Monday, March 05, 2007

My First Game is Being Published

I suppose I should announce this here, too.

*Ahem*

The Game Formerly Known As The Menorah Game is going to be published by Reiver Games.

It is being re-themed as a light-horror game called It's Alive!. The previous link contains more information, including the following:
It is the turn of the nineteenth century, and mad scientists throughout Europe are competing for the infamy of being the first to create life through the power of alchemy. Using only the raw materials provided by some dubious 'Suppliers to the Anatomical Trade', harnessed lightning and the services of a motley crew of unattractive servants you race to collect the eight body parts needed to create your monster and bring it to life. Unfortunately the local peasants are particularly clumsy and tend to die in freak farming accidents so the dubious gentlemen rarely find a whole cadaver in sufficiently good condition. Instead they offer the parts they have managed to salvage. Each turn you may buy the offered part, sell it to an anatomist for a meagre profit, or auction it trying to get a better deal or rip off your opponents. You might be lucky and get a coffin with a weakling clerk's cadaver in it, which can be used in lieu of any strapping villager's body part, or your involvement in the macabre trade might invoke the villagers' wrath.

It's Alive! is a set collection and auction game for 2 to 5 players, aged 12 to adult. Games last 20 to 40 minutes.

It's Alive! will soon be available as a 300-copy limited edition. Each copy is numbered x/300. If you would like to pre-order a copy please contact me at jack@reivergames.co.uk and ask to be put on the waiting list. Copies will retail for £15 plus postage and packaging (yet to be determined).
Note that aside from the re-theming, slight changes were made to the tile distribution and the game can now accommodate up to five players.

What Jack doesn't mention is that I'm offering all people who have copies of my prototype a 20% discount on the game as my thanks. Further details about that when it's actually available for sale.

Here is the parallel announcement on Jack's site. The game also already has a BGG entry. Oddly enough, it doesn't show up on my designer page, yet.

Oh, yes, I'm also working on another game design, of course.

Yehuda

P.S. Oh, yes: Don't believe Jack when he says ages 12 to adult. Some of the game's biggest fans were 9 or 10 when they first played it. [Jack says in the comments that the age range was determined because of the new theme.]

8 comments:

Simon J said...

Congratulations!

I like the new theme, did you have any input in that?

I've just put myself on the waiting list for a copy. It was a pleasant surprise to see the price in £ :)

Jackson Pope said...

I upped the minimum age due to the macabre theme, Yehuda. Not having children of my own I wasn't sure of the suitability of it for younger kids and decided to play it safe. Of course, if people are prepared to introduce it to younger children I'm happy :-)

Cheers,

Jack

gnome said...

Congratulations! Bravo! Hoorah!

:)

Bay said...

Congratulations! It will be interesting to compare these dramatically different themes in play. Eager to try both...

Gerald McD said...

Congratulations! I wish you well with this and all future games you design. Wow, quite a change in theme.

Anonymous said...

Wow, congratulations...

The new theme really fits the game. Put me on this waiting list of yours.

Yehuda Berlinger said...

Thanks for the good wishes, everyone.

Simon: no, I had no input into the theme, other than "what do I think about it?"

Tal, and everyone else: To put yourself on the waiting list, contact Jack at the email address provided.

Let's see if we can get all 300 waitlisted before they are even produced.

Yehuda

Chris Brooks said...

Well done Yehuda. I'm very happy for you.