Just posted to Kickstarter is a campaign that's already met over half its goal — and could surpass it in just its first 24 hours. And it's easy to see why.
Ghostbusters: The Board Game is from the game masters at Cryptozoic Entertainment, and it puts you into the shoes of one of the original four Ghostbusters on episodic missions to rid New York City of paranormal infestations.
You and up to three of your friends can play as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler or Winston Zeddemore, fighting those undead nasties in a board game that strives to "feel like" Ghostbusters as much as possible.
Just don't make the mistake of assuming this is a simple, standard Parker Brothers type game, like Life or Monopoly. Ghostbusters: The Board Game is a complex role-playing game with loads of rules and game pieces, in the vein of Dungeons & Dragons or Wizards of the Coast.
The board itself is made up of ten double-sided game tiles that can be arranged and rearranged endlessly. Cryptozoic promises that the various kinds of dice and multitude of possibilities ensure that every time you play, you'll have a new and different experience. Additionally, each of the four 'Busters has a specialty. Venkman, for example, is more effective when he's up close near ghosts, while Stantz is an expert at slime removal. So switching up which character you play as multiplies the already nearly-infinite possibilities by four.
The game's art and character designs come from Dan Schoening, IDW's go-to artist for its Ghostbusters comic book series. Speaking of which, the board game draws on elements from not only the movies but The Real Ghostbusters TV cartoon, the comics and even tie-in merchandise, to create a fully-rounded experience that should satisfy even the most hardcore Ghostbusters fan.
Kickstarter pledge amounts for Ghostbusters: The Board Game start at $80. That may seem pretty steep, but it's actually competitive when seen next to Dungeons & Dragons and its ilk. There's a bigger pledge package for $125, or a retailer-only pledge level of $288.
Cryptozoic hopes to deliver the game to backers by October 2015.
