Strategy board game Food Chain Magnate has been given a complete makeover in a new Gamefound campaign. From November 21 to December 7, Lucky Duck Games is taking pledges for a new special edition of the tabletop title. It’s exactly the same game but with deluxe components, an ultra-limited print run, and a $326 (£260) price tag.
First released in 2015, Food Chain Magnate is a high-complexity strategy board game about developing a fast food chain. Over the course of two to four hours, up to five players will manage every aspect of running, marketing, and growing a competitive business.
The Gamefound campaign doesn’t offer any new gameplay (though it does come with an existing expansion). However, its visual overhaul means the special edition comes with 58 3D minis, larger tiles, and components to help better organize all your shiny new bits. All the familiar features also come with a quality upgrade and a new, 1950s art style.
The campaign also offers a range of stretch goals which will be unlocked as more funds are raised. These will be added to all pledges at no extra cost. So far, over 2,000 backers have unlocked upgrade tokens, extra minis, and double-layer freezer boards.
For people who want the best board games in their collection to look as good as they play, these are all welcome changes. The original Food Chain Magnate’s looks can be described at best as ‘minimal’ – or at worst ‘like it’s still in the prototype phase’.
What may be less welcome is the high price. But this is, after all, a special edition. With only one print run promised and no retail release planned, this is a highly exclusive collector’s copy that seems aimed at gamers who already love Food Chain Magnate’s intense strategizing.
If you want a cheaper option, you can pick up the core game only for $173 (£138). Or, you could always buy the original.
You can learn more about the new edition on the Gamefound page. For more news about board games, here are all the Black Friday board game deals coming up over the holiday weekend.