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ORIGINZ - The Superpowered Card Game

Created by Flavor Faction Studio

Become a Superpowered Hero or Villain and battle with 2 to 8 players in this complete, multi-format strategy card game. Ages 10+

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Issue #6: Doubling Down on Dragons!
over 7 years ago – Fri, Sep 30, 2016 at 03:26:37 PM


We're entering the final week of the campaign and we are ramping things into high gear!  

We are very pleased to offer a reduction in cost for those backers interested in multiple copies of the game.  For backers at the Superhuman tier or above, just add $35 to your pledge to get a 2nd copy. This makes for a great gift and is perfect for large gaming groups.

Here is a closer look at both the Power Ring (unlocked) and Transmute (soon to be unlocked) stretch goal cards - check out their awesomeness in the upgraded template design!

Yours powers are as vast as the universe itself
Yours powers are as vast as the universe itself

 

In a recent poll, Dragon Mutation emerged as the current, most popular Origin.

Therefore, we thought it would be fun and informative to Spotlight the Dragon Mutation set and give you a sense of its mechanics & gameplay style. 

The Mythic and powerful Dragon has many awesome powers, but the mechanics in the set also reflect the dragon's ability to be cunning and manipulative. 

Therefore, many cards in the set focus on manipulating the top cards of your deck to gain the advantage.  Cards like Hoard, Wyvern, and Primal Recall allow you to draw new cards from your deck or stockpile, and then place cards of your choice from your hand back on the top of your deck in any order. 

If done correctly, this sets up combos with other cards like Serpent, Air Superiority, and Great Awakening - all of which get more powerful when you've managed to place 2 energy cost cards on the top of your deck. 

 

Dragons DO NOT like to be disturbed!
Dragons DO NOT like to be disturbed!

Other cards, like Strafe, become truly devastating to your enemies - allowing you to remove multiple enemy cards from combat - IF you've placed the right card on top of your deck, and then revealed it. (Using your superior, primeval wisdom, of course.)

It's not as easy as it sounds to pull these combos off!  Your deck is your life, so its very possible that you stacked the top of your deck for a massive combo on your next turn, but unfortunately, your opponent deals you damage on their turn... forcing those cards from the top of your deck to be placed in your stockpile...and foiling your plans!

Dish out death from above!
Dish out death from above!

 

It's important to note that no Origin is a 'one-trick pony.'  Dragon Mutation is multifaceted, with plenty of room for cross-over with other Origin sets.  For example,if you are a Dragon Mutation HERO, you can combo your Dragon's Edict ability to empower a minion, and then 'Savage Swipe' it, for a game breaking amount of damage.

Obviously, this doesn't cover everything that a pure Dragon Mutation player can do, but it should give you a sense of how it feels to battle as a flying, fire-breathing, reptilian mutant of legend.  

If you want to see all of the other cards (although still in the old template) visit the Dragon Mutation section of the website. http://www.originzthegame.com/#!/page/418040/dragon-mutation 

Also, please let us know which Origin you would like us to spotlight next!

  •  Dan Letzring published his in-depth developer interview of Evan today!  http://www.theindiegamereport.com/dan-goes-inside-originz/
  •  The Board Game Revolution Facebook Giveaway is live - share with friends for a chance to win! https://www.facebook.com/boardgamerevolutioncontests/posts/796339873801803:0
  • Cardboard Stacker will release his ORIGINZ video preview this week (this will feature many images of the upgraded template)
  • We're trying to get a prototype to 'One Board Family' in time for yet another review!

We truly appreciate your support of Originz!  Any efforts you can make to help us spread the word about ORIGINZ and this campaign will really help the game be the best it can be, for all backers!

Sincerely,  

Alex and Evan

Update #5 - Comic Flavor Infusion!
over 7 years ago – Mon, Sep 26, 2016 at 11:35:13 AM

Hi everyone! As we keep steadily climbing toward our next stretch goal, we're keeping very busy. 

We're not just spreading the word - we're continuing to make the game the best that it can be.  

You all unanimously voted in favor of the comic book font, so we've taken it one step farther and overhauled the template! Here are a few examples. 

 The new template was designed to be not only more stylistic, but also is more functional and legible.

It will be easier for players around the table to see the energy cost and card-type of your cards.    

We're feeling the comic book flavor!

Are you?  We welcome your thoughts and feedback.  

We've moved the words for 'Combat Zone' outside of the banner so that it is still legible when your placing cards.  

 

  • George Jaros published a written interview he did with Evan
  • Another, more in-depth interview of Evan by indie game designer Dan Letiman will be published soon.
  • James Freeman and his son Tyler of the 'Dad Mostly Loses' Game Review blog published their awesome review of the Originz prototype.
  • The Cardboard Stacker and 'One Board Family' are reviewing the game as we speak - look for the reviews soon! 
  • Board Game Revolution will be featuring Originz with a giveaway on their Facebook site tomorrow.  

...and lastly, one of our backers, Christopher Fisher, just had a healthy newborn baby. Congrats Chris!  

Thanks again to you all for your support of this campaign - we couldn't do it without you.  

Issue #4 - With goals, comes great power!
over 7 years ago – Thu, Sep 22, 2016 at 04:09:50 AM

Thanks to all of you, we've unlocked our first Power Cosmic Stretch Goal! This means 2 additional Kickstarter Exclusive Power Ring cards will be added to the box for all backers to enjoy. 

$17,500 – We are soon to unlock the next Power Cosmic card, Transmute. If you manage to pull this awesome tactic off, it allows you to restructure your body composition by altering reality itself...and essentially switch your Stockpile with your Deck! 

You ARE the fifth element!
You ARE the fifth element!

Although this is a very powerful ability, it is weaker early in the game. Later on, when your close to losing, it becomes really mean.  Still - there are still many, many ways to counter such an effect in Originz. 

$20,000 We are working out the specifics with our manufacturers, but the box will be made flatter, and wider, to allow for approximately double the number of cards! This will allow plenty of room for upcoming expansions =)

The clear majority of backers have preferred Option A for the playmat, which included a combat zone. Nate will continue to build upon that design and we will have more to show you in a later update. 

Design in progress!
Design in progress!

Each of the Playmats are included the “legendary” pledge level!  (Remember, the 'Team' and the 'Battle' are both available.')

Alex has been hard at work making the card's feel even more "comic book style." We've enlarged the text box and used comic book font. 

We're feeling the comic flavor!
We're feeling the comic flavor!

We're also looking at how best to stylize the top left of the template. We are sensitive to the fact that many card players do not want stylized text in the text box. However, in this case, it feels worth it to us. We’d love to hear your views?

Loads of people have told us how great the campaign looks and how well we are doing, and we are really thankful to them. We are doing our best to let as many people as possible know about our campaign. If you know of any board game media that would be interested in having a chat with us, please let us know. Here is just some of the stuff we have done to get the word out in the last few days. 

  • Evan took his 2 kids (Lucas and Ana) to the Connecticut Festival of Indie Games Mid-Year event on Saturday, and had a total blast. Everybody who demo'd the game, loved it, as always 
I brought the minions!
I brought the minions!
  •  'Frontlines of Freedom' podcast published an interview they did with Evan about both his military service -We did an interview with Letiman Games which will be released soon! 
  • ORIGINZ was featured in theGEEKDAD Kickstarter Round-up! https://geekdad.com/2016/09/kickstarter-tabletop-roundup-12/ 
  • Geek Pride published their interview with Evan.  Listen to it at http://www.geek-pride.co.uk/tabletop/interview-evan-hunt-designer-originz/
  • More reviews and interviews to come! 

 

Issue #3 - Exclusives!
over 7 years ago – Mon, Sep 19, 2016 at 01:14:47 AM

Hello Superheroes...or villains (if that's how you roll...or role-play!)

We're so close to our first stretch goal - Power Ring - and it's only because we've received an overwhelming amount of support from you, our backers. 

We've had an amazing start... If we can up the momentum of this campaign, we can offer you so much more! 

We asked you all if you wanted some items to be exclusive to Kickstarter. We really appreciate everyone's passionate input on this question. 

The overwhelming reply was “Yes please!”  We have listened. We have made the decision that both the playmats and the unlocked stretch goals will only be available via the Kickstarter version of the game. We wanted to give you a little extra for free because of the support you have given us. 

We can't wait to send you our 14" X 24" fabric & rubber Playmats.  Nate did an amazing job with the design. It’s functional and beautiful! The Stockpile, 

Deck and Ability slots make game-set up even easier than it’s ever been before, and standardize card placement during the game. 

We are considering whether to have the combat zone section on the play mat and would love your input. In terms of graphic design itself - What do you prefer?

The fate of the playmats hangs in the balance!
The fate of the playmats hangs in the balance!

 

Please use the comments section to give us your thoughts!

 

What other stretch goals do you have in mind? 

We've got many more Cosmic Power cards planned!

We're looking at a Graphic design update to the card template and artwork coloring, a satin finish for final card production, and a Big Box upgrade which may include a molded insert for dividing decks and include room for future expansions. 

 We welcome your thoughts on each of these ideas. 

 Anything else planned? 

We're also reviewing a possible add-on in the form of Custom ORIGINZ Card sleeves. We love sleeving our cards - the decks are only 22 cards so sleeves just work!

What have you been up to? 

1) More prototypes are being sent out for review. You can look forward to more high-quality ORIGINZ reviews by the likes of 'The Cardboard Stacker,' 'Dad Mostly Loses,' the 'A Game a Day' Blog, and 'FTH Soapbox'. 

2) Alex visited Matt Holden and other members of the Indie Game Alliance at the 'Cloak & Blaster' gaming pub last night! He had an awesome time hanging out with the indie community. 

3) Evan will be exhibiting ORIGINZ at the CT Festival of Independent Games Mid-Year event from 10am to 6pm on Saturday, the 17th (in Newington, CT)

4) Evan did a super-quick 5-minute interview with Jud Wellington on a nifty App called Sparemin.  Listen to it at http://share.sparemin.com/recording-3802

5) Alex will be demoing Originz at to Treasure Cove Comic-Con this Saturday in Port St Lucie, FL 

6) The facebook Kickstarter Board Game Spotlight on ORIGINZ (and Scythe giveaway) is ending soon! We've launched another giveaway for King of Tokyo with the Giveaway Geek! http://thegiveawaygeek.com 

Please remember to like, share, tweet, post, and tell your friends about ORIGINZ! 

 

Issue #2 - Originz becomes a reality!
over 7 years ago – Tue, Sep 13, 2016 at 02:06:47 AM

Yay!
Yay!

We are thrilled to report that Originz is fully funded, and now super-speeding toward awesome stretch goals. The support we've received from you all, our faithful backers, has made this incredible game a reality. So what's next? Keep reading to find out. 

Funding so quickly, and with the amount of higher level reward backers, has allowed us to restructure our stretch goals (in a very good way).

We are committed to providing the highest quality product, and have gone ahead and unlocked the card quality upgrade (from 270gsm - 300gsm) now, and we have also moved the first Cosmic Power to the $15,000 level.

Unlock the secrets of the cosmos!
Unlock the secrets of the cosmos!

Cosmic Powers represent mysterious artifacts, allies, power infusions, and more...granted by the cosmos itself.

Who knows why or how you've been given such extraordinary power? Maybe you stumbled upon a meteor crash site? Maybe you accessed another dimension? Maybe a god-like entity or alien tribunal has empowered you to achieve its own ends? It’s your story to write. 

How do they function in the game? 

 Cosmic powers are 3-Energy power cards and have super strong effects. They are "omni-colored' - meaning they represent each and every Origin. 

Because of this, they can complement any deck, allowing for tons of synergies, especially with the Hero/Villain Ability cards and the Weapon cards in all Origins. See the Power Ring below. 

 Are they the only 3 energy cost cards in the game?

Yes (for now, at least).

Each standard Originz set has both 1-Energy and 2-Energy cost cards (as indicated by the battery symbol in the top left of the card.). You have 3 Energy per turn to prepare and activate these cards, meaning your opponent usually has at least 1 turn to counter, disarm or purge the more powerful 2-energy cards.

Cosmic powers are even bigger risk, bigger reward cards. It takes everything you have to wield such power, but it can be worth it! 

How many Cosmic Powers can I include in a deck? 

Just one!  These types of things do not happen often. 

Tell us about the Cosmic Powers we can unlock? 

Power Ring ($15,000 Stretch goal)

My precccciouusssss!
My precccciouusssss!

When we pass this funding level we will add two copies of Power Ring into each ORIGINZ box. 

The idea behind Power Ring is that you can literally materialize anything into existence, through force of will. 

 What is that Keyword, "Steal" on Power Ring? 

Following play-tester feedback, ‘Steal’ is a new keyword term we are implementing, allowing for less text and greater card variety in the game. We are very, very careful about adding keywords because we want the game to be as accessible as possible to new players. Sometimes, however, it just makes sense, especially when they are self-explanatory. 

The text of a few cards, like Cyborg Upgrade's 'Assimilation', currently read "This card becomes yours for the rest the game." This text will be replaced with "Steal this card," or something similar. 

 Kickstarter Exclusive?

We are considering making the Cosmic Power cards Exclusives to Kickstarter backers. We feel that this will acknowledge that our kickstarter backers deserve something very special for the amazing faith they have in this game. We asked in the comments section of the page if people feel these stretch goal cards should only go to Kickstarter backers and the response was very positive.

We want to hear from you before we commit either way, because after all, without you we would not be producing ORIGINZ. Please let us know how you feel about Cosmic Powers being a KS exclusive in the comments section. Thanks!

We are working hard to keep spreading the word about Originz. Lots of people have told us that when they found out about a Super Power card battle game funding on Kickstarter, they backed it there and then. We are telling as many people as possible to keep us moving towards our stretch goals, which will make the game even better for everyone. 

Here are just some of the things we have been doing to keep momentum up: 

  •  Alex, Evan, and Richard (Evan's brother) had an amazing time at the Boston Festival of Independent Games on Saturday. People absolutely loved playing Originz, and many backed the campaign right after watching or playing game! 
Alex and Rich playing with fans at Boston FIG
Alex and Rich playing with fans at Boston FIG
  • Nate did a written interview for GeekPride's Kickstarter Spotlight on Originz found here: http://www.geek-pride.co.uk/tabletop/kickstarter-spotlight-originz-superpowered-card-game/ 
  • Evan did an audio interview with GeekPride and TinkerBots which will be featured soon!
  • Evan posted just a portion of an Originz duel with his super-son Lucas on Facebook (after dinner of course), showing off some of the kid friendly, yet strategically challenging game-play in Originz. It has almost 500 views already! 
  • We'll also be exhibiting Originz on Saturday, September 17th at the Connecticut Festival of Indie Games Mid-Year event. If your in the area, swing by and play a game! http://www.ct-fig.com/
Playmat Designs!
Playmat Designs!

Next update will feature some proposed graphic design for our Playmats! 

We want your opinions and we appreciate if you make comments on the kickstarter page itself. It really strengthens the new Originz community!

Until next time!
Until next time!