Unless you have that one friend in your board games group that’s played every game under the sun and knows the rules inside out, learning a new board game – especially a complicated one – takes a lot of effort and time. Sometimes it also takes a couple of play-throughs to get right, and when you discover you’ve messed up yet another rule for the however many-eth time, you might be tempted to give up. I know from personal experience!
This where something like Dized will come in handy. An app for smart phones and tablets, Dized helps you play a game straight out of the box with step-by-step visual and interactive tutorials. So, basically, like that friend in your group.
Dized is the brainchild of Playmore Games, the Helsinki-based gaming company founded in 2014 by Jouni Jussila and Tomi Vainikka, who turned to crowdfunding their app on Indiegogo. The Indiegogo campaign still has two weeks left, and quite a few stretch goals to be unlocked. The campaign is also promising a massive prize giveaway if it reaches $100,000. Once that goal is hit, every backer will be in the running to win 100+ board games, a Geeknson board gaming table, a smart device tablet and a bunch of other prizes.
As it stands right now, the app will have a long list of great features, including:
- Smart tutorials
- Game setups
- Multiple language support
- Quick rule lookup function
- Community features like scheduling games nights and finding players
- Game library tracking and recommendations
As the support for Dized grows, so does their potential library. A few notable publishers are already on board, like Steve Jackson Games, Elzra and Grey Fox Games, with more to come. As to why Playmore Games went the crowdfunding route:
We want Dized to happen now. We can build the platform, tools, and library in a year (with your help), or in ten, without it. And nobody wants to wait ten years!
Creating Tutorials, Setups, and Rule Lookup Tools is a process that can only be scaled by scaling the number of designers, artists and industry professionals we employ. The success of this campaign will allow us to grow at the necessary pace to keep churning out more and more material for your favorite games and make sure our tools will be easy to use for third parties, including publishers and designers, too.
CEO of Playmore Games, Jouni Jussila, explains further:
Crowdfunding an app can be very challenging, and we’re ecstatic that we reached our goal in such a short time. This success demonstrates that the board gaming community is ready for a big revolution. Dized can make everyone’s gaming night a whole lot better.
Personally, I’m ecstatic that an app like this is in development. Learning at your own pace with smart, adaptable tutorials and a quick rule reference will turn any game into a pick-up-and-play game. If you’re keen to back this project, as I am, head over to the campaign page and claim some sweet rewards.