Strange Aeons is a thrilling miniature skirmish game set in the 1920s and populated with the weird denizens of the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Designed for use with 28-32mm scale miniatures, each 2-player match of Strange Aeons plays in 30-60 minutes and requires only 3-10 models per player. And with a standard board area of just 2’ x 3’ (approx. 60 x 90 cm), all else you need to play is some six-sided dice, a tape measure, a kitchen table and a box of scenery.
Players build squads of valiant agents from the Threshold Agency – mankind’s only shield against the unimaginable forces that lurk beyond the veil – and do battle with the foul Lurkers, who seek to pave the way for the return of their dark gods. As Threshold squads progress through a broad range of scenarios, they will gain new abilities and equipment through an option-filled advancement system. Be wary though! The opposing Lurkers can tailor their forces to match Threshold’s level each game, selecting from over 50 devilish monster profiles lifted straight from the pages of the Mythos to present Threshold with a nearly limitless variety of challenges. As you advance, the injuries will mount, followed by the inevitable onset of madness, assuming your operatives remain stalwart and don’t fall prey to the insidious temptation of darkness…
The new edition of Strange Aeons will be at least 180 pages long – more than double the size of the 1st Edition! And this is almost entirely game-usable content. We plan to include a section outlining the history of the Threshold Agency, and possibly some additional ‘flavour’ content via stretch goals, but apart from these elements, the book will be all meat, no filler.
While we’ll be redesigning the interior of the book completely, we’re sticking with the size and format of our very well-received 1st Edition: full colour throughout on sturdy paper, with a heavy cardstock cover and our signature coil binding. Also, we’re maintaining our high standard for interior art, with contributions from Riley Rossmo, Toren Atkinson, Matteo Bocci, Mike Perry, Brant Benoit, Melvin de Voor and comic legend Nat Jones (Death Dealer, ’68), whose work also appears on the Kickstarter-exclusive Bookplate we’ll be including with every printed copy of the Rulebook.
Along with the revised rules, we’ve revised our miniature line. All of Uncle Mike’s unpainted 32mm resin figures are produced in-house, allowing us to keep a close and personal eye on the quality of every figure. Sculpted by an extremely talented crew, including Kyla Richards, Justin McKenzie, the legendary Bob Murch, Iain Colwell and some pieces created by Uncle Mike himself, our model line has come a long way since its 2009 inception, and we believe the new models we’re offering in this campaign are our strongest ever.
We’ve endeavoured to keep our pledge structure as flexible as possible, letting you choose the items you want. All you need to do is pick a pledge level that covers the value of the goodies you’d like to get your hands on (you’ll be able to choose your specific items – plus add more if you wish – when we open up our post-campaign pledge manager):
As the campaign progresses, new Boxes and Boosters will unlock as Stretch Goals, and new models will be added to existing Boxes and Boosters as free Upgrades. And remember, you can also always pledge additional amounts over and above your base pledge level if you want to add more Boxes or Boosters than the pledge includes.
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We have an exciting range of goodies lined up that will become available as the campaign progresses. Stretch Goals come in the form of additional Boosters and Boxes – which will become available for sale as they unlock – and Upgrades, which are FREE additions to existing products.
Don’t just take our word for how great Strange Aeons is. Check out these external reviews and gameplay videos, complete with Uncle Mike interview (thanks to Geek & Sundry’s Teri Litorco for letting us post these, and for being such a great supporter of our game)!
While all these reviews apply to the 1st Edition of the game, the core mechanics are very much the same, and the quality of the components will be up to the same standard we have always maintained.
- Analogue Hobbies
- Anatoli’s Game Room
- Delta Vector
- Mik’s Minis
- The Necroleadicon
- Superfly Circus
- Jaded Gamer Podcast (WARNING: Contains Adult Language)
We’ve also had printed reviews featured in The Ancible (#5), Amazing Figure Modeller and Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy (#56). Additionally, you can check out Strange Aeons’s listing on BoardGameGeek, where we have an average score of 8.2 (very good for a miniature game!), or join discussion of the game (in which the UWM team regularly participates) at Lead Adventure Forum.
Risks and challengesLearn about accountability on Kickstarter
With five years of experience – encompassing five books and a plethora of miniatures and accessories – under our belts, we have a tried and tested system in place for producing all the elements of our game. We manufacture our own miniatures, and have a long-standing relationship with a local printer that has always provided us with top quality at lightning speed. Even our t-shirts are produced by a local supplier, so we have only a handful of stretch goal products (mainly game aids) that we plan to outsource to manufacturers outside our immediate sphere. These well established practices and relationships mean we’re far less likely to encounter any surprises in the manufacturing process, and we have good communication and relationships pre-established to sort out any issues if they do arise.
The only real difference this Kickstarter-based approach will present is volume. Depending on how successful the campaign is, we may find ourselves faced with producing and distributing goods at a scale we’ve never attempted before. We’re confident our partners are up to the task, and Uncle Mike stands ready to upscale his miniature manufacturing output as circumstances demand.
While this is new ground for us, we’ve been doing our homework to learn what the best practices are for us to follow in order to have a success of our own and, even more importantly, happy backers! This is one of the reasons we’ve set a target delivery date of August 2015. While we’d love to get everything out sooner, it’s best to be realistic – and then add even a bit more beyond that – as we’d much rather be on target than delayed, and have pleasantly surprised backers instead of grumpy ones.
Jaded Gamercast 
Am I completely Wardtarded, or is there no link to the actual Kickstarter campaign on this page?
Top of the page and in the video.
Oooh the little “K”. Gotcha.