaign experience will feature:

• Lots of Day 1 stretch goals followed by 1 new stretch goal every day for all 24 days of the campaign
• 1 promo pack of 6 Factory cards (this pack–and others to be revealed in the stretch goals–are included for free in every KS game but only at an additional cost post-Kickstarter)
• Movie-trailer style project video with music composed specifically for Scythe
• Several different styles of preview, review, and gameplay videos
• Backer engagement throughout the project–we have a lot of fun things planned for you to participate in!
• Money-back guarantee, now with complimentary return shipping
• Our standard low shipping prices around the world from fulfillment centers in the US, France, Canada, Australia, and China

If you’re not interested in the game but you want to pre-order the custom metal coins and/or the 100-page, hardcover, full-color art book, you can do so directly on our website.

While I am a bit scared of the time that this game will take to play, it looks incredible.  It was designed by Jamey Stegmaier who has an incredible track record, and the game funded in less than five minutes.  They even offer a money-back guarantee.  While some Kickstarters can be questionable, this one looks rock solid.  Even without playing the game, I can wholeheartedly recommend this one.