So how do you play? (Part One)
In the video, we allude to the game's strategic richness, but in the interest of time we don't really elaborate. But we didn't want to keep you in the dark, so we wanted to take the time to share a short overview of the rules here.
In Clownpocalypse, each player playing a human Survivor leads a Team. At the start of the game your Team is just a single Survivor, but a big part of the game is rescuing other Survivors and attempting to lead them to safety. Each Survivor you shepherd to safety at game's end is worth a victory point, but having a large Team during the course of gameplay can create problems: the larger your Team, the more attention they attract from the Clowns.
It also gets tougher to feed them. In classic survival horror fashion, you start the game with only a limited number of Rations, and you'll need to use your quickly dwindling supply to feed each member of your Team every turn. If your Team gets too large too fast, you're going to have trouble, and then you're going to need to do a hard moral calculus: do you let someone starve? Do you cannibalize your own Team? (Each of these choices has their own pros and cons.)
After you've fed your Team, you get the option to Travel. Traveling is the main way you move through the game deck, uncovering resources and, eventually, the Way Out. There will always be three cards in the gameplay area displaying three possible resources to Travel to. Those resources could be Locations, Rations, Salvage, Weapons, or other Survivors, and part of your strategic thinking in the game will involve assessing which resources your Team really needs--you can only attempt to get one per turn, leaving the rest on the table for your rivals.
And of course, there's danger. The Clowns want to stop you from reaching those resources. So, each turn, the player playing the Clowns places one Clown card, face down, in front of each resource on the table. This is where the game becomes a battle of wits. The Clowns have some cards that are stronger than others, and so they need to carefully choose where they place their best cards. Which resource on the table is the most valuable to the player whose turn it is? Is that the one that the Clowns should defend the strongest? Or should they bluff, placing a weaker Clown there in the event that the player decides to grab up a lesser resource, in the hope of avoiding confrontation? Being able to predict your opponent's strategic choices is an important part of this game.
Once you've declared what resource you're travelling to (or opted to stay put, which has its own risks), the Clowns flip the card they uses to defend that resource, and a confrontation ensues. But more on that in the next update.
--JPB out
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Funding Unsuccessful This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on November 28, 2011.
Funding period
Oct 19, 2011 -
Nov 28, 2011
Pledge $9 or more
3 backers
THE BUDGET VERSION // On the day Clownpocalypse is released, you will receive a link to a downloadable PDF version of the game, including print-at-home versions of all the cards and the rules. (You'll need your own counters and a six-sided die.)
Estimated delivery: May 2012Pledge $25 or more
42 backers
THE FULL VERSION // You receive the downloadable PDF (see above), but also a complete copy of the game shipped to anywhere in the US. (International backers, please add $10 to defray the expense of shipping.) Backers at this level will be listed in the rules as "Producers." PLUS you get a red foam clown nose.
Estimated delivery: May 2012Pledge $50 or more
7 backers
THE GIFT-GIVER // You receive the downloadable PDF, and not one but two *autographed* copies of the game: one shipped to you and one shipped to a friend or loved one, complete with a scary gift card. You will be listed in the rules as a "Producer" plus you get a red foam clown nose. (Backers who wish for one or both of their copies to be shipped internationally will need to add $10 for each copy requiring international shipping.)
Estimated delivery: May 2012Pledge $80 or more
1 backer
THE RETAILER // You get 8 copies of the game shipped to your shop shrinkwrapped and ready for sale. Plus we'll list the name and address of your shop on the Clownpocalypse website so customers will know how to find you. OH WAIT we'll also throw in a stack of full-color Clownpocalypse postcards so you can promote it with ease. ALSO you will be listed in the rulebook credits under the "Awesome Shops" category.
Estimated delivery: May 2012Pledge $150 or more
3 backers Limited (5 of 8 left)
THE VIP // Wow, okay. You get: the downloadable PDF, two autographed copies of the game, and a red foam clown nose.. PLUS YOU GET one of the frightening plastic masks we used in the production of the game. WAIT THERE'S MORE: you also get one of the hand-cut prototype decks we made while the game was in the playtest phase. GAPE IN WONDER at characters that didn't make it into the game, art that we ripped straight out of Google Image Search, flawed game mechanics of yesteryear. The earlier you pledge at this level, the earlier your prototype deck will be, so maximize your cognitive shock by pledging early. Backers at this level receive credit in the rulebook as "Exalted Producers," and we will ship your items anywhere in the world.
Estimated delivery: May 2012Pledge $500 or more
0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left)
THE FAMILY PLAN // One of the "Survivor" cards in Clownpocalypse is a four-person Family. So if you've ever wished to place your family into a terrifying environment of incredible danger, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE. Back us at this level and we will work with you to get your family's photo on the Family card (four-person families only, sorry). This reward level also gets you all the stuff from "The VIP," above.
Estimated delivery: May 2012Pledge $500 or more
1 backer All gone!
THE DOG LOVER // One of the "Survivor" cards in Clownpocalypse is a lovable Dog. Want to see your dog in the game? WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN. Back us at this level and make it so! This reward level also gets you all the stuff from "The VIP," above.
Estimated delivery: May 2012
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