KICKSTARTER: Ready for Launch?
The SKUNK’D Scoop
Issue 3
***Target Kickstarter Launch Date February 15, 2024***
SKUNK’D UPDATE!
Our highly secret Skunkworks testers have completed their mission — it’s been a real Game Changer!
Our diverse team of 81 members of Skunkworks have been playtesting and assessing SKUNK’D. We’ve listened to all their feedback and we’ve been continuously brainstorming and recrafting the game! We’ve rewritten the basic rules of the multiplayer and solo versions of the game to make them more concise and clear and “reimagined” SKUNK’D with an additional dash of high-scoring craziness and pure stinkin’ fun! “Mega” and “Carbuncle” are part of your future vocabulary! You’ll find the new game instructions under ‘How to Play’. We’ve also published ‘SKUNK’D Etiquette’ which can be found with the rules — SKUNK’D has a LANGUAGE and LORE all its own that we hope you’ll explore! See Rules & Etiquette
Plus, based on feedback and suggestions, we’ve made a major change to the game! SKUNK’D is now a dice and CARD game! We’ve taken the elective rules out of the rulebook. Now, the game includes a deck of 10 skunk-themed cards where each card represents a different elective rule. The player who holds the power to make the rules now plays the cards with the rules of their choosing face-up for all players to see and use as reference during play. Or, you can do as our family has been doing — we’ve had a blast shuffling the deck and playing by whatever rules are on the top three cards of the deck!
Our Final Prototype Edition of SKUNK’D
The Johnson family expresses our deep gratitude to our family and friends in Skunkworks and to our game reviewers for their wonderful insights! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
After taking a holiday break — when we Johnson’s ALL got together for the first time since before COVID — we’ve been preparing for our Kickstarter campaign with a target launch date of February 15. In addition to promoting the game, we’ve got some fun premiums in mind, too, for Kickstarter!
For example, check out this cool custom-made rolling tray that we have in mind as a premium in our Kickstarter campaign!
Introducing the SKUNK’D Snap-and-Go Tray - the game-changing, easy-setup rolling tray. We’ve got a guy making these for us. He makes them one at a time! It ships flat and snaps into sleek, sturdy form for next-level game hosting!
Plus…
Here’s an insider view on some stretch goals and some thoughts on how we’d like to continue the stinkin’ fun if we have a successful Kickstarter.
Skunk tail dice? What would you think if we could create even more fun by replacing the pips on the dice with skunk tails?
Carbuncles? That’s nothing! What if, for future editions, we had you — Skunk lovers and SKUNK’D fanatics — propose new crazy game rules where every year we would vote on the best ones and make them part of the game?
If SKUNK’D can see initial success, we definitely plan to develop a digital SKUNK’D scoreboard so you can “put it on the board!” right on your phone.
We envision expanding SKUNK’D onto a digital platform where SKUNK’D enthusiasts can gather, post their SKUNK’D achievements and talk skunk smack.
So, get ready for Kickstarter! Tell ALL your friends, and even strangers, that SKUNK’D is coming! There’s one more exciting bit of news we want to share with you. Our SKUNK’D mascot is a cute, cunning, mischievous and potent member of the animal kingdom. We love skunks! So…
We’ve made an association with Skunk Haven! Skunk Haven is a registered 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to championing the welfare of domestic skunks. Their mission revolves around fostering acceptance of skunks as household companions, while also rescuing and providing shelter for skunks in need. We’re excited to associate with fellow skunk lovers! Learn more at www.skunkhaven.net.
Shanna's Skunks in heat of Battle
Check this out! These super adorable skunks are owned by a member of our top secret Skunkworks team. In this image, our adorable friends are engaged in an intense multiplayer SKUNK’D clash!!!
SIMON SAYS…
What Are the Odds of Success?
Simon Armstrong, our VP of Science & Mathematics, delves into the Strategy and Probabilities behind the stink-tilating game of SKUNK’D
Reader's Question: Simon, what are the odds of getting a Mega on my 1st roll?
Simon Says: It’s actually easy to figure it out! You just use the binomial probability formula: P(X = k)= Binom{n}{k} * p^k * (1 - p)^(n - k) where P(X = k) is the probability of getting exactly k successes in n trials, p is the probability of success on a single trial and (1 - p) is the probability of failure on a single trial. Binom{n}{k} (the “binomial coefficient” or “combination formula”) = n!/(k!(n-k)!) where: n! (n factorial) equals the product of all positive integers up to n, and k! equals the product of all positive integers up to k.
Let’s start by calculating the probability of getting a 3-dice Mega in 6’s on your first roll. In this case, each roll of a die is a trial. Rolling a 6 is a "success," and rolling any other number is a "failure." The probability of success (rolling a 6) on a single die is ⅙, and the probability of failure (not rolling a 6) is ⅚. For our calculation: n = 6 (six dice), k = 3 (wanting exactly three 6s), p = ⅙ (the probability of rolling a 6 on one die) and (1 – p) = ⅚ (the probability of not rolling a 6). Substituting in:
P(X = 3) = 6!/(3!(6-3)!) * (⅙)3 * (⅚)(6 - 3)
P(X = 3) = (6*5*4*3*2*1)/(3*2*1)(3*2*1) * 1/216 * 125/216
P(X = 3) = 2500/46656 = 0.05358
So, the odds of rolling exactly three 6s in a 6-dice roll are about 1 in 18.66 or, as a percentage, 5.36%. But, you can get a Mega with any number so that means the probability of rolling any 3-dice Mega on a 6-dice roll is six times the above: 1 in 3.11 or 32.15%. Next, we’ll repeat the above calculation for getting 4, 5 & 6-dice Mega’s and then subtract out the probability of getting a Double Mega (so we don’t double count) and we arrive at the answer:
The odds of getting a Mega on the 1st roll are 1 in 2.72 or 36.73%!
This also means the odds of rolling a Mega in 2s, 3s, 4s or 6s (desirable because the odds of adding to your score and getting an …and rolling! go way up) are 1 in 4.06 or 24.66%.
“Simon Says” is a regular feature in The SKUNK’D Scoop and @skunkdice
COMING SOON! Watch for our official announcement of the SKUNK’D Kickstarter campaign!!
