If you like to mix your video gaming with the tabletop variety, this may just tickle your fancy. New company Game Decks is debuting a series of tabletop card games featuring different gaming properties. The first two sets are based on Atooi’s Mutant Mudds games and will be available soon exclusively via Limited Run Games.
Game Decks is a board game formed, as you might have guessed, by a deck of cards. Each deck is unique, with the first two releases based on indie hits Mutant Mudds Deluxe and Mutant Mudds Super Challenge. Both of them are 2-4 player games where players pick one of three official Board Designs (including one designed by the creator of Mutant Mudds himself), or create their own.
The Mutant Mudds Deluxe (Game Decks release 001) will have players hopping around the board collecting Golden Diamonds, Water Sprites and Power-Ups while battling Mutant Mudds along the way. Mutant Mudds Super Challenge (Game Decks release 002) will see players on battling the five Mudd Bosses featured in the 3DS game.
Each deck also includes a bespoke Mini-Game that can be used with any Game Decks release. A ‘Crossover board’ is also included enabling players to join the separate Game Decks together. The Gold Edition of the Mutant Mudds Deluxe Game Decks (pictured above) is being bundled in the Atooi Collection Collector’s Edition only available from Limited Run, with a standalone versioned planned for release in the future.
Standalone Game Decks will have an MSRP of $19.99. Here’s some more info from the official PR, followed by a short interview with Perry Burkum from Game Decks:
For Deluxe:
– Gorgeous hand-painted artwork
– An adaptable Dynamic Board Game System™️
– 2-4 Player gameplay
– Combine with other Game Decks™️ (like Mutant Mudds Super Challenge) for fun expansions
– exclusive Mutant Mudds Deluxe Mini-Game
– extra cards to create your own Board Designs
– 3 official Board Designs (Including one from the creator of Mutant Mudds)
For Super Challenge:
– Gorgeous hand-painted artwork
– An adaptable Dynamic Board Game System™️
– 2-4 Player gameplay
– Combine with other Game Decks™️ (like Mutant Mudds Deluxe) for fun expansions
– exclusive Mutant Mudds Super challenge Mini-Game
– 5 unique Mudd Bosses to conquer
– 3 official Board Designs (Including one from the creator of Mutant Mudds)
We spoke to Perry Burkum from Game Decks to find out a little more about the games:
Can you explain a little about the Dynamic Board Game System and how it works?
Our Dynamic Board Game System is one of the things that sets us apart from normal board games. The fact that our boards are created from cards! This makes it possible to have drastically different Board Designs each time you want to play, and allows creators to design their own board. Each Board Card is numbered, so you can easily make a blueprint for your levels and share them online.
How long would you say a 4-player game takes from start to finish, on average?
The average game can last anywhere from 20-30 minutes. Sometimes when you think someone is about to win, the tables can turn quickly!
The first two Game Decks are for 2-4 players – will this be the same for all upcoming sets?
Great question! It will vary depending on releases and game style. Some games will be tabletop, some will be handheld card games, etc. One of the great benefits of owning both Mutant Mudds Deluxe and Super Challenge is you can double your player count to up to 8, and make bigger boards to play with. Another benefit of the Dynamic Board Game System!
Tell us a little more about the Mini-Games and what they entail – the first one is described as “a fun platforming challenge”.
Mini-Games are played to the side of the main game, and the outcome affects the player’s point scores. Every Mini-Game included in each Game Decks is unique. For Mutant Mudds Deluxe, it’s a free-for-all where players must toss their included Player Cards at 2 randomly drawn platform cards, trying to land on them to gain points. But be careful! If a player lands on a Spike card it can actually take points away!
As for Super Challenge’s Mini-Game, it’s a 1 vs. 3 game where the 3 players must find the special Secret CD Card that the other player has hidden. It’s very fun!
You’re debuting with Atooi’s Mutant Mudds games. How did that collaboration begin? What’s it been like working with Atooi on this project?
Working with Atooi has been an absolute dream come true. We at Game Decks are huge fans of “Nindies”, and Atooi has released some absolute classics over the last decade. We reached out to them and they were super supportive and excited to collaborate on debuting our platform.
Tell us a little about the hand-painted artwork on the cards. Does that come from Atooi and your other partners?
All of Game Decks’ art is done in-house. Our art team is devoted to creating something special for each release, all while working with the game creator’s feedback! Also, because games will have the option to crossover with other games, we think it’s important (and awesome) to have a signature art style to bring games together.
You say that the Mini-Games are cross-compatible between the different Game Decks – does this mean players will be able to create gaming crossovers with future decks?
Absolutely! Mini-Games will be in every release, so anytime a Mini-Game is triggered, players have the option to choose from any game they have in their supply. As for actual full-gameplay crossovers, we are currently in the midst of creating amazing crossovers with franchises you never thought would be possible. We can’t wait to announce these!
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
We would absolutely love to hear from your readers what game franchise they’d want Game Decks to produce. Go wild! Anything is possible. Please follow us @playGameDecks for more info about our upcoming releases!
The deluxe Gold Edition of 001 is included in the Atooi Collection Collector’s Edition for 3DS from Limited Run for $69.99, while the standalone Game Decks will retail for $19.99.
Looking forward to getting your hands on these? What other gaming series would you like to see get the Game Decks treatment? Let us know below.
