KICKSTARTER

Goal 1: Successful Campaign.  This is the big one. This is why we're here. We hit this, everyone wins.

Goal 2: A Double-Sided Map.  We already have another track in development. In contrast to the openness and lushness of Paradise Falls, the 2nd map will be set in a much tighter, grittier, urban landscape. This will essentially double the amount of game you get when you pledge at the $50 level or higher.

Goal 3: We have a ton of ideas that will make this game even better.  But first things first.  We'll reveal more stretch goals as we reach our current ones.

Quicksilver is an airship racing game set in the late Victorian Era. Players pilot their aircraft on a customized map, circling checkpoints and avoiding obstacles and their opponents as they race to be the first to cross the finish line. Players will balance risk management with card-play in order to win the game. The faster you fly, the more you throw caution to the wind. Will you choose to outrun your opponents, or slow them down with dastardly attacks? Or both? And will the Queen approve?

For a full explanation of the rules, view the above video, or download the Quicksilver rulebook.

Quicksilver is an airship racing game designed by Paul Imboden and illustrated by Randy Field. Quicksilver plays 2-6 players, aged 13+, and takes about 10-15 minutes per player, depending upon the number of checkpoints and their layout. There are 48 different configurations for a 3-checkpoint race, and obstacles can be placed in countless positions on the board -- you have a greater chance of winning the lottery twice than racing on the same track.

On each turn, players decide if they wish to change their current velocity, then roll dice to determine their total movement. Cards from their hand may be used to modify that movement total, or they may be used for effects such as ignoring movement penalties, re-rolling dice, or attacking their opponents. Players decide if they wish to pivot their ship, which costs one of their movement points; if they pivot more than 60 degrees, their ship loses armor, and if their ship is ever completely without armor the player must lose a turn to make emergency repairs. After pivoting, they move their airship forward for their remaining movement total. At the end of their turn, players draw another card, discarding if they are at their maximum hand size.

Players must avoid clouds (which slow their movement), mines and turrets (which attack airships who wander into their range), mountains (which will damage an airship that crashes into it) and other players (who can attack them in any number of dastardly ways). While there is more than a bit of fisticuffs involved in Quicksilver, the focus is the race: The first player to successfully navigate around all checkpoints and cross the finish line is the winner.

 

Here's a review from Jonathan H. Liu of Geekdad 

Here's what people are saying about Quicksilver:

"I had a blast playing Quicksilver! The theme reminds me of Hayao Miyazaki's 'Castle in the Sky' movie - an interesting mix of Victorian and modern-day flight, but with a light-hearted feel. It fits my definition of my perfect game: easy to learn, hard decisions, and a splash of luck! I also like that you can customize the length of your race depending on how much time you have. Sometimes you just want a quick romp in your dirigible on a Sunday afternoon :)" -- Beth Heile (LindyBurger)

"I don't typically like racing games, but Quicksilver has some great tactical decisions and a neat speed mechanic that makes it really enjoyable. The artwork, both on the board and the cards, is spectacular!" -- John Knoerzer (hobbes_inc)

"Racing games tend to be too much about the race or too much about the conflict between the racers. Quicksilver does a great job of balancing both. Sure, the winner has to be the first across the finish line, but you get the right amount of interaction through card play to make sure the game is lively, win or lose. I look forward to owning a copy of Quicksilver as soon as it's available." -- William Dunning (wcdunning)

"(Quicksilver is) one of the most entertaining racing games I have played." -- Anthony Tuzzo (TonyBravo)

"It seems like it should be chaotic, but the cards start to make sense strategically as the game goes. The cards make you focus on the game, instead of digging (through the deck) for a Hail Mary." -- Scott Tepper, Ascora Games

"I'd buy this game right now. This game is FUN!" -- Brian Rothweil

Our Creative Director, Randy, comes from 5 generations of wood workers, and can guarantee a quality product. He's almost as excited about making all these boxes as he is about the game itself. This box will ship with a sealed copy of the game to backers at the $245 level.

Why self-publish? And why do it on Kickstarter?

Racing games are a specialized niche in a crowded marketplace. Many game publishers will not look at racing games these days due to their smaller audience, which causes less designers to design racing games, which creates a vicious cycle. If we want this game to be made, we need to go outside the typical publication circles. We need to make it ourselves. And we are not Hasbro. We're not Rio Grande, and we're not Steve Jackson. We're just a two-man operation, and this is our first game.

We've spent a lot of time & resources up-front in game and art development; the game has spent nearly two years in playtests and at this time the art is 90% complete, with one card being saved for a special incentive. Now we need your help for the final production push.

Split Second Games would like to thank you for checking out our Kickstarter project! We've got a number of great incentives in addition to our stretch goals -- please take a look at the ones you like most, then click that green button and give what you can, so that together we can make Quicksilver come to life. Thank you.

-- Paul & Randy