Joshua Mason has run over 40 Kickstarter campaigns by this point. I first became aware of his work about two years ago but I can’t say I’ve really checked in since. Looking at pictures like the one below, it seems that Mason has produced a lot of small card games. I quite like that they have all share a similar form factor, which gives them a nice uniformity, despite the very different visual designs:
This image also highlights that Mason has produced a lot of these little, small-form card games. This is relevant to the campaign for two reasons. First of all, it underlines that he’s going to be pretty dependable in terms of delivery. He’s got this. Second, there’s an option to get a couple of these other titles alongside Escaping Mars. Despite this, the pledge levels are still kept very simple, and are not overcomplicated or cluttered. Some people should take note.
Now, back to Escaping Mars, the actual games featured in this campaign. It’s not new. It was launched via a Kickstarter campaign back in January of this year. This campaign is specifically for the print and play edition of the game. We often see PnP editions of games coming out before the printed release, so this feels a bit odd. It’s not the first time Mason has taken this approach, though. He describes the PnP PDF thusly:
“The PDF is 20+ pages, full color, and includes instructions for best printing practices, as well as for actually playing the game. The cards print 4 per page (to allow for perfect, no-line cutting, as well as to allow for you to print the card backings with proper “bleeds” on the reverse side, without having to line up the pages perfectly). All you need to properly print the game is some white cardstock, and a color printer of some variety. The colors used in the game are all replicable using CMYK printing.”
He also provides a little preview of what the cards look like:
In terms of rewards, you can get the PnP edition, or you can go for the professionally printed edition. The printed edition comes in a simple, transparent plastic deck box for protection:
In terms of cost, we’re looking at around £9 for the PNP version or £19 for the printed one. Postage to the UK ups that physical product cost to around £33, however. I’m starting to see why the PnP edition is so attractive and why there would be demand for the product. The designer does acknowledge that postage is pretty steep outside the US.
There is a further option on offer in this campaign, which is to purchase a trio of space-themed card games for a total of around £54, or 76 with postage. This is a good deal if you’re either a fan of Mason, or find his wee card games interesting or endearing.
As it stands, I think I’d most likely support the PnP option for this campaign. The main reason is the huge additional cost of shipping. It just takes it out of the ‘reasonable’ territory for pricing. The printable option seems really reasonable and well thought-out.
You can click here to visit the campaign page at Kickstarter.
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