Kickstarter Review #1: Buy The Rights

This weeks segment is a special focus as we gathered at Redemption Alewerks with the creators of a current, hot Kickstarter game known as Buy the Rights.  This 3 to 10+ player movie-pitching party game is based on creating your own film and then pitching the idea to a producer who will then provide funds up to 20 million dollars to at least one or more players around him or her.  Do you like movies?  How about basking in the creativity of story-telling, on-going laughter from ridiculous, and hilarious film creation?  Read on to learn about this fun and unique party game!

At the beginning of the game, each player draws 12 cards, (3 from each of the 4 categories) and makes a decision on a film that they would like to create.  One person takes on the role as the producer, then going clockwise listens to each player as they present the sales pitch of their movie.  After each person has presented their idea, the producer for that round has 20 million dollars to award the player/s that he or she likes the most.  The producer can re-distribute this money anyway they wish, to either a single player, or spread it out up to 4 players. 

The cards are played in sequential order from 1 to 4, and the categories begin with Genre(1), Hero Descriptor(2), Hero(3), and Plot(4).  This image is an example of one of my pitches that awarded me with 15 million dollars in a single round!  Your pitches can be as serious, silly or as random as you wish.  I wasn't expecting that this pitch was going to do so well, but the producer will vary each time since every player takes on the role as the producer a few times before the game is over.  The game consists of 400 cards and literally a hundred million possible combinations that you can pitch to the producer.  The length of this game can vary depending on the amount of players.  You can play until the card piles are depleted which will trigger the last round, or when each player has been the producer 3 times. 

The creators of this game, Tommy and Riley Day, Chad and Michelle Yadon have put a lot of time into this game and Claire and I are firm believers in what they are doing, which is why we have backed them on Kickstarter (see link below).  In this game they were joined by Jared, Karmen, Bethany, Claire and I to see who could get the most money from their film pitches.  Unlike other party card games, Buy the Rights offers an environment that is age-neutral.  Depending on who's at the table, it could morph into whatever the players would like through their story-telling, but the game itself has not been designed specifically for adults only.  The content on the genre/hero/plot cards act as a great spring board for further story-telling, which really encourages the social and creativity aspects of the game.  Who would you like to see direct this, star in it, etc. etc.  You can fill in as much detail as you like, however you like, tailoring it to the group you are playing with.  This game has been play-tested a lot in various groups, and between speaking with the creators and other players that have tested this game, one of the biggest things that people have enjoyed most about Buy the Rights is the way it facilitates story-telling.  Through more thorough, mental processes of weaving a narrative in the movie pitches, it really creates a more diverse and memorable experience compared to it's current competition.  Claire and I have always loved film and over time, have really built up a mental database of favorite actors, and directors in a wide range of film-making.  If that sounds like you and your family or gaming group, then Buy the Rights is the party game for you!  It's enjoyable for everyone, whether the younger generation, or older adults, it creates a diverse atmosphere unlike any other party card game.

Check out their Kickstarter page here: Buy the Rights - The Movie Pitching Party Game   and help them make this game a reality.  If you have any other questions about the game, just post them below.