A crowdfunding campaign for the post-apocalyptic card game 51st State launches tomorrow on Gamefound. The project aims to raise money for an ‘ultimate edition’ of the 2010 game that will include all previous expansions and promo card sets – as well as a new expansion that introduces a new mechanic to the core game.
51st State is a game from Polish publisher Portal Games. Its designer is Ignacy Trzewiczek, who is also behind Portal board games like Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game, Imperial Settlers, and Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island. The price, pledges, and stretch goals of 51st State: Ultimate Edition won’t be known until the project goes live on February 22nd at 12pm EST / 5pm GMT.
In 51st State, you and up to three other players become warring powers trying to build a new country in the rubble of a ruined America. You play cards and tokens that allow you to build and destroy locations, as well as hire other survivors and put them to work. The new expansion offered by the Gamefound launch, No Man’s Land, introduces the ‘area control’ mechanic – this offers you new ways to create outposts, resources, and the victory points you need to win.
The ultimate edition also offers 51st State’s four mini-expansions and four existing promo card sets to complete the collection. Portal Games also says that the box comes with upgraded resource and faction markers, as well as a 74-page novel set in the game’s world which was written as part of a short story competition.
51st State was already updated in recent years, with Portal Games releasing 51st State: Master Set in 2016 – a version of the game that also included two expansions from 2012, New Era and Winter. However, there are now four extra expansions that can be added to the base game (including No Man’s Land), which will be included in the ultimate edition alongside New Era and Winter.
Portal has reassured fans who already own the Master Set that they will not need to re-purchase any game components, repeatedly replying to commenters on Gamefound with the statement “there will be options for long-time 51st State fans”.
Interested in more news from Gamefound? How about the fact that it joined forces with board game creator Ravensburger. Or, if you’re looking for other projects, Tindaya is a board game that was recently launched on Gamefound.