Shin Megami Tensei Board Game Changes Three Demons After Crowdfunding
The change addresses a game balance problem discovered after crowdfunding closed, and the publisher's apology reflects the sensitivity of altering promised content in a crowdfunded project that raised nearly 100 million yen.
Key Facts
- The Shin Megami Tensei board game raised over 98 million yen on Kickstarter.
- Three demons-Sandman, Silky, and Demiurge-are being replaced by Heket, Fortuna, and Anubis.
- Publisher Icrea apologized for insufficient explanation that caused distrust, citing game balance issues.
- The BackerKit survey period was extended to May 31 because about 300 backers had not responded.
- Shipping to Kickstarter backers is scheduled to begin in August.
Reporting from 1 source: Game Spark.
The Shin Megami Tensei board game, which raised over 98 million yen on Kickstarter, is replacing three demons-Sandman, Silky, and Demiurge-with Heket, Fortuna, and Anubis. The publisher Icrea apologized for insufficient explanation that caused distrust, citing game balance issues and the difficulty of adjusting without deviating from the original demon designs.
Icrea published a supplementary explanation on Kickstarter on May 19 regarding the demon changes announced April 20 for Shin Megami Tensei THE BOARD GAME. The statement began with an apology for insufficient explanation that caused distrust. The three demons removed are Sandman, Silky, and Demiurge. They are replaced by Heket, Fortuna, and Anubis. The publisher said the original demon composition would cause significant imbalance in game progression. Adjustments were made to keep as many already-revealed demons as possible, but the policy of avoiding deviations from the original image made further adjustments difficult. The decision to change Demiurge, a highly popular demon, was described as a difficult one. The BackerKit survey period has been extended to May 31 at 23:59 because about 300 backers have not yet responded. Shipping to Kickstarter backers is scheduled to begin in August.
- Sandman: removed
- Silky: removed
- Demiurge: removed; described as a difficult decision
- Heket: added
- Fortuna: added
- Anubis: added
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.