Matt Leacock’s next co-op board game was launched just recently on the crowdfunding platform Backerkit. Board game enthusiasts will be quick to recognize Matt Leacock’s name – he is the creator of the critically acclaimed board game “Pandemic”. He will be co-designing his latest creation with fellow game designer Matteo Menapace. The game will be published by CMYK.
The game will be centered around the topic of climate change and will bear the name “Daybreak”. The game’s title comes from the hopefulness the designers want the game to embody, in contrast to the somber circumstances of coping with climate change.
So why Backerkit and not Kickstarter? Both CMYK and the designers have stated that their reason was simple, and interestingly – has to do with climate change. Last year, Kickstarter announced that the platform will fully transition to blockchain technology. Recent studies have proven that wherever cryptocurrencies are involved – the environment suffers.
This is mostly due to the energy-intensive proof-of-work process that requires vast amounts of electricity to constantly power millions of servers, which negatively impacts the environment. As the game aims to spread awareness of the dangers of climate change, CMYK and the designers couldn’t pick Kickstarter – a platform that is not environmentally friendly. Backerkit was the obvious choice.
An Eco-Friendly Message Taken to Heart
CMYK has stated that “Daybreak” will be made with sustainable, eco-friendly components, such as pulp fiber, which is a terrific alternative to plastics and textiles, which are harmful to the environment. Furthermore, for the duration of the Backerkit campaign, the studio will donate $1 per backer to leading environmental and climate justice non-profit organizations. All “Daybreak” backers will be directly helping the environment with each purchase. The campaign will last until October 22.
Daybreak is a game for one to four players, which will take on the role of one of four different world powers: Europe, the United States of America, China, and the Majority World. They will have to band together to put a stop to climate change and other activities which destroy the environment. As world powers, players will be looking for solutions to reach zero emissions before the global temperature reaches critical levels. They will have to find solutions to relieve pressure put on local communities imposed by environmentally-damaging activities.
Each country will have its own unique ecological struggles to deal with. For instance, the player that chooses the United States of America has to deal with the country’s massive transportation emissions, while the Majority World will have to carefully consider and balance their increasing energy demands, as their developing countries’ economies grow. As this is a cooperative game, each player has to contribute to the greater goal, or everybody loses.
All in all, “Daybreak” carries a great environmentalist message, and is obvious that the development team has taken it seriously. The game is expected to be ready for shipping in May 2023, and each backer who pledged $50 will get an eco-friendly copy of the game. We will definitely keep an eye on the game, so stay tuned for more news.