Gameboard-1, a project currently wrapping up a crowdfunding campaign, brings digital gaming to the tabletop with an interactive, subscription-based game console unlike any other. The console itself is a 16” x 16” touch-based, battery-powered screen complete with a full game library. The possibilities are practically endless: an interactive map for your Dungeons & Dragons campaign, board gaming, and unique digital AR games could all be sitting on your kitchen table at the same time.
The Gameboard-1, developed by a veteran system architect that worked on the original Xbox and Magic Leap, aims to remove some of the standard tabletop hassles of game setup or losing your small game pieces by taking tabletop digital.
Saving your spot in a multiple-session D&D dungeon crawl is definitely an enticing selling point for the unique console. Unlike tablets like the iPad, the Gameboard-1 will be able to recognize physical game pieces like “smart” miniatures that can also be used to save character information and more. If your dungeon is bigger than just one screen can contain, link up to four Gameboard-1 devices to create one giant game board or dungeon map.
The Gameboard-1 also aims to work like a digital games subscription service with a catalog of games delivered straight to your tabletop. (In the promotional video we spotted A Case of Distrust, a stylish and well-made interactive fiction game that we recommended last year.) An impressive list of gaming partners hints at an exciting future for the project.
Designed to be lightweight and portable, the Gameboard-1 can even go along on your next game night outing with little fuss. If you’re the type who prefers to see the actual nuts and bolts of what goes into designing new technology, be sure to visit the Kickstarter campaign page for all the details.
The Gameboard-1 can add a whole new dimension to tabletop gaming for you and your family. There’s not a lot of time left in the crowdfunding campaign, so take advantage of the lower price point by adding your support now!
All Images: The Last Gameboard