Space King, the sci-fi cartoon that spoofs Warhammer 40k and the Space Marines with the force and precision of a firehose, is coming to the tabletop. Animators Tom Hinchliffe and Don Greger have launched a Kickstarter campaign for Space King: the Board Game, packed with models for Psycho Warriors and their Blap Blap victims.
Judging by the preview rules, it looks like a classic dice rolling, enemy splatting dungeon crawler, with a semi-cooperative twist. Each player controls one of the named Psycho Warriors from the show, and must work together to achieve a cooperative mission. But you're also competing to earn the most victory points so you can be Space King's favorite, so don't cooperate too hard.
With just five scenarios in the base set, that competitive aspect is really going to be necessary for this game to have much longevity. The other amusing difference from a regular dungeon crawler is the boredom system. Some actions, like thinking (to draw powerful tactics cards) and resting (to heal) make your Psycho Warrior bored, a dangerous state that can eventually kill them.
A lot of people are just going to back this project for the miniatures, and hey, if you want Space King miniatures, Space King: The Board Game will give you them. Main characters Captain, Hatemonger, Bryce, and Chestnut are all present in the base set, as well as five other Psycho Warriors, a bevy of Blap Blap aliens, the Rogue Imaginator, four unfortunate Pocket Boys, and the colossal Female Psycho Warrior boss unit.
The Kickstarter for Space King: The Board Game is already fully funded. Pledging for the core set will cost $99 plus shipping, import duties, and sales tax, while there's a $299 'Psycho Warrior' pledge which comes with two mini-filled mission expansions, extra Psycho Warriors, a Lore Book, and a few sundry add-ons.
The Space King series is dumb as dirt, full of ball jokes, slapstick, and childish characters tripping over their own dicks (metaphorically, but I could see it happening literally - it's that kind of show). As a lampoon of Warhammer 40k it is absolutely spot on.
If you're ever confused about what Warhammer 40k is supposed to be satirizing - well, first read my article about how bad 40k is at satire these days - Space King makes it pretty obvious. The Psycho Warriors are abducted children forcibly mutated into psychopathic killers with massive daddy complexes, who specialize in committing genocide against alien species. They're the Space Marine legions and the Primarchs, without the figleaf of dignity and self-seriousness.