A new installment of the beloved Nemesis horror board game series met its crowdfunding goal in less than a minute.
Nemesis Legacy turns the series' alien-infested cat-and-mouse mechanics into a long, bloody campaign where each of your decisions have major consequences. It seems as though fans are very into this idea, because the Gamefound pledge page is well over 6,700% funded… and counting. (The last time I checked, pledges were sitting at €3,354,410 / $3,755,916.)
Although it still trades on the same core idea as its predecessors (survive against alien hordes as they try to hunt you down), this version of Nemesis differs by introducing a 35+ hour story with branching missions that shape what comes next with permanent changes. If you're new to the idea of 'legacy' games in general, this is a defining feature of the genre; you often alter your board or components with stickers as you go to reflect the campaign's highs and lows, meaning the experience is very personal to you.
If you want to see why we adore the series so much, you can pick up the latest instalment (Nemesis Retaliation) from Miniature Market or, if you're based in the UK, for £151.20 via Wayland Games.
However, this isn't a one-and-done experience. Unlike many legacy games, this one is "fully replayable" thanks to a recharge pack that lets you clear the board and start the campaign again. In addition, you can use standalone missions via 'Infinity Mode' instead if you'd rather have a one-shot experience.
The original Nemesis is amongst our all-time favorites, and it's arguably one of the best board games ever made if you're a horror fan. The basic premise is pure Alien; you're trapped in a facility with creatures unknown that would really like to rip you limb from limb. To make matters worse, not every player is working toward the same goal of getting out alive. Some have their own selfish objective, so you're never sure if you can wholly trust your teammates. The resulting tension is exquisite.
Legacy ups the ante by stringing all these scenarios together into one coherent storyline with multiple outcomes while adding what seems like permanent upgrades for your characters (assuming they survive, of course).
Based on both the crowdfunding page and the original teaser for Nemesis Legacy, it looks as though our mission is to wipe out the alien threat for good with some kind of bomb delivered deep into their territory, but it seems like a desperate gambit. The trailer emphasizes its many fallen soldiers, so I assume the player character body count is gonna be high. Beware; there will be casualties.
No matter what, Nemesis Legacy is in good hands thanks to being designed by Rob Daviau. If that name doesn't mean anything to you, just know he invented the idea of legacy games in the first place and has met with widespread acclaim for projects like the hyper-popular Pandemic Legacy. Basically, he knows what he's doing with this genre - he almost literally wrote the book on it. If anyone can make a legacy version of Nemesis sing, it's Daviau.
The crowdfunding campaign for the game will last for 21 days, and it includes a variety of stretch goals like more miniatures and a new race of alien intruders. Considering how fast the community is pledging to Legacy, I have a suspicion they'll unlock them before long.
This isn't the only tabletop project to obliterate targets recently: meet the Lord of the Rings RPG that smashed its crowdfunding goal by 32 times in less than a day.
- See all of today's board game discounts at Amazon
