Can you count to ten?
It's here! A Numbers Game is the second instalment in our series of Posthuman mini episodes. These set pieces of interactive fiction will collectively reveal important elements of the Posthuman backstory, whilst also giving an insider's view of the world and its characters. The story makes use of audio, so volume up please!
Click here to start!
Sometimes there's nothing better than a quiet evening in with your nearest and dearest: good company, good music... and a good few hours before the mutants regroup and launch another attack.
We're proud to present Friday Night In, the first instalment in a series of Posthuman mini episodes! These set pieces of interactive fiction will collectively reveal important elements of the Posthuman backstory, whilst also giving an insider's view of the world and its characters. The story makes use of audio, so volume up please!
We hope you enjoy them - Click here to start!
Posthuman is a boardgame for 1 to 4 players. Players start off as human survivors hunted by their mutated genetic successors. The goal for the human players is to complete a journey of 10 zones on a randomly generated, tile-based world to reach the safety of a fortified human community ('the Fortress'). As they travel through these zones players will encounter friends and foes that will help or hinder them on their way to safety. As they come into contact with mutants they will accumulate mutations which they can choose to suppress or give in to. If they do give in, they switch sides and join the mutants. Human players win as individuals. The mutants' goal is to stop the humans from reaching the Fortress, either by turning all human players into mutants or by driving them to despair so they abandon their quest.
Save the date! And make sure you're stocked up on supplies: The journey begins on March 25th 2015. We're teaming up with Mr. B Games to bring you Posthuman - The Boardgame, and our Kickstarter campaign is imminent. In the meantime, here's a little teaser trailer as a taster of things to come...
Time to reveal the official box art for Posthuman, featuring superb artwork by Arjuna Susini!
We're probably a bit biased, but heck, isn't it something? The Kickstarter is about to go live... watch this space!
AND WE'RE OFF! Our Kickstarter is now live - check it out!
We've been working our little socks off getting this campaign ready, not to mention polishing the art and the design of the game itself - so do let us know what you think. We'd love to discuss the game with you all; please feel free to drop us a line!
We'd be really grateful if you could help us get the word out there - and, of course, pledge like there's no tomorrow!*
There's over 25% discount over the eventual retail price if you pledge within the first 48 hours, so hurry!
*If you can!
Time to take a break from refreshing the Kickstarter page and check out today's character and backstory! Artwork, as always, by the one-and-only Arjuna Susini.
The Cage Fighter
What does a professional pentathlon athlete do when there’s no institutions left to support her? Bash skulls for money, that’s what! Soon after the Fall, arenas sprouted up in many a lawless urban zone. All sorts of contests were devised – some inspired by reality TV shows, others developed out of martial sports, while others still were inspired by combat arenas in ancient times.
The Cage Fighter got in on the game early. Her speed, endurance and ambidexterity gave her an early edge on much stronger and better trained fighters. As she had done in the world of professional sports, she rapidly assimilated the performance of others’ into her own, making her able to switch combat styles and improve quickly. With the safety-net of the sporting context removed, she discovered the thrill of killing for sport, and has not been able to shake it since.
Why kill her own when there’s a world full of mutants to hunt?
A mere 59 hours left on the Posthuman Kickstarter! If you're still on the fence (understandable if the field is swarming with mutants), maybe some more character art will convince you... Today we bring you The Cop! Look smart people, and don't answer back...
(Art, as always, by the law-abiding Arjuna Susini!)
The Cop
It’s not easy to let fifteen years in the force go. Fall or no fall, there’s always a community somewhere that needs looking after... and bossing around. Coming from a small village himself, the Cop feels duty-bound to protect and serve – when there were no more pay-checks to justify his daily toils, the Cop came to terms with the fact that this was not just a job for him, but an unshakable vocation.
He does, however, have a hard time with the serving half of “protect and serve”. The flip-side of his protective nature is a tendency to be controlling and bossy, and this inevitably causes clashes with the more vocal members of the communities he attaches himself to. It has also been the cause of the Cop’s frequent sense of unease and constant need to move on to a community more accepting of his over-protective nature …
Well, the Posthuman Kickstarter has been and gone, and thanks to over 5000 beautiful backers Posthuman - The Board Game will be coming to a table-top near you this October 2015! In the meantime, here's another character and backstory for ya!
(Art, as always, by the sharp-shooting Arjuna Susini!)
The Dancer
The Dancer was raised on the road, amidst a motley crew of travelling circus folk. Her father was a knife thrower and she his novelty side-kick, “Knife Girl”. She was only six years of age when she could match her father’s knife throwing ability, thrilling crowds with her pretty locks and deadly-focused face. Her 'William Tell'-style routine - performed with a crossbow and a wide-eyed member of the audience - soon made her the most popular act of the entire troupe.
As she grew older, and the novelty of a sharp-shooting kid failed to translate to that of a sharp-shooting adult, the Dancer started performing in various parts of the circus that required gymnastic prowess. The circus went out of business in later years and she ended up headlining her own show in a semi-respectable strip joint. When the Fall hit, her self-preservation instincts did not fail her. She took to the road, armed with a sharp eye - and a solid stock of ammunition.
Today's post-apocalyptic survivor is The Nun! (Art by the inspired Arjuna Susini!)
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The Nun
Abandoned in a secluded convent as a child, the Nun was a devout young adept at the time of the Fall. In the ensuing years she retained her spiritual devotion, but also discovered character traits she didn't know she had (including an uncanny ability to deliver a bullet on target every time, without wavering). The Nun lives by her sharp wits and icy nerve - no matter how dangerous or disturbing the situation, she is able to distance herself from her emotions and focus on her actions.
She understands that to survive she cannot preach the Way of The Lord any more, but she is still a devout believer at heart. The strength of her beliefs has given her an entrenched resistance to mutation. For reasons of self-preservation, the Nun is never heavy-handed with her beliefs, but often acts as the spiritual leader in groups and communities she comes across.
As we enter the final days of our Posthuman Kickstarter we reckon it's high time we introduced our motley crew of survivors! First up: The Runner. (Art by the inimitable Arjuna Susini!)
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The Runner
The runner was born five years after the Fall, into a small farming community that survived through strong kinship ties and a fairly impenetrable wooden stockade. The community was run by his uncle under the strictest terms and managed to remain untouched by mutation until recently...
The betrayal was brutal. The traitor had consorted with the mutants and given them access to the stockade during a community-wide harvest celebration. The Runner was saved by his relatives, who were not as lucky.
His remarkable athleticism bought him a narrow escape from his pursuers. The event has made him guarded and wary, and he prefers to stay on the move rather than settle with any group or community. He makes a living delivering messages and items between communities but is getting itchy to move on…
Posthuman pits you as one of the last human survivors against a world where nature is reclaiming the planet and our mutant offspring are working to eradicate us. Will you resist mutation and survive, or give in to the inevitable and join the mutants?
You are Human
A species hunted by their genetically altered successors. Your hope is a rumoured fortified town where your kind are congregating to fight back. Be the first to reach the fortress and claim the win.
You are Posthuman
The next step in the evolution of a species that abused its world to the brink of disaster. For balance to be restored, humanity needs to be stamped out. Work with the other evolved to stop humans from reaching their destination.
Welcome, citizen of New Europe.
The Thorsleff Test is the third instalment in our series of Posthuman mini episodes. This one is set 15 years prior to the time of the Posthuman board game, and hints at the events leading up to the Fall. The story makes use of audio, so volume up please!
Click here to start!
