New project: Flying Saucers
2 months ago
– Tue, Feb 20, 2024 at 08:08:14 AM
We want to inform you that the campaign for our board game FLYING SAUCERS is live on Kickstarter.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nicsteele/flying-saucers-0?ref=17y3sk
This time, the campaign was prepared and will be led by our friends and associates from the German publishing company Spieltrieb, and they will also handle the entire production and subsequent distribution of the rewards.
Flying Saucers is probably our best game, and certainly the most original one. The first version of the game was created and released back in 2007. Since then, the game has been improved several times, and all game mechanics in the Kickstarter edition are identical to the ones our author team submitted to the German publisher for testing. The last version of the rules was written just before the Essen Fair 2019, when our team had a guest appearance at the Spieltrieb stand.
We like to make games with short, clear and simple rules. The best example is the diceless game Tank Chess (4-page rulebook) in which several types of tanks (each one with only three characteristics: speed, firepower and armor) fight each other. The first edition of the game Flying Saucers had only four types of pieces and even simpler mechanics – only two piece characteristics are important: strength (which combines both firepower and armor) and speed. This is kept the same in the first level of the final version. Originally, it is also played without a die, which was added later as optional, to introduce luck into the game.
We also like to make games about aerial warfare, and our games Age of Dogfights: WWI, and Age of Dogfights: WWII are perfect examples. In the game Flying Saucers, starting from the second level, Bombers, Attackers, Carriers and many more piece types join Fighters, Intruders and Strikers, which make this game perfect for gamers who enjoy very dynamic "aerial" battles.
Various types of flying saucers are fighting somewhere in distant space to collect resources, process them in facilities, and use them to assemble a structure that will ensure their survival (and victory in the game). The following images show some examples from the rulebook.
In addition to the basic tasks that exist in each of the 4 levels, there are a variety of interesting scenarios that provide endless opportunities for creative fun and competition. Some of the scenarios are: Neutralizing Base Station; Breakthrough of Bombers; Return of Voyager; Collecting crystals; Rescue of Nuclear Foundry; Convoy, etc. The following images show diagrams of some scenarios.