For Your Next Assignment…
over 2 years ago – Thu, Dec 16, 2021 at 03:51:27 PM

Steven Rhodes fans,

Less than a week to go in the campaign! We have two more stretch goals lined up.

Now that you've collected FOUR Kickstarter Exclusive Creepy Cryptids for Cryptozoology for Beginners, here's a new Assignment to go along with your growing collection! It will unlock at $165k.

After that: This role-swapping Mischief card for Let’s Call the Exorcist will keep you coming back for more! It unlocks at $170k.

Keep spreading the word!

The Cryptozoic Team

Your Prayers Have Been Answered!
over 2 years ago – Mon, Dec 13, 2021 at 08:32:26 PM

Steven Rhodes fans,

Hopefully, that headline got your attention, because we have two more stretch goals heading your way!

First up: Dig up a good time with these FOUR alternate-art cards for Living Well Is the Best Revenge! You'll still get the original Alone/Clone tarot-sized cards, plus these Kickstarter Exclusive Bonehead/Bonelord cards that replace them (one color for each player)! These cards unlock at $155k.

Following that: You've found the truth, or have you? This Kickstarter Exclusive Blessing card for Let’s Call the Exorcist will keep you guessing! It unlocks at $160k!

Thanks for backing,

The Cryptozoic Team

Release the Kraken… and the Ultimate Tool for an Exorcist
over 2 years ago – Sat, Dec 11, 2021 at 06:39:33 PM

Steven Rhodes fans,

We hope you’re having a great weekend. We know you’re busy doing holiday shopping (by the way, we have a Holiday Sale going on our website), but we thought we’d drop in and reveal the next two stretch goals.

Next up is a stretch goal for Let’s Call the Exorcist. Who's Innocent? Who's Possessed? Whose turn is it? This exclusive Exorcism Cross standee sure stands out on game night! It unlocks at $145k.

Following that is a stretch goal for Cryptozoology for Beginners: From the four corners of the undiscovered lands to the seven boiling seas, this massive Creepy Cryptid counts as all colors, making it impossible to miss! You’ll get it when we hit $150k.

Don’t forget to enter the Steven Rhodes Games Kickstarter Giveaway! We’ll have more updates next week!

Thanks for backing,

The Cryptozoic Team

Designer Diary: Cryptozoology for Beginners
over 2 years ago – Fri, Dec 10, 2021 at 04:06:27 PM

Over a series of updates, Cryptozoic’s lead game designer Mataio Wilson will dive into the process of creating each of the three Steven Rhodes Games Vol. 2 titles. Ask any questions in the comments and Mataio will do his best to answer!

Originally based on another piece of Steven Rhodes’s art, we were deep into the development process when we learned that the art could not be used. This forced us to review the vast catalogue of Steven’s work to find a good match for the mechanics that were already testing well. We found many illustrations that would be really fun before eventually coming across the one that fit the gameplay perfectly.

I knew I wanted set collection to be the main driver for gameplay: collecting monsters that link up to trigger abilities along with simply awarding points. But I didn’t want players to have to do a lot of math, so I focused on the joy of completing a set and reaping its mysterious rewards. There’s hope and luck that play into the outcome, but you control how you get there.

I started with four basic types of monsters that played into the collection genre: pairs, three of a kind, most card type of all players, and removing opponent’s cards. In earlier versions, there was a four of a kind with a big payout, but it didn’t trigger enough, even with an increased hand count.

I loved having splashy abilities that really altered the game state, but I didn’t want it happening so often that it felt like chaos. So I made “rare” versions of the basic monsters, and a monster type for one-offs that could go crazy (watch for stretch goals!). Rare versions of monsters were grouped into fours (one for each color) that, when activated, landed a better result than their normal counterpart. For instance, a normal Chupacabra discards a card from play, while a Calamity of Chupacabra (a bunch of ’em!) lets you steal the card into your hand, or stick an opponent with a card you know they don’t want!

How to collect the cards in the first place? I love card-drafting mechanics and experimented with lots of alternates before landing on the most accepted method of taking one card and passing the rest. There is an introductory variant in the rulebook for first-time players to the genre to help ease them into their decision-making. Also, for two-player games, we’ve created a variant where instead of starting with eight cards, you draft two hands of four cards each. Splitting the opening hand helps alleviate the “total information” issues that pop up in two-player drafting games.

What about goals? I love 'em, too! I named the goal cards “Assignments” to reflect the school-field-trip theme as you identify monsters in their natural habitat. I enjoy public goals you’re fighting to achieve first, and private goals that you can feel secure (but not too safe!) about getting to at your leisure. A wide range of Assignments allows for players to aim at easy targets, or take risks for the big payouts. There’s even drafted cards that gain more Assignments!

Point tokens are a big part of the gameplay, with tokens ranging from 3 to 6 points each. Gaining tokens and sizing up your opponents' token counts shouldn't always feel like a done deal, and the hidden values help motivate you when it feels like your opponents have achieved more than you.

I hope this gives you a small window of insight into my design process and you are as excited to play Cryptozoology for Beginners as I am making it! Ask any questions and I’ll do my best to answer in the comments.

Thanks for reading,

Mataio Wilson

Roll in (Metallic Gold) Style!
over 2 years ago – Tue, Dec 07, 2021 at 05:01:38 AM

Steven Rhodes fans,

We hope everyone had a great weekend! We’d like to jumpstart the week by announcing TWO stretch goals.

First up is a stretch goal for Cryptozoology for Beginners that is all legs! This Creepy Cryptid can invigorate your Cryptids, allowing them to be used again! It unlocks at $135k.

After that, we have FOUR upgraded dice for Living Well Is the Best Revenge that transform the ominous black dice to eye-catching metallic gold! These dice will unlock once we hit $140k.

Giveaway

A reminder that our Steven Rhodes Games Kickstarter Giveaway is going on now! We have even added a new way to enter (by retweeting the Giveaway). So, even if you’ve already entered, you can submit more entries for more chances to win!

Thanks for your support,

The Cryptozoic Team