As we head into autumn you might be looking for a new game to curl up with – and we’ve found the perfect choice for dog lovers
Image: Dog Park)
A new Kickstarter project launches later today and it’s a must for any dog lovers.
Dog Park is a new board game looking for backers and, as the name suggests, it’s all about our four-legged friends.
Kickstarter is a platform where companies pitch an idea and set a funding goal that they would need to reach to put their pitched item into production. Any number of things are put forward on the website from clothing items and reusable cups to apps and board games.
Members of the public can choose to back a project and if it reaches its funding goal, the thing – in this case, a game – is made and backers receive a copy.
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Dog Park)
So what’s Dog Park all about? In a nutshell, it’s a game for one to four people where players take on the role of dog walkers – recruiting, walking and caring for their pups.
TeamDogs is a community for dog lovers who want to get the most out of their relationship with their best pal.
Make sharing the cutest photos of your dog your first job on the website and after you’ve done that, leave a tip to help fellow dog owners live their best lives as a proud pooch parent.
Search through hundreds of recommended walks, treats, toys and places to stay when you’re on an adventure together.
From dog-friendly pubs to product reviews and the latest news, you can sniff it all out at TeamDogs.
In each round players must journey through the dog park collecting resources, earning a reputation and interacting with fellow walkers.
The aim of the game is to become ‘the most accomplished walker of them all’.
Talking to TeamDogs, the developers revealed that the game was – unsurprisingly – created by a bunch of dog lovers with the game’s illustrators, Holly Exley and Kate Avery, both owning two dogs a piece.
The game includes 221 breeds of dog, so there may even be a few new faces for even the most knowledgeable pup fans out there.
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Dog Park)
Lead designer, Lottie Hazell, said: “Researching the dogs was one of my favourite parts of developing the game and in Dog Park I’ve tailored each dog’s ability and preferences according to its character.
“I certainly have a soft spot for the Affenpinscher, who I was unfamiliar with before Dog Park. And I’m obsessed with the fact that Great Swiss Mountain Dogs were originally used to pull milk carts to cheese factories.
“I can now recite over 200 dog facts – it’s my new party trick.”
Talking about the inspiration behind the game, the initial idea came while walking a dog.
Lottie said: “It was the joyful daily routine of walking my springer spaniel, Rupert, that inspired Dog Park.
“Every day I would challenge myself to guess the other dog breeds we saw on our walk and I took such pleasure in seeing and learning about all the different dogs.
“I wanted to recreate that experience for people playing board games and in Dog Park you are surrounded with all the breeds of dog you could imagine.”
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Dog Park)
You might be wondering whether you need to be a dog lover to enjoy the game or, on the flip side, you might be a dog lover but know nothing about board games.
On this, Lottie said: “It was always really important to us that any dog-lover – no matter their gaming experience – could sit down and enjoy Dog Park. It was a great design challenge to strike a balance between accessibility and challenge for new and experienced players alike.”
Dog Park will be coming to Kickstarter on Tuesday, September, 14 at 4pm. Find out more here.
