Why Kickstarter?

We are a very small, but also very passionate, development team trying to realize our vision creatively. To distinguish ourselves from other competitors clearly, we decided we wanted to set a very high standard when it comes to visuals and contents, and to invest our budget accordingly: For characters, covers and card backs, we’ve had the uniquely talented artist Valbona Atanaskovska create the huge number of over 100 paintings, most of them 90 x 70 cm in size. The result has turned out breathtaking, but also quite costly. To turn our very high-quality artwork into first-class playing pieces, we need support via Kickstarter, so our components will meet very high standards, as well. There are plenty of items to discover in the world of Ballads & Tales. To create a visual representation of them, Bona has painted over 100 items in oil on canvas. To create the immersive atmosphere of our world, Bona used the very traditional method of pencilling over 100 drawings for event and spell cards. While corrections are easily made when using a computer, Bona had to approach each card carefully, going from rough sketches all the way to the final works of art. The resulting card art is pure nostalgia! For the floor pieces and tokens, we have consciously decided to use a photorealistic design. To achieve this effect, we’ve had to take pictures of countless objects to arrive at high-resolution textures. The result is a fascinating game world that enchants players with its incredible love of detail.

Can I play Ballads and Tales by myself (with app integration)?

We reject the inclusion of an app that could take over the role of the Game Master because we want to preserve an analogue gaming experience. It’s important to us that our game will be playable many years from now, without having to figure in downward compatibility for an app. By popular demand, we‘ve developed a solo/coop mode with the same care we‘ve taken in developing the mode with the game master. This wirks great and has additional new content. Solo/coop mode is now part of the base game.

How well does Ballads and Tales play with two players?

To balance each adventure perfectly, we’ve created them with a party of four heroes in mind. If there is only one player in charge of the whole party, they can use the system we’ve created and play with easier versions of the heroes, so they are in a better position to keep track of everything.

Can we have more than five players playing Ballads & Tales at the same time?

If you have a higher player count, you can have two or more players take on the role of the Game Master and work together against the hero players. The resulting epic battle can be a very interesting experience.

What’s so special about the story expansions Castle in the Endless Mist?

Instead of only playing the individual adventures of Ballads & Tales: Journey of the Brave or the expansion Dungeons of the Forbidden Necromancy in chronological order, the expansion Castles in the Endless Mist allows players to experience a complete story. We’ve even had narration for the story recorded! The included map of the village contains a sandbox game world, where the hero party can move freely along pathways and enter individual adventures, collecting experience points that they can then invest in new abilities. Key items and riddles created especially for the story expansion open up even more new pathways. A total play time of about 15 hours guarantees a story that spans multiple game nights. In between games, the included progress sheet allows you to save the current state of play and pick it back up easily.