Announced at Gen Con last year, Golem Arcana is the latest game designed by Harebrained Schemes co-founder Jordan Weisman.  A successful Kickstarter last October raised $518,538 from 2,194 backers ($236.34 backer average) for initial programming and production.  At GTS, Weisman shared updated information on the trade release and demo plans for the new tabletop miniatures game that incorporates technology and online elements.  For previous information on the game, see "Jordan Weisman's New Game, Part 1," "Part 2" and "Part 3."
 
Can you update us on release dates and distribution?
Yes, the line is continuing to be developed and we’ve now figured out when our release date is.  Our on-sale date will be August 1st.  That will be the release date for the first wave of product: the Base Game; the first four Arcanum Sets, the three figure sets; and the Terrain Pack.
 
Can you describe the first wave of releases?
There are six figures in the base game, as well as six terrain tiles, which are made of heavy, double-sided cardboard, so you can make a very wide variety of different battlefields.  You’ve got the stylus, which connects via Bluetooth 4.  It also comes with the cards, dice, etc.  That’s an MSRP of $80.00.
 
The stylus comes with the base game?
Correct.  Batteries are included (2 AAA).
 
In also includes all the other cards, everything you need to get into a skirmish level game, right out of the box.  Download the free app, and off you run.
 
Then to expand the game, we have what we’re calling the Arcanum Sets.  These are three figure sets; there will be four sets available at launch.  They come with the three fully-painted figures and three cards that accompany them, plus four what we’re calling "Relic" cards.  Relics are things that you can add to golems, to load them out and provide all sorts of new magical game play options for them.  One of the things that’s also unique about them is the way some of them, as you activate them, actually appear on the board and become a character in-game until they’re dispelled in some way, either defeated or dispelled by another character.  In that respect, they start where upgrade cards in Star Wars are, but then go way past that, because they become these powerful, persistent beings.  So really it’s kind of seven game pieces in each pack, and the packs are going to retail for $35.00.
 
Lastly we have the terrain packs, price TBD (probably in the $20.00 – $30.00 range).  That includes six of the large scale double-sided terrain pieces, so you can build really elaborate maps for the game.  And of course, you can make them as big as you want, and then scale up the army sizes because it’s a scalable system. 
 
We’re also showing the first Colossus, the Jagarra Colossus.  This is actually now plastic, it’s our first shot injection mold, this will be out in September and it’s a huge beautiful piece, price TBD.  It comes with a several Relic cards.  Also, one of the things that’s fun about it... as it moves through the battlefield it crushes terrain, and so it comes with cards to leave in its wake for the things that it’s crushed as it moves.
 
There are tons of other features we’ve been showing, software, downloadable content for new scenarios, and new parts of scenarios, and how that uploads for organized play.
 
Can you describe organized play?
It’s all designed for in-store.  We’re going to have what we’re calling our emissary program, which is our fans who are going to be running events and demonstrations as well as our organized play.
 
What’s nice about this system, is that there is no data entry required.  Since the game records everything that’s being done, all of that is automated, so everything is uploaded automatically, as well as automated prize support for digital rewards.
 
This is important, because the game is played with three different types of figures: the physical figures, which are the golems; the knights, which are assigned to a golem and bring their own abilities so they then offer all kinds of different capabilities (and that combination, of how knight fits with golem, is a lot of the strategy the players will be building for their armies); and then the last layer is the ancient ones, the gods you bring to the army.  They also have an impact. 
 
Those digital characters will be released on a regular schedule. As they do so, they bring new mechanics to the old figures that both keeps the retailers’ inventory very dynamic and fresh, and it keeps the players’ collections fresh as well.
 
Anything else store owners need to know?
I think the key thing is that we’ve been listening to store owners.  From the very inception of this product we’ve been working with store managers and store owners on everything from package sizing to SKU count.  We’re keeping the SKU count very limited, so it doesn’t overwhelm and take up shelf space.  We offer features to keep the inventory on their shelf fresh and dynamic and moving through.  Our organized play is the easiest organized play for them to run of any game in the market.  We’ve really tried to listen to retailers and of course, as we get closer to release and more retailers get engaged, we’ll do even more, because they are our channel to the players.
 
So when does the in-store demo program start?
In June and July, we’ll hopefully have a very large scale demo program.  We’ll have some small demo teams starting in May, and then scale it up to larger in June and July in anticipation of the release in August.