Tabletop Apocalyptic Board Games (Remnants Supreme Survivor)

Remnants New Game Board

Here's an update for the new board. It's been a heck of an evolution for this game. This new board is actually a map featured in the first prototype. The USA map proved difficult to manage and that was apparent from the start but ambition can be not only daunting but sometimes a roadblock.

So now I'm back here and the game seems to flow much better with this new board. I never was a big fan of the full USA map because it looked trite and ordinary. With this new Manhattan city map, the game is more focused and familiar to me and far more interesting.

I've added another snarky card deck of explosions that include time clock events so it's all coming together in the final destination city where the girls, Andrea and Maria flee out of Austin, as told in the novel, Age of the Apocalypse, the hardcover edition.

I also started a new website to promote the three books tied to this game. So there's a lot going on and hopefully, I'll get to the end of it soon. No rush, no worries. I'd rather take my time and get it right.

As for the box cover, I've decided to print the next prototype with this image of Andrea, and subsequently, there will be more choices including boxes with Sergey Vasnev artwork.

Peace out.

UKRAINE'S DELIVERANCE IS AT HAND (Lap it up News Media)

 

UKRAINE FREEDOM FOREVER


A symbol to help spread a message of hope, unity, and strength against tyranny.
People of Ukraine and all the oppressed worldwide: You are in our prayers.

"Together, we must unleash hell and
return this war from where it came and upon whom sent it."

Forget the "Z" Wicked "P" will burn in Hades forevermore.

 
That's his punishment for everything he worked towards, and surely, 
the only thing he really deserves on earth. 

That's God's justice, God's vengeance, and God's promise. 

"AΩ"

Amen.

Cyberpunk Tabletop Games (Sergey Vasnev and Star Wars Ewoks)

 And the winner is. . . 

Drumroll, please. . . 

Right. You've heard this all before. And don't think that I'm not just as skeptical as you are. But there comes a time in the design and development stage of any product, board games included, that you have to decide on what you're going to publish. 

That's a big decision because everything hinges on your first impression. And as you know, you can only make, blah, blah, blah.

So after experimenting with dozens of designs and getting a feel for how this game should look and feel, I've settled on this image. (fingers crossed)

Battle for Endor

Chances are you're familiar with the Star Wars movies and characters like most humans on earth. In this image, Vasnev re-imagines George Lucas' Ewoks with an interesting fan-art like this.

Mmm. . . now it's all coming back.

And so if we remember, Ewoks hail from the moon of Endor, thus the battle you see hear.

When I saw this image I was struck at once with several questions and curious about the idea behind Vasnev's concept art.

As it turns out this was an art challenge of sorts, of which I don't know its outcome.

Star Wars

So all that aside, let's get in our time machines and travel back to the year 1983 and the movie, Return of the Jedi.

Many of you had not been born yet. But I'm sure you recall the Jedi movie as part of the Star Wars franchise and all the films that followed it. How many action figures do you own?

If you recall, those furry little bears, the Ewoks helped destroy the imperial shield generator in their forests and defeated the stormtroopers and scout walkers of the Empire. Nobody saw that coming.

Battle of Endor

Long story, short. 

I contacted Sergey Vasnev and asked if I could use this amazing image and he was gracious and generous enough to grant me the use of Battle For Endor, as a cover for the Remnants board game. (Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Sergey.)

As it turns out if you visit Sergey Vasnev's website on ArtStation, most of his artwork lends itself perfectly to this sort of game. He's quite prolific and all the artwork is stunning. You must see it. So the idea is to incorporate more of his designs into the game (box, playing cards, etc.) so gamers have a choice of whichever design they like most. Collectors can collect all three boxes, for example.

That's the plan for now and I haven't run it by Sergey yet but, you get the idea. I hope he'll be on board and I think he'll agree so we'll see. Let me know what you think in the comments and what your favorite Sergey Vasnev work of art is. It'll be difficult to choose, I promise.

You'll notice the new game board with the city of Manhattan and new playing cards. I'm loving it so far. Overall I do like this current iteration of the game and I think it's a good place to be as I further develop the game.

At this point, I'd like to feature the game on Kickstarter.com but not sure if it will be ready for this coming April. That's what I'm trying to finish as we speak. Actually, I just might be able to pull that off because the new concept flows much better than anything I had tried before so hopefully, I'll be able to launch the game this coming year.

How exciting will that be?

I can hardly wait. 

Don't forget to sign up for updates (upper right column) about the game plus interesting reveals about Vasnev's art in upcoming posts.

Hey, check out the animation on the blog where you see the whole box in 3D and much more fun stuff.

Learn more on the blog:

New Tabletop Post-Apocalyptic Game (Remnants: Supreme Survivor)

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Kickstarter Made Easy (New Tabletop Family Board Games)

Kickstarter Campaign The Easy Way

How To Successfully kick off your Kickstarter 

How daunting is it to build a successful Kickstarter campaign?

The essentials are not rocket science at all. You'll need a long list of potential buyers and a great product to offer those buyers.

That's it in a nutshell. It's getting those potential buyers all lined up and primed to back, or buy before you launch. That's the tricky part.

Easy Pre-Launch Strategy

Not everyone is familiar with crowdfunding, let alone Kickstarter. So, first things, first. You'll need a primed audience on Kickstarter who understands the platform and is used to backing and funding campaigns. 

So how do you get that primed Kickstarter audience all lined up to buy your product? Easy, just get Kickstarter to feature your product and that will improve your chances of attracting a strong audience of potential buyers. 

No promises, but it's a headstart to kickstart your next crowdfunding campaign.

Read all about it on the Kickstarter Blog for in-depth information.

3 Essential Design Elements (Board Game Packaging Box)

New Remnants Box

Hungry For The New Board Game Box?

Here are the 3 essential ingredients.

Hooks, Hooks, and more Hooks.

If you're a subscriber to this blog, you probably already know about the importance of hooks. And it's worth repeating because, without the proper hooks, your audience will dismiss your game and look for another image or a catchy phrase in another game that piques their interest and excites them.

In other words, your packaging must instantly push all the right buttons for the genre. It's just that simple and that important.

Let's break it down

First things first. Your main image must grab their eye and mind all at once. For Remnants, Andrea's face, her expression, says it all. She's not startled or surprised by what she sees, but something has caught her attention.

Next, you'll notice the big-ass Glock in her bionic hand. After all, she is an Android, with a backstory, mind you. And that says a lot about her already. She knows how to protect herself. So far, so good. And who doesn't carry a weapon these days? Many people do and whether they carry one lawfully or not is another matter. But in the near future, personal protection is a must. And all the doomsday preppers said, AMEN.

Aside from all that, she's dressed to survive. Not to mention her one blue eye. That detail is mentioned in the first book, Edge of The Apocalypse (featured on the bottom right side of the box).

Other Hooks

As far as the background goes, there are subtle messages that inform the audience. In this case, the New York City skyline is rushing by and there's a massive planet looming on the horizon. (Another Earth?) Plus, you'll notice the flash of sunlight on the left. That's not part of the original image but I included it to evoke a sense of hope or normalcy. Yes, the world is a blur, but the sun still shines. That's the metaphor, in a nutshell, folks.

Okay, so much for the imagery. What about the all-important copy? Well, that's another beast altogether but let's get into it.

Tagline Closeup

Taglines

We all know about hierarchy when it comes to copywriting for advertising or packaging of any kind and as you can see, the 2 lines read:

1. Welcome to the edge of the apocalypse and beyond.
2. "Take her to the edge."

I hadn't come up with this until now because that's just the way things go sometimes but I think this is good enough to stick with for the next printing.

As a side note, these two lines are at the top of the box (first lines) but they're not what the viewer sees first because the name or title of the game is front and center in a much larger size, as it should be. Nevertheless, the hierarchy still works as-is and potential buyers most likely will read those first two lines after viewing the name, Remnants right in the middle of the box, and the all-important subtitle, Supreme Survivor.

The word Remnants has a built-in curiosity and that's an advantage right there. Then there's the sub-title, which has a good ring to it because it evokes the object of the game in a catchy way. Yes, I could have used lone survivor or last survivor, but the word supreme is fresh and on point for the genre.

What's effective about that first line is that it mentions the title of the first book and evokes the title of the last book. That's clever enough and a great choice of first words.

The second line is of course a double entendre. No explanation is needed but suffice to say, it's a good and effective line for those two reasons. It ties in with the first line and evokes not just a sexual innuendo, but two books in the process.

Copywriters are fond of double, or multiple meanings and I'm no different because you get your money's worth when good copy does the heavy lifting. So remember that when you write your copy next time.

Here's a good example of multiple meanings in the media today:

"Pizza lovers get it."

Dogs get it too!

Short and sweet as Marco's Pizza declares in their new ad. But that didn't stop Papa John's from using the same, exact tagline. Who's line is it, anyway? (See what I did there. Right. Let's move along.)

The last line, or bottom line, as it were, evokes the subgenre and the author's name, which right now is not as important because no one has ever heard of A. R. Arias. (Hopefully, that will change next year.)

A Cyberpunk Strategy Game by A. R. Arias

So this line mentions the genre, the game mechanics, and its author. All very important elements that help sell the game in short order.

So there you have it, folks. We've dissected the front of the box and made sense of it all for aspiring copywriters and we've added strong sales copy that should help towards the long and winding road or sales funnel that hones in on prospects of the genre and beyond.

It's a win-win-win for all.

In my next post, I'll cover all the juicy details on the back of the box (so many). Now that's a can of delicious and tempting lines that should make your mouth water for more.

Bon appetite!

All comments or questions are welcome so please post them below.

See you soon. Be safe and play on!

10 Best Upcoming Kickstarter Board Games For 2022

 Let's dive right into this amazing list of the 10 best games that will hit Kickstarter next year in 2022.

Etherfields Board Game by Awaken Realms

Bedeville Carnival

Bloodstone

Bluxelles

Cyberpunk 2077

Monster Apocalypse

Silver Coin

Enchanters

Interstellar

Omega Virus

Remnants Supreme Survivor

Let me know in the comments if you're getting any of these board games or plan to back them on Kickstarter in 2022.

I want to add a few more games so I'll post another list here very soon. Stay tuned for more exciting new board games coming in 2022!

Check them all out here: