Preorder My New Hanukkah Game Now!

My (old) new game Candle Quest is up on Kickstarter. You can go there right now to pre-order the world's first and only decent game with a Hanukkah theme ... heck, with any Jewish theme. Go there. Right Now. I'll wait.

You should know, however:

• This game is a new version of The Menorah Game, of which my previous published game It's Alive! was a re-theme. This new edition returns the game to its original theme, but with all new graphics and professional publication (the original game never went beyond prototype stage).
• The game includes new simplified rules for younger players.
• The game will not actually be available for a few months. You won't be getting it this Hanukkah. Kickstarter is being used to contribute to make publishing the game possible and as a PRE-order. We need the money NOW to print and ship the game. Your backing gets you all kinds of goodies, and for just $25 you also get the game itself, shipped free in the continental US.
• This game will be printed in a limited run, so backing the project on Kickstarter is your best chance of securing a copy of the game.
• As of right now we are seeing a large expense in getting individual games shipped internationally, and that includes Israel. Hopefully we'll have a solution for that sometime soon.

Everything you need to know about the game, the project, the rewards for backing, etc, is on the Kickstarter page. A brief summary:

Candle Quest is a lightly-themed set collection and resource management game that features an assortment of dancing, waving and sad candle characters. It is a fast-moving family board game for 2 to 5 players ages 5 and up and takes 30-45 minutes to play.

In Candle Quest, you and your fellow players each need to find 8 different colored candles to light your Menorah. Some candles you can buy. For others, you can’t afford to pay full price; you may have to sell or bargain for them. Be on the lookout for the highly-valued magical dancing candles, but watch out in case one of your candles burns out! Will you be the first to collect your candles and light your Menorah?

Backers of the Kickstarter campaign who pledge at least $25 will receive a copy of the game when it is printed. All backers will receive additional benefits such as signed games or artwork, or digital downloads. Like most small publishing efforts, this game will be produced in a limited release, so it if you want a copy, grab it now.

The game will appeal to experienced gamers looking for a quick strategy game as well as parents and teachers interested in an original game that relates to the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.  There is a complete lack of original entertaining games with Jewish themes beyond a few simple roll-and-move or trivia games for children. Candle Quest breaks new ground as the first and only designer game for Hanukkah intended to be entertaining for adults but playable by all members of the family.

Some gamers liked the horror theme of It's Alive! However, there were many others who liked the game but wanted a more family-friendly alternative. We hope that this new theme will serve the purpose. While it's about candles for your Menorah, there is no actual Jewish content in the game, so it should be enjoyable for anyone.