A little over a week ago, Miniature figurine and board game publisher CoolMiniOrNot announced a kickstarter for their latest project, Rising Sun. Now, thanks to the passion of over 20,000 backers, Rising Sun has amassed more than $2 million USD, after doubling its original target of $300,000 USD within the first hour of the campaign. Such rapid funding is heavily reminiscent of the Yooka-Laylee kickstarter, which also hit its funding goal within just one hour. So what’s Rising Sun all about? And why do those freakishly detailed miniatures (see above) look so furious? Well, glad you asked. It all started when the Kami began their descent from the heavens…
Designed by Eric M. Lang, Rising Sun is a tactical board game set in feudal Japan for between 3 to 5 players. Through the careful manipulation of politics, forging powerful alliances and worshipping the Kami to gain their favour, players must lead their chosen clan to victory. The five different clans are featured below:
- Koi (Flow, Like Water) – Ever adaptable, the Koi clan is able to use hired Ronin as coins and vice versa, giving them great flexibility and making their decisions very unpredictable.
- Dragonfly (Wings, Wind and Spirit) – Flying on gossamer wings, the Dragonfly clan is able to move anywhere on the map without restriction. You never know where they’ll strike next.
- Bonsai (Humility, Earth and Root) – Ever growing and evergreen, the Bonsai clan needs to spend no coins when buying resources. Strongholds sprout from the ground and Upgrades to the clan blossom naturally.
- Lotus (Patience is key) – The Lotus clan dictates the flow of politics by turning the Political Mandates they play into anything they wish. A powerful ally to have at your side, and a terrible foe to betray.
- Turtle (Hard as the mind; delicate as steel) – The Turtle clan builds their Strongholds on top of the shells of giant legendary turtles. These indestructible fortresses can move around the map and even join in the fights for the provinces.
At the time of writing, Rising Sun is sitting at $2,186,130 USD and still has 19 days of its kickstarter remaining.
