During the
last few weeks Andrei has shared some of what had transpired before Progress:The Evolution of Technology reached the first of its backers. Designing and
developing the game was an experience NSKN Games is no stranger to.
Crowdfunding it was a wholly different matter, both to spectate and be a part
of.
The first time I played Progress was at a relatively late stage of its
development. Some artwork had already been done, the card layouts looked a lot
like what you get in the final game box. The working title was still different –
it suggested a game about evolving species, which is why I had not been too
keen to play it in the beginning. My interest was piqued however, when it was
revealed to me, that I would be playing a civilization game.
Every gamer seems to enjoy civilization games – myself included. The
number one of my all time top ten games has been occupied by Through The Ages
for several years now, and a civ-building theme is definitely enough to turn my
head. However, for me to fall in love with a civilization game, it needs to...
sing to me. Yes, well, I know it sounds tinfoil-hat crazy, but bear with me for
just a moment longer.
Some civilization games capture me the moment I play them for the first
time, with the theme, the scope and, most importantly, the potential to tell
stories that spam through ages or even millennia. Sometimes the process is by
far not instantaneous, it takes some time (I needed to expand Sid Meier’sCivilization to start really enjoying the game) and a big chunk of my spending
money. Sometimes, the game just does not gel with me (I cannot believe everyone’s
love for Clash of Cultures), and there is no way I can enjoy it despite the
favoured theme. And sometimes, like with Through The Ages, everything clicks within a few
turns. I look at the game and I hear its song – and the song is beautiful.
Progress was one of these games.
From the moment I looked at my first hand, from the time I played my
first technology (Musical Instruments – the singing voice needed some company),
understanding how I will be able to build upon it to move into an exciting
future. As the game unfolded, it sang me a song of a technological civilization
of poets and engineers, who finally came to rule the world (I won). My mind’s
eye saw a magnificent gaming construct, a tree I was immediately ready to hang
from for nine days just to see where the roots and branches fork, where they
go, and where the beating heart of Progress was.
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| My first Progress game... in progress ;-) |
Simply put, I fell in love with Progress and I got even more excited,
when I heard of the plan to kickstart the game. In my heart I knew that with
its solid gameplay, the gorgeous art and a most popular theme, Progress would
be a great success on Kickstarter. My optimistic approach prevailed in the end,
but Agnieszka and Andrei had been much more cautious about their plans before
the campaign started – and during its first few hours.
It may be hard to believe, but repeatedly pressing F5 might become an
activity that will keep you at your computer for hours – especially when you
are following a Kickstarter campaign like the one Progress had. When it goes
well – and it was going well for Progress – it validates the hard work put into
the game and into its presentation. It clearly indicates that what you find
interesting, what lures you into gaming, what makes you want to play a given
game is shared by enough people to fund your idea. And the taste of this is
sweet enough that, while not being a Kickstarter project creator, I could feel
some of what is felt by those, who are directly involved. And by becoming
invested I suddenly caught myself just sitting there, looking at my screen
and pressing F5 from time to time to see a planted seed grow, much like a civilization
during a game of Progress, before my very eyes.
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| A prototype wall on a prototype card. |
But a Kickstarter campaign, even as successful as this one, is not
something you just leave on its own, thinking of the benefits you will reap
when it is over – and woe betides any project creator who thinks this to be
true. It is an ongoing task, a job that needs to be performed almost 24/7, an
effort common to both the creators and those backers who not only come on
board, but also take it upon themselves to get more involved, actively helping
to grow a sprawling sapling into an impressive tree. And as you press the F5
once again, you are not only watching the growth, but also the labours of those
who tend to it on a daily basis.
Progress: The Evolution of Technology was a great crowdfunding success
and from a personal perspective I am happy I could see the whole process – and even
help a tiny bit to build the game’s initial success. Now, as the game reaches
its backers, another chapter begins, and one we hope will be as fascinating
as the previous one.
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