Wow...it's finally here I can't believe when someone first approached me in 2018 and said "you've reviewed a lot of games Russ...ever think about designing one?" anything would actually happen. My immersion in the gaming community began back in the 90's with Dakka Dakka, and a few short decades later...here we are!
While this new game is a board game, it does feature miniatures that will have a distinctly familiar feel to long-time Dakka Dakka fans, so I really thought you all might find it interesting. I'd love your thoughts. Special thanks to Yakface for the support and some early feedback on our rules.
Grim Dark Dungeon Master is our homage to the classic one vs many dungeon crawling experiences but with a few twists:
- Gameplay is fast: Setup, playing, and teardown can all happen in about an hour.
- There are no pre-made dungeon maps, the dungeon builds organically during play.
- Both sides, the 'overlord' player and the hero players, can influence the dungeon layout as part of their strategy.
- Dungeon tiles are double-sided and can be flipped to 'purged' by heroes. Purged tiles reduce options for the 'overlord' player and often expose boons for the heroes.
- Full-color acrylic standees give the game great table presence, but we also offer
high-quality miniature options for those gamers who enjoy collecting and painting.
- An innovative icon system on the standee and miniatures bases means everyone knows what they are up against at a glance.
For more info:
https://gamefound.com/projects/grim-dark-games/grim-dark-dungeon-master
------------------------------------------------ Official Press Release ---------------------------------------
Grim Dark Games reimagines the dungeon crawler with “Grim Dark Dungeon Master”
Short play times, accessible rules, and competitive dungeon building offer broader appeal
Peoria, IL – Newly formed Grim Dark Games is launching its first product, Grim Dark Dungeon Master, to expand the appeal of fantasy dungeon games. It moves away from hard to teach rules and long play times with a more accessible format designed for veteran and novice players alike.
Russ Wakelin, designer of Grim Dark Dungeon Master, shared how the concept of broad appeal was key from the start.
“There are a lot of dungeon crawling experiences that focus on cooperative play with deep, complex scenarios that require a lot of time to set up and a lot of time to play. I found myself reflecting on how fun one versus many games used to be. I believed if we could take that core concept of old school dungeon crawlers and combine it with new, innovative mechanics that decreased set-up, learning, and play times, we could build a game that both casual and hardcore gamers could enjoy. That’s what we did with Grim Dark Dungeon Master,” Wakelin said.
While this is his first experience with game design, Wakelin is no stranger to the industry. He established himself as a community builder for miniature gamers thirty years ago when he launched the popular website DakkaDakka.com. As host of The
D6 Generation podcast for the last 14 years he solidified his reputation as a dedicated gamer with a passion for innovative game mechanics, clear graphic design, and evocative components.
Wakelin doubled down on the importance of components during the development of Grim Dark Dungeon Master. “My background in miniature gaming gave me an appreciation for games that have extremely high-quality components that provide a powerful table presence. That’s why I couldn’t be more pleased with the team at Grim Dark Games.”
That team includes gamers with decades of manufacturing experience, veterans from other industries, and up and coming talent that bring fresh perspectives and ideas. “Our diverse experience from within and outside the industry takes us to a level that brings out the gamer in all of us,” said Chief Operating Officer John Ritter.
“Watching the components come together at this level of quality is amazing. The fact that we have access to the same production quality that used to be limited to major corporations astounds me,” said Ritter. “It proves that the right group can accomplish anything.”
Enthusiasm for the game was echoed by tournament players when it premiered at the Nova Open tabletop gaming convention in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. Attendee Samuel Butler said, “It is a fantastic game that is a ton of fun to play! Very much looking forward to being able to own a copy.”
EDIT
The game will now launch on Kickstarter Oct 25 (Kid Kyoto)
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gddm/grim-dark-dungeon-master-catacombs-of-the-necromancer
