Kickstarter successes see OOMM Games launch new large-scale co-op focused studio

A trio of runaway Kickstarter successes from OOMM Games has persuaded the publisher to launch a new studio focused on large-scale co-operative board games.

Open Owl Studios will specialise in “immersive games with a strong emphasis on world-building” according to OOMM, which has increasingly concentrated on bigger co-op offerings since raising C$920,000 for Stars of Akarios in 2020.

OOMM started off designing family-friendly titles including No Escape, Last One Standing and Battle Bears. No Escape, released in 2018, is ranked at about 9,300 on BoardGameGeek, while Stars of Akarios sits at about 2,100 with an impressive 8.3 rating.

The strong crowdfunding showing for Stars, a narrative-driven, space-themed co-op campaign game which unfolds as a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’, persuaded OOMM to work on similarly-scaled offerings Mythwind and Stonesaga.

Mythwind, a persistent-world, asymmetrical and cooperative boardgame where you become a pioneer in a whimsical fantasy world, raised C$1.3m on Kickstarter in November 2021.

Stonesaga, a co-op, campaign-style survival crafting game set in a unique, persistent world shaped by player choices, completed a C$1.6m Kickstarter raise last month.

A statement from OOMM said, “This change has no impact on our current development or production timelines.

“At Open Owl Studios, it is all about community collaboration and world-building. We believe in the power of our community and value your feedback and experience as we shape the worlds we create.

“We’re excited to continue bringing you engaging and immersive games, and can’t wait to see what we build together at Open Owl Studios.”