Artwork in progress:

For any game designer, the opportunity to work with Hasbro is a dream come true.  When told that Trash Pandas was one of the five finalists, we pretty much felt like Charlie with his "golden ticket."  This isn't just because of the cash prize, but if Trash Pandas is selected as the winner, we get to tour the Hasbro headquarters!  However, we can't do this alone.  We need your help to make this a reality, so please join us on this crazy ride and let's have some fun!

Hi! I'm Michael Eskue, designer of Council of Verona, Darkrock Ventures, For The Win, and some other games coming out soon. My wife, Lisa, and I have been working on Trash Pandas for a while and are excited to finally make it available. Lisa and I have enjoyed board and card games since before we met in 1999. Our love for games has grown, and is now a regular part of our lives. We use games for teaching our three children and enjoy playing with family and friends. Board gaming has opened up so many doors for us and we have met some truly amazing people along the way.

As the game developed, Lisa and I were in the process of moving from Tucson to the White Mountains, which led to our first encounters with raccoons, skunks, and other forest wildlife. We were discussing possible themes and the idea of raccoons collecting trash/treasure suddenly clicked – possibly due to the late-night trashcan rummaging which we've finally encountered in our own back yard.

 

Overview:

Roll the die:

 

 

 

 

 

Take the token that matches the die result:

 

 

 

 

 

Decide to stop, or continue rolling.  As long as you stop before rolling a duplicate result, you don't "bust" and may then activate all the tokens you have collected. 

With each successful roll, your options increase, but so do your chances of failure on subsequent rolls.

For each token you activate, you gain more cards, or stash cards from your hand.  During your turn, you may use cards for their action, or stash them for points at the end of the game. 

When the deck runs out, players count the cards in their stash and score points based on majority.  The player with the most points wins!

 

 

Game rules found HERE

Rules overview:

More final card images coming soon...

Trash Pandas is one of five finalists in Hasbro's Gaming Lab Contest!  The Grand Prize winner receives $25,000, a trip to the Hasbro headquarters, and the possibility of working with Hasbro to produce the game on a larger scale.  With your help, we have a real shot of making all that come true for Trash Pandas! 

 

NOTE - When backing the project, please be sure to select the related Perk.  Otherwise, it will just show up as a donation with no shipping address and you won't be on the list to receive the game(s).  If that happens, please request a refund to re-submit the contribution.  Sorry for any inconvenience.

 

To make Trash Pandas a reality, we need enough funding for a small (2000-3000 units) print run.  This includes all the costs required to get it in your hands.  We've already invested in artwork, prototypes, and other various expenses so we just need your help to put everything in motion. 

We'd like to get the game to anyone and everyone who wants to play it and have done everything we can to make it as affordable as possible.  This means we've streamlined the components, while keeping the quality high.  With more backers, we can increase the component quality even further since the printer gives price breaks at higher quantities.

The main perk is a copy of the game, but Trash Pandas was meant to be shared with friends and family.  Multi-copy tiers make it possible to grab a few (or more) extras so give to your gaming buddies for their birthday.  It also makes a great stocking stuffer so stock up and start stuffing!

Game contents:

53 cards

1 custom die

6 cardboard tokens

1 player aid

Rules

PLUS:  Any stretch goals from this campaign

 

 

Ryan Sanders

http://www.theindiegamereport.com/michael-eskue-on-trash-pandas-and-the-fun-of-collecting-trash/

 

Christopher Richter - Boardgaming For the Win

https://boardgamingftw.wordpress.com/2017/01/11/indiegogo-trash-pandas/

 

Here's the episode of the DFW Nerd Nighters where we give more background on the game and the Hasbro contest:

More to come...

The perks of this campaign are pretty straight forward.  All backers, no matter the amount, will have our sincere gratitude.  Every supporter counts!  If you see me at a convention or anywhere out in the wild, just say "hey SQ, I backed your game on IndieGoGo" and bring it in for a high five, hug, or both.    All backers are included in updates, so you also get the prototype print and play files, and prototype Tabletop Simulator link.  Each copy of the game includes all stretch goals.  This means that everyone benefits as we cram more content in the box and upgrade the quality. 

 

We are super stoked to showcase the massive talents of Kwanchai Moriya! 

http://www.kwanchaimoriya.com/

We've been huge fans of Kwanchai's work since we first encountered it in the game Zombie in my Pocket.  Kwanchai has a distinct style that is immediately recognizable.  When looking for an artist for the game, we made a list of possible artist and decided to dream big.  Not only did Kwanchai agree to illustrate the game, he was excited about it and has been amazing to work with.

Kwanchai Moriya is an illustrator and painter. He was born in New York and grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He completed his education with a degree in History from the University of California and a degree in Illustration from the Art Center College of Design. Kwanchai lives and works in Los Angeles, California with his lovely lady and pet tortoise.

He has a passion for making fun illustrations, and has worked primarily in board games, card games, and children's books. Kwanchai is also an avid painter, working mostly in acrylics with science fiction and fantasy themes. His other hobbies include making wood toys, playing board games, and backpacking.

Kwanchai has illustrated quite a few board games, including: Kodama, Prospectus, Loop Inc., Days of Ire, Capital Lux, and the Catacombs family of games.

 

Enjoying a prototype version of Trash Pandas at Flying Rook Games

When backing a crowd-funding campaign, there are generally three motivating factors:

Faster:  Backers of Trash Pandas will get their copies before the game is available elsewhere.  You also get access to print-and-play files as well as the digital version on Tabletop Simulator (separate purchase of the Tabletop Simulator application itself is required).

Better:  To keep things simple, this campaign doesn't have any "IndieGoGo exclusives."  However, by backing the game now, you allow us to make a larger print run, which lowers the overall cost and allows us to include more content in the final game.

Cheaper:  The MSRP of the final product hasn't been fully determined yet, but it should be around $20.  Backers of the game will get it at a significant discount.

Availability:  We are committed to a small print run of Trash Pandas.  However, the availability beyond this campaign is unknown.  It is not yet known if the game will make it into distribution or where you might find it once the campaign ends.  Backing this campaign is the best way to ensure Trash Pandas will make it into your collection.

 

Our journey to the Arizona Game Fair:

 

Our goal is to cram as much value in to the Trash Pandas box as possible.  With more funding, we can make a larger print run, which makes it possible to add more stuff.  The micro games listed here are super compact, but don't let their size fool you.  There are no "deluxe" versions of Trash Pandas, each game will include ALL of these stretch goals.  i.e. - With each goal met, everyone gets a MORE stuff in the box.

 

$3000 - Upgraded card quality

300g C2S upgraded to 300g Chinese black core

 

$5000 - Bonus game:  MicroBin

Rules found HERE

4 cards included (one for each player).  Bring your own D6, tokens, and pen/paper to keep score.  Press your luck micro game that is perfect for restaurants or other situations where you need a small, quick game.  MicroBin takes Trash Pandas and boils it down to the basic essence of the game so it gives a similar feel.  (Artwork not final)

 

$7,000 - Mmm... Pie!  Trash Panda Pizza Party

Date and exact location are TBA, but we'd love to meet up with our backers to celebrate.  We'll bring the pizza and drinks.  The location will likely be in the White Mountain area, but there is also the possibility of having it in Tucson, AZ.  Given the nature of this event, we realize it's not possible for everyone to join in, unfortunately.  However, if you are in the area, we certainly welcome you to join us as we scarf some pie and hopefully play some games.

 

 

$8,000 - Bonus game:  microulette

Rules found HERE

1 card included.  Bring your own D6 dice (3), three tokens, and pen/paper to keep score.  Another press your luck micro game that is perfect for restaurants or other situations where you need a small, quick game.  Microulette is the precursor to Darkrock Ventures, which developed into a full blown board game.  (Artwork not final)

 

 

$10,000 - Bonus game:  Trash Pandas Duel

Rules found HERE 

2 players - 9 cards (rules included).  Head-to-head game of charging up your lasers to blow up your opponents trash cans.  You know, just like real raccoons do when no one is watching.  (Artwork not final)

 

$20,000 - ????

 

 

 

$30,000 - ????

 

The artwork, prototypes, and other expenses have already been taken care of.  The funds from this campaign (after fees) go to the production and delivery of the game.  i.e. - getting Trash Pandas to your gaming table.

 

Currently, the plan for manufacturing is to go with LongPack Games.  They have been great to work with and through our communication, I'm confident that the process will be very smooth.

 

Currently, the plan for fulfillment (getting the game to your door) is to go with Quartermaster Logistics.  They also have been great to work with and very helpful in planning for the fulfillment process.  Quartermaster is associated with CoolStuffInc, which is where a huge chunk of our gaming library has come from and we have always had a great experience with CSI.

Shipping estimates:

This is an estimate of the shipping costs to various locations for the different quantities.  The exact weight will depend on the component quality and how many stretch goals are unlocked.  I apologize for the higher rates for some locations.  Unfortunately that is the nature of international shipping for a small project like this.  There should not be any extra customs charges for USA, EU, or Canada backers.  The items shipped are under $500 so this should not be an issue, but of course there are elements that we cannot fully control.

1 copy - 15 oz; 0.42 kg
US  $5
EU  $ 12
Canada  $14
Brazil  $40
Russian Federation $27
Rest of the world  $22

4 copies - 3.75 lbs; 1.68 kg
US  $10
EU  $14
Canada  $16
Brazil  $45
Russian Federation $30
Rest of the world  $35

8 copies - 7.5 lbs; 3.36 kgs
US  $12
EU  $15
Canada  $18
Brazil  $52
Russian Federation $32
Rest of the world  $54

12 copies - 11.25 lbs; 5.04 kgs
US  $14
EU  $16
Canada  $20
Brazil  $60
Russian Federation $35
Rest of the world  $70

 

By backing Trash Pandas, you not only get a great game, but you get to make dreams come true.  Every backer counts.  Even if you can't back at the higher perk levels, simply being here means the world to us!

Some of our previous game designs have been published, which has given us experience, insight, and great connections to the board gaming industry:

For The Win (Tasty Minstrel Games)

Council of Verona (Crash Games)

Darkrock Ventures (Gamelyn Games/Magic Meeple Games)

Coming soon:  Titan Dice (Eagle-Gryphon Games), Ballistic Reign (Level 99 Games), and Oracles (Talon Strikes Studios).

 

We've been designing and developing games for a while, but this is our first real attempt to publish a game. 

This campaign will definitely be a growing experience and we are confident that we have the support and resources to make it a success.  Trash Pandas is a relatively small game, so the production and delivery should be fairly straight forward.

One of the biggest challenges of producing a game is managing the production costs, shipping, and estimating the time it takes to get the game to the backers.  We have been closely involved with several other crowdfunding campaigns and learned quite a bit from their success and mistakes.  Though we are new to this particular arena, we have thoroughly researched these aspects to ensure our goals are attainable. 

Even if you can't support financially, we'd love to have you join this campaign.  Please help us get the word out by sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Myspace, YouTwitFace, or whatever all the cool kids are using these days.   

 

Thanks to everyone who has helped us get this far and to everyone who will join us along the way!