I like it when Kickstarter is used to actually push an individual’s project, rather than just acting as a preorder platform for a company that doesn’t need it. This time, it’s the third iteration of Matthew O’Malley’s Celtic Animal Knot Dice.
The design of the dice is based on a couple of sources. First of all, the traditional artwork that utilised the Celtic Knot design:
Second is the Celtic Knot Font, designed by Daniel Isdell:
This is the third Kickstarter campaign run for these dice, and you can see refinements in design that have happened over the years. Here’s a wee look at some of the dice:
So, the gimmick for these is the interlocking, animal-themed patterns. They’re pretty! The designs are gorgeous and the colours are very nice. The legibility of the actual numbers is a bit of a concern. They don’t seem the easiest dice to read; particularly for other players who won’t be used to your dice.
The campaign does promise more use out of these dice than just rolling, however. There will be games and puzzles built on them.
Pricewise, these aren’t cheap, but not are they prohibitively expensive, like other dice projects we’ve seen. You’re looking at a couple of different variations, with smaller D6 and D4 sets costing you $20, and larger sets at $40. There’s also a set of D4s and D8s at $70. Finally, there’s an all-in deal getting you 2 large sets of D6s and the D4/D8 set for $150. It’s unusual not to see a saving there, isn’t it? The pledges also come with dice bags and/or puzzle books depending on the items purchased.
Shipping is a tad vague, given the very different prices it costs to sent product to different areas. It is described as “approximately $12-15 in the US (a bit higher in Alaska and Hawaii), and approximately $20-30 to most places worldwide. I cannot ship to Russia, Ukraine, or North Korea.”
Overall, this seems a cool product that, whilst not ridiculous, is a bit costly for what it is for me. I also have slight personal hangups about a product purporting to be a celebration of celtic culture made in America, but ultimately, that’s just a niggle.
You can click here to visit the project page over at Kickstarter.
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