Update #38 Nov 5, 2013
Important Shipping Update
Comment Like
After talking to many distribution companies in Europe, it is certain that we will now have a distribution centre in the EU. There will be one bulk shipment to this point of entry and then all European shipments will ship from inside the EU to our backers. Some last minute details depend on the size, weight and number of items in the final product, so we will sign the deal closer to the shipping date, which means we cannot announce the company and the warehouse location yet.

Good news for Hong Kong backers: shipping will be free. When you set your pledge, Kickstarter will realise you are not in the US and add shipping automatically. If you click “Manage Your Pledge” there is a small section at the bottom left that says “Since you're outside the US, be sure you've added $40 to your pledge amount. In the US?” Just click the “In the US?” link to pretend you are in the US and Kickstarter will stop adding the shipping fee.

For China, we will be shipping via Shun Feng. You will pay shipping, but you will pay the actual shipping cost and it will be paid on delivery. So you should also change your shipping costs in Kickstarter to $0, but remember you will have to pay shipping later.

Both Hong Kong and China will be shipped from Hong Kong, so you will not have to wait so long!

Update #39 Nov 5, 2013
Large Scenery Update
18 comments Like 24 likes
Our Pilgrims are still marching on their journey. Thanks for keeping them company.

So this is a large scenery update in many ways. We have unlocked bridge Add-Ons that can be placed on the bridging tiles to bring the game to life. Individually, these are large items. They cover 3x2 or 2x2 board squares but they are a little larger than that because there is plenty of room for the minis to stand on the bridges. The resin models are heavy. They are most certainly not small objective markers.

Next, it’s a large release, in the terms that there are four different bridges. There are different kinds of bridges drawn on the Bridging Tiles, so we have a model for each one.

And finally, because these are our favorite scenery item, these are being released in both resin and plastic. We really like the way the large bridges bring a 3D feel to the board and how the miniatures physically interact with them. We hope our backers like them as much as we do.

Here are some pictures of the resin versions so you can see the different styles, the size in relation to the minis and physical size against a ruler.



When they are painted, they look fantastic on the map. We want to show some painted scenery soon.

Many backers have asked how many gates or other scenery items you need and we will try to answer. Without giving too much away, we have “official” Quests in the rulebook, so we could look at those and tell you the maximums for all scenery. But we also have a guide for making your own Quests and we don’t know what you are going to do. Further, we plan to have a Journey website, and backers (and us!) could publish Quests there. So it is hard to tell you the most you will ever need in all circumstances.

On the other hand, game play tends to concentrate in a small section of the board. Even if you have a huge board you could use a few scenery items near the minis and use the card tokens in the game for the rest. Just move the scenery around as the Pilgrims move to new areas.

So you could use somewhere between a few and a lot of scenery items! We don’t want to recommend that you buy a huge number and then play with half of them most of the time. Back to bridges, there are four types and you could arrange the Bridging Tiles so that there are at most six bridges in play at any one time. The maximum from a Quest described in the rulebook is 5 bridges in play. Our suggestion for the fifth bridge is the stone one (A) and for the sixth, the wooden one (C). With that in mind, here are the prices:

1 Resin Bridge: $12. (Four models available A, B, C, D).

4-Pack of Plastic Bridges: $20 (All four models supplied. Not a random assortment.)

Additional Plastic Bridges: +$3 (Four models available A, B, C, D. You must first buy the 4-Pack).

The survey will let you indicate which bridges you want. The low price for individual plastic bridges is only available to backers that get the plastic 4-Pack.

We hope you can find an option that suits your table top. If this is your first Journey scenery, we are sure you will be happy with it.

So we have had a couple of Boxed Game Upgrades and Add-Ons. Time for a Collectors Upgrade. Remember the plastic Jing Yau Boxed Game Upgrade from ages ago? Come on, resin backers, did you think we would leave you out? One free Jing Yau in resin, to backers getting Collectors Upgrades, when we reach $215,000. When this unlocks, we’ll make a small announcement about a bundle price for demons. More info in the next update.


We have shown a few more stretch goals on the front page, with a little more info in each banner, such as the price. We will not be doing this forever, so enjoy it while you can. Really, we wanted to let you know that there is more planned than scenery, so we wanted to show you the twenty cards and a few more figures. The doors are still in the pipeline, but we have much more to show you. We are nowhere near finished with the big reveals.

Remember we said we would make the plastic Soul Hunter Captain Xi Fung, and our deal with the early backers getting Boxed Game Upgrades? Well you will not have to wait too long!

Update #40 Nov 6, 2013
Game Play Update #7 – Defending
1 comment Like 4 likes
We have been running rules updates for some time now. If you are a new backer, you can find the older rules updates here. You need understand attacking before you read this one.

The Defense Dice roll is made when resolving some attacks. Take a look at this quick video for an introduction:
https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/assets/001/289/242/1f9ff8c00bd6dd6bc273e112dd04401c_h264_high.mp4

Like we said, short and sweet. No-one stepped sideways this time, but did you see Monk Sha cheat! I’m sure he rolled 1+1 before the camera zoomed in. We’ll let it slide, he has a real chip on his shoulder about that curse and his monstrous arm.

Like all the steps in playing the game, the cards play a driving role in reminding you how to play. When resolving an attack, look at the attackers Profile Sheet for the Attack Dice, the defenders Profile Sheet for the Defense Dice and roll. The final damage result is the attacker’s damage minus the defender’s defense.

When we discussed attacking, there were many sources for the attacker’s damage, the Attack Dice, the Pilgrim’s Weapon, Skill Cards played as part of the attack. The same is true for defense. The base number is the total from the Defense Dice, but the are other bonuses, such as cover from special terrain and Skill Cards once again. Total up all the defense and reduce the attackers damage as much as you can, to zero if possible.

The video says the Demons do defend and this is true of the Bull Demons in the core game. But don’t memorize this fact, look at their Profile Sheet. If the defender has not Defense Dice mentioned on the Profile Sheet, the defender does not defend. Simple, the cards always give you a clue. There is one little wrinkle: if you do not roll Defense Dice, you do not defend at all. If you do roll the dice, you do not get to use cover, etc. (Perhaps the Pilgrims will meet an enemy that defends later in their journey!)

This opposed dice roll mechanic is quick and easy. Simple math, no tables. Attacks proceed quickly, but with the terrain, Karma Rewards and Skill Cards there are plenty of buffs and debuffs to keep things interesting.

We still have more to come, including some the highlights of Skill Cards and the Search Action. How the Demons are controlled will be coming later, but this should be a popular post!

Update #42 Nov 7, 2013
Spread the Word 2!
8 comments Like 10 likes
Here at Marrow, we’re happy when you, our faithful backers, are happy. We’re so glad that you liked the Dragon Princess that we’ve made you a special avatar to celebrate her addition to our trusty band of Pilgrims.


If you want to use these outside Kickstarter, please do! The more people that know about Journey, the greater the game will become. See this update for instructions on setting your avatar.

Setting your avatar is just one way to Spread the Word. We will be having a contest on BoardGameGeek starting Friday 8th November and closing at end of day Thursday 14th November. Please enter, it is not just for non-backers. You will have the chance to win a copy of Journey and some collectors resin miniatures. Good Fortune, Pilgrims!


While you’re over at BoardGameGeek, don’t forget to become a fan of Journey and recommend our forums. If we can get on the BGG Hotness list, it will drive more people here.

If you like our miniatures head over to Cool Mini or Not and vote for the Marrow sculpts. You do not need to be logged in or have an account. Go to this site http://www.coolminiornot.com/browse and set the "View only images" field to “marrow”, then press “Go” to find them. Click on the thumbnail to view the picture and vote. It will automatically advance to the next picture in the gallery once you have voted.

We know this sounds like work, but if you can help us get more backers, that’s more stretch goals unlocked for you! See this update for other ways to get new backers to join us in our Journey.

Update #43 Nov 8, 2013
Good Fortune!
7 comments Like 12 likes
You are still knocking these stretch goals down! Great work, backers! We see Journey being mentioned in many places on the web and we know this is your work. Awesome.
So, we have unlocked 20 extra cards, 10 Fortune and 10 Misfortune cards, buffs and debuffs handed out with a spin of the wheel. More on exactly how these cards work in the next game play update. So, what are you getting? 20 reprints of our favorite cards? Of course not. 20 new cards for the deck? We can do better! These KS exclusive cards can be used to mix things up a bit.


Ten of the cards are printed with “KS+” in the corner. This half of the bonus pack is a little more beneficial than the normal boxed game deck. The Fortune Cards have better than average buffs, the Misfortune Cards have weaker than average debuffs, you get the idea.

Ten of the cards are printed with “KS-” in the corner. This half of the bonus pack is a little more detrimental than the regular deck. The Fortune Cards have weaker buffs, the Misfortune Cards have stronger debuffs.

If you mix all 20 cards into the regular deck, the game will stay at the same difficulty, but it will be a little more random. You might luck out with a great fortune draw, you might back yourselves against the wall with an evil misfortune draw.

Mix in just the KS+ cards, the game will be very slightly easier. Mix in just the KS- cards, the game will be very slightly harder.

Overall, these are small changes to the difficulty, because these cards are not the most important factor. But you get to change things up a bit, and really, you don’t want it to be the same all the time.

Coming next, Soul Hunter Captain Xi Fung Add-On in plastic, $5. Remember the time limited bonus? Many of you will get this figure for free. See Update 28.

Update #44 Nov 8, 2013
Game Play Update #8 – Skill Cards
12 comments Like 10 likes
We have been running rules updates for some time now. If you are a new backer or need a refresh, you can find the older rules updates here.
So we briefly mentioned that Skill Cards could be used during an attack to improve your chances. Let’s talk about Skill Cards in more depth.

Each Pilgrim has a unique deck of 10 Skill Cards – actually 11 cards since you are getting the extra KS Exclusive card. The decks are quite different and help to define the Pilgrims as very different characters in the game. One card in the deck is the Pilgrim’s Weapon, which is removed from the deck and added to the Pilgrim’s hand, along with two random Skill Cards, during setup.

Skill Cards are critical resources that need to be managed carefully in the game. During the game, one effect of Fortune Cards is to let the Pilgrim draw a Skill Card, and when certain parts of the Quest are completed, the Pilgrims will also draw more Skill Cards. But some Skill Cards are discarded when used, so they are in short supply. Use them wisely. Unless you are playing Monkey, then just go crazy.

So what do they do, and when do they do it? Well one fun part of unpacking Journey and playing your first game will be seeing the great variety of Skill Cards that are present. The cards have different effects, get played at different times, have different durations, some you keep in your hand, and some you discard. Each Pilgrim has a different deck and although some effects are repeated, many cards are completely unique and only belong to one Pilgrim. We are not going to spoil the surprise by revealing too many here, but we will end this update by showing you a couple of very different cards belonging to the Monkey King.

The more powerful the card, the more likely it is to be associated with a cost, typically a Chi Point cost. If you cannot pay the cost, you cannot play the card. So as well as trying to hold back cards for the right moment, you will have to reserve Chi points, or whatever else the card describes as the cost.

When is the right moment? That is also hard to tell because you must commit to using many of the cards before you see your dice roll. If you managed to roll enough, the card is played and wasted (and you still pay the cost!). If you enter a tough battle and hold back a card, a bad roll might cause you trouble that you could have avoided if you had activated the card. You will be faced with tough choices.

Okay, here are three of Monkey’s cards. Any of you that know the back story will find these in keeping with his character.


Remember Monkey’s flying cloud? Monkey can use it to gain an extra Move Action. Perhaps he will Attack, Move and Attack again this turn. There is no Chi cost, but it is a one time use card.


Handy when you really want to make a cleanse roll, perhaps topping your Good Karma up to get the next Karma reward. Monkey might be wild but he has moments of compassion.


This card is a double edged sword. Demons normally attack everyone and move towards Tripitaka, but for this turn, they will move towards Monkey and only attack him. Monkey can draw fire away from his fellow Pilgrims, giving them time to heal, search, or do whatever they need to do, but at the cost of taking many attacks. Monkey is not only a trickster, he is a hero (or perhaps he was just acting the fool!). He can keep it and play this again, but it consumes a lot Chi and he could get really beaten up.

There is something else different here, this card operates over an extended period – it applies for the rest of the turn. To help you remember this, we use the exhaust mechanism. Turn the card sideways when you activate it and when you look at your play area later, you will see the difference and know it is currently in effect. At the start of the next turn, there is a refresh step, where you turn it upright again.

What? Did you expect us to show you three simple +1 Attack, +2 Attack, +1 Defense cards? Where is the fun in that?

These are prototype cards and the wording may change slightly. Skill cards with complex effects will be mentioned in a FAQ section of the rule book, but most of them are straightforward.

Update #45 Nov 9, 2013
Captain Xi Fung Plastic Miniature Unlocked!
5 comments Like 9 likes
We are really pleased to reach this total! Many thanks to all our backers!

We feel very fortunate to have so many early backers. Pushing the pledge total up early in the project makes it much easier for us to create the steel molds for making plastic minis. This goal was especially important because we promised to give this miniature (and all the game cards) to early backers, if we could unlock it. Now we have! Let us repeat the rules for getting this free gift:

To get Captain Xi Fung in Plastic, you must: (1) have made your pledge before Update #28 was posted, (2) receive Boxed Game Upgrades when the Kickstarter closes.

To get Captain Xi Fung in Resin, you must: (1) have made your pledge before Update #28 was posted, (2) receive Collectors Upgrades when the Kickstarter closes.

Collectors Upgrade backers only get the resin miniature free, not both miniatures. All game cards are included with the gift.


Soul Hunter Captain Xi Fung is also available as an Add-On, in case you missed the free gift. Don’t forget the Soul Hunters are unique characters and only 1 of each Soul Hunter can be in play. You can get a copy in plastic for $5 and resin for $15. Just raise you pledge and tell us in the survey at the end exactly which miniatures you want to add on. All Soul Hunter Add-Ons come with the relevant cards to play them.

Next up is the third and final Soul Hunter, Warrior Tang. We will give more details for all three of them when Warrior Tang is unlocked, but here’s a very quick summary, if you are thinking of pledging for them. They are completely optional, you can play perfectly well with just one of them, if you are looking for a little variation and you can play with all three of them on the board at once, if you really want to.

nkelsch wrote:
Can someone explain the shipping and add-ons?

Let's say I want 4 of the resin 'boxes' terrain and a set of the plastic bridges, and that's it.

How would I pledge? What level do I pledge? How much is shipping?

I am kinda confused and right now I only want some terrain pieces and possibly a few models.

Update #46 Nov 9, 2013
Game Play Update #9 – Searching, Fortune and Misfortune Cards
3 comments Like 7 likes
This is one more update in the rules series. Click here to see the older updates.
Start with this short video and then we will talk about some cards:
https://d2pq0u4uni88oo.cloudfront.net/assets/001/304/907/74725098972dde938d5a1d4dbfc3b952_h264_high.mp4

Searching is simple. Go to the Mystical Box and spend one Action Point searching. The Universe will sometimes reward you, and sometimes punish you.

Pilgrims can search each box as many times as they want, but it is not easy to stand there and search for as long as you like. First, you only get two Action Points per turn and you have things to do and places to go. All the time you are searching, Demons are spawning and you are not progressing in the Quest. Further, you will get Misfortune cards too, so it is not all good news.

Searching is simple but the interesting part is the Fortune and Misfortune Cards. There are 40 of each in the base game and 10 more of each in the Fortune/Misfortune Card stretch goal. There is plenty of variation in the decks and we do not want to spoil all the fun by revealing everything.

Fortune Cards give you bonuses. They do not stay in your hand themselves, rather they give you immediate buffs and you discard the fortune card. Here is a simple card:


By now, you know that Skill Cards stay in your hand. Fortune Cards can add to your hand, for example the Unknown Scripture lets you draw another Skill Card from your deck. You keep the Skill Card not the Fortune Card.

Having a bad day? Misfortune Cards are much the same. Immediate debuffs and harm. We have not spoken about Condition Cards yet. Skill Cards are good cards you hold in your hand, Condition Cards are bad cards to have. They are on-going negative effects from particularly nasty Demon attacks … and Misfortune Cards. We have not seen the Condition Cards in a rule update yet, so suffice to say that some Misfortune Cards hand out these on-going negative conditions.


Some of the Misfortune Cards are more exciting. Our favorite is the Demon's Trap card, which spawns a Bull Warrior adjacent to you!

So search, spin the wheel and take your chances.

More rules to come. We will compare the Pilgrims and then we are close to unveiling The Demon Video and a couple more updates on how they play!

As normal, we are showing prototype cards that may change slightly in the final game.

Update #47 Nov 10, 2013
Game Play Update #10 – Condition Cards (And Dice!)
3 comments Like 5 likes
This is the next update in the rules series. Click here to see the older updates.

This is going to be a short update but we have to pass this information on. We spoke about Condition Cards in the last update and we will mention them again soon.

You have seen the Pilgrims take some damage. Roll the attack dice, roll the defense dice, the difference is the damage. That damage is done immediately. However, some negative effects apply over a period of time and the Condition Cards are placed beside your Profile Sheet in your playing area to remind you that you are suffering from the effect.

Here is a sample card:


This one is straightforward, you take damage for a couple of turns. Others are more interesting, such as not being able to attack, or not being able to take any actions at all.

You receive these ill effects in a few situations, such as Misfortune Cards, which we introduced yesterday. We have not discussed the Boss Demons, yet, but as well as doing immediate damage, they can inflict ongoing damage too.

We will mention Condition Cards again in the Soul Hunter review, coming soon.

As usual, we are showing prototype cards that may change slightly in the final game.

And just because it is fun, here is a picture of Monkey on fire. Don’t get burned.


And now for something completely different! We have seen many requests for extra dice in the comments, and it was simple enough to add extra dice packs to the Add-On list. There are enough dice in the box to play the game, but we can see that you might want each player to have a set of dice within easy reach. Well, whatever the reason, extra packs of dice are now available. All six custom dice, $6.

Update #48 Nov 11, 2013
The Pilgrim’s Background
4 comments Like 5 likes
Let’s take a short break from rules to look some great sculpting by Ray Wong and paint work by Hon Ho, while we give you some background for the Pilgrims.



In the following images, you can see the resin miniatures and how they look when they are painted and based for display.





The rulebook is large, but it is not solid, dry, rules. The plan is to have many graphical examples in the rulebook, which add to its size. There will also be background information about the game world. Take a quick look:


If you click here, the larger image is easier to read.

Tomorrow we will be back to rules with a comparison of how the Pilgrims play in the game. And then, Demons!

Update #49 Nov 12, 2013
Game Play Update #11 – The Pilgrims in Action
20 comments Like 16 likes
One aspect we wanted to ensure for Journey was that the replay value is high. If you play it several times, we want it to be fresh and fun. We have already dropped hints about what you can do to make the game

• Introduce a few (or a lot) of the new Demons.

• Play an extreme strategy, for example, rushing and killing, or the opposite, taking every side quest.

• Change the card decks.

Today, we will show you how the Pilgrims differ from each other. This is another way to keep things interesting, you will all be playing a slightly different role in the game. This is just a summary, full details are being saved for when you open the game box.

One simple difference is the attack range. Each Pilgrim has different attacking strengths which start with which squares they can target. These images make it clear where the Pilgrim can attack and help you to understand the targeting icon that is shown on the Pilgrim Profile sheet:





Clearly the Monkey King and Cho have the most targeting options and Tripitaka has the least. Similarly Monkey King and Cho do slightly more damage with their weapons than Tripitaka and Monk Sha.

Monkey moves the fastest. His skill cards buff his movement and attacks. His Karma Rewards also affect his movement and attacks.

Tripitaka has many Skill Cards that buff his defense and give him healing abilities. He has the lowest health of all the pilgrims. His Karma Rewards affect defense and the number of Skill Cards he holds.

Monk Sha has the most varied effects for his Skill Cards, including buffs to attack, defense and movement. But he also has several cards that act on nearby Pilgrims, giving them extra actions or allowing cooperative attacks against one target with many bonus dice rolls. His Karma Rewards include drawing (and discarding!) Skill Cards. All this make him the most complex character to play.

Cho is the slowest Pilgrim, but he has the most starting health. His skills are the most heavily oriented to attacking. His Karma Rewards affect both attack and defense.

The Demons are focused on killing Tripitaka, the Pilgrim least equipped to get in a big fight. So for all their differences, the Pilgrims have one thing in common. They will all be working to defend Tripitaka!

Coming soon, a series of updates on how you play the Demons. If you missed any of the rules updates you can skip back through them, start by clicking here.

Update #50 Nov 12, 2013
Soul Hunter Warrior Tang Joins the Band!
11 comments Like 14 likes
Congratulations backers! You are still unlocking great upgrades.

So here is Warrior Tang, the final Soul Hunter to join the Pilgrims on their adventure. Warrior Tang is a Collectors Upgrade, so some of you will be getting another resin miniature for free. We will add him to the Add-On list, $5 for the plastic mini and $15 for the resin mini. As always, you will get all the game cards you need to use the miniature in the game. Take a look at the great art from Adrian Smith.


Next up, you are working to unlock Soul Cleanser Zhilan. More info when she is available, but she will also work to help the Pilgrims.


Enough with the Stretch Goals, let’s talk game play. First, a recap of the Soul Hunter rules and then a look at their differences. The Pilgrims are not alone in their fight against the Demons and when the Pilgrims are powerful enough, they can summon the Soul Hunters to aid them in their fight.

However, this is not a simple decision. Soul Hunters are fierce fighters but they slaughter their Demon victims and steal their Souls. The Pilgrims will receive Bad Karma for every Soul Hunter kill. Is it worth the risk summoning a Soul Hunter’s aid?

The three Soul Hunters all share this common game mechanic, to help the Pilgrims kill Demons. Each Pilgrim can summon at most one Soul Hunter at a time, by playing a skill card that is equipped at the start of the Quest. The skill card is discarded when played, so think of summoning them as a one time event. Perhaps you will work through all your skill cards, shuffle the discard deck, and draw it again. But that is pretty unlikely! Use the Soul Hunter wisely. The player that summoned the Soul Hunter controls the Soul Hunter and activates the summoned character after his Pilgrim. Their actions are similar to Pilgrims, but they do not search or rest. Each Pilgrim can only summon one Soul Hunter at any given time.

They are all experienced fighters, with Xi Fung targeting the most squares, but Garvok having the longest range. Their attack dice rolls are the same as each other and these ferocious warriors do not defend. Like the Demons, they are one shot kills with quite low Health. Be careful, with them, you don’t want to get them killed. Xi Fung has the fastest movement, Xi Fung and Tang have slightly more health than Garvok. Garvok is the ugliest.




They also offer some magical protection to the Pilgrim that summoned them:

Garvok protects the Pilgrim that summoned him from Burned conditions.
Xi Fung protects the Pilgrim that summoned him from Poisoned conditions.
Warrior Tang protects the Pilgrim that summoned him from Paralyzed conditions.
If these conditions are in effect, they are eliminated when the Pilgrim summons the Soul Hunter, and the Pilgrim ignores them while the Soul Hunter is working alongside them. But, if the Pilgrims can summon all the Soul Hunters at the same time, the protection is amplified. All Pilgrims are immune to all ongoing conditions!

Finally the Soul Hunters are unique characters, so you only need one of each for game play. We want to give you a range of playing options all following the theme of a small band of individuals fighting through the Demon hordes. As you can imagine, it is hard for us to “mass produce” plastic miniatures when they are optional and you only need at most one of each. However, we are trying to keep the cost low and are looking at how we can create a character pack bundle. Stay tuned!

 highlord tamburlaine wrote:
I would roll a Panda warband.

They can hang out with all my other hairy mammals.

I still don't get why this game is not getting more coverage.

Are people allergic to the Chinese/ Asian theme or something?

Nice looking figures, regular gameplay updates, a fair amount of free stretch goals, lots of resin options for those that want them, reasonable buy in price... I just don't see why there aren't more people clamoring to get in on this.

Again, only thing I can really think of besides the usual KS fatigue is the theme is a bit foreign for some.

Update #51 Nov 13, 2013
Game Play Update #12 – Doors and 2000 Backers Celebration!
2 comments Like 9 likes
Hello, backers! This update is a combo, some brief rules and a new stretch goal to celebrate an important milestone.

You have seen structures with impenetrable walls on the Map Tiles and Door Tokens in the game contents. How do they work? Simple.

Doors are not marked on the Map Tiles, so that they can be positioned differently in the Quests. In the Quest setup, you will be told where to place the Door Tiles on the board. Door Tiles are double sided and are always placed in the closed position.


Pilgrims have 2 Action Points each turn. When the Pilgrims are adjacent to a closed door, they can spend 1 Action Point to break down the door. The token is turned over and the door is permanently open. The action is automatic, no dice rolls are required. No one can move through a closed door, Demons cannot open doors, and anyone can move through the broken down doorway.


If you missed some rule info, check here for past updates.

That was short, what else can we announce in the update? We are adding the resin door set to the Add-On list now, $12 for one closed and one broken door. And there’s more. We will put a new Collectors Upgrade stretch goal on the front page, for a set of resin doors (one closed, one broken), that will be unlocked if we reach 2000 backers before the end of the project.

Bioptic wrote:

Probably a combination of the following:

- The creator is not a 'big name', and it is being run out of Hong Kong rather than the US or Europe.
- The game doesn't feature zombies, cthulhu, excessive tits, giant robots, a licensed property or an existing product line.
- While affordable and good value, the game currently isn't offering a completely bonkers amount of stuff for the $100.
- There have been a number of big miniatures Kickstarters recently with some or all of the above, often encouraging a high-level buy in.
- Christmas is now looming in many people's minds...

I think it does look good, and seems to be well-run, and while I'm disappointed that I think I missed out on some timed bonuses, I'll be keeping an eye on this one. Certainly need more co-op boardgames that don't get stale quickly!

However, at the moment we have made no firm plans for retail sale, either through games stores or our web site. We have not even set the MRSP yet, although we know that it will be higher than the pledges offered here.

The Alternative Tripitaka Sculpt
10 comments
13 likes

We have some exciting news. We can see many reasons that backers want female Pilgrims and the Dragon Princess was very popular. Our problem is the original story has a fairly small band and it does not contain female leads. But, we have a wild idea. In Journey to the West, Tripitaka is described as an androgynous figure, so much so that when it was time to cast actors for the 70s Japanese TV show ‘Monkey’, they chose a woman to play the role. The beautiful and ever popular Masako Natsume played Tripitaka in the cult favorite before going on to film work and winning the 1983 Hochi Film Award for Best Actress.

With all male main characters, Journey to the West was certainly a product of its time. We think we can push the boundaries a little with an alternate sculpt of Tripitaka that is female. We’d like to think the 21st century is ready for a virtuous woman to be a Pilgrim and lead our band. We think this is a great way to honor Masako Natsume’s contribution to the Journey saga.



So how does the alternate Tripitaka fit into the game? Simple. She is just an alternate sculpt of the androgynous male Tripitaka and plays with the same card deck and same rules. You are free to choose whichever Tripitaka figure you want to use. Obviously, there will only be one Tripitaka in the band.

We expect her to be popular, but we would still like to give this as a gift. All backers that pledge before Monday 18, Nov 4:00pm EST and who are eligible for Collectors Upgrades at the end of the project will receive a free resin alternative Tripitaka miniature. We are adding her to the resin Add-On list now, for a $15 increase to your pledge.

We know it is a long way off, but if the pledge total reaches $300K, we will be able to produce this alternate sculpt in plastic. Any backers that met the pledge deadline above and are receiving Boxed Game Upgrade rewards at the end of the campaign will then receive a free plastic alternate Tripitaka. We did make good on the free plastic Xi Fung, we sincerely hope we can reach this total. At $300K, it will also be offered as a plastic Add-On for $5.

Just as with Captain Xi Fung, if we can make her in plastic, backers will only get one gift, either plastic or



Please note one slight difference with this Add-On. As this is intended as an alternate for the male Tripitaka, it is not supplied with new game cards. Use the original cards supplied in the boxed game.

Update #53 Nov 15, 2013
Soul Cleanser Zhilan
26 comments Like 22 likes
Well, backers, you’ve taken another step on the journey. Thanks for your support.


Soul Cleanser Zhilan, a Dao Priest, has been unlocked. Once again, A.J. Manzanedo has created great art for this character. Zhilan is an Add-On, $5 for the plastic mini, $15 for the resin mini. As normal, she comes with full game cards for use in the game. Here is the full image:


You have seen the Soul Hunters, deadly killers that help out in a fight but at the cost of raising the Pilgrims’ Bad Karma. The Soul Cleansers are their counterpart. Also summoned by the Pilgrims to aid in battles, the Soul Cleansers are committed to the Cleansing Ritual and saving the Demons from their sins. Naturally Soul Cleansers never kill defeated Demons, and if the Cleansing Ritual is successful, they add to the Pilgrims’ Good Karma.

So it sounds like the Soul Cleansers are the better allies. Maybe not! Good karma is, well, good, but the Cleansing Ritual does not always succeed. A failure means the Demon recovers from the defeat, at full health, ready to fight again!

There are more Soul Cleansers to come. Once they are all unlocked, we will give more details of how they play and a comparison of their abilities.

Next up, the Nightmare Deck, how it affects game play, and a related bundle.

Update #54 Nov 15, 2013
The Nightmare Deck
3 comments Like 4 likes
So we have reached $250K, amazing. Backers, we are so pleased with your support!



You have unlocked the KS Exclusive Nightmare Deck, which is included in all Boxed Game Upgrades.

We’ve already hinted at changing the game difficulty for increased replay value and we know many gamers like the option of a really tough challenge. The Nightmare Deck changes the Spawn Deck for Demons, spawning more demons with tougher demons coming more often. You could combine the KS Exclusive Fortune/Misfortune cards with this. The Nightmare Deck combined with the KS- Fortune/Misfortune cards will give you a really tough game.

Up next, Soul Cleanser Peng.

Update #55 Nov 16, 2013
The Nightmare Deck – Part 2
7 comments Like 16 likes
Hi Backers! Hon Ho here. With a two-man team, it is very difficult to keep this website up to date and do some actual work. I was stuck travelling for business yesterday and Ray had to make this update without me but he did not have all the information. Here is more about the Nightmare Deck.


You know you have unlocked the KS Exclusive Nightmare Deck, and it will change the difficulty of the game.

Let’s talk about game play and balance in the core game for a moment. Like all “enemy spawning” games, there are rules for what happens when you have no more minis to bring into play and as with many other games, the existing Demons on the board will get tougher. The boxed game contains the right amount of miniatures to play the game without running out too often. To give you a hint, if you have allowed so many Demons to run loose on the board that you run out, you are probably going to lose. It’s time for the “out of minis” rule to power up the Demons so they can put you out of your misery.

So if you have the right number, why give you more minions in early stretch goals? They have many uses from spares for painting while you play, bulking out cross-over armies and actually playing with a larger number of minis if you want to defer the “out of minis” rule or develop your own Quests. But they will be very useful with the Nightmare Deck. Clearly, with faster spawning, you will need more demons and the extras we have given you as Kickstarter bonuses now tie up nicely with the Kickstarter Exclusive cards and you have a really good use for the extra minions! We can just hear you thinking, “This sounds good, but I wish they had given me some extra Boof Bullserkers. Those Bull Demon centaur things look sweet.” Check the front page! We’ve added the Boof Box Game Upgrade now.

And last, a new bundle. We have seen backers comment about getting two copies of Journey: Wrath of Demons and home brewing crazy Quests. We love the idea of you making your own Quests and we hope to see many ideas posted to the Journey forums when they go up, but two games is a lot of duplication. Here’s an optional bundle that would take you part way there, the Double Nightmare Bundle $40:

15 Nightmare Cards
20 Fortune/Misfortune Cards
4 Berrok Bull Warriors
3 Bharhaz Bull Archers
2 Boof Bullserkers
1 Borrack Bull General


So with an extra copy of the cards and even more minions, you can go crazy customizing brutal decks. But don’t forget, the Double Nightmare Bundle duplicates cards and minis you already have, so it is only for the most hardcore players that are looking to create their own monstrous Quests or fight wave after wave of Demons in an endless Defend the Buddha scenario.

So, 1500 backers, $250K and our last week. We still have plenty in store for this last leg of the journey. Please tag along with us!

Update #56 Nov 16, 2013
Soul Cleanser Peng
3 comments Like 7 likes
Your support is astounding. The last few days have been just amazing, with many new backers joining us. What a great time to unlock this stretch goal.


You have unlocked Soul Cleanser Peng and we are adding him to the Add-On list, for $18 in resin, $6 in plastic. Peng is optional and unique, so you need at most 1 for game play. He can be used independently of Zhilan, so you do not need to get them as a pair. As you might have guessed, he is one of the large miniatures, using a 2 square base. The miniature is impressive, think of him being solid like Cho Hakai and about 70mm tall. If you look at this wonderful art by A.J. Manzanedo, you already get some idea of his presence and ferocity.


But Soul Cleanser Peng is actually a very gentle creature. Most of the time, this panda spirit hides in bamboo thickets, eating his favorite food. The Pilgrims encountered him when he was defending a rural village from an overwhelming Demon attack. As a nature spirit, abominable Demons are quick to rouse his anger and he fights to restore balance in the world by defeating these evil creatures. But his peaceful nature returns just as quickly and he performs his own Cleanse Ritual on the enemies he defeats to remove their sins and give them peace. No-one understands his Cleanse Ritual or where he learned to do it. Once the Pilgrims aided Peng to protect his villagers, he committed to helping the Pilgrims in their ongoing quest to rid the world from Demons once and for all.

We promised more information on the Soul Cleansers when they were all unlocked, which would be now. There are only 2 Soul Cleansers as part of this Kickstarter, so you don’t have to wait any longer.

The Soul Cleansers are allies, summoned through skill cards. Each Pilgrim can only summon one Soul Cleanser at a time, like the Soul Hunters. But as clerics and killers, the Soul Cleansers and Soul Hunters are enemies. You can play with them all in one Quest, but you cannot summon a Hunter and a Cleanser to the game board at the same time. Soul Cleansers are activated immediately after the Pilgrim that summoned them and are controlled by that player.



Soul Cleansers never kill their defeated enemies, and must attempt the Cleanse Ritual. They get a boost to their cleanse ability to help them succeed in this attempt. The Good Karma generated as a result is given to the Pilgrim that summoned them. This is a fantastic benefit for the Pilgrim but the Soul Cleansers are not too powerful. Because they have relatively weak attacks, they are very unlikely to defeat Boss Demons, the first step before starting their powerful Cleanse Ritual.

For those of you that read update #50, you will remember that we said we were working on a plastic character bundle for the Soul Hunters and Cleansers. These characters are unique so we cannot generate the same discounts as you see for bundles which repeat miniature content, like the rank and file models of large armies. This bundle is all five Soul Hunters and Cleansers, with their cards, for $22. Some of you will get Captain Xi Fung for free, so we have a 4 character bundle, for $18.

Do not forget these characters are optional. They are not part of the core game and you can play without them. If you just want to get your favorites (we know, Peng right!), getting a few works perfectly well.

Up next, Boof Minions as a Boxed Game Upgrade, so that you have a full set of extra minions for Nightmare games.


We have been getting extremely positive comments here and around the web on our concept art, thank you all.

There is no space to show it all on the Front Page, so we have created a small Facebook album with some of our favorite pieces. We hope you like them. We will rotate the art in this album so you will see something different from time to time, a “picture of the day” kind of thing. There is a banner on the front page to make it easy for you to take a peek in the future. Have fun!

The Art of Journey

We have more rules updates written, covering the Demons, Quests, and how some of the Boss Demons play. And finally, we will start revealing details of the Expansion Pack!