When it first released in 2013, The Binding of Isaac quickly gained a following with dungeon crawler fans. After the game's runaway success spawned expansions, updates, and most recently a port to the Nintendo Switch, creator Edmund McMillen has shifted focus to his next game. On Tuesday, McMillen unveiled the Kickstarter campaign for his new card game, Tapeworm. Within four minutes, fans had fully funded the campaign. At the time of publication, the game has raised $339,746.
As opposed to The Binding of Isaac's unforgiving dungeons, McMillen designed Tapeworm to be "as simple as Uno," with "a good amount of depth." According to the game's rules, players must use a variety of cards to connect worm segments to one another, much like dominoes. The game's Kickstarter campaign also confirmed that Studio71, the publishers behind McMillen's previous card game, The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls would publish Tapeworm.
In the Kickstarter campaign's introductory video, McMillen talked about coming up with the idea for Tapeworm during The Binding of Isaac's development. He talked about creating an intuitive game for people of all ages. After outlining the card game's rules, McMillen unveiled a Kickstarter-exclusive version of the game. It comes with a new playable Tapeworm and bonus cards for The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls.
Clearly, Tapeworm includes all of the elements that made McMillen's previous work unforgettable. In a previous interview with Game ZXC, McMillen promised that players would be able to "sit down and instantly know what they were doing." Outside of immersive gameplay,  Tapeworm also uses the cute and unsettling art style of previous games. Although the card game centers on player interaction, McMillen has ensured that Tapeworm will have his signature gameplay depth.
Players should be excited for Tapeworm's release. Publications like Forbes and PCGamer are already praising the game's art and accessibility. Moreover, Edmund McMillen's previous experience in game design should promise an immersive experience for everyone. Previous interviews also say that playtesters genuinely enjoyed the game. McMillen himself enjoyed seeing moments where players found and mastered new strategies. Although the campaign has only just begun, the massive wave of support seems to bode well for the card game's future.
Tapeworm's Kickstarter campaign runs until May 29, 2020.
Source: Kickstarter