Catalyst Game Labs has confirmed the launch of a new dedicated board game division which will be tasked with bringing upcoming tabletop projects to market. The announcement comes days ahead of the anticipated launch of Overlords: In Training, an upcoming card game that is launching on Kickstarter on Tuesday, May 23.
The new division will see Catalyst Board Games creative director Mike Richie and company managing developer Randall Bills in charge of forthcoming projects. Overlords: In Training was developed by Kenyon Bills, son of Randall, who described the project as one of the “most meaningful projects of my life.”
The game has been long coming with Kenyon starting the development process at the age of ten and spending almost a decade building this “massive, dynamic universe of the strange, the sublime, and the creepy.” The gripping description is a testimony to Bills’ confidence in the company’s first project and its opportunity to pin Catalyst Board Games on the map.
The Inspiring Story Behind Catalyst’s New Division and First Game
Bills called the project doubly important as it allowed his neurodivergent son to remain focused and fixed on daily communication, making connections with peers and teachers, and ultimately – to survive. In the press release detailing the forthcoming project, Bills said that he was proud of his son, an 18-year-old young man of notable creativity.
Kenyon came up with both the design and the artwork for Overlords: In Training. In the game, players will be taking the role of overlords, in training, who are trying to pull off nasty feats to impress the Boss and raise in the weird pecking order of this competitive world. Bills said that he and his wife were proud of the opportunity to bring and share their story with others on Kickstarter.
“Thank you for listening to my story. To my wonderful Kenyon’s story. From Kenyon and our family to yours, we hope you enjoy his coming game as much as the magical experience we had bringing it to life,” Kenyon said. Catalyst has been known for its focus on a variety of miniatures games, specifically the BattleTech miniatures series, which has established the company as one of the best-known faces in this particular vertical.