About
Swamped: A Game of Adventure, Secrets and Deadly Peril
$20,504
1,091
The Kickstarter campaign for Swamped: A Semi-Cooperative Game of Adventure, Secrets and Deadly Peril will be over very soon! THANK YOU to ALL of our backers who have helped make Swamped become a reality!
Did you miss the Swamped Kickstarter Campaign!? Even though the Kickstarter campaign is over, you can now pre-order Swamped from our website. Check out the Swamped product page for a complete list of the components that will be included in this edition.
Would you like to stay connected to the Swamped project? Once the campaign ends, we are no longer able to update this page, however we pledge to bring you weekly updates about the progress of Swamped through the Swamped Kickstarter Update system. If you’ve backed Swamped, you’ll get these updates every week. If not, or if you would like to stay more connected, consider one of the following media below:
1. For monthly updates from Bellwether Games, sign-up for our newsletter.
2. Find FAQs and other product updates at the Swamped product page at our website.
3. Rate Swamped, post pictures of your game group playing Swamped, or join conversations about strategy at the Board Game Geek page.
4. Contact us directly through Kickstarter or by emailing dennis@bellwethergames.com
Watch the game play video below or read the rules to the print and play edition here. Please note: the artwork in the video and print and play rules is for prototype and testing purposes only. The final artwork and design is reflected in the other artwork on this campaign page, and the game rules are subject to change.
You’ve been hired to collect a rare herb found deep in the heart of one of the world’s most deadly swamps. Together with your newly acquainted team, you must navigate this dangerous environment in a tiny boat to find the legendary plant before night falls or the giant Croc catches you! If it sounds easy, be careful -- the other players have secret goals that could make your shared mission a complete disaster.
In the game players take turns planning and executing movements for the boat in an attempt to collect lucrative natural treasures. As the game progresses, the boat drifts deeper and deeper in the swamp and players may suddenly discover they need to work together to get out of the swamp alive!
*Here are just a few of the things people are saying about the Swamped base game:
Eduardo Baraf (designer of Lift Off! - Get me off this planet!) - "Compact, entertaining adventure!"
Steve Wollet (Nerd Rage News) - "I learned even tiny games have some unique surprises."
Robbie Vermandel (European gamer) - "Addictive and interactive. We loved it!"
Rob Cramer (writer for Giant from the North) - "Great time with such a small and simple game!"
Jonathan Nelson (reviewer from Gaming Bits Blog) - "Unique and unlike anything I've seen before."
Brian Everett (reviewer from Cloak and Meeple) - "Fast-paced semi-coop. Thumbs up from me!"
Matthew Halstad (League of Nonsensical Gamers) - "Interesting new ideas to the semi-cooperative genre tied together with the same clean finish that Bellwether Games showcased in their last production, Antidote."
Brian Suhre (designer of Paradox) - "The cards and rules may be simple, but exiting the swamp alive is not!"
Furthermore, the Swamped Campaign was highlighted by Stonemaier Games in a post about campaigns that did a great job building trust with backers.
Swamped is a game for 2-4 adventurers that plays in about 30 minutes and expands the vibrant world of Antidote. In addition to a one-of-a-kind theme, there are several core elements that make Swamped incredibly fun and a surprisingly rich gaming experience:
Semi-Cooperative:
1. Player-shared pieces: All players share ownership of the same tiny boat in the swamp, so the actions of any one player directly impact every other player.
2. Secret and shared objectives: Everyone knows the main objective and all players live or die as a team, but each player's secret objectives mean there is only one winner.
3. Player controlled game-length: Players will speed-up or slow-down the game depending on how close they think they might be to winning.
Survival:
1. Apex predators: Your team must traverse carefully through the swamp since it is home to a crocodile that pursues you with ever increasing speed.
2. Nightfall: If your team wanders in the swamp too long, night will fall and all hope of navigating the depths are lost. None who have tarried have survived.
Adventure:
1. Variable game map: As players move deeper into the swamp, the swamp expands from the action card deck, opening up unique adventure opportunities every time you play.
2. Movement programming system: Strategically play coordinate cards and “Let’s Move” cards to drive the boat towards the combination of treasures that help you score the most victory points.
3. Surprise ending: It is unlikely that anyone can know with 100% certainty who has won the game before each player's secret objective is revealed, leading to an exciting reveal at the very end!
Micro Game:
1. Efficient use of physical components: Despite its small size (35 cards and 2 pieces), most cards have multiple uses and orientations leading to a surprisingly rich gaming experience.
2. The game plays in only about 30 minutes!
Every stretch goal reached during the campaign will be included in every copy of Swamped produced for this project! See the graphics below for all of the unlocked stretch goals. Thanks everyone for going on this journey with us, voting on the next stretch goals, and helping us to unlock more than 9 awesome bonuses for Swamped!
Swamped is a stand-alone game that is incredibly fun in its own right, but it also expands the world of Antidote! Antidote was Kickstarted in July of 2014 and has already been delivered to over 2000 backers. Here are just a few of the many amazing comments our backers shared with us about the Antidote Kickstarter campaign:
- Vincent H: The product looks fantastic, and my daughter is itching to give this game a go. Well done!
- John C: WOW, game looks AMAZING! Very well done. Can't wait to play it now!
- Tanner M: Just to let you know I am extremely satisfied with the end product! All components of this game are amazing! I can't believe a Kickstarter produced such amazing quality work!
- Nick L: Dennis, I know other people have already said it, but I too want to just commend you on the fantastic communication you've had throughout this KS. I don't think we can give you enough praise to be honest. All too often creators seemingly leave backers out in the dark, but I have to say thanks to you. You've been open & honest about all the hurdles & it's refreshing. I just want to sincerely say "Thank You" for all your hard work on the project & I cannot wait to play the game.
- Shaka…: It is nice to see a project creator that is so communicative and responsive to the backers. You've done a fantastic job.
- JD S: I have to say you're campaign has been the most updated forthcoming and responsive campaign I have ever had the pleasure of funding. For that I want to personally say thank you! I look forward to displaying Antidote with my other board games.
- Laura T: Just wanted to drop you a line to day thank you for producing what is generally a pretty awesome game. I had a few friends around last night and we trialled my new copy of Antidote, which had arrived the day before (impressively quick shipping to the UK, by the way!). In short, everybody loved it.
We’ve received quotes from several established game manufacturers to produce a high-quality game at a reasonable price. Among those we’ve contacted include: Panda Game Manufacturing, Whatz Games Manufacturing, Ninox Games and LIYA International. This will be the second game we’ll have had professionally manufactured, so we are familiar with many of the challenges associated with completing a project like Swamped and are confident we can navigate each challenge successfully.
Shipping: During our first Kickstarter project for Antidote, we worked with RIM Logistics and Asendia USA to have the game shipped from China to the USA and then out to backers worldwide. Both companies were timely and reliable and we were even able to provide tracking numbers. To help pay for this service, we are asking for an additional amount on each pledge, which will be added when you click the “pledge now” button. Since shipping internationally is more expensive, we’ve asked for a greater shipping amount for pledges shipping outside the USA.
Add-ons are extra rewards you can add to your pledge during the campaign. To add-on, just click on “manage my pledge” and add an extra $ amount relative to the extra reward you wish to receive. At this time we have two available add-ons!:
1. Limited edition copies of Drop Site, our international award-winning card game! To add-on for Drop Site, please add to your pledge...
$8 - for US backers
$11 - for Canadian backers
$15 for worldwide backers
2. Pre-order for our second printing of Antidote! To add-on Antidote, please add to your pledge...
$18 - for US backers
$21 - for Canadian backers
$26 - for worldwide backers
(All add-on amounts include shipping.)
We believe Swamped is a game that needs to be made, and we want to share it with as many people as we can! That's why we chose Kickstarter. Kickstarter is more than just a "crowd-funding" platform, it's a way to form a community around a creative project, and Kickstarter is arguably the best venue for sharing creative works like Swamped with the world.
With Kickstarter, we get to work together as a team with all of you to make Swamped a reality. If we successfully reach funding, we all benefit together, and every stretch goal we reach gives everyone even more.
The comments section of this campaign is also a great way to talk about this project and to collaborate as a community to continue to build the world of Swamped. If you have comments, ideas or suggestions, share them on this page for everyone to see. We are open to feedback, and want to make Swamped the best it can possibly be.
Your support on social media sites (any that you use!) is also an incredibly important way to help us reach our goal. Swamped Facebook Fan Page Bellwether Games Fan Page Bellwether Games Twitter Please consider changing your avatar on your social media sites to help support this cause:
We know you're taking a risk when you back a Kickstarter project. That's why we're offering a money back guarantee. After receiving your copy of Swamped, if you decide it didn't meet your expectations, you can return it within 4 weeks for a full refund of your pledge level minus any add-on amounts. (This guarantee does not apply to the Premium, Herbologist and Executive pledge levels.)
Periodically throughout this campaign will be releasing more artwork here for the game for you to check out! We've affectionately titled these promos "meet the cards" because every card has its own unique flair. These graphics do not comprise all of the cards in the game.
Additional Media:
Ben and Dennis talk about Swamped and Bellwether Games on the Wargaming Recon Podcast:
Failroad Express made a fun gameplay video of Swamped. See below!
Edo Baraf, designer of Lift Off! Get Me Off This Plane, also did a short review of Swamped here:
Risks and challenges
We've worked hard to minimize the risks of backing this project. This has included months of research and play testing and an entire year working with backers like you through various challenges in our first Kickstarter campaign. Despite our front-end work, however, there are still risks and challenges we could encounter in the completion of Swamped.
-Personal illness or death: There are only three of us working on this project, so if one of us suffers a personal tragedy, this could delay or cancel the project before it is completed.
-Natural disaster or other "act of God": We simply cannot forsee certain risks. The ship carrying Swamped could unpredictably sink, or political unrest or labor disputes could cause fulfillment delays. You can imagine the worst.
-Second Kickstarter: Even though we've run a Kickstarter campaign before, there are always things that might come up that we didn't foresee or could have done better. We will put our previous experiences to work for us to help mitigate this risk.
-Unexpected costs: We've already researched as many expenses as possible to make sure we've covered our bases here, but as with any project there may be other costs we find later in the project, that could slow the project down.
Despite the risks, we are committed to making Swamped a successful project. We are doing this project because we want you to play and enjoy Swamped. Furthermore, all of us involved have a vested interest in producing a great product for you so we can continue to make great games in the future and have your support.
Thank you for backing! Please go back up to the top of the page and click "Pledge Now!" to pledge your support for Swamped.
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Funding period
- (31 days)