We are all aware of heavy boot on the neck of mainstream art and entertainment media. Owned and operated by propagandists, it is virtually impossible to actually be entertained. The solution is independent creators. Surfing the edges of the counter culture, creativity and true comedy abound. HINT: it is not the ever-vanishing meme. Suppressed and silenced, these new culture creators are bursting at the seams to grow their support with the intention of changing the vapid cultural landscape into something beautiful.
IncelRiot Studios, the remarkably talented game designer whose efforts include the successful VIRTUE SIGNAL: THE GAME, among others, has created a brilliant new game- PORTLAND OCCUPIED ZONE.
I was invited to play Portland Occupied Zone (POZ), the mostly complete board game, with some real gamers which would normally be inadvisable to non-gamers such as myself. The madman creator, William Dalebout reassured me that the test group was cool, and having reviewed plenty of the beautiful design, I agreed. Once in the digital testing area I had an opportunity to see the exquisite design of the game board and almost 400 cards. POZ is more profound than the biting illustration of the eight characters, imaginary Portland storefronts, and the delightfully overwhelming deck of cards. The story lines and character personal goals are a constantly changing wonderland of filth and depravity- just like real life. Billed as a semi-cooperative board game, characters are encouraged to simultaneously help and hinder each other's progress.
Simply stated, the end goal is to claim power over Portland by looting and burning it all down. In the first few rounds my character Kim, a manic-depressive arsonist, was beat up, glommed onto by Jorge who seems to need a BFF to get anything done, and killed a cop. Every dark, and befowled, corner of POZ is filled with unsympathetic
satire that digs deep- just like the underground trafficking tunnels. Yes, there’s those too.
Development phases included extensive research on real progressive movements and, though satirical, Portland Occupied Zone is more stomach-churningly true than anyone would like to admit.
This brief description does not give POZ its due respect. The excreta-filled intricacies of the game, including strategy, will be unveiled in a Very Special Edition of Flip City Magazine.
With a mere $40k goal, Portland Occupied Zone, an IncelRiot studios project, launched an IndieGoGo campaign on November 8, 2021. At the time of publication the crowdfunding campaign is 15% funded in ONLY 36 hours.
Creating entertainment alternatives subverts the toxic paradigms forced on us normal people that just want to laugh. If you’re sick of it all we recommend supporting the new, and far superior culture creators like IncelRiot Studios.
*IncelRiot Sudios has committed to donate 10% of campaign proceeds to the Rittenhouse family.
Article by Christy McKenzie, Flip City Editor
Art by William Dalebout, IncelRiot Studios
