Get ready for miniature figures to add even more life to fantastical adventures in Munchkin Dungeon, the board game adaptation of Steve Jackson Games' critically acclaimed card game, Munchkin. Tabletop game publisher CMON has already met its original $200,000 Kickstarter goal for creating physical Munchkin Dungeon miniatures but has a few days left to raise funds for stretch goals.
Developed by Andrea Chiarvesio and Eric M. Lang, Munchkin Dungeon's gameplay doesn't stray too far from the original card game that it adapts. Main actions still consist of kicking open the door to explore the dungeon, fighting monsters, collecting loot, leveling up your ability to inflict damage, and sabotaging your competition. 2-5 players can plunder the dungeon together in the board game version.
The Kickstarter has the game’s current rulebook listed as a work-in-progress.
People who make a "Dangers & Dungeons" pledge for $60 will get the Munchkin Dungeon core box with unpainted miniatures of different Munchkins, monsters, and bosses. It will also include hero dashboards, a dungeon board, counter bases, custom dice sets, game cards, and tokens. Other Kickstarter exclusives at this pledge tier are more miniatures of heroes and monsters, bookmarks, plastic fame markers, and additional basic room cards.
For a pledge of $90, people will get everything included in the $60 tier, and even more miniatures of Munchkins and monsters, game cards, etc. This tier will also offer a Side Quest expansion.
To complete objectives from the new expansion, people will have to perform certain actions like accepting defeat. When they do this, they will be rewarded with more levels.
What the campaign calls "optional buys" includes items like a villain dice pack and an epic dungeon board. While Kickstarter exclusives are for people who make a pledge, any leftover inventory will be made available through special promotions and conventions. CMON also has a separate option for retail pledges.
With the target goal fulfilled, the Kickstarter now focuses on reaching stretch goals that include a monster figure and room card for Santa, a bookmarks pack, and a hero figure and dashboard for a Super Munchkin.
Though CMON tries to estimate shipping costs, there might be changes due to any optional buys and fulfilled stretch goals added that could alter the weight of the package. CMON shares another shipping issue, which is the lack of an option to deliver games to Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Russia. The exclusion of these countries is due to different import laws and customs.
Other risks include delayed rewards. CMON admits on Kickstarter that despite their best efforts, the games may not reach backers before they are made available at conventions and retail, and through special promotions. CMON promises that though delivery may be late, backers will still receive Kickstarter exclusives.
Though this is CMON's 36th campaign on Kickstarter, they have found that producing in China can come with possible delays in production, shipping, and customs.
The miniatures for the game look truly impressive, with a solid charm to them. The original Munchkin artist, John Kovalic, helped create them as he worked on Munchkin Dungeon. According to a blog post on the CMON website, Kovalic said he collaborated with the sculpting team.
"I updated a lot of the drawings, but really, after that, the sculptors just took the ideas and ran with them," Kovalic said. "I'm gobsmacked at how the finished minis look. I almost literally couldn't be happier with them."
Kovalic felt that the Munchkin Dungeon miniatures captured his style, an accomplishment he had once "thought to be impossible." CMON also shared that Phil Reed, the CEO of Steve Jackson Games, praised the publisher's sculptors. Reed also pointed to Lang's work on the Munchkin Collectible Card Game as another sign of the future board game's quality.
Munchkin Dungeon marks the first time that Chiarvesio and Lang have teamed up for a project, but they're both experienced game designers. According to CMON, Chiarvesio worked on Hyperborea, Richard the Lionheart, and Kingsburg, while Lang's previous projects include Arcadia Quest, Rising Sun, and Blood Rage. Lang also serves as the Director of Game Design at CMON.
On the CMON website, Lang said the goal was to make a game that took place in the established world of Munchkin, and was done in the style of CMON.
If you want to back Munchkin Dungeon, there are 6 days left and it currently has over $460k, well over its original goal of $200k, with only one more announced stretch goal at $465k that will add a Pterodactyl Kickstarter exclusive.
After playing Munchkin Adventure Time with my family and deeply enjoying that mash-up, a board game version of Munchkin sounds interesting to me. It may even feel more appealing to friends and family reluctant to play cards, with the figures serving as an eye-catching feature to draw them in.
Do you plan on supporting Munchkin Dungeon on Kickstarter? Have you played any of the Munchkin games before? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net
Alyssa Wejebe writes about games, reads about games, and plays them too. RPG, hack-and-slash, and fighting games are some of her favorite genres. She loves… More about Alyssa
