Fabulous Beasts is a game of strategy and balance in which you build a tower of animals on your tabletop, then help them evolve in a connected digital world.
Video games have come a long way in the past several years, yet they’ve also increased children’s fascination with screened devices. And unfortunately, alternatives like board and card games seem to lack the high-tech pizzazz kids are looking for these days. This was a problem London-based studio Sensible Object wanted to solve.
Fabulous Beasts is the startup’s first game, which combines the physical interaction of old-school fun with today’s digital savviness. Inspired by the Internet of Things, players take turns in constructing a Jenga-like tower by balancing multi-colored, animal-shaped blocks on top of each other.
Similar to popular games like Disney Infinity and Skylanders, Fabulous Beasts is hoping to bridge the gap between the physical and virtual worlds, all while creating a deeper and more dynamic experience for the younger generation.
The game itself is made for one to five players, each of whom become “gods” ruling over an app-connected world, visible on any phone or tablet over Bluetooth. Before each turn, players scan their RFID-embedded game pieces, also known as “Beast Artefacts,” via a reader and then place them atop the stack. As this happens, the animals will appear on the mobile device, and evolve and augment in interesting ways.
As time goes on, the tower becomes taller and more complex, and consequently worth more points. The objective is get the highest score (or fabulousness) before the tower eventually falls down. Once this occurs, just like Jenga, the game comes to an end.
What’s more, Fabulous Beasts is a fine example of a project that has transcended from beyond the MakerSpace and into the MarketPlace, having originally prototyped with 3D printing and Arduino. The studio is now launching a crowdfunding campaign to draw attention from the public.
Sound like a game for you and your children? Head over to its Kickstarter campaign, where the Sensible Object crew is currently seeking $214,582. Delivery is expected to get underway in November 2016.
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