There used to be a time when board games were the only kind of in-depth games you had. You had to play them with others, they often took a while, and you could weave your own narrative based on how you play. Now, video games are the norm, but tabletop games are still significant. Just ask the Warhammer fans if you don’t believe us. Anyway, many titles have been venturing into the tabletop space recently to help expand their reach and create new adventures. It was announced today that Naughty Dog would do this with their series The Last Of Us.
As you can see, the game is The Last of Us: Escape the Dark, and it will be made in collaboration with the team at Themeborne. The game is playable by 1-5 people. The players must choose what to do and where to go in each “chapter.” New cards will be drawn for the chapters to outline the scenario that they are in. Through cards and dice, you’ll have to fight off the infected and hunters that might get in your path.
But wait, there’s more. Because the game series prided itself on its characters and the growth they had to do through the stories, every character in the game will have a personality flaw called a “hang-up.” The player must work through that to “unlock the characters’ full potential.” Another part of the game will be crafting and upgrading your items and weapons so you can better handle the threats to come.
The most curious thing about the new title is that it will launch on Kickstarter. The series has been very successful, so having it become a Kickstarter project may seem a bit odd to some. After all, we know Naughty Dog can afford to pay for everything themselves, as they’re still making games.
However, another way to look at this is that they’re ensuring that the board game is wanted and that they make the precise amount of copies they need before shipping out. Remember, tabletop games are popular, but only for a particular crowd. Those who want to try it out may hesitate if they see it at a store. But, through Kickstarter, the people only get the game if the campaign is successful. More than likely, it’ll be successful on the first day, and that’ll bring more people to the table.
So this isn’t a vanity play. This is more of them making sure they don’t waste money trying to make the board game a success. If it works out, that’ll be another feature in the cap of Naughty Dog. Plus, they have the TV adaptation of The Last of Us, too. Something that many fans are excited about.
Source: Twitter
