S9.E03 :: Kerplink! Kerplonk! Kerthulhu!
Dec 28, 2014
Tower of Madess designed by Curt Covert from Smirk and Dagger Games is a mash-up of Kerplunk and Elder Sign. This game is a prototype that has not yet been produced but absolutely should be produced. It is light and silly chaotic fun set in the world of Cthuhlu. Each player takes on the role of an investigator trying to score the highest roll to win the location. Players roll 5 dice on their turns. Each die roll has 3 required results (a gate, a sanity, and a stamina) and 2 results that determine the winner of the location. If a player fails to roll the required results, he or she will have to draw a horror (tentacle stick) from the maddening tower of the elder ones. Marbles may drop from the tower. Blue marbles score victory points, clear marbles allow the player to draw spell cards, and red marbles may make a player lose his or her mind. The game continues until either all locations have been successfully investigated or if 3 doom marbles have dropped from the tower allowing Cthulhu to devour the world.
Our discussion focused on Curt's inspiration for this game as well as the production challenges he anticipates as he tries to move forward with it. The prototype is made from an altered WWE Kerplunk tower, so there are many practical considerations that a small publisher must factor into any decision to create a game like this.
If you wish to learn more about Smirk and Dagger games, please visit their website. This game is not available yet, but check the company's website or keep your eyes on Kickstarter because you might see this game one day.