Created by Ben Wyatt in a season six episode of Parks and Recreation, the Cones of Dunshire has come to represent everything wonderful and horrible about overly-complicated fantasy board games. Now Mayfair Games is Kickstarting a full version — but it’s not cheap.
Having dabbled in tabletop role-playing game design in my youth (there’s a game out there somewhere with my name in the credits), the scene in the ninth episode of season six of Parks and Rec in which Ben excitedly lays out the rules for Cones of Dunshire really resonated with me. I’ve known that excitement, as well as Leslie’s less enthusiastic reaction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfXfOCIIFcY
By the end of season six however, Cones of Dunshire had been embraced by geeks of the fictional setting, earning Ben fortune and fame as the “Architect” of the ridiculous pageant.
And now Mayfair Games wants to make a real boxed version of the game — a very large boxed version. I mean, just look at those cones. Those won’t fit on a bookshelf.
Mayfair has launched a Kickstarterfor a real version of Cones of Dunshire, asking $300,000 to help make fans’ dreams come true. That is, fans with at least $500 to spend. Up until that point the rewards are all fluffery. At $150 backers can get a fake game box from a 2014 Gen Con charity event. At $300 they get a pass to Gen Con 2015. And at $500, the game itself.
What’s in the game box?
4 boards at 11″ x 33″ – making a 33″ x 44″ board (one board is raised)
8 cones approx. 2″ high to elevate the 4th board
51 die-cut figures with bases
52 character sheets
12 building pieces
50 7″ plastic colored cones (48 in four colors for gameplay, one cone sheath, one start player)
1 14″ solid wood Cone of Decision
143 cards (making up 7 decks)
Over 200 large and small plastic gems
85 metal coins
60 custom 6-sided dice
12 custom 8-sided dice
Front of Traganaro piece (tile sheet construct)
Rulebook and quick start rulesheet
Box/crate
The Ledgerman Hat (I call it)
Of course pay more and get more, including metal figurines from Ral Partha, stickers and so much more. So much.
I am a bit overwhelmed right now. I’m trying to justify spending $500, while wondering if there’s a point as the Kickstarter is only at $21,000 of its $300,000 goal right now. Sure it’s got 57 days to go, but is that enough days? Are there enough cones?
