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Batman: Gotham City Chronicles launched on Kickstarter a couple of hours ago. As I type it's just passed the $1.3 million mark, and stretch goals are falling like the snow outside my window. As in quickly, in case that wasn't clear.
It seems as though we might finally be getting the game we deserve, but is it the one we want? Or something. Never did understand that quote...
Building on the success of Conan, and hopefully learning from some of the mistakes, Monolith are bringing the world of Gotham to the tabletop, and it looks good. Primarily a one vs all game, Batman: Gotham City Chronicles sees a villain player challenging a team of up to three hero players through a scenario driven campaign.
In an interesting move, Monolith have created two core boxes, one for the heroes and one for the villains. This means to set-up you just give the relevant core box to the right people. Sounds simple but I like this move.
Ah, you think darkness is your ally?
The villain player has a command board where they organise various henchmen and scamps to thwart the heroes at every turn. The command board seems to be improved from Conan, with plenty of recesses to hold tracking cubes, tiles and various punchboard tokens that allow it to be used in different ways. They will manage crystals to activate teams of thugs, while keeping an eye on the health of their main villain(s).
Heroes have their own 'bat-tablet' and hero screen to manage their vigilante. Heroes also utilise crystals to perform actions, but unlike the villains these crystals are your health points as well as their capacity to act. To help out, more heroes can use equipment cards too, and some can access bat-gadgets to turn the tide further in their favour.
SWEAR TO ME!
The core boxes for Batman: Gotham City Chronicles will sent you back a cool (approx.) £100, while an 'all in' pledge clocks in at £230. Not small change for sure. The 'all in' does add all the expansions, a one vs one mode that gives the hero player a command board the same as the villain, a bat mobile (not life size), and more more more. Do you need it? Probably not, but you know you want it.
While I have been typing, three more updates have been posted, and numerous stretch goals unlocked. Ridiculous as it seems to say it but this is good value if you can afford it.
If you can't? Well you will either have to wait for another Kickstarter campaign or buy at presumable inflated prices when someone sells, because this for better or worse is a Kickstarter exclusive.
It won't be in retail unless a retailer back it. HOLY ONCE IN A LIFE TIME OPPORTUNITY BATMAN!