It's More than Just Gaming

Hi there, welcome.  I haven’t done a Kickstarter post for a while, and as if in answer to that particular lack, Cool Mini or Not have obligingly put up a new game, called HATE.  HATE is a game for up to 4 players, initially, possibly expanding to 6 as stretch goals are met.  It is set in a brutal post apocalyptic wasteland where only the most violent hateful creatures survive.  Players take control of one of these tribes and try and advance them through a campaign to assert dominance over the other tribes.  I have quoted some of the Kickstarter page for the campaign below so you can get a bit of a taste for it.  There is a link back to the campaign at the end of the quoted text so you can continue reading more.

Based on the “Chronicles of HATE” graphic novel by acclaimed artist Adrian Smith, HATE is a board game of brutal combat and conquest in a desolate world of savage warriors. Created by the same design team who brought you the Zombicide series, under the supervision of Eric Lang, HATE combines the gruesome artwork of Adrian Smith with exquisitely sculpted miniatures to immerse you in a universe of cruel survival by any means.

Take control of your tribe and lead them in battle against your opponents. Each battle pits two tribes controlled by different players, clashing against each other to achieve objectives, massacre the enemy, and reap rewards from blood and land. As the Chronicle unfolds, players engage each other in numerous clashes in an effort to defend or conquer territories, trying to be the ultimate Tyrant and rule the wastes of the world. While the HATE core box initially allows for up to 4 players to fight through a Chronicle together, more tribes will be introduced to allow the game to expand up to 6 players.

The Tyrant – Only a worthy tribe will be led by this legend, all others will cower under his hateful gaze.
Each battle in the Chronicle has consequences, not only in terms of the control of the land, but also in the tribes that fight for it. Killing your opponent in merciless fashion and reaping all that which the land has to give increases your tribe’s Hate and Resources. These then allow your warriors to gain new skills, turning them into ever more formidable killers as the Chronicle progresses. You will also be able to bolster your village, giving your tribe extra abilities and features to use in both short and long term. However, dismemberment and death may also be your fate in the battlefield, and you will also need to carry the burden of that in your struggle for power.

Tribe of Um’Gra – Blood-frenzied maniacs, their recklessness is their greatest strength, though it can often be their weakness.

via HATE by CMON — Kickstarter

I have seen many Kickstarters over the last year, all of which looked awesome.  HATE looks pretty good, I have to say.  The thing that got me most interested was the permanence of your warband, and the growth of your village.  Simply put, you start with 11 in your band, and if someone is knocked down in a scenario and carried off by the enemy, they are gone forever.  This felt realistic in the post apocalyptic setting given there really isn’t a steady supply of reinforcements handy.  I think this will force players to play more tactically, and also force players to learn their tribal strengths and weaknesses.  Misjudging either could have disastrous consequences.  I also liked the idea that you can upgrade your village if you find resources.  I always like games where things get stronger as gameplay progresses making it an involved game.  Though it does suggest any given scenario will last 40 minutes, which is a bonus for folks with limited individual play time.

The miniatures look pretty cool at a glance, and terrain features appear to be able to modify and make interesting an otherwise bland game board.

The Game Trailer is an interesting beast.  It has a lot of cool graphics (the game is based on some pretty cool, brutal, graphic art some of which is on the campaign page) and images of gameplay, however the narration has caused a bit of controversy on a Boardgame Facebook Group I am a member of.  There is a lot of swearing in the trailer, which does have an 18+ mature content warning at the very start, so anyone going beyond that cannot claim ignorance.  The controversy over the swearing was that it felt forced, almost like a child who has learned to swear for the first time.  I watched the trailer with an open mind as I am aware that the internet, particularly social media, is a fantastic echo chamber where the loudest opinion gets repeated as fact regardless of merit.  I have to say, most of the swearing felt like it was naturally part of the narration.  Some parts did feel forced for effect and in my view had the opposite effect.  A few folk have expressed their unwillingness to back the campaign on the strength of that alone.  I would say look at the game, look beyond the video and decide if it is for you.

What are your thoughts.  Does it look like your sort of game?

You can click the following hyperlink to visit/back the HATE Kickstarter Campaign