A tabletop adaptation of the grim world inThe Last of Usis making its way to Kickstarter. Since the great success of the originalThe Last of Usgame, the franchise has blossomed into a multimedia franchise and a new board game looks to be the next attempt to reach some new fans.
First launched in 2013, the original game would see a remaster released the following year, as well as a sequel,The Last of Us Part 2, in 2020. A remake of the original game was released on modern consoles in September of this year. Soon after the first game’s release, Dark Horse Comics ran a 4-part miniseries, expanding on main character Ellie’s story, and the franchise has now gone to television with the upcomingThe Last of UsTV show from HBO.
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Now Naughty Dog and Sony look to be testing some new waters, bringing to fans an analog version of its dark and tragic world. Themeborne games have announced a Kickstarter campaign forThe Last of Us: Escape the Darkthat will go live on November 8. The developer is best known for previousEscape the Darkgames which feature grim worlds, simple but significant gameplay, and a black-and-white aesthetic.The Last of Us: Escape From the Darklooks to be staying true to these traditions. Themeborne also has a “theme-first” design mindset, and it assures fans it will do justice to the world andexpansive story inThe Last of Usfranchise.
Themeborne describes the game as a co-operative experience in which 1-5 players take on the role of characters from the video games, including Ellie, Joel, Tess, Bill, Tommy, or Marlene. They emphasize players' ability to tell their own unique stories while exploring an open-world map. An image shows the game in a striking black-and-white design with several sets of dice, location cards, and character cards for Joel and Ellie with what appear to be inventory slots.
Back in 2020, an upcomingLast of Usboard game published by CMONwas announced. CMON has published many board games including tabletop adaptations ofBloodborneandGod of War. But the only information currently available on the company’s website is its original announcement. With so little news, some fans are left wondering if the two games have anything to do with each other, or if rights to the board game have changed hands. Today’s announcement regarding Themeborne didn’t clarify the matter.
Tabletop adaptations of popular video gamesare becoming more prominent these days. But the high expectations of passionate fans demand that developers stay true to the tone and story of the game they love. With Themeborne’s track record of gritty survivalist games, however, it may indeed be up for the challenge.
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