These Amazing Paintings Raised $1.8 Million for a Board Game

1920 Series, “Uninvited Guests” (detail), by Jakub Rozalski
Jakub Rozalski’s “1920” series of paintings has become an internet sensation, and now they’re responsible for the “most-funded board game, not focusing on miniatures” in the history of Kickstarter.
The images depict a 1920s-era eastern Europe under the shadow of war—and literally under the shadows of massive mechanized war machines. Some walk on two legs, others look more like giant spiders or elephants—and then you’ve got the flying ships. It’s a hugely captivating world, so fully realized that we can’t help but think of Simon Stalenhag’s eerie Sweden, which we’ve praised before.
Rozalski’s scenes, though, are visualizations of the storyline of a board game called Scythe. As described on the Scythe kickstarter page:
Designed by Jamey Stegmaier (Viticulture & Euphoria) and based on the art and worldbuilding of Jakub Rozalski, Scythe is a 4x game (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) set in an alternate-history, 1920s Eastern Europe. Scythe tells the stories of 5 factions competing over an unclaimed patch of land surrounding the mysterious Factory.
The Scythe kickstarter kicked off on October 13, seeking $33,000 in funding. The campaign ended yesterday, having secured a whopping $1,810,294.
Here are 10 the great Jakub Rozalski pieces that helped Scythe obliterate its goal; for more, visit jakubrozalski.artstation.com:
WOW! that’s amazing–that’s some amount of cabbage!