Catalyst Game Labs, the creator of the legendary BattleTech and Shadowrun games, alongside Leviathans: The Great War, is branching out further into the world of board games. The company, which has already produced popular titles such as The Duke, Crossfire, and Dragonfire, announced the formation of a dedicated board game division. This division will not only house the aforementioned games but will also include best-selling titles acquired from other companies, such as Element from Rather Dashing Games and Kittens in a Blender from Redshift Games.
Mike Richie, the Creative Director for Catalyst Board Games, expressed his excitement about the new division. “This idea of a Board Game Division has been brewing for some time now,” he said. “We have so many great games and ideas in the works, the first of which we’ll be publishing under this division is a unique and special experience.”
The first game to be published under the new division is “Overlords: In Training“, a project close to the heart of Catalyst’s Managing Developer, Randall Bills. Having spent nearly three decades in the adventure gaming industry, Bills has been known for his contributions to games and universes he loves, working with hundreds of game designers, artists, and writers worldwide.
“Overlords: In Training” is a unique project that Bills describes as “one of the most meaningful projects of my life.” It’s a game born from the imagination of his neurodivergent son, Kenyon, who has been crafting a dynamic universe filled with unique characters and settings for nearly a decade. Kenyon and his father have worked together to bring this universe, named “Doodle Realms,” to life in the form of a card game, with Kenyon at the helm of nearly all aspects of the game, from character design and naming to writing quotes.
The game will launch on Kickstarter on May 23, 2023, and is described as a fast and fun card game in which players assume the roles of overlords in training, vying to impress the Boss enough to survive a battle royale.
Bills and his family are bringing “Overlords: In Training” to Kickstarter with the hopes of sharing their story and promoting the joy and understanding that comes with tabletop gaming. “Expanding our understanding of each other as we play games and laugh and love,” says Bills, “is what gaming is all about.”
The formation of a dedicated board game division signals a promising future for Catalyst Game Labs. The launch of “Overlords: In Training” under the division demonstrates the company’s commitment to developing diverse and unique games that resonate with players on a deeper level.