We're making a lightweight and portable console that is easy to keep in your backpack or take home for the holidays with your family. Just plug in the included power cable and connect it to your TV with the provided HDMI and you’re ready to go.
How Does It Work?
The first mission and priority of the GameNite is to introduce a new way for people to play in-person with their friends and family. We were inspired to make the GameNite because we ourselves wanted to play more often with our loved ones. We learned that many people are just like us so we got to work.
Our priority in developing the GameNite is to let you play more often, play the games you love in ways you’ve never before, and try new games with little effort. Below are all the things that will make the GameNite ready to give you that experience.
Easy game night set up and play
Game night can start as simply as turning on the GameNite. Just pick a game to play and everyone with a phone connected to your Wi-Fi network is ready to join the game. Because the GameNite is a console, you'll be able to:
- Pick and switch between games without spending time clearing the old board and setting up for the new game.
- Be guided through a game's rules instead of reading pages and pages and then having to teach to newcomers.
- Be free from pen and paper bookkeeping for complex games.
The GameNite will let you spend less time setting up for game night, and more time playing.
Two-screen gameplay
There's two screens for playing: a shared screen, like your living room TV, and the mobile device of each player. The shared screen acts like the game board while phones operate as your controller. In addition, connecting to a console improves controller responsiveness and leads to more dynamic gameplay possibilities.
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Fully-custom controls for all games
Game developers create their own controllers customized to their game, so the interface on your phone will be different for each game.
Open Marketplace
The GameNite comes with several free games and a store to browse and buy others. Anything from classic digital board games & social games to casual indie video games.
Small and portable
The console is lightweight and small enough to take with you wherever you go - home for the holidays, a friend’s house, anywhere with a TV!
Tested & Fun
We’ve already built a fully playable prototype, called the GameNite Alpha, with all core features. An early group of alpha players have had the opportunity to play the GameNite this past year. We also did a demo at the Games of Berkeley board game shop back in May. Check it out below to see a little bit of them playing and their reactions after.
The Team
Here at RecBox Games we’re a small team of passionate people with a lot of programming skill, drive to create, and a ‘round the clock work ethic. We have three founders who believe in this project and quit our jobs to work on this full time. We’re proud to say we already have a prototype with all of the core functionality working and it is improving every day.
Our team loves to play games and make games. While traditional video games are highly convenient and engaging, casual gamers still turn to tabletop titles to connect with their friends and family and for good reason. Interacting with your friends and family in person is not only fun but countless studies have demonstrated that face to face interaction is linked to long term emotional and physical health. So with that in mind, we set out to build a tech device that makes you interact with the people around you more instead of less. And what better way to do that than with games!
We were so happy to share the experience of playing the GameNite after all the time we spent developing.
Hardware & Technical Specifications
The console hardware is comprised of a N4020 processor with integrated graphics, 4GB DDR4 RAM, a 64GB eMMC solid state drive and peripherals including HDMI, ethernet, a dual-band wifi chip, bluetooth, and an SSD slot for expanded storage. The casing we use for the prototype is manufactured by a third party however we plan to produce our own casing for the board once the Indiegogo is funded. (Specific hardware details are subject to change (aka improve) before the final console ships).
The GameNite software is built on top of the Debian 11 operating system. Having a linux-based operating system driving our console on an x86 architecture means that game developers can build for a target that is already available in most development tools, as opposed to putting additional cross compatibility requirements on developers building for multiple platforms.
Our console software is primarily developed in Rust to maximize performance and ensure memory safety. We provide software libraries that allow game developers to interface with GameNite phone-based control systems in Python, C, C++, and C# (for Unity), Godot, with more language support to come. To develop their control interface on the phone, game devs can choose between Javascript or compiled WASM (supported in most game engines).
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Games
We are completely focused on delivering the GameNite just in time for the holidays. Our first version is completely functional and scalable but we want to improve on design, the software, and game library. Our plan is to launch with games we've developed ourselves and games from Indie Developers. We want to knock the indie experience out of the park before going for household name games. We're also working on partnerships with big publishers to release classic household names as well as super hot & niche games.
Below are the games we’ve been developing ourselves!
Key Words
The first title made for the GameNite and one that is close to our hearts. Inspired by a best selling tabletop game in America, Key Words splits your group into two team: Orange and Purple. Each Team is assigned a captain and only the captains know which chests contain swords (those are the good ones!) and which chests contain poison (avoid those!). On your team’s turn, your captain will say a single word as a clue to which chests you should pick and determine how many chests your team must open. Guess right and you’ll do damage to the enemy team, but guess wrong and you could hurt your own team. Why does Purple Team start with more health? Because Orange Team attacks first. Key Words supports any number of players.
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Potion Masters
Another title inspired by a popular tabletop game and the second to appear on the GameNite. Potion Masters is a 2-4 player game where players compete to be the first to 15 victory points. Each turn you will buy elements or use your elements to craft a potion. Some potions provide a permanent supply of an element, some grant victory points, and some have unique powers to help you turn the tables. A perfect example of simple game play and complex strategy.
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Hold Em
The quintessential poker game without the need for a metal case and velvet table. Early in development!
We're looking forward to working with talented game developers to port their games to our platform and provide a continually expanding library of games. If you know any talented indie game developers, send them our way! We’ll provide personal development support for early game devs.
Project Status
We are now working to develop the casing for the final design of the GameNite, acquiring game titles through partnerships, and building various other technical infrastructure such as improving upon the libraries that game developers will use to interact with mobile controller components.
We’re launching this campaign to offer gamers the opportunity to get the functionally complete prototype GameNite Alpha, within 2 weeks after the campaign ends, or to get the GameNite after the casing injection molding, console development, and games acquisition in April 2024.
The GameNite Alpha (Prototype)
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The GameNite Alpha will not feature final hardware designs, but it will have all the technical functionality of the final model, with frequent updates released as the software is improved. Early players will have the privilege of playing first, gaining a lifetime pass to all games in our marketplace, and will be included in our alpha players discord with founders and join us along the ride in completing this project later this year.
The GameNite (1st Edition)
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This is the GameNite in a case we’ve designed that we plan to create in a manufacturing process called injection molding. We have created the design but won’t be able to develop the physical mold until we are able to meet our campaign goal. The mold will be used to produce the casing for each GameNite.
Here is a video elaborating on the design process!
Please see the offer tiers for our campaign below - free shipping for ALL rewards!
$100 - The GameNite (Early Bird)
Get the 1st Edition GameNite console when it's been fully developed April 2024.
Limited to 30 backers
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$150 - The GameNite (Early Bird 2)
Get the 1st Edition GameNite console when it's been fully developed April 2024 PLUS $100 credit loaded to your account for the GameNite Marketplace.
Limited to 60 backers
$150 - The GameNite
Get the 1st Edition GameNite console when it's been fully developed April 2024.
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$200 - The GameNite Alpha
Get the current prototype version of the GameNite console two (2) weeks of the campaign after the end of the campaign and be among the earliest players.
In addition:
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A lifetime pass to all games in the GameNite marketplace*. The more games you play, the better we can improve the GameNite.
- *$500 starting in-store credit to buy games that we will replenish upon request
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You will be added to the GameNite alpha player discord channel and will be in direct contact with the founders
Limited to 100 backers
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$310 - GameNite Plus (GameNite Alpha + 1st edition GameNite)
Get the current prototype version, the GameNite Alpha two (2) weeks after the end of the campaign and be among the earliest players. And also receive the 1st edition GameNite console when it’s finished in April 2024. This tier gives you both the GameNite Alpha and 1st edition GameNite at a $40 discount!
In addition:
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A lifetime pass to all games in the GameNite marketplace*. The more games you play, the better we can improve the GameNite.
- *$500 starting in-store credit to buy games that we will replenish upon request
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You will be added to the GameNite alpha player discord channel and will be in direct contact with the founders
Limited to 40 backers
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$30 GameNite T-Shirt
A short sleeve T-shirt with GameNite branding. Available in ALL sizes.
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$30 GameNite T-Shirt 2
A short sleeve T-shirt with GameNite branding. Available in ALL sizes.
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Use of funds
The first part of the funds we raise will go to bulk purchase the motherboard consisting of a N4020 processor with integrated graphics from a manufacturer. At the same time, the funds will be used to develop an injection molding of the case that we've designed. The injection mold that is produced can be used to create casings en masse that will encapsulate the motherboard turning it into a GameNite. In addition, the funds will help us pay for server costs to support the system that the console runs on.
Summary
- Bulk purchase of hardware
- Injection molding of case and subsequent case production
Timeline
Genesis
Summer 2022 - Idea
Fall 2022 - Working Prototype
January - August 2023 - Commercial Concept, Alpha Testing, Demo Testing, Console Development, Game Library Development
Campaign + Post Campaign Development
Late August 2023 - Campaign Launch
Late September 2023 - Campaign Close
Mid October 2023 - GameNite Alpha consoles delivered to GameNite Alpha and GameNite Plus backers ✅
October 2023 --> April 2024
April 2024 - The GameNite delivered to all remaining backers ✅
