Alice is Missing - Kickstarter Spotlight
/The number one question I ask myself when considering a Kickstarter campaign for a spotlight article is What’s unique about this? I’ve browsed over plenty of games and source books that look quite fun and well-made, but didn’t seem to offer anything we all haven’t seen before. The absolute opposite end of that spectrum is Alice is Missing by Hunters Books. This campaign punches you right in the face with a fistful of inventive and original ideas.
Right out the gate, you can tell Alice is Missing is something special and unique. It’s a role playing game centered around the disappearance of a local teen from a small northern California town. So, put down your sword and wizard staff, folks. You won’t be storming any citadels or battling any necromancers here.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg of originality that is this game. The most defining feature of Alice is Missing is that it is a game played in silence. There is no speaking involved. All in-game communication must be conducted via text message. How wild is that? I could never explain how that works better than the creators themselves, so in their own words, here’s how it works:
”Alice Is Missing runs over a single session of 2-3 hours, with 3-5 players. In the first 45 minutes, players create their characters, their relationships to Alice, and their ties with each other. The next 90 minutes are spent uncovering secrets and unearthing clues in an attempt to discover where Alice is, and who is behind her disappearance.”
To reiterate, all of this is done via game cards and text messaging. And to help move things along and get you fully immersed within the experience, they’ve created a 90 minute soundtrack to guide you through the story. I’ve listened to a few snippets of the music, and it is gorgeous. I think it would be impossible to play this game and not get totally emotionally invested in it by the end.
And to top it all off, this is a creative team that seems to really work hard for their players. Looking for a little assistance on how to properly set up and play? No need to scour YouTube for a third party tutorial video. They’ve created one for you.
If you’re reading this and thinking “This game sounds great, Pat, but you know there’s a pandemic happening right? And I have no idea how long it’s going to be before I can get 4-5 of my friends together in one place,” don’t sweat it. The Hunters Books crew has got your covered. Alice is Missing can be integrated into Roll20 for online play.
With less than two weeks left in the campaign, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be clicking the link below right now and snagging yourself a copy of:
Well, that’s all from me for now. Until next time…
Take Care, Owlbear
Pat
Featured Images: Hunters Books
Patrick Edwards is the co-writer of the upcoming 5E Campaign, The Red Opera, as well as the writer of the Space Tripping series of novels. Check him out on Twitter @ThePatEdwards or his website thepatedwards.com
