** PHOTOGHASTS GAMES AND BOOKS - SHIPPING AS OF JULY 2022 ** 

 It was just a box of photos, an old battered box someone had thrown away.

But when I examined each image, it was clear these should never be looked at by human eyes.

The images were unquiet, cursed. When night came, they became ‘restless’, the hideous figures crawled out from their film prisons to torture and torment me.

My only hope lay in sharing the images so that I may pass the curse on.

But more and more kept coming... 

Now after years of research I've discovered the means to lay the ghosts to rest via a simple app. 

But I will need your help to do so -  I have no other choice but to share them with you.

Perhaps together we may exorcise these horrors.

The Waving Man

The Xmas Tree Man

Hi! I’m T.W. Burgess. Writer, digital artist and lover of all things horror. Since their release, Photoghasts have been making a mark online tapping into a shared love of found footage, urban legends and ghost stories. 

The original intention of creating Photoghasts was being able to tell a short-form supernatural story that was short enough to fit comfortably on social media. Accompanied with an animated image to give the impression of a ‘haunted photo’. Mixing two of my passions, found footage and ghost stories.

Since their launch, Photoghasts have raised well over a million views on Twitter and TikTok.

In 2019 I compiled my favourite Photoghasts into a haunted book. With found footage imagery which would ‘come to life’ when scanned with an additional app. As much as I enjoyed working on the book, after finishing it an idea had arisen and it wouldn’t go away.

What if these haunted images could be compiled together into a card game? But, not just any old card game. A game that would allow players a truly unique ‘horror’ gaming experience by from scanning each card.

Now, after months of hard work, I’d like to present to you a world-first - a truly haunted photo game.  A 42 card set with 30 Augmented Reality Photoghast character cards and 12 action cards.

I’ve long loved horror games. My misspent youth was forged playing board games such as Ghost Castle, Nightmare and Atmosphere along with trading Horror Top Trumps to schoolfriends during break. 

When I wasn’t doing that, I was playing video games like Darkseed, Blood,  Clocktower, The Uninvited, Alone in the Dark and way, way too many more to list.

Alongside these games has been my undying love of ghost stories and my passion for horror. In particular found footage films such as Blair Witch, Rec, Lake Mungo, Ghostwatch, Paranormal Activity, Trollhunter, Cloverfield, Noroi, As Above and so Below to name a few. That grainy aesthetic instantly adds a feeling of the uncanny to any setting and has forever stuck with me. So what better opportunity than to create a game in which grainy haunted photos literally come to life in the creepiest way possible.

By using the Photoghasts app on a single smartphone / tablet, between 1 to 4 players can go head to head in an attempt to ‘exorcise’ each of the cursed Photoghasts before the time runs out. Each time a Photoghast is scanned with a smart device, the animated horror is unleashed in real-time thanks to the cursed technology of the app.

With scores calculated by the app itself, Photoghasts blends together video game score systems with the traditional card game thanks to the power of augmented reality. Compete against your friends IRL or even better, share your scores online via the app with other Photoghast players! 

But if you want to play head to head with friends then you're in luck. There's a host of exciting features to uncover. The great thing is, all you need to play is one smart device and a pack of Photoghast cards, small enough to throw it in your pocket at any time. 

Oh and here’s the scary part. Play the game after 9pm and you run the risk of disturbing the original Photographer. 

Not much is known of them, only that legend told of him utilising dark magic to capture his original haunted photos. Magic which allegedly cursed him to carry on taking photos long after his death. Constantly searching for souls to imprison.

Beware, should you dare play the game after 9pm then they might just appear and snatch you up as well to keep in his cursed collection.

Being a big fan of games which used the internal clock of the computer or gaming system (such as Rise of the Triad, Munchers and Dark Castle) it was important for me to add some real-time elements to gameplay. ( Also, it goes without saying how gaming after dark is always 100 x scarier. )  

Don't want to encounter The Photographer? No problem!There's a 'safe' mode to allow you to play the game as usual after 9pm.

I'm also honoured to be working with some of my favourite artists who will be creating a range of commissioned Photoghast art prints based on each of my individual characters.

Artists include: 

Bri Neumann | David Romero | Trevor Henderson | Abby Howard | Stephen Brotherstone

Kit Buss | Louceph | Plastiboo | Mike Lee Graham | Oaky Deer | Cachet | Christian Dibari

Becks Comics

On top of this - all Early Bird Physical Backers will get an exclusive Photoghast Art Print by the legendary horror artist Trevor Henderson when backing on launch day Tuesday 12th of October!

I'm also extremely pleased to announce that Trevor has kindly agreed to produce a limited edition Photoghasts box variant exclusively for Kickstarter!

 *Please be aware that some of Photoghasts content can be deemed particularly creepy and as such it may be deemed unsuitable for young children. 

Gameplay is straightforward.  The assigned dealer, shuffles and subsequently splits the pack by the set number of players (up to 4) laying the cards face down. The 30 Photoghast cards are split into the equal number of players playing. With each player also dealt a set number of ‘action cards.’  Then, the dealer launches the Photoghast app on their phone.

Once the game begins, each player takes turns in scanning their cards in the allocated time in the hope of exorcising or ‘fading’ each photo.

Exorcise as many ghosts as possible. But beware, that camera shutter can stick,  allowing more ghosts to be scanned by your opponent.

Or even worse, you might scan the wrong card unleashing the ghost trapped inside.

Each card has its own point value system and every time one is scanned it’s very own custom animation will be triggered.

Camera ‘Hold’ :  The Photoghast lies dormant in the photo. The player is safe.  (No points deducted. ) 

Camera ‘Fade’  : The Photoghast fades and the ghost is exorcised.  (+1 Point) 

Camera ‘Scare’  :  The Photoghast is unleashed and the player places the ghast at the back of the pack. ( -  1 Point )

Accompanied with these player cards, each player is also dealt their own ‘action’ cards which offer ‘wildcard’ alternatives to try and better their opponents’ scpre. Lose a life? No problem, scan a resurrection card and claim it back. Want to trade points with the last person who dealt? Just scan your Double Exposure card.

Offline mode. Don’t fancy using an app to play? No problem! Play friends and family pitting each Photoghast against each other in a supernatural battle. Each of the Photoghasts have their own customised score systems printed on each card.

See how well your haunt factor holds up against your rival’s Photoghasts. Perfect if you’ve got no signal or just looking for a different style of gameplay. 

 (Some card scores may vary from initial game design to final decks)

EU - VAT

For EU backers it's no secret that with Brexit, VAT and import costs are now a huge issue for importing into the EU.  I'm aiming to offer as much value for money as possible which is why I've kept costs low on postage for imports into European countries.  But please be aware that VAT may well be charged on arrival if you're backing from Europe.

There's a host of special items lined up as Stretch Goals.  If the campaign hits them all then there's some automatic upgrade to each hard copy pledge.

£10k - Free Photoghast Bri Neumann print for all Physical backers. 

As an additional gift, an exclusive art print by Photoghast artist Bri Neumann will be commissioned as a cursed '13th print' and included with all physical pack backers.

£20k - Free Augmented Print for all backers. 

That's right a free additional augmented reality print for all physical pack backers that you can scan with your app and activate the photographic horror within!

Environmental commitments

Visit our Environmental Resources Center to learn how Kickstarter encourages sustainable practices.

Risks and challenges

I’ve worked in print and design for over 20 years and am well versed with getting products to print, along with my own self-publishing I’m used to overseeing large print and distribution runs. Last year amidst the pandemic I Kickstarted 'Early Haunts' a graphic novel of early ghost stories. I reached £25,900 with 799 backers. All items were shipped safely (amidst total chaos in international postal services.)

Now things have calmed down slightly I can again promise you all shipments will be fulfilled to the highest standard and handled in an efficient manner. The aim is to deliver games for the first / second quarter of 2022. With digital 'off-line' versions being available for Christmas. The game is at a beta testing phase with most of the design work finalised. As with previous campaigns, I'll be as transparent as possible in the production process ensuring backers are kept up to speed.

I’m seeking to raise £5,000 to print and ship this truly unique game. If I’m able to raise more than that amount then you can see there's a host of exciting additions lined up.

I've done my research and no other card game on the market comes close to the gameplay of Photoghasts. So I hope you'll consider pledging today to help make this haunted game of horrors a reality.

Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

Environmental commitments

Visit our Environmental Resources Center to learn how Kickstarter encourages sustainable practices.

Reusability and recyclability

The simplicity of Photoghasts is the fact the game can be played from just one pack of cards and a single smartphone device. I'm aiming for the majority of the product to be made from paper and card allowing it to be recyclable but absolutely intended for long-term use.

Sustainable materials

The print itself will be through print company Ivory.co.uk. As a print company they’ve gained their FSC® certification on 18th October 2012. The FSC® (Forestry Stewardship Council®), a non-profit organisation makes a chain of custody between the source to manufacture of Ivory's paper/card and delivery to them. FSC® is also the longest established forest certification scheme and is recommended by many companies such as WWF and UK Government. Over 80% of our products are FSC® certified.

Environmentally friendly factories

Through Ivory's FSC certification there's peace of mind that the final print process will be overseen with a view of keeping the production as environmentally friendly as possible.