Artisans of Splendent Vale is a new narrative board game from designer on Mansions of Madness 2E

A new board game meant to spin tales from the designer of Eldritch Horror and Legacy of Dragonholt, titled Artisans of Splendent Vale, will be launching a Kickstarter campaign in September to crowdfund for a later release.

Renegade Game Studios announce July 7th that it would be publishing Artisans of Splendent Vale, a “cooperative adventure game set in a magical and unique land,” according to the press release. Nikki Valens is designing, seemingly bringing to bear the same chops that created 2017’s exploratory and narrative-focused Legacy of Dragonholt.

“As a troupe of diverse artisans, you will explore the beauty of the Splendent Vale while honing your individual crafts. Experience a deep narrative campaign where your choices will help shape the story. Overcome challenges during tactical action scenes played out on specialized grid maps. Teamwork and careful strategy will be crucial during these encounters,” Renegade Game Studios wrote.

Where Dragonholt’s aesthetic comfortably wallowed in classic high fantasy, Splendent Vale’s one piece of artwork portrays a world of Hobbit villages by way of the She-Ra and the Princesses of Power cartoon. Players will embody one of four characters that boast a breadth of signature abilities and crafting skills, which seem to replace combat as the game’s action imperative. The four characters in the artwork all busy themselves with different tasks that could reflect their crafting focus: one tends a gigantic strawberry bush; another illustrates from the side; a third surveys a gem-studded cave; while the last approaches with a frankly adorable horned canine creature.

The choice-determined tale will bend and change depending on the group’s efforts, with scenes comprising of “tactical challenges” they must overcome to continue. Character-specific interludes flesh out individual stories within the larger arc of play, providing moments for each player to steal the spotlight and investigate motivations, backstory and interpersonal relationships.

Artisans of Splendent Vale is the latest in a long list of credits for Valens. Much of their work can be seen in the horror-dripping, app-assisted board game Mansions of Madness 2E (on our list of best horror board games) and adjacent cooperative sleuther Eldritch Horror. They’ve additionally worked on Plaid Hat Games’ Quirky Circuits, which sees players collectively program probots to complete what should be simple tasks.

Renegade Game Studios handles the popular deckbuilding miniatures title Clank! and its spin-offs, as well as the West Kingdom series of worker placement board games from designers Shem Phillips and S.J. Macdonald.

Artisans of the Splendent Vale will launch its Kickstarter campaign in September, but no shipping or retail dates have been announced at this time.