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AFTER SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS TO SEND THIS NEWSLETTER WITH OUR NEW WEB HOST PROVIDER - WE HAVE REPLATFORMED ONCE AGAIN. OUR DEEPEST APPOLOGIES IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS NEWSLETTER BEFORE. LIKE, SUPER DEEP. -James and Keith, Founders
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To mark the return of fine weather, the Mad Vizier often invites his exalted guests to a Spring Garden Party. During this stressful and harrowing experience, the Vizier guides everyone through an exacting tea ceremony using the ink of the Cubyrian abyssal squid, which is a deadly poison if prepared incorrectly. The survivors then promenade through the blossoming orchards to the menagerie, where they can observe the frolicsome capering of newborn wendigos, catoblepas', and Tasmanian devils. Provided these creatures remain safely in their enclosures, the party then moves on to the archery range, and finally to this year's special attraction - a viewing platform where the Vizier's new palace can be seen rising from its foundations.
The Vizier has warned his Architects that if the palace is not complete by year's end, they will be invited to a Winter Garden Party.
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Our convention schedule is packed this year, with appearances already at Tabletop Gaming Live and a visit to Airecon. But very dear to my heart (this is James speaking as himself for a moment) was our first appearance at Call To Adventure.
Call to Adventure is not your typical convention. It was small, intimate, and free to both visitors and vendors. It grew from the observation by one of the organisers (whose name I have now forgotten; please forgive me and get in touch!) that neuro-divergent kids often blossom and find their way to new capabilities through playing games. This organiser has spearheaded an initiative to create board games collections throughout the London public libraries.
I set up normally and gave my regular demos, but there were two encounters that really affected me. First was A, a young man of about 12 or 13, who stood sideways to the table for a long while, obviously interested in Cubyria but reluctant to ask about it. I invited him over to play, and he listened attentively as I explained the rules, but only communicated through nods and gestures. When I asked his name for the scorepad he showed me by typing it into his phone. We went on and played a full game together, and about an hour in he began to speak. Mostly about the game, but at one point, out of the blue, he told me that the Dunkin Donuts near his house had closed down, but he'd always wanted to try one, and did I think they delivered? I'm afraid I wasn't able to help him with that problem. His voice was a high staccato, like a bird that had just cracked through a shell. When the game was over he came around the table and offered his hand, and it was the best handshake I've ever received.
Later I was visited by A and R, two young British Muslim women (or so I assumed from A's headscarf) of about 17. They said they had never been to a game convention before, and in fact had never played a tabletop game! They'd just shown up out of curiosity and were drawn to Cubyria. So I have the privilege of being the creator of the first tabletop game these girls ever played, which may be a first for me, and not only did they enjoy it, they asked halfway through if we could switch from the introductory rules to the complete game, which was also a first. We did. It was a delight. They thanked me sincerely and later on I thought, "In what other possible context could two British Muslim teenage girls and a fifty-something American white dude sit down at a table as complete strangers, and within 10 minutes be having a great time together?"
There are times when I hesitate, and feel that with all the profound problems this world is facing it's frivolous to devote so much time and energy to making a game. And then I recall my day at Call to Adventure and think that precisely what this world needs is more vehicles for bringing people together.
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Cubyria World Championship
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The UK Games Expo is coming fast (May 29-31), and once again we'll be there in style. Come find us in Hall 4, Booth 377!
Having decided that 'Cubyria Tournament of Champions' wasn't bombastic enough, this year we've changed the name to the Cubyria World Championship. Just like last year, the UK Games Expo will be the site of the most furious architectural combat ever seen in the civilized world, and the winners will receive beautiful trophy Roofs with accompanying cards which they can actually use in their own Cubyria games.
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The winners will also be immortalized in our Hall of Fame.* If you've ever wanted to be the World Champion at something, grab the opportunity now while relatively few people know about us and the field is thin. Next year, if all goes according to plan, we will rename it the Cubyria Galactic Championship and host preliminaries in 35 territories. * ('Immortalized' is metaphorical and does not confer true immortality. Cubyria Games Ltd accepts no liability should you be asked to share the Vizier's Potion of Reverse Aging and find yourself bound to his infernal companionship until the heat death of the universe.)
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Sample Moulds are Off to Press
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I don't know if you can actually call it 'to press,' but I'm going with it. We have ordered a test mould for one of our fold-up rooms as a proof-of-concept and are eagerly awaiting the results. When we receive the parts, you'll be the first to know, because you will either hear either delighted laughter or screams echoing simultaneously from Denver and Chipping Norton.
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Finally, what would a Cubyria newsletter be without a little eye candy? Here is an experiment we did recently with translucent blue resin... behold the Ice Palace!
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Our Kickstarter stretch goals will include various different coloured editions in limited run quantities, and this will be one of them. Any resemblance to a certain mega-popular Disney franchise is purely coincidental... but if you happen to have an 8-year-old daughter, I'd get her this one.
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Be well, and spread the word if you'd like to see Cubyria - Architects of a Lost City on your shelves. Reach out us on Facebook, Instagram, Discord, and YouTube.
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Until next time, The Mad Vizier of Cubyria
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A collective hush of astonishment descended upon the citizens of Cubyria this week after the Mad Vizier circulated a picture which appeared to depict him as the Divine and All-Knowing Cubyrian God of Everything. After a day of protest by the city's most devout, the Vizier swept them off the street and imprisoned them, explaining that there can be no power greater than the cosmological vastness of the Mad Vizier. ~~~ FASHION TRENDS: Desdemona Mercutio of the Cubyrian Society of Haberdashers gushes: "During a recent visit overseas, I was delighted to discover a most intriguing new accessory. Imagine a simple hat with a sun shade and a pouch at each side for holding a beverage container. A thin tube runs from the containers directly to the mouth of the wearer, leaving her hands free while she sips at her leisure. Ingenious! I bought a dozen, and intend to wear one to the next Vizier's ball!"
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The Fungus Farm. "What!?" echo the voices of three or four readers who know the game very well already. "That's the Shrine, there's no Fungus Farm!"
Now there is.
Designing this game has been a constant exercise in maintaining the beauty and complexity of the components while accounting for the high cost of producing moulds for many unique pieces. James can barely stop himself from designing and printing new pieces when the inspiration strikes, and it required a heroic level of discipline (so he says) to winnow down our current set from the original. Our early prototypes had almost twice as many unique pieces... and were almost twice as big. Such is the tyranny of economics, and we do hope one day to introduce these pieces in an expansion set.
But in the meantime, James was regretting that our players would have to wait a long time to experience the epic double-sized games that he played during early playtesting (you can watch one of these on our how to play page). Cubyria is awesome, but more Cubyria is awesomer.
Then, suddenly, we had a revelation: though we had to be strictly disciplined on the number of plastic components due to cost limitations, cards and stickers are cheap. So.... why not offer a second set of cards and floor stickers, which could replace those in the Core Set, throw in an extra-large board, and now you've got twice the Cubyria!
(Someone who read an early draft of this was confused. You're not switching cards and graphics mid-game. You're buying two sets of the game and switching out the cards and graphics in one of those sets. Now you've got a double-sized game that's not just two of everything. The Storage Loft becomes the Forsaken Prison, the Kitchen becomes the Great Hall, the Hall of Mirrors becomes the Hallucinarium... and the new Rooms can have different point values, affinities and floor preferences, so they are functionally different, making the game not only bigger, but richer.)
Yes, this is also our cheeky way of getting Cubyria fanatics to buy two sets. It will totally be worth it. This will be a key offering in our Kickstarter - the premium edition, which is two core sets plus the new cards, stickers and oversized board that turns the two into one mega set, and extra goodies and bonus opportunities for you to help support us and our dream of bringing this game to you.
And the Mad Vizier will get his fix of mushrooms.
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