Cartography Game is a strategy game that takes many elements from Go, an Asian board game with quite literally thousands of years of history, and adds a map building element to it. This has resulted in an entirely new and unique game.
Basic Information
Players: 2
Ages: 10+
Time: 15min+
Estimated Delivery: May 2015
Location: Camarillo, CA
Game overview
Along with Go, John Adams has also incorporated elements similar to those found in Carcassonne. Even if you have played neither of these games, the rules are straight forward enough that you should be ready to play almost immediately. There are some advantages of having a game that is based off of one that has been around for so long. While the game is listed as being a 2 player game, and the same is true for go, there are many variants of go which allow for additional players. Some of these would extend to Cartography. Here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia on a four player variation of Go, which could easily be applied to this game:
This involves two teams of players taking either the Black or the White stones. Each player in the team must play in turn, playing out of sequence will normally result in a small penalty (usually three prisoners). Partners may not consult on how to play, or engage in any form of signaling. Communication between partners may only take the following forms listed below.
- May we resign? can be answered with yes or no
- How much time is left? can be answered with coded instructions for the next move. For example, the response 5 minutes and 13 seconds could be a hint to play at the co-ordinates 5-13.[citation needed]
- Whose turn is it?
From the Campaign
The origins of Cartography are found in a love for two games. Go, arguably the best abstract out there; and Carcassonne, the wildly popular albeit simple tile laying game.
I love building! I love maps! Carcassonne and Go are all about building maps and claiming territory. Go is complex, challenging and played on an extremely abstract map. Carcassonne is casual and fun. Strategy is minimal and luck can determine the winner more often than not. Go may be a perfect game. I’m sure Cartography is a novelty in comparison but Go isn’t very popular in the western world. I love the concept of Carcassonne but feel that something is missing.
About 10 years ago Cartography looked more like Risk. The original idea included an elevation element but that proved cumbersome. The truth is the game was just as tedious as Risk without the feeling of accomplishment. I abandoned the concept. Inspiration for Cartography came on a routine commute on the 101 near Los Angeles. Go!!! It was a perfect match. I already had prototype tiles, so the next chance I got, I played a game with a friend. Everything fell into place. Cartography is more challenging than Carcassonne, and it’s my hope that, because it’s less abstract, it may be more approachable than Go.
Recently at Strategicon a board game convention, I had the opportunity to talk with people about Cartography. It was amazing to see the reaction they had when they heard Cartography described as a mash-up of Carcassonne and Go. You wouldn’t believe the look on their faces! People really love the idea.
Campaign Specifics
Goal: $15,000
Pledge Tiers: 4 tiers ranging from $1 to $45
End Date: Fri, Nov 14 2014 2:59 AM EDT
Funding Type: Fixed
Chances of success
The campaign follows the KISS principle. There are only four tiers and no add-ons. This isn’t unreasonable, especially considering the goal is not outrageous and there seems to be a lot of initial support. John has spent quite a bit of time gathering support for Cartography. The Facebook fan page for the game has 455 likes, which is not a bad start. There’s also some initial interest on BoardGameGeek. Right now, whether or not the campaign lives or dies will largely be a product of how much attention is given to it. Fast responses to questions and frequent updates are going to be key. A video of actual game play, and possibly a full length match, would be good. Add-ons and tiers can be put in as stretch goals thus boosting the end results.