Tag Archives: cryptozoic

BOOM! Studios, Cryptozoic Entertainment and Cartoon Network Digital Partner for Epic Adventure Time Card Wars Promotion

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Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake Card Wars #1 Main Cover by Jen WangCryptozoic Entertainment, BOOM! Studios, and Cartoon Network Digital have partnered to create an epic program across the Adventure Time Card Wars physical game, comic book and mobile game, tied to the upcoming comic book release of Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake: Card Wars #1. Fans of Card Wars will receive an exclusive “Sundae School” physical game card from Cryptozoic in the comic, which will launch in July, as well as a code to download an exclusive “Music Mallard” card to be used in the digital game from Cartoon Network.

Based on the Card Wars game first introduced in episode 92 of Cartoon Network’s hit animated series Adventure Time, Cryptozoic Entertainment has released four collector packs of the card game to date. To celebrate the launch of the upcoming comic and popular card game, an exclusive “Sundae School” card, which was featured in the television series, will be inserted into 20,000 comics.

Comic: Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake: Card Wars #1

Cake is a Card Wars champ who can’t be beat, and Fionna…is really tired of getting beaten! They set off in search of a challenger who can really test Cake’s mettle. When they stumble across some gamer slugs, they think they’ve hit the jackpot, but these guys have never heard of Cake and refuse to even play with her!

Sundae SchoolPublisher: KaBOOM!, an imprint of BOOM! Studios
Author: Jen Wang
Artist: Britt Wilson
Format: Standard comic size, 32 pages, full color
On sale: July 2015
Retail: $3.99

Game Card: “Sundae School” – Adventure Time Card Wars Exclusive

The comic will also include a special edition Sundae School card that is playable in the Adventure Time Card Wars Cryptozoic Game. The card reads, “Rainbow Building – While you have an even amount of Hit Points, your Creature on this Landscape has +2 ATK.

Music MallardThis exclusive card can be integrated into any of the existing collector packs from Cryptozoic. The most recent release is the Adventure Time Card Wars Ice King vs. Marceline Collectors Pack, featuring the Ice King and his IcyLands deck versus Marceline’s dark and crafty Useless Swamps & NiceLands deck.

Digital Game Card: “Music Mallard” – Adventure Time Card Wars Exclusive

Included within the Adventure Time with Fionna & Cake: Card Wars #01 comic will also be a code to download an exclusive Music Mallard card, to be used in the Card Wars app, as well as a call out to purchase the game on the App Store or Google Play.

SDCC 2015: Cryptozoic Entertainment Heads to the Convention with Demos and More!

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CryptozoicCryptozoic Entertainment is heading to San Diego Comic Con 2015, July 9–12. Cryptozoic will be appearing at two panels during the convention as well as demonstrating games and participating in the Ghostbusters Mass Hysteria Event.

The first programming panel consists of in-depth insight into the Ghostbusters franchise.

Ghostbusters: IDW & Cryptozoic Entertainment – Friday, 7/10/15, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m., Room: 25ABC
Join us in celebrating 30+ years of Ghostbusters, the classic supernatural franchise that defined an era. Hear insight on the ongoing comic series by IDW Publishing, and see a demo of the successfully crowdfunded game by Cryptozoic Entertainment.

The second panel is about the process of creating a game from an expert’s point of view.
Cryptozoic Entertainment Games: Meet the Creators – Sunday, 7/12/15, 4 p.m. – 5 p.m., Room: 28DE
Cryptozoic Entertainment: Meet the Creators – Adam Sblendorio (VP of creative), Matt Hyra (lead game designer), and other seasoned game designers will share their secrets on how a game is designed and developed from start to finish. An amazing Q&A opportunity for aspiring game designers wanting to break into the business.

After each panel, members of the Cryptozoic team will also be on hand to answer questions from fans and press.

Game Demonstrations
Game demonstrations will be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, 4th floor – America’s Cup B-D, Thursday–Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Games to be demoed include Ghostbusters: The Board Game, Attack on Titan, DC Comics Teen Titans Deck-building Game, Adventure Time: Card Wars, Epic Spell Wars of The Battle Wizards II: Rumble At Castle Tentakill, Spyfall and Naruto Shippuden Deck-Building Game. The Naruto Shippuden Deck-building Game will also be demonstrated and sold at the VIZ booth, #2813.

The Ghostbusters Mass Hysteria Event
The free Ghostbusters Mass Hysteria event is organized by the Real Tampa Bay Ghostbusters group. The event starts at 7 p.m. Friday, July 10, and will be held at The Werewolf restaurant/bar at 627 4th Ave., a few blocks from the convention center. The event will include Q&A’s, special guests, insider information and more. Cryptozoic Entertainment staff will be in attendance with a pre-production copy of Ghostbusters™: The Board Game to play.

Venue capacity is limited, first come, first serve for attendees. In order to secure your spot, arrive early. All ages are allowed until 9 p.m. then only 21 years old and up will be permitted entry.

Cryptozoic Entertainment and Don’t Panic Games Acquire License for Attack on Titan games

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attack_on_titanCryptozoic Entertainment and Don’t Panic Games announce their collaboration on the acquisition of the Attack on Titan anime license to design and distribute board games internationally.

A worldwide phenomenon, the Attack on Titan property began as a manga, with 50 million copies in print as of November 2014. Six of the seven English volumes spent time on The New York Times Manga best-seller list, volume one was listed for 81 weeks in a row. Attack on Titan’s success continued with the creation of the anime along with diverse licensed retail merchandise, eight video games and two anime films.

In addition, the much anticipated Japanese release of two Attack on Titan films in August and September is generating excitement with movie trailers recently released. These two live-action films are also slated for distribution in the Americas.

The first Attack on Titan board game, designed by award-winning game designers, Antoine Bauza and Ludovic Maublanc will be released internationally in 2016. In the game, one player takes on the role of a Titan while the others represent the human heroes fighting it. The game features a revolutionary game mechanic, the Titan piece is a vertical game board element and the hero game pieces climb in an effort to take him down.

The initial board game prototypes will be demonstrated for the first time worldwide at Anime Expo in Los Angeles and Japan Expo in Paris, July 2-5.

Game Review: Batman Arkham City Escape

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pic1489902_mdBatman Wins!  Or so goes the mantra of his die hard fans that believe that he can beat any hero or villain in any scenario providing that he has long enough to plot out a strategy.  Taking that same concept and applying it to a video game version of the character might seem like a good concept, but there needs to be a connection between the concept and the finished product.  In this case the story pits Batman against not only one of his villains but numerous as they have simultaneously escaped from Arkham.  This is a two player game with one side taking on the role of the villains in the breakout and one player taking on the role of Batman.

The villains are given a few additional mechanics, but not as many as Batman, who relies on a variety of skills and items that one assumes would be associated with him.  This is one of the high points of this game, in that the character playing as Batman can really get into the game as the character which is a common problem in other games.  At the same time, it would seem as though the game designers ran with the interesting concept and forget to play test it enough that it would make an engaging finished product, instead relying on the artwork and the characters to draw in fans.  When it comes down to Batman having to round up and defeat all of the bad guys this is a definitely one sided game for the villains.  Batman requires a lot of luck as well as a great strategy to take down the bad guys, while conversely the player playing the villains doesn’t really have to try hard in order to win, meaning that one side will find not much of a challenge while the other side will be scrambling constantly to try to pull out an unlikely victory.

One must be careful when dealing with a thematic game like this one.  While some games incorporating in popular products can work well (such as either Legendary for Marvel or the DC Comics Deck Building Game) this game proves that one must be wary when purchasing games for their content without first checking on the mechanics.  A little bit of extra playtesting and smoother mechanics would have gone a long way here, but as it stands the game is mostly a dud.  In this case Batman almost certainly doesn’t win.

Score: 4.5

 

Spyfall Probes and Bluffs Its Way Into Stores

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SpyfallCryptozoic Entertainment has announced the release of the Spyfall deduction card game on June 10. Spyfall is an easy-to-learn card game of bluffing, probing questions, clever answers and suspicion. At the start of each round, players receive a secret card informing them of the group’s location – a casino, space station, pirate ship, circus, (30 unique locations), except one player receives the SPY card instead of the location. The Spy doesn’t know where they are, but wins the round if they can figure it out before blowing their cover.

Players ask each other questions during the intense 8-minute rounds. Non-Spy players ask questions and give answers to prove their location to the other players. If the questions and answers are too specific, the Spy can easily guess the location and win, so subtlety is key. If questions and answers are too generic, the player might be accused of being the Spy. The Spy will be asked questions and have to come up with questions of their own, without knowing anything about their location. By listening carefully to the other players, the Spy should be able to come up with a plausible question or answer.

Once per round, each player may accuse another player of being the Spy. If all players agree, the game ends and that player’s secret card is flipped up. If the Spy is captured, each of the non-Spy players win the round. If a non-Spy is revealed, the Spy wins. Finally, if the Spy figures out where they are, they can reveal their card and make a guess. If they’re right, they win the round. If not, the non-Spy players win. The game is played over a series of rounds and points are awarded each round. A complete game is typically five rounds and the cards are randomly dealt each round. A player could even be the Spy two rounds in a row. After the last round, the player with the most points is the winner.

Some bullet points of interest from the press announcement announcing the game’s release:

  • Number of Players: 3-8
  • For Ages: 15 and up
  • Easy to learn with quick game set up
  • Including 30 Locations for great replayability
  • Choose your own game length
  • Advanced game mode – location based
  • Great social party game

Cryptozoic Entertainment Expands their Partnership with Publishing Services, Inc.

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CryptozoicCryptozoic Entertainment has announced they are expanding their partnership with Publisher Services, Inc. (PSI). This will allow for increased distribution of Cryptozoic’s game products. The sales plan with PSI opens up new channels for distribution, delivers enhanced supply-chain methods, brings new key accounts and provides an expert view of the retail landscape.

In April Cryptozoic announced that its relationship with Alliance Game Distributors for board games had been modified to “allow for additional distribution through a select number of other companies.” That was the first sign that the company was looking to expand their distribution elsewhere.

Earlier this month Cryptozoic also announced it would cease direct to consumer sales of trading cards and binders, allowing for more product to be available with stores.

All of these taken together show Cryptozoic is focused on strengthening their distribution channels and relationship with stores to enhance the sale of all of their products. Should be interesting to see how this might translate as things go on.

Retail Edition of Ghostbusters: The Board Game Ships in October

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Ghostbusters the Board GameFollowing on the heels of the tremendously successful Kickstarter campaign for Ghostbusters: The Board Game, comes the retail consumer edition. The first officially licensed Ghostbusters tabletop game in nearly 30 years will be distributed to retailers in October 2015. Initially offered by Cryptozoic Entertainment via Kickstarter to an overwhelming response, the game will be released through both hobby and mass-market channels at a retail price of $85.00.

Ghostbusters: The Board Game is a game for 1-4 players, ages 15 and up. Players choose one of the four Ghostbusters character figures (Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler, Winston Zeddemore and Ray Stantz) and then select from one of the game’s pre-written scenarios, beginning a game session that lasts from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the chosen scenario(s) and degree of difficulty. Each of the Ghostbusters has unique traits and talents that can assist the entire team, with highly cooperative gameplay. As players gain experience from banishing spirits, the Ghostbusters level up, gaining new abilities that help them take on greater challenges. The team can also hop in the Ecto-1, the Ghostbusters’ converted ambulance, to help them quickly move through the city.

Developed by a talented group of board game professionals with decades of combined experience, the team is led by Matt Hyra (Lead Game Design & Acquisitions), Mataio Wilson (Associate Game Designer) and Adam Sblendorio (Vice President, Creative) along with additional developers and support from skilled playtesters and the passionate family of Ghostbusters fans.

Cryptozoic Hires Mike Lauter as Vice President of Global Sales

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Mike LauterCryptozoic Entertainment has announced the hire of Mike Lauter as Vice President of Global Sales. Lauter will be responsible for managing the sales organization as well as continuing to drive the company’s growth.

Lauter previously held the position of Director of Sales at McFarlane Toys. Lauter is an experienced sales executive with over 15 years in senior management and 29 years in the toy industry. His vast knowledge in the collectible toys, entertainment and gaming industries has made him a sought after sales expert.

In a release Co-Founder and CEO John Sepenuk said:

I am thrilled that Mike will be joining our team. He shares our same vision of taking Cryptozoic to the next level. He has shown himself to be a strong leader during his career and has a proven track record.

First Look at Cryptozoic’s Justice Society of America Crossover Pack 1

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PIC_6892Cryptozoic has been on a role lately with their releases for their DC Deck-Building Game. In the last few months they released a new “volume” with Forever Evil, a two player version featuring Batman and the Joker, as well as a brand new Crisis Pack that compliments their second release Heroes Unite. Their next release adds a new expansion option for the game. The first Crossover Pack focuses on DC Comic’s Justice Society of America, featuring heroes, villains, equipment, and locations all a part of the history of the classic DC team.

The release features 7 oversized JSA Super Heroes, 8 Super-Villains, 10 main deck cards, and 1 rule card that explains how to use the cards as well as some errata to better clear up the cards. It’s a way to breathe new life into games, with the addition of a few cards. You’re encouraged to mix up the cards which helps change the games in mere seconds and adds new strategies and ways to play.

The new Super Hero cards don’t really have a theme to them. A few deal with “Punch” cards, but generally mixes things up, unlike the last Crisis Pack which went heavy on different game play using colors.

The equipment, heroes, super power, and location cards again don’t really have much of a unifying theme for gameplay. They vary greatly in the aspects they bring to the game. Again, a couple have to do with “Punch” cards, but it’s not enough to say this is a theme of gameplay.

The villains too vary in what they bring to the game, and the super-villains range in cost 8 to 15 to defeat.

All the cards together don’t seem to have one gameplay theme like we’ve seen in the past, instead each card enhances a certain aspect of the game, like the starting cards, or “Punch.”

Overall, the addition is welcome, not just adding some classic characters, but helping changing up the game even more. It’s a simple way to add more flavor and change the gameplay without releasing a much more involved Crisis release or new version. I can’t wait to see what Cryptozoic does next with this new addition to their release schedule. The Justice Society of America Crossover Pack will be released later this March.

Check out below for a full list of cards. You’ll need to highlight the Super-Villains to see who is included (didn’t want to spoil that for everyone).

Superheroes

  • Stargirl
  • Power Girl
  • Doctor Fate
  • Alan Scott
  • Jay Garrick
  • Wildcat
  • Mister Terrific

Equipment

  • T-Spheres
  • The Hourglass

Heroes

  • Liberty Belle
  • Dr. Mid-Nite
  • Citizen Steel

Location

  • Monument Point

Super Power

  • Girl Power
  • Mystic Bolts

Villain

  • Scythe
  • Per Degation

Super-Villain

  • Solomon Grundy
  • Mordru the Merciless
  • Icicle
  • Kobra
  • Ultra-Humanite
  • Gentleman Ghost
  • Eclipso
  • Gog

 

 

 

Cryptozoic provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Sony and Cryptozoic Team up for new Ghostbusters Tabletop Game

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The streams have been crossed and the Keymaster and the Gatekeeper have come together! Cryptozoic Entertainment is bringing the world’s most highly respected group of paranormal investigators/exterminators to the table top with Ghostbusters: The Board Game. The Kickstarter has begun and runs through March 11. The game will begin shipping to backers across North America, the UK and all EU member countries, Australia and New Zealand in October 2015.

Ghostbusters: The Board Game is a game for 1-4 players, ages 15 and up. Players choose one of the four Ghostbusters character figures (Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler, Winston Zeddemore and Ray Stantz) and then select from one of the game’s pre-written scenarios, beginning a game session that lasts from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the chosen scenario(s) and degree of difficulty. Each of the Ghostbusters has unique traits and talents that can assist the entire team, with highly cooperative gameplay. As players gain experience from banishing spirits, the Ghostbusters level up, gaining new abilities that help them take on greater challenges. The team can also hop in the Ecto-1, the Ghostbusters’ converted ambulance, to help them quickly move through the city.

Developed by a talented group of board game professionals with decades of combined experience, the team is led by Matt Hyra (Lead Game Design & Acquisitions), Mataio Wilson (Associate Game Designer) and Adam Sblendorio (Creative Director) along with additional developers and support from skilled playtesters and the passionate family of Ghostbusters fans.

Ghostbusters: The Board Game comes with plastic figures of the four Ghostbusters as well as Slimer, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Indulnas and numerous Galloping Ghouls, Gruesome Twosomes and Boogaloo. All figurines are based on the artwork and designs of Dan Schoening, the artist of IDW’s Ghostbusters comic book. The game will come with over 40 figures, with the opportunity to purchase add-ons and exclusive figures. The board itself is made of double-sided modular pieces illustrated by Robb Mommaerts, increasing the replayability for scenarios and customization.

Cryptozoic will be offering a few options for backers. The base version of Ghostbusters: The Board Game is available for $80 and includes four Ghostbusters figures, 40 ghost figures, 10 double-sided game board map tiles, instructions and scenarios with art from Dan Schoening, various tokens, cards and dice. The exclusive $125 Deluxe Edition comes with everything from the base game, along with a limited edition foil-stamped box, a 12”x12” giclée print, glow-in-the-dark dice, four additional game board tiles, an exclusive boss ghost figure and an over-sized “Impossible Mode” Stay Puft Marshmallow Man figure. Additional pledge levels add exclusive ghosts, new figures and much more to expand the game further.

ghostbusters board game 1

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