Those who have followed me for a long time or who routinely see me on social media services know that I am an anime. I may even be a contender for the biggest anime present in tabletop circles. I have gone so far as to write embarrassing old articles about making your games more anime. It is an influence on any genre-related entertainment writing I perform.
This time around we’ve got Channel A, a premise near and dear to the hearts of a lot of anime fans. I’m pretty sure anyone who has watched enough different anime, and seen the almost absurd breadth of topics they take on, such as the animal-eared people in ancient japanese clan warfare found in Utawarerumono; alternate history mecha rebellions in Code Geass; magical transforming girls in Madoka Magica; and seemingly nothing at all in K-On!; and much more, will have thought about their own conceptual mash-ups and how that mash-up would work as an anime.
In Channel A you do this all the time, because the basic premise is that it is a card-based tabletop game where you get the elements of your anime from cards, and have to put them together into a pitch for the producers. Like Cards Against Humanity it’s a simple concept and derives humor from the combinations and interpretations people put together. Unlike Cards Against Humanity you won’t feel depressed after playing it. The funding goal is $10,000 and they’re at $1500 now. You can even download the game right now in a basic format so you can take a look at it before deciding whether to pledge.
The basic reward tier is the $25 dollar tier that gets you the game and a series of fun little buttons. Even more fun is the Mystery Box, which includes the game, and three exclusive mystery buttons (mystery may vary) for $25 as well. At $65 dollars you’ll get two copies of the game, the buttons, and a series of five custom buttons with your own chibi (small, cutesy, super-deformed characters) character on them. At $250 dollars you’ll get a special DVD for your own custom-made anime, along with two copies of the game, and the usual set of buttons. The DVD will include a 30 second theme song for your anime, and other goodies.
Stretch goals include a funny video with a cat in it (you know you want this), more exclusive cards at $14,000, more buttons at $16,000, and an exciting expansion set of new cards at $18,000, designed by Ewen Cluney in a livestream with the game’s backers. Ewen Cluney is known for the translation of Maid: RPG and the upcoming Golden Sky Stories, and is the creative force behind Channel A. You can check out his blog here. He’s a pretty cool guy.
So if you’re a fan of humorous light-hearted party card games and anime you should definitely give this a look. You could possibly have a K-On! level success on your hands, albeit only in your own imagination.
