Have you ever just found yourself browsing Kickstarter marveling at all the wonderful, weird, and exciting things people have come up with? From board games to comics, to film, to music, to technology – Kickstarter covers a wide range of ideas that are just waiting to be developed, and is a great way to see just how many folks are interested in what you want to produce. For board game developers Kickstarter has become a key tool in getting their game out to the world, as producing a board game can cost a decent chunk of money. Through Kickstarter, developers can raise money, interest, and awareness in their game, while also being able to produce it. We’ve seen many crowdfunding successes in the board game community, such as The Oatmeal’s Exploding Kittens, Isaac Childres’ Gloomhaven, and James A. Wilson’s Everdell, and we’re always excited to see more games on our shelves!

This brings us to this week’s spotlight on LANDER, a new game that’s just about to hit Kickstarter. Offered an early copy by game designer Daniel Alexander, we, of course, jumped at the chance to try it out. LANDER is a strategy game set in the vast unknown: space. You play as part of a crew on a colony mission to Kaimas-2, the first planet discovered outside our solar system that has liquid water. You represent one of six different corporation’s interests, looking to establish and control the economy of Kaimas-2. The ‘Lander’ has launched ahead of the colony to prepare a base for 5000 folks but meets misfortune on the way. As part of the surviving crew, you must prepare and complete as many missions as possible.

LANDER revolves around resource management mechanics and exploration, giving players many options so that they can carve out the strategy they want to play. LANDER includes three different game styles each with a different level of complexity, and variations players can add depending on how they want their story to unfold. The instruction booklet is split into two, component and scenario description and a reference manual and the designer suggests to just hop in and use the reference manual as needed! 

The first scenario is based on a holographic simulation and is aptly named “Basic Simulation”. The key point of this scenario is to familiarize new players with the game. It takes out certain mechanics and is intended to be a shorter game. The second scenario is “Early Arrival” and includes all mechanics. Early Arrival is intended to be a shorter game for game players who have less time to play, while still encompassing most of what LANDER has to offer. The last scenario is “Planned Arrival” and is the full version of the game, with a time trigger of Five Years instead of a Mission trigger like the other two scenarios.

LANDER is a game that loves to offer player options. This is all reflected in player strategy and game flexibility – you’ll never truly be left behind even when bad things happen. Using a blend of American and European game design elements, LANDER truly carves out it’s own path. Whether you’re focused on messing with your opponents or on your own resource collection, LANDER opens the door to multiple possibilities. 

Now, if you’ve read this and it’s piqued your interest yet you’re worried that you’ve missed the campaign – we’ve got you! The Kickstarter campaign is slated to start on March 3rd, and you can find more information at www.landerthegame.com.