Shrapnel Games to publish So Cliché! New fast-paced party game announced at Origins 2004!

It is with great pride on this first day of the worlds best gaming convention, Origins, that Shrapnel Games would like to announce the upcoming publication of its first mass market party game, So Cliché. So Cliché is an exciting fast-paced party game playable by as little as two players (although lets face it, if its just you and someone else its not much of a party, now is it?) to as many as you can fit around the board and still be able to reach the cheese dip. As the title suggests So Cliché focuses on cliches and idioms, from Ancient Greece to Elizabethan England and onward to todays hipster slang.

Columbus, OH (PRWEB) June 24, 2004 -- It was 1999 when Shrapnel Games exploded onto the gaming scene. Founded by industry veteran Tim Brooks, the North Carolina publisher had one simple mission: to give gamers around the world the crème de la crème of independent computer strategy games. Over the years it has fulfilled this mission repeatedly, with Shrapnels titles winning numerous accolades, and more importantly, winning the hearts and minds of those who love games. From the Charles S. Roberts award winning game of the shock and awe of the 18th century battlefield, Horse and Musket, to the media and fan favorite game of strategic cosmic fantasy warfare found in Dominion II: The Ascension Wars, Shrapnel Games has thrilled computer gamers over the years.

Like the great leaders of yesteryear Shrapnel Games was not content to sit on its laurels, and so in 2003 new territory to conquer was decided upon...the world of strategy boardgaming. And so Shrapnel Games unleashed its first salvo in the world of cardboard and dice, Mark H. Walkers Lock 'N Load: Forgotten Heroes Vietnam, a wargame of small unit actions during the height of the Vietnam War. Once more Shrapnel Games struck gold, with Lock 'N Load receiving hails from around the globe, making the prestigious GAMES Magazines Top 100 of 2004, and winning the International Gamers Award for best historical simulation.

Now in 2004 Shrapnel Games is once more poised to strike into new realms. It is with great pride on this first day of the worlds best gaming convention, Origins, that Shrapnel Games would like to announce the upcoming publication of its first mass market party game, So Cliché.

So Cliché is an exciting fast-paced party game playable by as little as two players (although lets face it, if its just you and someone else its not much of a party, now is it?) to as many as you can fit around the board and still be able to reach the cheese dip. As the title suggests So Cliché focuses on cliches and idioms, from Ancient Greece to Elizabethan England and onward to todays hipster slang.

We are very pleased to be publishing this gem of a game," said Tim Brooks, President and founder of Shrapnel Games. This is one of those games that people will be playing for decades to come. It has all the elements that you want in a party game; challenge...excitement...fun! You just cant believe how interesting the game is, you learn something without even knowing youre doing so."

Besides being a fun evenings entertainment So Cliché provides players with plenty of trivia fodder for the water cooler the following workday. As players delve into the hundreds upon hundreds of cards provided with the basic game (with more expansions already planned) theyll walk away with a greater understanding of phrases we use everyday. For example, next time you wind up in hot water" with your spouse for staying up late playing our games youll know that the phrase is derived from the practice of actually dumping hot water on people during the 1500s!

In fact, the inspiration for So Cliché came about from a historic tour that helped explain the origins of sleep tight" and dead ringer". Jane Ridlon and Kathy Tawney, the developers of So Cliché and the founders of So Cliché LLC, were intrigued by the knowledge learned that day, which in turn sparked the desire to create So Cliché, the party game.

The origins and literal meanings of much of what we say (once you think about it) are so entertaining," Jane Ridlon shared. As an example, the story behind tie the knot" really makes sense -- it refers to setting up the marriage bed when mattresses rested on ropes. Some of the phrases like prairie dogging" are just fun -- it means looking over cubicle partitions."

Kathy Tawney adds, A head full of useless information is not a requirement for winning. Theres enough history to appeal to history buffs but you dont have to be one to win. This is a get-together with friends and laugh a lot game. You might learn something along the way but that isnt the main reason to play. The main reason to play is to have fun!"

So Cliché will ship with 1200 cards, divided into three types: Shout It Out!, Picture This!, and Take A Shot! Each kind of card is played differently.

·   Shout It Out! cards are the perfect card for people who like their parties noisy. Players must literally shout out the answer, with the player who shouts out the correct answer first rewarded with one more step closer to victory.
·   Picture This! cards are based on-you guessed it, pictures. The pictures represent a cliché players must guess (and for those of you who need more cacophony in your life players can also shout out their responses).
·   Take A Shot! cards are unique creatures. These babies are multiple choice cards, but the cool thing about them is that everyone who chooses the correct answer gets rewarded.

Games take about an hour to an hour and a half to complete. Your mileage may vary depending on the number of literary nerds in the house, and the amount of after dinner wine flowing.

So Cliché is currently slated for a Winter release date, published through Shrapnel Games. At the time of this announcement the price is yet to be determined. So Cliché will be widely available wherever games of excellence can be found, and of course online. For more information on So Cliché, or any of Shrapnels other superb games, stay tuned to http://www.shrapnelgames.com

About Shrapnel Games
Shrapnel Games was formed in 1999 by Tim Brooks, a graduate of the University of North Carolina with a degree in Business Administration. Tim, who always had a passion for war and strategy gaming, had grown frustrated with the mainstream world of computer game publishing. Wargames were slowly becoming extinct thanks to the infatuation of publishers with glitzy but shallow titles. Rather than see his passion turned to memories Tim pulled himself up by his bootstraps and did something about it. Shrapnel Games is now recognized worldwide as one of the finest publishers of award-winning computer war and strategy titles on the market.

About So Cliché, LLC
Some people are inspired by dreams. Others by the works of those that came before them. For Jane Ridlon and Kathy Tawney a tour of historic Williamsburg set their wheels of creativity in motion. It was during that tour, when one of the guides entertained his charges with tales of the origins of quaint phrases, Jane and Kathy realized that information could be used for a greater purpose...it could be used for gaming! Armed with this knowledge in 2004 Jane Ridlon and Kathy Tawney founded So Cliche, LLC. Headquartered in beautiful Chapel Hill, North Carolina So Cliche, LLC intends to rock the party game world old school style with their first trivia game, So Cliche, to be released later this year through Shrapnel Games.

For press related information please contact Scott R. Krol at: skrol@shrapnelgames.com

For all other information, please contact:

Timothy W. Brooks
PMB #164
952 US Hwy 64 West
Apex, NC 27523
919-363-2121
tbrooks@shrapnelgames.com