Kickin' it around Kickstarter

We're pretty big fans of Kickstarter around here. There is some great projects (table top and otherwise) that show up there and supporting independent, creative people is awesome. People have projects that they want to share and crowdsourcing gives those without a huge bank roll that opportunity. 

Like anything though, crowdsourcing has it's ups and downs. Failed projects, no follow through from the creators, not getting what you expected - it's part of the risk. There's no guarantee when you back a project, but that trust we have in one another, more often than not, shines through. Crowdsourcing wouldn't be as popular as it is if it didn't work most of the time. 

Either way, the following is a list of some projects that I'm currently following - things I encourage you to check out. Not all of them are table top games, but maybe you'll find the projects as interesting as I do. 

Table Top Games

Tiny Epic Kingdom: Michael over at Gamelyn games has a great eye for fun, interesting games that keep players engaged. Fantasy Frontier was one of my faves from GenCon, Dungeon Hero is a blast, and I expect no less from Tiny Epic Kingdom. The game is already funded, but I encourage you to check out his mini-4X. If it helps, Father Geek gave it a rave review. 

Four Tribes: Two players is what got me interested in Four Tribes. They seem to be working on a larger variant, but I'm not overly concerned with that. Finding games that are specifically designed for 2 players seems to be a challenge sometimes, so when I see one on Kickstarter - I'm going to pay attention. The KS page has rules and Print and Play files available and it's also funded, so the game is happening. 

Kingmakers: Board game parlor in Columbus, OH! Matt lives in Columbus and I'm about a 2 hour drive. So when I head that way to work on games with him, it'll be cool to go check the place out. If you're not from the Columbus area, this may not be too interesting for ya - but hey, maybe a Board Game Parlor will open up in your area!

Movies

The Carousel: I'm pretty much obsessed with the Twilight Zone, so when I saw this documentary about the Rod Sterling carousel in Binghamton, NY I was in. It's not directly related to TZ and that's fine, I think Sterling is a fascinating guy so it's just one of those things that grabbed my attention. Contingent learning is good!

Tour de Comic Shops: I probably don't have to say why I'm interested in this one. It's not looking too good though on the funding front, we'll see though.

Halcyon Story: I did my undergrad in upstate New York and have traveled to the area for kicks (there isn't a whole lot to do in up that way). It's sort of a local landmark up there. The ground and building is beautiful and it was completely by chance that I found this documentary on Kickstarter, but I'm glad I did.

Survivor: KEVIN SORBO!

Books

Year of the Creature: The guy drew a creature a day every day for a year. I think the art is really well done and the creatures in the book are pretty sweet. 

The Untold Story of Pandora: I kinda wish this was a documentary, but a book works just as well. I've since moved from Pandora to Spotify but I'm a sucker for this sort of narrative.