First-of-its-kind, STEM-centric 3D strategy game comes to Kickstarter on July 23
The Californer/10038365

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Californer -- Gridopolis Games will launch its debut product, a multiplayer 3D strategy game and system called Gridopolis, July 23 on Kickstarter. A modular and flexible gaming system, Gridopolis's innovations allow users to change the 3D playing space during gameplay and even design their own game from scratch.

"This kind of open-ended creativity had never been done before," said Gridopolis creator Dave Schultze. "We are especially proud about how our expandable system has been so enthusiastically received by reviewers, educators, and gamers."

Gridopolis was developed when Schultze noticed that most board games were flat and rigid in their gameplay. So he set out to develop a multiplayer 3D strategy game where players could not only move and jump in three dimensions, but could also dynamically modify their 3D playing space — even while in the middle of a game.

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"Gridopolis is the result of three years of design, development, and testing," Schultze said. "During this time, the game was thoroughly evaluated by many people, including the Toy Design students where I teach at OTIS College of Art and Design. We were able to see what worked ─ and didn't work ─ and then refined it even more."

Gridopolis incorporates rules from games you probably already know, such as checkers, chess and even tic-tac-toe. Gridopolis is for ages 8 and up, and even younger kids who can play chess or checkers. As a multiplayer game, Gridopolis is also great for families — children, parents, and grandparents can all play together. Among many glowing reviews, Gridopolis has been dubbed "... a modular 3D game that can be understood in seconds and studied for a lifetime."

The crowdfunding campaign follows a successful first-edition production run of 500 game boxes. "We wanted to be absolutely sure this was a great idea before launching it on Kickstarter," Schultze said. "After receiving dozens of rave reviews from avid gamers, families and STEM educators, we are enthusiastic and optimistic for a successful Kickstarter campaign."

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Gridopolis has won two gold awards in the International Design Awards (Board Game and Educational Game categories) and a Mom's Choice Gold Award for family-friendly products. Gridopolis also is a STEM.org Authorized Product. On July 9, Gridopolis won two silver awards in the European Product Design Awards (Construction Toy and Educational Toy categories).

Beyond being a fun and innovative game, Gridopolis is also a learning tool with every checkbox for STEM, plus the social component. This 'STEM without screens' approach highlights the importance of learning STEM in a screen-free and social environment. As a result, Gridopolis is a great fit in any classroom, homeschool or library setting. If you want to learn more about the educational benefits of Gridopolis, please check out our free lesson plan.

Early-bird discounts will be available throughout the 30-day crowdfunding campaign, which will be viewable on the Gridopolis website and social media accounts on the day of the campaign launch.

More info at https://www.gridopolis.games.