Uproarious Games’ successful award-winning board game “The Grand Carnival” is going into reprint and adding a ton of new features. Backers of the Kickstarter will get early access as well as extra goodies of the game’s campaign-based expansion.
“The Grand Carnival” Enters Reprint
Owners of “Zee Garcia’s 2020 Game of the Year”, Uproarious Games’ “The Grand Carnival” by designer Rob Cramer puts players in the shoes of a carnival manager set to create the best show on the road. With the help of relatively simple rules and mechanics, participants plan their carnival’s layout, hire staff, build attractions, and manage the crowds.
An action-selection game with polyomino placement, the game is easy to teach new players but hard to master, giving them the initiative to return to it again and again. “The Grand Carnival’s” early success prompted the need for another run and reprint, which the company is gathering finances for through its new Kickstarter campaign.
However, interested buyers and backers will be glad to hear that Uproarious Games is also releasing an expansion for the game titled “The Grand Carnival: On The Road” in addition to the reprinting. This campaign-oriented game mode requires the full game to be played. Backers at the $18 level will get a copy of it. The expansion includes a lot of physical tokens, more meeples, dozens of tiles, and more.
How Does “The Grand Carnival” Board Game Play?
The base game comes with a lot of easy-to-understand features. Each player’s goal is to build their own carnival ground in seven turns, the aim being to build attractions and a good layout so that the carnival attracts many visitors. The player’s score is calculated by many factors, but ticket sales are one of the main ones.
Players start their turn by choosing an action number that dictates many of their actions. These actions include placing tiles with attractions, paths, and others, on the field. Players must think carefully and plan out the layouts of their carnivals to maximize the revenue from tickets they will get later on.
Tickets sales are achieved by having many attractions, and players can choose to have many small ones or just a few big attractions. Each strategy has its advantages and disadvantages.
Players will also have to hire staff to operate some of their carnival’s functions. But here they will have to compete against other participants because staff, attractions, and other resources are in short supply. Additionally, players may strive to meet the requirements of the “Tricks of the Trade” cards that will unlock unique game-breaking abilities that can give them an edge in the race.
What Else Are Buyers and Backers Getting?
“The Grand Carnival’s” reprint not only comes with a new expansion, for those who want to back the game or spend an extra $25 for it when it hits retail, but also arrives with a revamped look. “Say goodbye to the bland and colorless attraction,” Uproarious Games write. “We have reworked every Attraction to make sure your carnival really pops!”
The team behind the game has also reworked its meeples, stating the old ones were somewhat fragile. The new meeples have been made out of a more durable material and some have undergone slight design changes.
Uproarious Games is being direct with its players and backers, explaining that there are still many challenges and unknowns ahead. “We’ll be the first to admit, times are still a little crazy,” the developers write. “However, we are working hard to minimize any uncertainty in this project. We are partnering with established companies for printing, shipping, and fulfillment, who we have worked with in the past to fulfill thousands of Kickstarter projects.”