While I’m all in favor of games that have an average play time of less than a half-hour, there are days where I long to sink my teeth into a game that’s both meaty and heavy. “Feudum”, an upcoming Kickstarter project, looks like it’ll fit that bill and then some. Per the Kickstarter campaign page, “Feudum mechanics include action programming, area influence, hand management and a unique economic ecosystem. The game features the kinds of strategic complexities found in deeper games such as Terra Mystica, Brass, Caylus and Dominant Species.” Like I said…meaty and heavy.
Game Designer & Professor Mark Swanson offered the following press release:
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9/22/2016
Contact: Mark Swanson or Justin Schultz
Email: swansonmk@missouri.edu or justinmichaelschultz@gmail.com
High resolution images available upon request
“Heavy Euro” game Feudum Draws Praise for Rich Art and Unique Game Mechanics; Announces Kickstarter Launch Date
The buzz continues to grow around the Euro-style tabletop game Feudum from Odd Bird Games. The game, designed by University of Missouri Professor Mark Swanson and Mississippi-based Artist Justin Schultz, will launch on Kickstarter, Thursday, November 10.
Popular game reviewer Richard Ham of “Rahdo Runs Through” has featured Feudum on his top 10 most anticipated games list. On Feudum’s kickstarter page (www.oddbirdgames.com/feudum), Ham states in a video, “If I were ever to design a board game, this is the game I would design!”
Modern game designer Jamey Stegmaier, known for his successful Kickstarter campaign for the game Scythe, said he “had the pleasure of playing a prototype of Feudum at Geekway to the West,” and found it to be very enjoyable calling it “a heavy Euro game with lots of interesting decisions and a healthy dose of player interaction.” Stegmaier also compared it “in depth and aesthetic to Trickerion.”
Feudum features the strategic complexities found in games such as Terra Mystica, Brass, Caylus and Dominant Species, but sets itself apart with its meticulously-drawn illustrations, interesting decisions and a fully-functioning economic ecosystem. It is this unique economic mechanic that allows players to facilitate the rotation of goods through different guilds, while competing for status within them.
“There’s not one right way to play it,” said Swanson. “Uniquely powered characters and multiple paths to victory make for an ever-changing, open-world experience. You have to be flexible—ready to adapt.” The new game also includes action programming, area influence and hand management. These nuances are highlighted by Schultz’s artwork for the game.
“Designing a board game is a dream come true,” said Schultz, who is known for his eclectic works ranging from a logo for a tomato farmer to concert posters for Grammy award-winning band Wilco. “It reflects so much of what has inspired me over the years—from 60’s art like Steadman and Crumb to Anime and Saturday morning cartoons.”
The game is for 2-5 players, takes 80 to 180 minutes to play and will include rulebooks in German, French and English. Prospective backers, reviewers and retailers can have a glimpse of the game on its Kickstarter preview page at www.oddbirdgames.com/feudum.
About Odd Bird Games
Odd Bird Games launched onto the scene in 2014 with a prototype of Feudum debuting at GenCon in the First Exposure Playtest Hall. To learn more, follow Feudum on social media.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/feudum
Instagram: @feudumgame
Twitter: @feudumgame
Kickstarter Preview: www.oddbirdgames.com/feudum