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New Board Games - A Millennium Update [ The Apocalypse is Alive and Well ]

New Game board

 

Hey folks, I just wanted to post the latest update for Millennium. I'm still using the six-fold game board but I've added wide borders to accommodate playing cards. As you can see, I've also added several graphics keeping the theme in mind, of course.

I think this works and even though the map is a bit smaller, I think it will still be legible enough to play without straining your eyes to read. I've slowed down my pace and still working on the new role-playing card deck but I plan to get back into that this coming week and hopefully finish it before this coming month is gone.

The main difference here is that I'm replacing the states with territories. Based on current demographics and other criteria, race and ethnicity dominance will be a major factor after an apocalypse and so I'm working all that out as we speak.

How Time Flies

We're quickly heading into September and that's when I wanted to launch this game but I insist on not rushing the process because that will only result in putting out an inferior version. Every time I turn around I find ways to improve the graphics and overall design so all these delays are for the good of the final product.

I'd regret launching this game only to realize that I've figured out a better design via game mechanics or graphics so I'll be working long hours by the end of this year to print another prototype early next year in 2022.

That's just the way it is and so no worries because the game keeps getting better, although that's not to say that I'm striving for perfection either. I realize that small changes can be made along the way after I launch next year. My main concern is to produce a playable version with minimal corrections afterward.

Main Goal

My goal is to launch an interesting and fun game ready to hook new players in this genre with something different but familiar that has a strong storyline. New games simply cannot afford to launch with bad or tepid reviews. 

And so it takes time to develop a great game that hooks and engages players in the genre and beyond. I'm also working by myself for the most part except for the help of my teenage kids that said the rulebook was not clear enough. I don't doubt that because I'm trying to keep the rules to a minimum but I can't leave anything out. I've since revisited the booklet and made several changes to clarify the rules and gameplay.

Play Testing

At this point, I won't ask them to play the game until I reprint the next prototype because I've made quite a few changes and corrections to the rulebook, the board, and the box. Right. It's an entirely new look and feel and the best changes going forward.

Thanks for your comments and questions. I'll be back soon as I get more work done. 

Until then, stay safe and play on, people.

BTW, soon you'll be able to download the new Rule Booklet on the right column under Andrea. Believe it or not, I'm confident that I can really finish the game by the end of this year. At that point, early next year, I'll be posting Youtube videos about the game and sending out free game boxes in exchange for reviews before the game officially launches on September 11, 2022.

Board Games Record Double-Digit Growth . . . ! [reddit.com, DW.com]

Board Games Record Double-Digit

Growth as Interest in Anything Analog Increases

Board Game Popularity on The Rise

That's the headline as posted on Reddit from an article on DW.com.
Read the original article and my comments on Reddit

I know there's a big divide along these lines; tabletop games vs. video games. But if you ask me, it's a lot like paperback or hardcover books, vs. ebooks. As a book enthusiast and collector I'm in the habit of buying all three editions of any book I like. So in fact, everyone wins.

It's a lot like that for gaming but not an identical set of parameters because RPG fans may never get into tabletop games of any kind since it's a whole different experience so I think it's safe to say that these are entirely different markets with unique players that don't necessarily crossover.

 There's plenty of room for more 

innovative game ideas

Classic tabletop games such as Monopoly™, Chess, and Clue™, for example, are embedded in our culture and will always sell, especially for the holidays. Other newer, modern games such as, Fallout™ , Scythe™, and Gloomhaven™, standout because they already have specific audiences with a strong following.

And there's plenty of room for more innovative game ideas similar to Scythe and my own brand of the apocalypse, Millennium™. Hey, someone has to break the mold, people. It's not rocket science, it's just fun and interesting game concepts that evolve and emerge with a big demand from new audiences.

Millennium - Glory Beyond The Ages

I'm betting on apocalyptic games because it's what I enjoy playing and designing and I truly believe, like many others, that an apocalyptic event of biblical proportions is on the horizon, so that alone is a great reason to ride that wave, which hasn't peaked by any means.

I'm not trying to make a case for apocalyptic tabletop games because I think there's plenty of room for everyone in the industry to succeed with whatever concept they decide to put out there; RPG or tabletop. Yes, it's always a crap-shoot. Life itself is a gamble at every turn so all we can do is roll with the punches and do our best. Hopefully along the way, we'll find other groups who feel the same way we do and at that point it's a happy match.

What else can we ask for? 

My new board game, Millennium is on track to debut on 9/11/2020. There is a trilogy of books that precedes the game. Edge of The Apocalypse, Book One, Epic Apocalypse - Book Two, and, Beyond The Apocalypse - Book Three.

Edge of The Apocalypse is already available on Amazon. Read the Preview: Book One.

Book Two and Book Three will be available in January and February, respectively.

The Edge of Time Trilogy

Yes, Millennium has been a long time in design and development (3 years and counting) but it's about time I release this series along with the board game. 

Time flies and none of us are getting any younger, folks. The time is here and now. Take it or leave it because perfection is the quintessential enemy of progress. And so warts and all, 2020 is the year of Millennium.

I'm confident all the products will do well, maybe sleepers at first but as players discover the books and the game in particular, I think they'll warm up to it and embrace it for what it's worth.

Elon Musk's Cybertruck was a huge controversy when he revealed it last month. Today it's hailed as a work of genius. Not that I'm comparing myself to Mr. Musk. I'm only comparing how people perceive products at first glance.

Time will tell. And the time is now.

Enjoy the ebooks!

Anyone interested can request Book One and Two for free until March as a PDF file. Just shoot me an email and I'll send them right over to you.