Oddbods – cartoons are now a board game!

Do your kids love watching Oddbods?

Those wacky cartoon characters can be seen on 25 networks in 105 countries as well as YouTube and other on-demand services. There are over 2 million subscribers to their YouTube channel and have received over a billion views in one year!

Well, what if your kids could play a board game with Oddbods?

Pretty soon they’ll be able to because Oddbods GO-KARDS is going to become a reality!

And you can get in on the first print run by backing their Kickstarter campaign.

Here’s a bit more information from our Q&A with the game designers.

 

How Do You Go About Creating Oddbods GO-KARDS?

Firstly, we binge watched Oddbods and had a Q&A and brand immersion session with One Animation, the show makers. The process was great fun but also ensured that by the end of it, we knew the overall brand tone and flavour plus each of the 7 core characters’ personalities and individual quirks very well.

We then brainstormed play pattern ideas. What works for the brand and target age group for the game and what doesn’t.

Does it feel Oddbodsy? Is it fun? Are players going to keep coming back to this boardgame for more?

We arrived at the card-powered racing through a process of iterative ideation.

Then comes the math. A whole lot of math and statistics. We use modeling and simulations to balance the rules and ensure that no player gets an unfair advantage over any other, that the pace is fast and fun and that there’s something for everyone no matter how young or old! Several prototypes were made and tested.

The final process is game-play testing. We played the game with hundreds of people at events and Meetups. This helped us refine the rules.

What Makes it So Special?

It’s a game that grows with you and your family: The game is completely modular – each piece of the track can be arranged differently each time you play, and you can choose to add or remove complexity through the different card sets available which not only gives you a completely new game experience each time but also allows you to tailor the game to the level you want it.

As a result, it’s a game that board gamer parents can enjoy playing with their kids 7+ as they dip their toes into the world of board gaming, but it’s also a party game that even the most hardcore adult board gamers will enjoy playing together. All infused with Oddbods’ inimitable humour and sense of fun.

 

Briefly How is The Game Played

• Players take turns to move their Oddbods racer along the track according to their card’s move value, then draw cards from the deck.
• Players use Special cards to prank their friends and Dare cards to pull off unexpected manoeuvres facilitated by the Oddbods themselves. They can even ‘buy’ Power-Ups to give their racer special abilities to handle the track.
• Players take on the twists and turns of the track’s obstacles, happily placed there by the Oddbods, as they race to the finish line.

What Makes Oddbods So Appealing to Kids and Parents?

They’re not just fun to watch, they’re very relatable.

Kids enjoy the way the Oddbods act and interact, their silly sounds and fun facial expressions.

Adults relate to them at another level; recognising themselves or their friends in some of their traits, empathising with the ridiculous situations the Oddbods often find themselves in and probably in some cases also wishing they could join in the Oddbods’ shenanigans!

The brand also has a really strong message: Embrace your differences and quirks, these make you who you are – a really strong and empowering message in this day and age.

 

Where is the Game Available and At What Price?

The game is currently available to backers via a Kickstarter campaign.

The game is available on Kickstarter at 3 different tiers:

• Oddbods Go-Kards Little Racers, a portable version of the game designed for families with children aged 5+: $29.85
• Oddbods Go-Kards Family Edition for families. For kids to compete against each other, parents and kids to go head to head or just for all the adults in the family to blow off some steam during the holidays after the kids have gone to bed: US$44
• Oddbods Go-Kards Family Edition + Pro tier contains a Pit Stop board, Power-Up cards and even more Special cards and corners. This tier is for the SERIOUS gamer, allowing racers to engage in complex and deeply challenging races: US$83

To see more, head over to the Kickstarter page and get in on the fun for your family.