What’s up with Ryan Laukat and #RedRavenGames at #Origins2017 ~

Michelle Owczarski, 16 June 2017

Ryan Laukat, designer with Red Raven Games took a few minutes from his busy booth to talk about Near and Far, their newest release.

Near and Far is related to, but not a direct sequel to Above and Below, released in 2015. Characters may be shared across games, but where Above and Below predominantly a village-building game, Near and Far is more about exploration and storytelling.

Gameplay centers on books: there is an atlas, which is essentially the game board, and the adventure book which is consulted according to map instructions, much like a Choose Your Own Adventure series book. Characters, cards, and resource management round out the mechanics.

Of particular interest, the design is based on a ten game campaign. In the vein of “legacy” style games, though non-destructive and replayable, you follow your character’s development across multiple exploration sessions.

This is Red Raven Games’ first booth at Origins, though they have shown at GenCon and other conventions previously, and have been Origins attendees in years past. Ryan noted that the show has grown considerably since his last visit in 2012.

Near and Far is a convention exclusive until the end of the month, when it launches at retail.

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