Atma is a sci-fi RPG that uses cards and pre-genned characters so you can get playing quickly and get a game done in a few hours.
Meromorph Games are asking for $20,000 to make the game, and with two weeks left they have $17,000 pledged. Not mentioned in the pitch video, but shown in the demo video further down the page, is the virtual tabletop they built to demo and the game online. You can check out the progress and see other demos on the Kickstarter campaign page.
The game is in a world where the mineral atma gives the living powers and entwines the dead. There’s narrow AI, aliens in the moon and Restless Zones of no man’s land between nations.
Cards are used to create a backdrop and then conjure up three scenes for it. In play, you earn tokens and can spend them to play more cards or use your current cards again.
A pledge of $15 is enough to get the first stage of the game, that’s the pre-written adventures in card form, 4 characters, dice and tokens.
Find $40, and you get three stages which are considered by “Act 1” of the game. That also increases your pre-genned characters from 4 to 8.
The 28-page rules are already online, and you can check them out for free.
There are stretch goals too and the first ads a handy magnetic clasp to the box. If you travel a lot, then you’ll know how handy that is!
The second stretch goal makes all of Season 1 content free to play online until the Atma cards arrive in 2021. The current estimated delivery date is July of that year.
The third and last stretch goal set an impressive $40,000, will make all of season 1 free to play online and in print-and-play permanently.
Meromorph Games have a Discord where you can ask questions. However, it was the playthrough demo videos that really impressed me – especially with the technology of the virtual tabletop and how well the card system adapted to it.
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