Central Michigan University Press
CREATOR
8 days ago
Project Update: New Stretch Goals: The New Way and an Alternate Deck
Hello, all!
We can't believe that it has been more than a week since we launched this campaign, and we have already come so far! Today we have an update with something for you to enjoy now...and something to unlock later!
First, we are delighted to share something novel: a digital exhibit building off the themes of The Blue Way to expand both its conversation about colonialism and the world of the game beyond the box. Recent CMU Museum Studies minor program graduate Samantha Krayniak created The Blue Way: A Digital Exhibit to focus specifically on how museums have played a role in colonization and what is being done in the modern day to decolonize their exhibits and spaces. Check it out here: https://cmichpress.com/2026/06/13/the-blue-way-a-digital-exhibit/
Second, as we approach our first stretch goal, we're already looking forwards to the next one! Remember, all of these components are already available as print and play elements with The Blue Way Curriculum Guide. The stretch goals will allow us to produce them as physical elements and commission some new art as detailed below. We are so excited to include these bonus features in this campaign! Are you ready to see what's next?
We can't believe that it has been more than a week since we launched this campaign, and we have already come so far! Today we have an update with something for you to enjoy now...and something to unlock later!
First, we are delighted to share something novel: a digital exhibit building off the themes of The Blue Way to expand both its conversation about colonialism and the world of the game beyond the box. Recent CMU Museum Studies minor program graduate Samantha Krayniak created The Blue Way: A Digital Exhibit to focus specifically on how museums have played a role in colonization and what is being done in the modern day to decolonize their exhibits and spaces. Check it out here: https://cmichpress.com/2026/06/13/the-blue-way-a-digital-exhibit/
Second, as we approach our first stretch goal, we're already looking forwards to the next one! Remember, all of these components are already available as print and play elements with The Blue Way Curriculum Guide. The stretch goals will allow us to produce them as physical elements and commission some new art as detailed below. We are so excited to include these bonus features in this campaign! Are you ready to see what's next?
- $16,500 - LOCKED - The New Way and an Alternate Deck!
- Once we unlock this stretch goal, Backers will access a new game AND a new alternate deck for The Blue Way! These items are already included in The Blue Way Curriculum Guide as print-and-plays. Unlocking this stretch goal will give all Backers the chance to play with these awesome additions in a physical form.
- The New Way, designed by Dr. Allen White, is a role-playing game about engineering ethics. It shares some bones with The Blue Way but is a completely different experience! Players step into the roles of employees at a fictional biomedical component supplier under new -- and unscrupulous -- management. It will be made into a deck of cards (instructions and reflection included) with new art in a tuck box!
- The alternate deck for The Blue Way provides players with more opportunities to explore the nuances of the relationship between the Sàthani and Dusians. Colonialism comes in many forms, and focus is often on violence and repression, but historically colonialism is far more complex. This new deck of cards adds the daily lived experiences of the people, portraying the colonialism by including seemingly simple cultural exchanges like food, games, and developing inter-racial relationships between the Sàthani and Dusians. The deck was designed by Dr. Jonathan Truitt, a professor of Latin American history who researches Spanish and Indigenous interactions during Mexico’s colonial period.
- To expedite play and demonstrate the impact of character choices on the broader culture, this second deck includes alternate rules and access to a downloadable pre-drawn map by Tak Moran (optional for game play, but reduces playtime). Players combine part of the core deck and part of this alternate deck to play, enhancing replayability. In standard gameplay, there are consequences when a character resists or rebels, but in this version, players track the impact of acceptance by slowly coloring the map blue every time a character decides not to resist. At the end of the game, the merging of Sàthani and Dusian culture that results through player choices is visible, providing an additional dimension of gameplay and discussion.
Stay tuned for more updates, announcements, and cool things related to The Blue Way!
The CMich Press Team
Comments
0