Ahau Junior Unlocked! + Social Stretch Goals
about 2 years ago – Sat, Mar 05, 2022 at 05:11:11 PM

The draft ruleset of Ahau Junior has received 50 thumbs up on BoardGameGeek, and has therefore been unlocked! 🐯 This is great news for gaming families and those wanting to teach an easier, introductory version of Ahau to family and friends. Together with the previously unlocked Shadow Player Variant, these additional game modes will give you even more variety and replayability and will be fine-tuned and tested to ensure they are fit for the intended audiences. More importantly, the rules of these additional game modes will be included in the official rulebook. Our goal is to add even more value to the game, and deliver maximum fun to our backers.

Let's take a closer look at our other Social Stretch Goals, because we are not that far from unlocking them too for even more gaming goodness! 

DIGITAL SOUNDTRACK

If we receive a combined number of 500 fans and subscribers on BoardGameGeek (BGG), we pledge to give you an immersive digital soundtrack to listen to while playing the game. 🎶 This album - similarly to our campaign video music - will feature Maya instruments from the Classic Period (or the digital versions thereof) and will be checked by our team of consultants for authenticity. 

What do you need to do to help us unlock this? First of all, you need to be registered on BGG. If you are not yet registered, click on this link to join the site. 

If you are registered and logged in, visit the BGG page of Ahau. Next, click on the heart symbol to become a fan of the game, and hit the "Subscribe" button also to get notified of game updates, as seen here: 

Currently, we have 280 fans & subscribers combined, so only 220 to go! 

ROLE CARD ART PRINTS

Finally, if we reach 2,000 followers on our Facebook and Instagram platforms combined, we will offer - as an add-on - an extra set of art prints featuring the gorgeous role card illustrations. These art prints - together with the art prints on the regions of the Yucatán peninsula - are exclusive to Kickstarter, so you will not be able to get them anywhere else. 

Do you want these art prints on your walls? Then hit "Like" on our Facebook page, and "Follow" on our Instagram page!

Have a wonderful weekend, and we'll be back on Monday to hopefully deliver even more good news on Stretch Goals! 

Two Extra God Scoring Tiles and Shadow Player Variant Unlocked + The Great Eclipse Preview
about 2 years ago – Sat, Mar 05, 2022 at 02:31:58 AM

Greetings, Future Rulers!

We have some excellent news to end the week. It seems that we are really on a roll, as we have unlocked not one, but TWO Stretch Goals sure to enhance your Ahau experience! 

NEW GAMEPLAY MODES

The Shadow Player Variant has been unlocked, as the draft ruleset has received 50 thumbs up on its BGG thread. This means that we will develop this new gameplay mode and add it to the core rulebook included in your pledge! Whether you're gathering as a group of 2, 3, or 4 players, this variant can help up the ante by making the map a bit tighter and increasing the chances of conflicts. This mode will be a great choice for anyone who prefers even more player interaction and gives you an alternative use for the personality cards designed by David Digby for solo play. 

Additionally, we are only 12 thumbs away from unlocking Ahau Junior, a simplified gameplay mode for ages 9 and up. Cast your vote for it here!

NEW SCORING TILES FOR EVEN MORE VARIETY AND REPLAYABILITY

We have also unlocked two extra god scoring tiles, which will add even more variety for scoring the common temples! The current game has 5 god scoring tiles,  and the scoring system offered by them was praised by reviewers for their originality. Now, with 7 instead of 5, the already fully randomized setup will give even more replay value, and the ancient Maya gods will award you for even more different facets of the game. We already settled on the two extra god scoring tiles, but if you have any ideas for what else could be scored in the game, do let us know in the comments section!

Our next Stretch Goal will ensure that the Eclipse expansion is fully playable in the solo mode too! Component-wise, this would mean adding 6 new personality cards to the expansion showing the god preferences of King Pakal (the solo opponent) for each of the 6 extra role cards featured in our expansion. 

Seeing our growing community from France and Canada and their overwhelming support for the game, we decided to also include the French language edition with our next Stretch Goal.  

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THE GREAT ECLIPSE PREVIEW

Although we shared a sneak peek into the first Ahau expansion in our 2nd update, let us summarize all of the extra gameplay content you will receive by pledging for it. (The expansion is available either as an add-on to your base pledge or by pledging for "K'uhul Ahau", our all-in level which also includes the art prints): 

•  12 Eclipse cards: each Eclipse card raises the stakes even higher, giving you more challenges and quests, changing the dynamic of each of the game, forcing players to improvise with cunning and observation. The gorgeous illustrations will help you immerse yourself in the dramatic events that shaped the course of history in the Classic Period of the Maya! More scoring, resource conversion, summoning, and strategic gameplay opportunities in each round. Protect your Dominion, face the Might of Teotihuacan, and perform a Ritual for the gods to ensure your kingdom does not turn into Desolation, but rather into Fertile Lands and Flourishing Cities!
   

•  Build Monumental Structures showing the true power of the ancient Maya civilization! Try to get all the resources needed to make your name immortal! Raise enormous strongholds, including the Great Temple, the Great Plaza to outshine your rivals' capitals. Build Barracks to dominate your opponents in combat, or visit the Observatory to read the powerful signs of the stars helping you foresee the future.

•  Gain access to even more leaders with completely new and unique abilities to bolster your claim to Fame and help you ascend to the Jaguar Throne! Let the Weaver, Farmer, Astronomer, Ambassador, Ballgame Player or Scribe join your court to increase your royal power and dominate your opponents, and open ways to even new and fearsome combos! 

•  Grab and use extra pyramid tiles giving you even more options, puzzles, and dilemmas for building your pyramid temple, and creating even more competition for regions holding these treasures.
   

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Which historical or cataclysmic event would you like to see added to the Eclipse expansion? Think big! Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Celebrating 1000 Backers & Mayan Glyph Preview
about 2 years ago – Thu, Mar 03, 2022 at 03:58:22 PM

Dear Future Rulers,

We have officially reached 1,000 backers!! 🎉

More and more individual backers and retailers are joining our journey. On top of that, we have nearly 5,000 people following the project! With this being our first Kickstarter as a team, this is indeed fabulous news. Let’s keep up this pace, and over the next few weeks, we can unlock all of our planned stretch goals — including custom-shaped resources, custom-shaped workers, double-layered player boards, and many more!

You may remember from one of our previous updates that we unlocked “Mayan Glyphs For Each Ruler” as a Stretch Goal. Well, our team has already made progress on fulfilling this goal, and we wanted to share a quick update on this milestone.

MAYAN GLYPHS FOR EACH RULER

With the help of Walter Paz Joj, our cultural consultant from Guatemala, every Ruler in the game will receive an inscription using authentic Maya glyphs based on real historical examples. Walter Paz Joj is an ajtz’ib, a modern-day Maya Kaqchikel scribe, who is striving to resurrect the ancient Maya writing system for modern use. The glyphs have already been drawn by Walter, so let’s take a look!

 The glyph for Itzamnaaj Bahlam (Shield Jaguar) has been retouched and coloured by our main illustrator, Dávid Szabó to match the game's art style, and confirmed by Walter.

We will continue retouching the remaining glyphs, which would be shown on the player boards, serving as the home base for each ruler. Walter wanted to share this about the Mayan glyphs:

“The Maya writing system consists of a complex repertoire of signs, scriptural resources and composition rules. It is written with a  combination of logograms (words or morphemes with complete meaning) and syllabograms, also known as phonograms (phonetic signs without meaning), resulting in a logosyllabic or mixed writing system.

The Maya hieroglyphic writing system was mainly developed and used in the so-called “Maya Lowlands”.  It was in use for approximately 2,000 years. This time span is based on the earliest known evidence of its existence, discovered on a stone block, of which only 10 painted hieroglyphic blocks survived. This object was found in the filling of the pyramid "Las Pinturas" in San Bartolo, in the so-called Sub-V construction phase, dated to approximately 200 to 300 BC., The date of the Castilian invasion of Noj Petén in 1697, located on what is known today as Flores Island, Petén, is considered the endpoint of the use of this system

Furthermore, this writing system was not limited to recordings of  political, military and social activities, but could also represent statements about ways of thinking, beliefs, science, calendrical information and other social activities.”

In addition to being a scribe, Walter is also a designer, musician and a community leader in Pan Ajache’l (Sololá, Iximulew/Guatemala). In his words: 

My work is based on and inspired by the form of ancient Maya writing (tz’ib). It seeks to represent, in my own way and my own style, ideas, feelings, and emotions as a Maya kaqchikel. I come from Pan Ajache’l, Sololá, within Lake, Atitlán, Guatemala. I am dedicated to researching and sharing the ancient Maya writing through its function and use, as well as in its artistic application, so that it might serve as inspiration for all Maya people who are interested in contributing to the revitalization and use of Mayan hieroglyphic writing from their own territories, ways of thinking, and languages. I have also dedicated space to music through the re-creation of ceramic instruments, invoking forms of expression through sound that were created by the ancestors.

If you ever want your name made in Mayan glyphs, feel free to contact Walter HERE. 

Did you know that the sleeping and awakened Jaguar heads used to depict our stretch goals were Walter’s idea?

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PS: As creators ourselves, we love to support other creative ideas and projects in any way we can. So please check out our friends and their awesome campaign below:

Kalinasu: Immersive Adventure Escape Game

An Escape Game in a Box that makes you feel like a real Treasure Hunter. Kalinasu mixes puzzles, narrative, and technology to immerse you in a challenging adventure so carefully designed that it may be impossible for you to distinguish reality from fiction. CLICK HERE and learn more!

Custom Inlay Unlocked + Extra God Scoring Tiles + Meet the Ancient Maya Gods
about 2 years ago – Thu, Mar 03, 2022 at 12:43:19 PM

Greetings, Future Rulers!

Thanks to all of your amazing support in this campaign, we are now able to upgrade our box organization with a custom inlay! We have confirmed with our production partners that this new inlay will ensure that you will be able to store your pyramids whole once assembled. We are also working with them to ensure that the pyramids are sturdier and more stable than our initial prototypes.

Our next goal to unlock is two extra god scoring tiles, which will add even more variety for scoring the common temples! The current game has 5 god scoring tiles,  and the scoring system offered by them was praised by reviewers for their originality. Instead of gaining points based on how well you do in a given category, you will instead gain points based on how the top player is doing in that category. (There is also a personal scoring variant.) Now with 7 instead of 5 god scoring tiles, the already fully randomized setup will give even more replay value, and the ancient Maya gods will award you for even more different facets of the game.

Before we head into today's history lesson, we wanted to let you know that we have taken all of your feedback to heart and will be unlocking all future language packs based on a threshold system. This means that once we hit a certain number of backers from a given language zone, we will unlock its translation for all! Stay tuned for more details in our next update. 

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MEET THE ANCIENT MAYA GODS OF THE MESOAMERICAN JUNGLES

Now that we mentioned the gods in the game, let's take a closer look at them and talk about why they were chosen. This update is going to be a surprise to people who already know the game, so buckle up. 

In general, the Classic Maya worshipped two types of deities. The first encompassed those “major” deities which were personifications of natural phenomena and cosmological forces (a god of rain, a sun god, etc.). The second category comprised the great many patron deities, local gods that were tied to a particular location or ruling dynasty. Most patron deities could be identified as an aspect, attribute, or local iteration of one of the major gods. For example, the kingdom of Piedras Negras in modern-day Guatemala worshiped a version of Chaac named Yax Ha’al Chaak (Blue-Green Rain Chaak) whereas the kingdom of Dos Pilas worshiped a deity named K’an Tuun Chaak (Yellow/Precious Stone Chaak). Effigies of these patron deities were carried into war, paraded around the city during processions, resided in temples atop massive pyramids, and were even ritually “fed". We even have recorded examples of one city desecrating or even stealing another city’s patron deity effigy during an attack. This would have been considered an incredible insult!

Let’s take a look at the deities included in Ahau. When you’re done reading, tell us in the comments who is your favourite deity of the game and why.

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ITZAMNA, THE CHIEF GOD

Itzamna (also known as Itzamnaaj, Itzamnah, and God D) was generally considered to be the chief or most senior god in the Classic Maya pantheon. Think Odin or Zeus. In many supernatural scenes painted on the famous polychrome vessels of the ancient Maya, Itzamnaaj is depicted on a celestial throne overseeing a celestial court composed of other deities and supernaturals.

His most defining features are his aged face with a prominent but usually toothless jaw and a large, protruding nose. His eyes are always square, a feature often referred to as the “god-eye”, and his body is covered with markings that mark his skin as bright or shiny, the color and substance of jade. He is almost always depicted wearing a tri-lobed pendant over his chest, on a beaded necklace. He shares all of these features with another deity referred to as the Principal Bird Deity, though the exact relationship between the two deities is not known. Some suggest that the Principal Bird Deity is an avian aspect of Itzamnaaj, or even a sort of avatar or messanger for the supreme deity.

Itzamnaaj, as the celestial ruler, is generally believed to have been one of two major creator deities for the Classic Maya, the other being an aged grandmother deity. As a supreme creator deity, Itzamna is able to exercise his authority over the other deities and so, if you summon his powers in-game, he will allow you to collect more pyramid tiles into your reserve which will surely help you to summon more types and more powerful deities in your subsequent turns.

In the scene below, painted on a ceramic pot from the Classic period, Itzamna is shown seated on a throne in one panel, addressing a kneeling duck-billed deity (a wind god). In the next panel, the Principal Bird Deity lands on the outstretched hand of that same duck-billed wind god.

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CHAAC, THE RAIN GOD

 Water was an incredibly important resource for the Classic Maya - from the rushing rivers of the western lowlands to the cenotes of the northern Yucatán to the swamps and bajos of the Petén region of Guatemala. Chaac (also known as Chahk, Chaak, or God B) was the deity responsible for bringing the rains. He was more than just a god of rain, though, and is best understood as a noisy, cacophonous bringer of storms, wielder of thunder and lightning.

Some of Chaac’s defining features include a spondylus shell (the shell of the spiny oyster) ear ornament, a long, often upturned nose, and scaly or fish-like features. In some scenes, he has water-swirls marking his skin, describing the watery nature of his body just as Itzamna’s skin-markings mark him as a shiny, jade-like being. He is a key actor in several important mythical narratives, including a scene in which Chaac dances in the presence of the Death God and the Jaguar God of the Underworld as an infant. He is most often depicted as the personification of storms, wielding an axe that represents lightning in one hand and a stone manopla (used in boxing, similar in function to brass knuckles), representing thunder, in the other hand.

In Ahau, the board game, summoning Chaac will give you resources (water, corn, cacao, obsidian or limestone) in the colour of a summoned Chaac tile. This will be very useful, as it means you can most probably build a lot of awesome stuff at the end of your turn, whether that be your pyramid, your city or artifacts - your choice.

The scene below depicts that same mythical narrative described above. Chaac can be seen on the left, with his characteristic scaly and watery skin-markings and dancing while wielding his lightning-axe and thunder-stone.

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JAGUAR GOD… JUST KIDDING! THE GOD OF TRADE

In the current version of the base game, the Jaguar God allows you to move your workers from one city to an adjacent city, collecting Fame as you pass through production sites matching the color(s) of the tile(s) you used to summon this deity.

While the jaguar was an incredibly important animal for the Classic Maya, a symbol of strength but also of the night and the underworld, there was no one Jaguar God. Rather, many different deities possessed jaguar attributes, usually associating them in some capacity with the underworld. Upon further consideration, we felt that the summoned ability of this deity (workers traveling from city to city, moving through production sites along the way) better matched with another Classic period deity who presided over trade, merchants, and travel. Interestingly, this deity also has jaguar attributes and is associated with the underworld.

We do not know the actual name of this deity, however. One suggested reading would make his name Itzam Aat, but he is also known as God L or simply the God of Trade or Travel. He is almost always depicted as an aged, toothless deity with large god-eyes, wearing a wide-brimmed hat that marks him as a traveler. He has jaguar markings on his ears and occasionally on other parts of his body such as his hands. He is often smoking a cigarillo and wearing a jaguar skin cloak. His characteristic wide-brimmed hat often features owl iconography. In some scenes he sits upon a jaguar throne in the underworld presiding over a court of six other deities. Like the other deities discussed already, he is also an important character in many mythic narratives. One scene that is repeated in several different forms involves a supernatural rabbit stealing God L’s clothes after which he has to plead with the sun god to make the rabbit return his regalia.

This change means we will have a new illustration for the God of Trade in the game. 

The drawing below is of a door panel in Palenque’s Temple of the Cross and depicts the God of Trade with all of his usual attire.

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KINICH AHAU, THE SUN GOD

K’inich Ahau (also known simply as K’inich, K’inich Ajaw, or God G) was the Classic Maya god of the sun. He shares many attributes with Itzamna, including his large square-shaped “god-eyes” and a large, protruding square-shaped nose. However, while Itzamna is depicted as an aged and wrinkled man, K’inich Ahau is depicted as a mature man at the peak of his strength. He is always depicted with protruding front teeth, filed to a “T” shape, the shape of the ik’ (wind) sign. Like the water swirls on Chaac’s skin or the “shiny” markings on Itzamna’s skin, K’inich Ahau’s skin is marked with the k’in glyph, the glyph for “sun” or “day.” This marks his skin as bright and hot like the shining sun. He literally emits light, a true personification of the sun itself. This relationship is explicitly detailed on a famous vase known as the Berlin Vase wherein his disembodied head is depicted in the sky with rays emanating from it, shown as the literal sun in the sky.

By summoning Kinich Ahau in the game, you will immediately gain Fame, and may reclaim your played cards into your hand, allowing you to visit the same region or to use your role card again in the next turn, or simply to increase your chances to beat your opponents in a combat for a region, which can be very powerful if played right. In the scene below, K’inich Ahau sits upon a jaguar cushion throne as God L, the God of Trade, kneels before him pleading to have his regalia returned from the rabbit who stole them, who can be seen peeking out from behind the seated Sun God.

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KUKULCAN, THE FEATHERED SERPENT… Will Return Later!

NOW INTRODUCING… THE JAGUAR GOD OF THE UNDERWORLD

During the initial design process, Kukulcan as the feathered serpent was chosen as one of the deities because it is one of, if not the, most well-known Maya deity. However, Kukulcan is a decidedly Postclassic deity, introduced to the Maya region through contact with the Toltec and Mexica (Aztec) peoples of Central Mexico. Kukulkan himself is a quasi-mythical figure who may have been an actual Toltec king who came to the Northern Yucatán during the Postclassic. In order to stick with the Classic period setting of the game, Kukulcan has been changed to the Jaguar God of the Underworld, an important fire deity to the Classic Maya.

The Jaguar God of the Underworld was the supernatural patron of fire and fire-making. Fire was both physically and symbolically important to the Classic Maya. At the start of the agricultural season, for example, they would burn any overgrowth from the fields, the resulting ash acting as a fertilizer for the coming planting season. Fire also played a significant role in mortuary ritual through “fire-entering” ceremonies in which tombs would be ritually burned, likely a form of purification. The Jaguar God of the Underworld shares a lot of attributes with the Sun God, including the large square eyes, k’in skin-markings, and protruding front teeth. However, the Jaguar God of the Underworld’s pupils are often depicted as spirals, identifying him as an underworld being. His most defining attribute, other than the jaguar attributes, is a twisted cord called a “cruller” that runs below and between his eyes. This is usually understood to be the twisted cord of a fire-drill, used in making fire.

The original summon ability for Kukulcan allowed you to gain Fame by removing your own workers from the board, a power equally fitting a god of fire from the underworld.

The Jaguar God of the Underworld is not depicted on many ceramic scenes like the other deities in this list, however he is commonly depicted on the sculptural facades of buildings, such as this example from Copan shown below. He is also widely depicted on elaborate incense burners, fitting for his role of a god of fire.

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Many thanks for the write-up on gods to Joshua Schnell, our archeological advisor!

New Gameplay Modes To Unlock!! Live Playthrough Announced, And The Debut Of Our Spanish Rulebook!
about 2 years ago – Wed, Mar 02, 2022 at 03:46:53 AM

Dear Future Rulers,

After chatting with many of you over in the comments, Ahau's designer Tamás Oláh was inspired to create two new game modes to enhance your Ahau experience. While both will be available completely free over on BoardGameGeek, we would love to be able to add them to our development plan for extensive playtesting and fine-tuning before your games arrive. So, we've settled on making them a social stretch goal. If we can gather 50 thumbs up on each mode's forum thread, we will develop their gameplay and add it to the core rulebook included in your pledge!

Now then, you're probably curious about how these modes will affect your journey to the jaguar throne. How about a quick summary? 

First, we have Ahau Junior. 

As many of us have little ones, Tamás wanted to find a way to make Ahau accessible to the next generation of gamers. This ruleset will allow you to introduce Ahau at your next family game night with anyone ages 9 and up. To show your support and help us reach this goal, please thumbs up this post! 

Next, we have the Shadow Player Variant.

Whether you're gathering as a group of 2, 3, or 4 players, this variant can help up the ante by making the map a bit tighter and increasing the chances of conflicts. This mode will be a great choice for anyone who prefers even more player interaction and gives you an alternative use for the personality cards designed by David Digby for solo play. To help us unlock this game mode, please thumbs up this post! 

Some players love the game as it is with the normal ruleset, and the game is perfectly playable and enjoyable without the shadow player variant.

Now, the great thing about our community is that they are always up to lend a helping hand. Genesyx has already given our Shadow Player variant a try and shared their thoughts in this First Impressions thread. 

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While you are over there, you can learn even more about Ahau’s design process in our Designer Diaries!

Design Diary #1: Guiding Lights

Design Diary #2: Game Overview

Design Diary #3: Customize Your Engines

Design Diary #4: Solo Design

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Spanish Rulebook Download

We are happy to announce to our Spanish-speaking supporters that the rulebook for Ahau is finally available in Spanish from HERE. 

En Ahau asumes el papel de una familia real maya que trata de expandir las fronteras de su reino mediante la influencia sobre otras ciudades de la península de Yucatán.

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Heavy Cardboard Playthrough

We would like to announce too that Heavy Cardboard would do a live playthrough of our game at their channel HERE 

Feel free to bookmark the video and subscribe to their channel. 

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Finally, we would love to hear from all of you about add-ons that you would like to see for this campaign. We have already heard a few excellent suggestions, including custom laser-cut ruler standees and home-printable 3-D models. What would you add to the list for us to potentially explore? ☕