For a while now I have dabbled in backing Kickstarter projects from all over the world. From games to puzzles to music and magazines, each campaign is an exciting pursuit, one you hope will take off and become successful in a race to become an amazing, finished product. Each time, during the campaign, I wait for the project to gather momentum, all the while sharing it with others who may find the product as interesting as I truly see it. Now that I have backed 50 projects, I have become seasoned, and I have been given the opportunity to peek behind the curtain a bit with a project that I am excited to play in the future.
A friend of mine, Travis Dennison, whom I have worked with in the past, has gone forth with creating, designing, play testing, and now Kickstarting his passion project. For as long as I’ve known Travis, he has enjoyed creating paper craft projects which he shared with me when we worked together nearly a decade ago. Though some time has passed, Travis still has that creative spirit and coveted passion that many people so desire.
So, from within Travis’s creative mind and abundant passion he started a company called Avdenn Games and created a card game called Plan-Z, an apocalyptic zombie survival base builder in a retro pixel art style. A 2-4 player game that forces you to scavenge your surroundings in search of resources to build a base to withstand the onslaught of threats that come your way. You must send your survivors into danger to outlive your opponent’s, only then shall you evade the hordes.
Plan-Z Includes:
- 152 Full Color Cards
- 16 Page Instruction Book
- QuickStart Guide
- (Qty 1) 6-Sided Die
- (Qty 1) 8-Sided Die
- 16 Resource Tokens
- 4 Resource Token Sheets
8-sided Resource Dice – Also to collect resources within the game you will need to roll the 8 sided die and hope you get what you need. A total of 4 different resources are on the die and each one has both a plus 1 or a plus 2 value, so I hope you are great at shaking for the higher valued necessities.
Cards:
This card-based strategy deck builder consists of a variety of cards including:
Survivor Cards – Which are needed to both scavenge for resources you need as well as defend and fight against zombies, looters, and other survivors.
Event Cards – are for all to participate and can cause game altering effects, just follow the scenario.
Supply Cards – These cards can affect combat or specific situations within a phase of a players turn. Can be very useful for surviving situations.
Location Cards – These cards provide the location in which the survivors scavenge for resources. Each location has both a primary and secondary source and the locations must be completely scavenged before going to new locations.
Zombie Cards – a Zombie card is drawn per player at the end of a build phase. Based on the hazard value of your base determines which zombies attack which base of the survivor. The player must use resources such as ammo to kill the card or the player may die trying.
Sequence of game play:
Max hand size is 5 cards.
- Event/Draw – Follow the event card scenario immediately after drawing and draw building and supply cards accordingly.
- Scavenge – Send a survivor to gather resources or bring back other survivors at the nearest location near your base.
- Combat – If 2 players survivors meet at a location a fight will take place in a heated dice battle.
- Build – During this phase you can spend your resources to create new buildings, repair damage, or eliminate a building. You can also choose to do nothing.
- Zombies – Each player will draw a zombie for the survivors to fight. Your bases hazard count will determine where the largest zombie will attack, and you go down the line from that point. Other factors may apply, but if you do not defeat the zombie your building will either take damage or is destroyed.
Victory!
To win the game the player must be the last remaining survivor with a base, lose all your buildings and you lose the game, keep playing until one survivor is standing.
Interview:
I asked Travis a few questions to both enlighten you on the project, a bit about Travis and Avdenn Games as well as give you an understanding of what to consider if you were to decide to start your own Kickstarter campaign.
What do you like about Kickstarter?
I like the ability to plan out the game and rewards/tiers which help sell more games. It also allows potential customers to get a good idea of what the game will be at full release before they put money toward it.
How was your game conceptualized?
I knew I wanted to make a base/town building card game. Slowly the idea morphed into a competitive card game with some resource management and a little combat in a zombie scenario. It defiantly mutated and evolved over time.
Who or what drives the motivation behind your project?
Honestly my daughter. I wanted to start my own company so I could be home more, but still possibly leave something behind. A sort of legacy. She’s the inspiration for the company name.
What is the hardest thing about setting up a Kickstarter?
Deciding on a funding goal is one. There is a lot that goes into it. But a close second is the marketing. It can be hard if you don’t have a ton of prototypes to send out to be reviewed by youtubers. We don’t have any right now since we only have a small amount of prototype/playtest copies. But soon!
Any advice to those who what to set up a Kickstarter?
Plan! Plan! Plan! Do not just jump in and try to figure it out as you go. Backers are pretty savvy people and can tell when something is rushed or just poorly planned.
Where can people contact or reach you?
I can be reached at:
We also have a contact form on our website:
Kickstarter:
Bonus question: If Shane were a type of Zombie or a survivor 🧟♂️ what kind do you think he would be?
I’d peg Shane as a Prepper. I’ve known Shane a number of years and know him to be very good with the little details, so I think he would make a great Survivor and hopefully not a zombie!
Launch:
Travis’s project launches October 20th, 2022, on Kickstarter so please check it out and if you feel it is something you or someone you know will enjoy, please share it or back the campaign. Thanks for taking the time to check this article and Plan-Z out. If you have a Kickstarter planned feel free to reach out to me about your campaign. I would love to go on a Kickstarter adventure with you.
Have you ever though about starting or creating something that you didn’t know how you would fund? Maybe consider Kickstarter or another platform. Have you backed a Kickstarter before, if not what is preventing you from trying it out? If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and as always let us know your thoughts on the topic at hand.
Share your reactions below or join the conversation on the Boss Rush Discord.
Shane Kelley is a Senior writer for Boss Rush Network, as well as a writer for Another Zelda Podcast. His favorite game is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. You can find him on Twitter to talk video games, Marvel, and axe throwing.
Featured Image: Kickstarter.com
Please enjoy other entries in my Kickstarter series. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
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