Golem Arcana Hits Kickstarter With A Fantastic Gaming Idea
September 10, 2013 by brennon
Golem Arcana has been bubbling along beneath the surface for a while now and it has finally burst out onto Kickstarter. You might have heard us talking about this on the Weekender just gone but the way this works looks phenomenal...
Golem Arcana is much like any other miniatures game you would play with mighty forces clashing on the field of battle however the bonus addition of the TDI Stylus allows you to speed up your gaming with a fantastic piece of kit that stores and relates information from miniature to miniature.
"When you touch a figure with the stylus, information is transferred to the app via Bluetooth technology. The App immediately identifies which figure it is, all its capabilities, and its position on the game board. When you touch the stylus to a new region of the game board, the app instantly knows whether the move is valid or not."
...they continue.
"The Golem Arcana App knows all the game rules so you can’t accidentally break them. You don’t need to read a rulebook because everything you need to know is available on screen or with a tap of your finger or your stylus. New players learn the game quickly by following the onscreen prompts and listening to the audio feedback. Record keeping is a snap because the App tracks everything for you. It’s a referee, rule book, and tracking device all-in-one. Together, the TDI stylus and App allow you to focus on what's important: face-to-face tabletop gaming in the exciting new game world of Golem Arcana."
...well that just sounds fantastic doesn't it? A way of gaming which is fair, modern and works with pieces of kit that most people already own. However that's all well and good but it doesn't work very well if the miniatures aren't top notch does it? Thankfully they look original and quite frankly astounding.
As you can see these 'Golems', which remind me a lot of some of the creatures from Shadow of the Colossus, are all fantastic realised and as if that wasn't enough they are also fully assembled and painted. Think Skylanders or Disney Infinity but on the tabletop with epic fantasy creatures.
Being a digital game with no real need for a rulebook you will also be able to download new scenarios, rules updates and more and if you have to take a break, just save your game. Simple.
The world itself is already fantastically realised and sees mighty Knights riding on the back of these Golems that have been created from a variety of different sources, be they the earth itself or something darker like the bodies of the dead. I think artwork wise you will agree that they have done well here.
You can read more about the storyline to this epic struggle but needless to say it features some pretty titanic forces clashing to seize power. I love this modern take on the tabletop wargame and it's something that I could see taking off.
What sells this game for me is that it's all practically done for you. The App is ready to go, the Stylus has everything programmed into it and the miniatures are painted and ready to go. Much like a good board game it's something you can play right out of the box.
Check out the gameplay mechanics video above and check out the Kickstarter.
Drop some comments below with your thoughts.
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Sounds like playing at the supermarket checkout.
Wonder if you can get special offers. Hit one get one free. lol
“Unidentified Golem in the Bagging Area” 😉
Very nice Idea, I bought something similar “Barney” for my son, 25 years ago. The most unfortunate thing about the game is that it cannot be used without a computer, or a lot of paper. Yes it is the same author as that note taking game BattleTech. As for the TDI Stylus, I will probably be using something like this in 25 years time, memory what it is, but it reminds me of the GW lazer. One very nice point is an aid memoir on the base of the figs. Could lots of other companies copy this? Is this a… Read more »
What is the point? I don’t think anybody actually asked that question when designing this. What is the advantage of this over using cards or counters as record keepers? Especially since they have to keep “tapping” on their cards anyway? Does it make it easier to see the state of the game? Nope. If anything it’s harder because now it’s confined to a low-resolution (data resolution, not screen resolution) tablet display. Is it more convenient than using cards or counters? Nope. If anything it’s less so because now I have to tap my units (in the right spot on the… Read more »
I wanted to talk about that… and then I realized you had already said it better than I ever could ! Bravo and thank you, sir. We’ve already seen this with Ex Illis, by the way, and this time it’s going to be pre-painted injected plastics. Ugh ! Pre-painted ? Low detail ? Puh-LEASE, we are not ten year olds. They do sell resin versions of the miniatures, but they don’t show them in detail and it’s a Kickstarter exclusive, so I am not inclined to pledge (and help them finance their endeavor) just to get them. I don’t wish… Read more »
I totally agree. I think technology really is best used to enhance the immersion of the play experience. AR on a smartphone, where the camera is placed at eye height of the of the model could bring up a targeting array on the enemy model or some such. That is where technology can provide more for us. All this is, is a technological curtain to the mechanics, no different to playing turn based rpg games. tl;dr Use technology to enhance the gameplay, and do something a normal tabletop game can’t do. Don’t use it to make pre-existing gameplay clunky. Use… Read more »
Speaking of fancy dongles – I recall a game from many years ago a game with robot models that you assembled and plugged into a console. Your robot in the game resembled the configuration of the model you assembled. It was part lego, part robot war kind of thing. I never saw anything but pictures, but I can and do see the appeal of a “fancy dongle” game if done correctly. For example, while that robot game may have been limited to Japan (?), there are whole toy aisles full of kit-type toys: model cars where you can change out… Read more »
Seems overly complicated for a game.
I just dont see the point.
I like the urugal design
I think the models look awesome for this game. As I mentioned in the article I like the idea of this Shadow of the Colossus style affair with massive Golems being ridden by Knights. That backed up with the artwork makes this a very good looking game. The TDI Stylus may add another mechanic to the tabletop but it’s just that, a mechanic. Why is it there? Because it looks cool. In my opinion you’d feel like you’re actually using some magical item of power sending these Golems across the battlefield to do battle. It’s the same reasoning behind why… Read more »
And light gun games are almost completely gone now. The few that do still exist are just aging arcade machines, games that were made ages ago and haven’t been revisited or updated since. Nobody plays light gun games anymore except as a nostalgia trip or a gimmick. The reason is pretty simple, hardware finally improved to the point where light guns weren’t the best way to play a shooter anymore. They’re not awesome. They’re clunky, relatively inaccurate compared to the controls used in a modern FPS, and they force you to play a game on rails with no control whatsoever… Read more »
Absolutely agree. The game mechanics look pretty basic, apart from the masses of modifiers. I think the aim of the system is to manage all of that. If you play a board game/table top game it becomes increasingly hard to keep track of each figure as you add more, and add more modifiers. Games like DnD get away with it because you have one figure, and even then it’s too much for many players. But having lots of modifiers, does not a good game make! Many games are better where there are simple universal core modifiers. How much does it… Read more »
Well. The point is : games of the future will be playable by people who have no numeracy or literacy skills :o))
I do hope there’s Irony in here…
Have you ever seen the article online that examines the Star Wars movies and comes to the conclusion that the Star Wars civilization as a whole is functionally illiterate? Their technology has advanced to the point where literacy is no longer needed, not even for advanced technical tasks like repairing space ships (knowledge is different than literacy). yslaire’s comment reminded me of that.
I disagree with the article… and it’s not the most recent, nor the most lauded source. Star Wars is literate enough : the display screens in all of the movies (when shown) show letters/numbers. In a weird galactic font, but even so, they’re written language. Also, soldiers seem to read reports every now and then. Coruscant has written signs, as well, and there’s plenty of written things in the clone wars series. Nowadays, very serious people argue that we have two very distinct languages (written, and spoken), and that text messaging is “spoken language” in a written form, while “formal… Read more »
Definitely 😉 That doesn’t mean famous philosophers such as Voltaire or Diogenes, or let’s say…Terry Pratchett…^^ Never used irony, cynism or sarcasm to point out some genuine human flaws.
But who cares…. Within a couple of centuries kids won’t even know what’s a philosopher or what’s irony (unsatisfying R.O.I. For shareholders ^^)…
…. Oops! I did it again (B. Spears, 2000 A.D)
I have to say, I really like the art direction on the miniatures. They are really cool looking designs.
What I don’t like… the execution. they look cheaply made, poorly painted, and the tablet/phone tie in to me just reeks of gimmicky trends trying to coat tail on skylanders and disney’s infinity.
if this was for an actual miniatures game, with those designs as models you could assemble and paint yourself, i’d be all over it.
wasted potential.
Technology like this http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2858588/list/Get-Ready-for-the-Smart-Coffee-Table expanded to full gaming board size, with Minis that can communicate with the table using the software of the table to speed play and provide environmental amusement (keep track of wrecks, where casualties fall, animate various shooting etc) and other advantages (such as deeper more complex modifiers and unit stats/actions, etc) I think would provide the future, not this strange magic wand of tap, tap for the sake of it. Trying to compare this game to Ex illis, I’m not sure its even a step in a better direction, everything it seems to be trying to… Read more »
a bit crude but here is an actual adaption of the concept for DnD using microsoft surface
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n94E3IeBquY
I imagine when the costs drop/tech/manufacturing improves on these pieces of tech to the point of being able to have 4×6 screens
Well, a little late to the party but after taking a look have to agree that I’m not sure what the point is. Like Skylanders it is just a video game with props. If I wanted to play a video game…I’d play a video game.
There is potential with merging tech with minis, but this is not it.
And if that wasn’t enough to sway me away from buying this game…
“…prepainted minis”
Meh.
I got to play this at PAX. It is a lot of fun, though much more casual than something like WH40k. I would put it on par with something like Memior 44. It is as complex as WIzkids Mechwarrior, though more abstract. A lot of the mechanics are more like a board game than a classic miniature ware game. For example, line of sight ot a figure is not important, but line of sight to the space the figure occupies is. There are unpainted figures option, for those who like to paint. I have neither the time nor skill, so… Read more »
This description is scaring me away even more : we’ve all known the fiasco that certain “electronic boardgames” can be… More often than not, they’re gimmicks and not bridges, even if they can be fun to play.
I like the minis, the artwork, and the fluff, but they had to add the stupid software component to it. I think once you add software you date the game and limit its life span. You look at how fast technology evolves and soon that stylus and program will be outdated and not compatible. Unless, the game becomes a hit and they keep it updated. The beauty of a miniature game is that its timeless. As long as you have the book and a few minis you can play the game no matter if the game is in print or… Read more »
Despite what may be in the FAQ, I’ve seen nothing so far that would require the actual app to play. Substitute the electronic record keeping with traditional cards and tokens and it seems no more complicated than many other wargames out there.
I actually baked this game, wont say I’d give up Malifaux (my main game) however theres merit to a system like this. I have a limited number of friends to play Malifaux with, the others are on the fence cause A: they don’t want the added painting hobby. B: They don’t have the time. C: They fret the big old book ‘o rules to keep up with. So basicly this is my compromise 🙂 and at y
That a beautiful one to my opinion.
Thanks for the support!
Also, Jordan Weisman will be doing an AMA in r/games over on reddit on Thursday, September 19th at 2:30pm PST.
Come by if you have any Golem Arcana questions.