Altered, the novel new trading card game from startup Equinox Studio, has broken records with its inaugural crowdfunding campaign. With nearly $7 million earned from nearly 15,000 backers, it becomes the single most-funded TCG ever run on Kickstarter. The new card game, which will enter a crowded marketplace alongside games like Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana, is expected to release on Aug. 26, 2024
“We are overwhelmed by the incredible support and enthusiasm shown by our backers throughout this campaign,” Régis Bonnesée, founder and CEO of Equinox in a news release. “The success of our Kickstarter campaign not only validates our vision for Altered but also inspires us to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation in gaming. We are immensely grateful to each and every backer who has joined us on this journey.”
Game designer Bonnesée, previously the founder of Libellud (Dixit, Mysterium, Seasons), offered a unique vision for a modern TCG, one that has clearly resonated with backers during the campaign. Games of Altered feature a novel back-and-forth mechanic that emphasizes bringing people together, not destroying their hitpoints. The game also offers a bright and inclusive art style that stands in stark contrast to other games with more grimdark themes. But its digital aspect is what has really turned heads.
Every card in Altered has a QR code that, when scanned, locks ownership of that card to a consumer’s digital account. Once acquired, additional copies of that card can be ordered at any time for a fee, opening up the game to the use of proxies on an almost industrial scale. Equinox will also offer a digital real-money global marketplace where digital rights to cards can be bought and sold, their ownership transferred without the physical cards themselves ever needing to change hands.
The success of the campaign is also good news for tabletop game publisher and distributor, Asmodee, which has partnered with Equinox for global sales and distribution. Recently purchased by Embracer on a valuation of more than $3.1 billion, Asmodee is among the largest global distributors of TCGs, including Magic: The Gathering. It’s been one of the few bright spots on Embracer’s recent financial reports. In this way its financial situation closely mirrors that of Hasbro, whose books have been marginally stabilized by sales of Magic, a blockbuster 31-year-old TCG that seems more popular than ever. Meanwhile, and also like Embracer, Hasbro recently chose company-wide layoffs to help balance its books — just in time for the holidays.
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