Hello Variants! I am sure you were expecting Berry for our Meet Your Makers, but today we have the honor of following up with a creator we have interviewed before! As such, we decided to take turns this round, so it is my honor to reintroduce Hatchling Games, with their new Kickstarter, “Overisles“! In case you missed it, here is the initial interview from Berry!
What, you may ask, is Overisles? It is the much anticipated sequel to Hatchlings Games’ Inspirisles, a TTRPG set in a unique world of magic and Shaping, all the while teach British and American sign language. Overisles gives the idea wings, taking to a skyscape of floating islands. I had the opportunity to speak with Rich Oxenham once again. Here are a few points he answered about Overisles.
Rory: What are some of the biggest changes from Inspirisles to the sequel Overisles?
Rich: Well it is a completely new setting for one. With the sequel we are heading skywards to an archipelago of floating islands and flying giant birds between them. We’re also introducing Feathering, which will have our players using sign language to establish a bond with their giant bird mounts and communicating while in flight. Overisles is also more of a campaign setting with over 20 hex map locations to explore.
Rory: Inspirisles focused on inclusivity for the TTRPG community, how has this continued for Overisles?
Rich: It will continue to expand on the sign language learning of the core game, including the accompanying video tutorials. We hope this Kickstarter will be an even greater success and allow us to transfer our material to flash cards and a mobile app, allowing for greater accessibility at the gaming table. We have also hired a new Deaf artist to be a part of our core team and two Hard of Hearing writers to join a stretch goal team. We are also securing licensing to have our games translated for countries and their sign languages across the globe.
Rory: In our previous Meet Your Maker interview, you mentioned an effort to implement the Inspiriles TTRPG in schools, has this continued with Overisles, and has there been positive progress?
Rich: Inspirisles is currently being used in 4 schools (3 in the UK and 1 in the US) and we hope that will increase throughout 2022 and beyond. Some of the teachers will also be writing educational papers on the games and their impact on students.
Rory: What, if anything, have you learned from your Inspirisles and Overisles Kickstarters, and how have you implemented those experiences?
Rich: We made a great deal of mistakes with Inspirisles despite the successful funding. It being our first project meant we struggled in various areas. We overloaded the rewards and made them far too complicated. We tried to fulfil the project ourselves. We aimed it at teenagers and limited our audience. And we decided to print in China as COVID struck. Thankfully, we learnt from our mistakes and Overisles isn’t making any of them!
Rory: What advice do you have for fellow content creators trying to market their own products on Kickstarter?
Rich: Don’t take shortcuts. Build genuine communities across multiple platforms. Use Facebook lead ads. Hit the promotional hashtags on Twitter because they are free. Share your work consistently. Reach out to media platforms and book podcast interviews. Believe in your products!
The Variants are very excited about Overisles, and I highly reccomend checking out the Kickstarter with its many rewards. Keep an eye to the sky, because I am sure Overisles will soar upon release.
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