Apparently, 2014 is the year I love all things cyberpunk.
One of my favorite gaming companies at the moment, Wyrd Games, has been doing a lot of branching out recently. They are best known for Malifaux -a miniatures game I could go on about forever - but are now trying their hand at other things. Whether its helping fund an Apples to Apples style card game in the insanely bizarre and fun Jetpack Unicorn, or making even more bizarre games in the form of Evil Baby Orphanage, you can count on them for helping create, or produce, a game that has a very unique twist; Be it art style or game concept, you can expect to have something either really interesting or really appealing to sink your teeth into.
Fall Schematic looks to be both.
A new kickstarter project in conjunction with a new studio, Drawn by Clouds, this game is ambitious, both tackling the mobile IOS market and card game market at the same time. However, the card game is a co-operative card game, and the mobile IOS is a free to play system like league of legends. Talk about shooting for the stars.Honestly, what makes me interested in this game (and already put down backing for it) is that it is so ambitious, and the art style being something not exactly seen every day. The only other cyberpunk game I really play at the moment is Netrunner, and some good old Shadowrun, although that last one is more a mixing pot of every genre ever. Its great seeing a game really push into new territory, I mean, look at this art!
A mixture of anime, bizarre, cool, and adorable.
The concepts behind the game are great as well. For one, I love co-operative games, where if you play the card game in real life, its you and your friends decks of cards against "The Glitch", which is a system now devouring the cyberspace world where humans exist. They gave up having bodies when they polluted the world too much, apparently. It was a nice way to live in their own paradise... however, now they have to fix a new sort of pollution. Working with other humans and their decks, you team up and fight against a card deck that automatically generates monsters and enemies for you, letting you and friends actually play together rather than against.
For me and my history of card games, some of my favorite memories are playing the World of Warcraft trading card game against raid decks, teaming up four or five on one to try and survive. I'm excited for this to have a game that lets me feel that way again, and with everyone on the same side to boot. I'm also excited for the very interesting world they have created.
There is a lot here to like. I'll fully admit I'm more excited about the physical cards than the mobile game, as I'm a bit anxious about the mobile gaming aspect (I still have an old non-smart phone, and use a Wifi I-Pad when out), but even just enjoying one side of this is more than enough for me. Several of my friends have already jumped on, and as an added bonus, the miniatures at the higher levels are sort of fantastic for any Malifaux fans.
...Of course, while I was writing this, the game funded, so the part I was writing about 'invest in art and new ideas, take a chance!' is moot. Instead, I'll just say this - want a unique experience, and something new in your collection? You can't go wrong with this. Check out the kickstarter here.
The fact that I might get this as a miniature makesme happy to no end.
Also, they have a faction called "The Monarchy of Boom". You all should know what faction I'll be playing.
-Wyatt
