Board Games and Coronavirus - How Millennium is Dealing With COVID-19

Hey folks, I hope you're safe, healthy, and still living the American Dream in one way or another. Without question, COVID-19 has dampened spirits and has changed our daily lives in unexpected ways.

But no worries, my response to this virus regarding the Millennium game is simple because viruses are certainly a part of the apocalypse and it's fairly easy to add playing cards and chits to thematically reflect a sign of the times, which I already had in play as a generic plague.

New COVID-19 Playing Card

The question is, what does COVID-19 look like in the year 2157? For now, it looks like the common flu since several vaccines have been developed to fight it, however, about 5% of the population is still dying when infected. Anything goes at this point and the details are only as important as the action you want to add to the game.

I don't like to use losing turns like a game mechanism, but this is COVID-19 after all so the punishment fits. I can adjust the number of turns lost and will probably wind up with 2 turns lost so as to not discourage gameplay.

Other than that, Millennium is better than ever and I plan to print another prototype this coming month and continue testing the game. I've already started working on the introduction video to the game and I'll be able to add game-play rules as soon as I get the new box and game board. As far as the launch date, that remains to be seen because I had planned to launch this game on September 11 but I might push that to a later date; maybe November or even another month in 2021 because of the election this November.

As anxious as I am to get Millennium out there, I don't want to rush things either. The launch date is important because The Game Crafter website helps promote the game initially and so I want to pair that with my own promotions to generate stronger momentum.

That first push and intro are important to keep high and wide at first and then narrow the promos to the niche audiences who are most likely to buy the game. Some might say that the opposite is true but I think that wider exposure from the outset is the way to go.

Either way, Millennium will be on the market soon enough and my 3-year secret will be exposed for everyone to see. 

Millennium's stealth mode is about to unveil the inevitable and glorious introduction to one of the most exciting and most innovative board games planet Earth has ever known.

Lofty hyperbole, yes. You've got to think big and reach for the stars, my friends. We've got but one life so we must make the very best of it while we can.

Live long and prosper.