Hunters of Avalon | Fantasy Roleplaying Finally Gets Its Field of Dreams

March 1, 2020

*As of this posting, the Kickstarter is fully funded and is trying to reach its stretch goals with only 7 hours to go!

Hunters of Avalon mixes tabletop gaming, escape rooms, and adult summer camp.

How do you convince gamers, cosplayers, thrill-seekers, and renaissance festival regulars to visit a place that’s never existed? How do you transform role-playing from a board game to an immersive, real-world experience? How do you turn the entire world into an interactive puzzle that brings people together? You’ve got to build it, and they will come.

“Hunters of Avalon” is the latest invention from Todd Peden, creator of hit party game “Crazy Make Em Ups.” And its Kickstarter campaign is beyond anything we’ve ever seen. Imagine “Westworld” in a fantasy setting, minus the robots, and you’re getting close.

“At the Ren Fest, you’re not the hero. You’re the peasant cheering for the king or hero,” Peden said. “Here, the story is about you. You, with the rest of your guild mates, have the chance to become the hero.” And that’s not all that sets “Hunters of Avalon” apart.

Immersive, interactive entertainment with custom-built puzzles and environments. “Almost everything is a custom build that was built four times, if not 20,” said Peden. “We built it. We prototyped it. We rebuilt it. Each piece is like inventing a new product in itself.” Expect decoder clocks, mind-wracking gadgets, shifting landscapes, and cryptic tomes
Easter eggs galore. Is that shimmering light in the night a clue? Is that painting on the wall crooked for a reason? Everything is meant to be explored, investigated, and could connect to some greater mystery. “We take everything we can out of the tabletop experience and put it in the real world for players to interact with,” said Peden. “Things like puzzles, traps, and live actors in the shops. Players have to complete quests and challenges (like axe throwing) to win coin with which they purchase gear, food, and lodging.”
Kickstarter rewards and community teamwork. “Hunters” takes a village to launch, as Peden discovered in two test runs he funded. And that group sense of ownership means something for everyone. “Eventually, we want to be like D&D Disneyland,” said Peden. But step one is funding a retail space. “We need to reach a critical mass. It’s not cheap.” What’s in it for Kickstarter backers? Bargains like $10 invitations to create in-game lore, and priceless perks like non-expiring, transferable, tickets that get you in the door, no matter how big “Hunters” gets.

“There’s literally nothing like it,” said Peden. “We have nothing to model off of. We’re inventing the business model along with the player experience. Other startups have at least some example of a business model.” He knows exactly what he’s building, but what it becomes is entirely up to you.

About Hunters of Avalon

Hunters of Avalon is a fully immersive experience for tabletop gamers, fantasy cosplay enthusiasts, and escape room aficionados. The concept is to take a well known fantasy game, like Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder, and infuse real world elements such as puzzles, traps, and challenges to create an experience like no other. Players will be able to participate in an all inclusive weekend, a campaign style event, a 2 hour convention event, or a 3 hour immersive tabletop adventure. They earn rewards like coins used in the world or prestige that gives players advantages in the game environment to purchase things like drinks, food, lodging, and equipment. When at conventions and smaller events, the rewards will be used to level up their characters to have an advantage when playing in the bigger events. We will create real world puzzles and challenges for the players to solve regardless of the length of play. Larger Avalon events will be populated by Non Player Characters (actors known as NPCs) who interact with the players. The supporting cast will grant players side quests, rewards, and add to the overall immersion