By USDR
Startup Jousta Collective announced today that it has launched a Kickstarter campaign in support of its innovative GPS-powered iOS game, Game of Nodes. The game spotlights the potential of Apple Watch as a gameplay device by leveraging an array of its capabilities, from location-based notifications and actions to exciting microgames designed to be played on the go. The start-up seeks to raise $10,250 to complete the development of the game and launch it in the App Store.
Drawing inspiration from classic empire-building board games like Risk while using the latest mobile technology, Game of Nodes wraps itself around the planet using GPS maps. The streets and intersections around the player become the real-world game board on which they compete for dominance in an effort to spread their network of Nodes to expand their power and influence, both for themselves and for the greater glory of their global team.
Game of Nodes gameplay works like this: At every street intersection exists a Node, which can be claimed, defended, or seized by any player in the game. Claiming ownership of Nodes extends the player’s reach over the map as they build an interlocking network of Nodes. If they or their team manages to surround an enclosed area, such as a city block, they take ownership of that region and gain yet more power within the game.
The main game is playable independently on the iPhone, both out in the streets, using location-based events, or from the comfort of home. The Apple Watch app is an optional (but awesome) enhancement to gameplay and immersion in the game world. Apple Watch microgames are used as additional methods to defend and attack Nodes. The games are designed to be of short duration—under 10 seconds per round—so they can be played while out and about without being overly disruptive. Additionally, Apple Watch notifications will alert players if they are approaching an enemy or an ally Node and give them quick options to attack or support these Nodes.
Strategic depth is achieved through the use of Perks and Lenses. Perks allow players to alter the probability of a successful “die-roll” attack in their favor, or even to spy on a rival node. Lenses change the properties of Nodes, giving them additional powers like boosting the defense strength of adjacent nodes or producing more energy, which is the universal currency and life-force within the game.
A sci-fi narrative backdrop gives context to gameplay. A covert experiment at the Large Hadron Collider has revealed an alternate reality superimposed upon our own. In this alternate dimension, a massive power grid wraps around the planet, matching the roads and streets of our own world. Located at the many intersections of this grid and our own streets are Nodes: conduits to a massive power source. Three opposing factions (Science, Faith, and Nature) now battle for control of the Nodes in an attempt to spread their networks of power and influence around the globe.
Jousta Collective invites you to check out the campaign video for their game and to back their project on Kickstarter.
About Jousta Collective: Jousta Collective is a new mobile game startup operated out of Montreal and New York City, helmed by digital media veteran Steve Lunny. Game of Nodes is its first offering, with additional concepts already in queue.
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