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https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/af-games/contactai-tactical-board-game-of-human-connections/description
A highly advanced alien AI has arrived on Earth. It can analyze data but isn't yet sure if it truly understands human speech and the complex ways we connect meanings. You have been chosen to demonstrate the best understanding of the alien AI’s team of contactors. In Contact AI, players don’t just guess words — they build, verify, and strengthen semantic connections.
Gameplay:
The game is played on a 6x6 grid of "Semantic Nodes" (word cards). Teams are led by an Interpreter who provides a clue consisting of exactly one word and one number, indicating how many nodes on the field are linked by that concept.
The Challenge:
Your goal is to be the first team to fully close your Interpretation Protocol. But the field is unpredictable:
Anomalies: Discovering "Golden" or "Red" anomalies available to each team can grant powerful bonuses, such as extra clues or the ability to close any node on the board.
The Black Hole: An "Interpretation Failure" (Black Hole) will immediately end your turn and force your team to skip the next one.
Key Features:
High Replayability: A massive database of 800 carefully selected words (400 double-sided cards) and 54 different Interpretation Protocols ensure that no two games are ever the same.
Flexible Modes:
Team Competition: Engaging gameplay for large groups with support for 2 or 3 competing teams.
Small Group Play: A specialized mode for 2–3 players that uses a dice-rolling mechanic to simulate an opponent's logic.
No Artificial Limits: Unlike many word games, Contact AI encourages deep linguistic strategy without restrictive clue-giving constraints beyond the core rules.
Can you become the ultimate bridge between two civilizations?
—description from the designer
Designer's Notes
The genesis of Contact AI happened during 1297 days of forced silence. As a political prisoner in Belarus, I learned that the only space where one can remain truly free is within the mind and imagination. This game was my mental sanctuary.
As a mechanical engineer and a print professional with 20 years of experience, I didn’t just want to create "another word game". I wanted to build a precise instrument of communication. My goal was to reward tactical thinking and precision through the Anomaly system, ensuring that every correct guess feels like a hard-earned resource, not just a point on a scoreboard.
Every component of this prototype was designed and produced under my personal supervision to meet the highest industry standards. This is the first of many projects I hope to share with you. Thank you for helping me turn those days of isolation into a bridge for connection.
Card Game, Party Game, Word Game · Communication Limits, Deduction, Targeted Clues, Team-Based Game, Variable Set-up
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