Paradox is making tabletop games for their popular strategy titles, starting with Crusader Kings
Paradox Interactive is making tabletop games, starting with four of its most iconic strategy franchises.
Paradox announced the news earlier today, alongside the Kickstarter campaign for Crusader Kings, the first of the four games that are getting the tabletop treatment. Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron, and Cities: Skylines are up next.
The publisher will be working with "a series of proven board game designers," starting with Swedish tabletop game publisher, Free League, who developed award-winning RPGs Tales from the Loop, Coriolis – The Third Horizon, and Mutant: Year Zero.
"In this medieval strategy soap opera, your King or Queen will need to survive invasions, plots, crusades, and even marriage. Or at least have children, siblings or spouses standing by to take over the throne. Failure to raise a suitable heir could face you with the end of your dynasty," reads the press release.
"Crusader Kings - The Board Game is not an attempt to simply port the computer game to the tabletop," explains the Kickstarter. "Instead, our design goal is to capture the essence of experience of playing Crusader Kings 2, and turning it into a rich and intense tabletop experience of 2-3 hours."
The "four core pillars" of the game are listed as:
- Character Focus. The game brings characters and dynasties to the forefront, using traits and events to develop the characters and the story.
- Grand Strategy. Crusader Kings is a grand strategy game at heart, and so is the board game. To win, you will need to plan decades ahead and outwit your opponents.
- Emergent Storytelling. Like the computer game, the board game has an events system (using cards) that interacts with the game mechanics to create unexpected and memorable story twists.
- Steeped in History. The board game is based on historical characters and events of the Middle Ages, letting you relive - and change - the course of actual history.
If it sounds like it might be up your street, you can pledge your support here.
The campaign's goal is a little over £42,000 and includes three reward tiers that will get you the Retailer, Standard, or Royal Edition of the game.