Will Shick: As Atomic Mass Games heads into our fifth year, we have a whole host of amazing things lined up for Marvel: Crisis Protocol, Star Wars: Legion, and Star Wars: Shatterpoint.
Beyond just product releases, this year has several exciting new developments for each game that will expand and enhance the play environment and experience. From new game modes, to expanded organized play offerings, and more, everyone at AMG has been working on making sure that our fifth year serves as a launching point for the next ten years of fun and enjoyment.
With Shatterpoint, we set out to create a game that really pushed the boundaries of what a miniatures game experience could be. There are so many things I could talk about here. Not getting lost in the specifics, I think broadly what makes Shatterpoint stand out is how the game is built around capturing the theme and feel of personal combat in the Star Wars galaxy through the lens of the frenetic and dynamic action and adventure of a Saturday morning animated series. We pushed very hard to provide an innovative combat system that lets players see in action the push and pull of lightsaber combat or the oppressive weight of heavy blaster fire driving characters back from key objectives.
Also fairly unique to the miniatures space is how Shatterpoint focuses the player experience on puzzle solving and adaptability through its randomized activation and mission mechanics. Unlike many games before it, players do not have complete control over their miniatures’ activation order, instead it is up to them to figure out how to cleverly get the most out of what fate or the Force hands them each turn. This creates a game that is challenging and rewarding for veteran miniatures players but also creates a very welcoming environment for new players who may have little to no experience with miniatures games. With each activation left to chance (and a little bit of player control options built in), new players can focus all their attention on the exciting action happening on the table, taking each turn to maximize the potential of their units as they become available without getting lost in the sometimes Rube-Goldberg-how-to combo trying to use their many abilities for the "perfect" turn.
The Marvel Universe being so vast, combined with many various storylines and iterations of iconic characters and teams, really keeps the game constantly flush with exciting opportunities and places yet to explore. Even after five years and over 160 characters, we still haven’t even come close to touching a fraction of the Marvel Universe.
Of course, it’s not just new characters that add life and excitement to the game, we are constantly looking at how to continue to add new and fun experiences to the game. Whether this be our Ultimate Encounters, which pits one epic boss controlled by a single player against two or more teams controlled by other players; optional game rules that add even more narrative and theme to the battlefield like our recently released One-Shot Cards, which add new rules our official terrain; narrative scenarios and missions that challenge players to complete asymmetric objectives; or new competitive and convention event formats like our Challenger, Battle Realm, or Timeline events; we strive to make sure there is a robust table of options for players to experience.
As an example, this year will see a brand-new Ultimate Encounter centered around Apocalypse, adding even more play options beyond just the standard game mode for players to use this iconic villain. One in which the players can experience the full might of En Saba Nur on the tabletop.
Atomic Mass Games has found its space on retail shelves, what are you excited about with the upcoming support kits for retailers? What do you hope to see retailers use them for?
Possibly one of our biggest initiatives this year is the launch of our new retailer support program and initiatives. We know our success is ultimately tied to the success of all the incredible local game stores that serve as the hubs and suppliers of all our games’ local communities across the globe. And we have taken our five-year mark as a moment to rededicate ourselves to ensuring we are doing everything we can to provide the retailers who choose to support us the best support we can in return. Of course, this is only the start of the program, and we are looking forward to working closely with our partners at both Asmodee and among the retail community to continue to refine and improve this new program as we continue to move forward into the future.
Ultimately, our goal with this program is to set our retailers up with the materials they need to start, grow, and support their communities around our games. And, critically, we understand that the path to success for each store is just as unique as the community that makes it up. As such, this program looks to provide materials and guidance for retailers to help them succeed but remains open for each store to use the materials in the way they believe is best for them. Whether that’s using them to support a demo day, run a multi-week league to build a community, hold a hobby night to celebrate the unique creativity of these games, or run single-day tournaments or game nights to support their player base, we hope these support kits will become a valuable and useful tool for that.
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