King Sugar Syrup, ruler of the Sweet Lands, is on his deathbed. Without him, the kingdom will fall to ruin. In his final days, he has called for a contest to find his successor: The one who can turn their designated land into a prosperous nation shall be given the throne. You, noble candy denizen, must work with local citizens to turn your realm from a simple sugar society into a fully fledged confectionary kingdom.
This is the premise of Sweet Lands, an in-development board game by Japanese game studio Uchibacoya. Known for games like Aqua Garden and Ostia (which, like this project, were initially funded on Kickstarter) Uchibacoya has become a rising star among tabletop developers in Japan. And while it has had production difficulties in the past, all signs point to a much more mature approach this time out.
Its most recent design, Sweet Lands blends the strategy-focused play of Euro-style board games with the artistic flair and innovative design the publisher has become known for since their launch in 2019. In less than a week, the campaign has vastly surpassed its initial goal of $10,000 — earning more than $350,000 at time of publication — showing the board game industry’s enthusiasm for the growing movement of international game designers and the work they bring to the medium.
Sweet Lands’ resource-management approach to its central gameplay expands past familiar games like The Settlers of Catan. Unlike Catan, the game incorporates not just the land’s material goods but prioritizes collaboration with the people who live there. The Sweet Lands Kickstarter states the final product will have nearly 200 individually crafted Citizen Cards turning these theoretical candy people into flesh and blood — er, chocolate and corn syrup people. The themes of monarchy, social responsibility, and industrialization (along with the picturesque pastoral illustration) brush up against Miyazaki-style aesthetic, without delving fully into the social commentary that would turn this relatively lighthearted board game into a full on critique of feudal power structures.
Multiple victory conditions and 14 different character options, each with their own strengths and approaches to city-building, offer opportunities for a wide array of playstyles as would-be monarchs establish infrastructure, invest in industrializing technology, and collaborate with residents to become the most prosperous realm. These developments, represented by over 450 wooden tokens and standees, include Milk Carton Research Labs, Ice Cream Clocktowers, Brownie Buildings, Cheese Tents, and Cream Puff Houses.
Though the initial funding level of the Sweet Lands campaign is a bit pricey — with the lowest support tier starting around $89 — these intricate, tactile components make it clear where those costs are going. For grown up Candy Land lovers, fans of Euro-style board games, or even Dimension 20 fans looking to live out their Crown of Candy fantasy, backing Sweet Lands’ campaign is an opportunity to get a complex, strategy-based game while supporting the rapidly-growing ecosystem of international designers.
The Sweet Lands campaign runs through Wednesday, November 27.
