Gone Caving is a card game for 2-6 people in which players of all ages explore a cave. Earn points for discovering passages, observing animals, and finding incredible geological formations. Overcome challenges by squeezing through tight passages or being prepared for an impending emergency. A hand of the game plays quickly, but the game is best played for several rounds.
A portion of the proceeds will go to the National Speleological Society (NSS) to support cave preservation and education. The more people who order, the larger that portion becomes.
Object of the Game: Draw cards (104 cards) to find a cave entrance, explore cave passages, overcome challenges, and exit the cave safely. Score points by tallying the lengths of cave passage explored; get bonus points for specializing in one or more areas of cave research such as geology, biology, or cartography. On each turn, a player draws a card and plays or discards a card. They may:
Each player must play a “cave entrance” card in order to begin exploring cave passages. The round ends when anyone plays a “cave exit” card. A round might typically take 5-10 minutes to play. Usually a game will be played over the course of many rounds.
Passage that has been played in a player’s area is worth victory points equal to the length of passage in meters (25m, 50m, etc.) Passage cards held in a player’s had at the end of a round are deducted from their score. If the player has a scientist card in their play area, passages associated with the relevant science score double points; for example, a 25m biology passage is worth 50 victory points when explored by a player with the biologist card.
Introductory video, and a video demonstrating how Gone Caving was developed and playtested using Virtual Reality (VR).
Gone Caving started off as a dream to introduce the world of caving to more people and what better way to do it than by spending time having fun with friends? We wanted to share parts of the beautiful underground world and the people who explore it with our friends in a fun and playful way. So, we made a game, and it was fun, and we really liked it, but we wanted more. We hoped to add illustrations of the underground world and find a way to give back to organizations like the NSS who protect caves for future generations. With your help, we can do that and more! Our dream is to see copies of Gone Caving in gift shops in state parks, game shops, and yes, we hope to see some being played underground too! The incredible illustrations are done! The card designs are ready! We just need to know how many of you out there want to be a part of the Gone Caving first printing.
Proceeds from the game benefit the National Speleological Society (NSS). Your purchase helps protect caves for future generations, promote safe and responsible caving practices, effective cave and karst management, speleology, and conservation.
Gain victory points based on the length of cave passage.
You will encounter challenges that slow the progress of discovery.
For every challenge, you can find a solution...
Add specialists to your team to earn bonus points and resolve challenges.
Some challenges are more serious than others...
You can find some really cool stuff undergound!
Gone Caving! is made by cavers and gamers! Our team includes decades of experience underground and even more experience playing games. The people most involved include a librarian, a web developer, a graphic designer, an illustrator, an attorney, and a researcher. We are passionate about what we do and want to bring the beautiful world of Gone Caving to you!
Illustrations for Gone Caving! have been made possible through the generous support the Greater Cincinnati Grotto (GCG). They are involved and concerned with caves and issues in Kentucky and Indiana, as well as cave conservation and cave safety.
We are excited to have you here and want to let you know more about the game as it becomes available.
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Please feel free to contact us with questions, comments, or suggestions. If you are interested in wholesale pricing to carry Gone Caving! in your store, contact us at the same email below.
info@gonecaving.com
