If you’re like me, you’ve got a savings account dedicated to building your own full-scale Gundam. Unfortunately, the cost of such a build remains astronomically high, so luckily there’s a new Kickstarter campaign that will let you pilot your own customizable mobile suit for a fraction of the price.
Meet Outchasers, the strategy card game and brainchild of Cooper Heinrichs brought to life through the art of Brett Nienburg. This 1v1 game lets players assume the role of a mech pilot battling against other players over precious resources in deep space. By choosing one of six different pilots to fly one of six different mechs, and using the 48 equipment cards to customize your rig, each round of play offers new strategic challenges. And who doesn’t love space-battles with gun-toting robots?
Check out the Outchasers trailer and a sample walkthrough below:
Outchasers has clearly taken inspiration from a number of other card games and mecha anime series, as Heinrichs mentions in his series of behind-the-scenes videos, so anyone with a shared interest will likely find this game intriguing. What really captivated me, however, aside from the chance to pilot my own space-exploring mech (yes, please!) was the passion from the project’s creator and the beautiful artwork that’s on display.
In the works for the last few years, Outchasers has evolved: from a pen-and-paper game, to a rudimentary version tested out over the customizable card game program LackeyCCG, to the sleek, professional look of the current product. Heinrichs has toured the game to various conventions and has reached out to game reviewers to give Outchasers a try, and the response has been quite positive.
If successful, you can fully expect Outchasers to rollout expansion decks to go along with an expanded original narrative in the future, which is basically like going from the RX-78 series, to Gundam Wing Zero, to the Colony Devil Gundam. (There’s no word on if a version of the Mandala Gundam will ever make an appearance.) Be sure to check out the campaign’s Kickstarter page for much more information and to lend your support!
Images: Cooper Heinrichs, Brett Nienburg
