The Board Game «Aridnyk» raised $130,000 on Kickstarter

The board game «Aridnyk» has successfully completed a campaign on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, raising $130,000. This incredible response is a clear sign of global interest in Ukrainian culture and the country’s creative industries.

Who Is Aridnyk?

In Hutsul mythology, Aridnyk is known as the supreme spirit of the Underworld. Older than the world itself, he is said to have created Heaven and Earth together with God. This story — and the characters of the game «Aridnyk» — were inspired by the Ukrainian graphic novel of the same name, created by UA Comix. The game’s lead designer, Volodymyr Kuznietsov, collaborated with the publisher to bring the story to the tabletop. The creators also drew inspiration from Volodymyr Shukhevych’s ethnographic work «Hutsulshchyna», the most comprehensive study of Hutsul traditions and beliefs.

Game developer Volodymyr Kuznietsov and artist Lyudmila Samus

When you unfold the game and immerse yourself in its story, you’ll discover the creativity of the ancient Hutsuls. The cards feature traditional clothing, household items, and sayings written in dialect — which proved quite a challenge to translate into English. All of this complements the game’s mechanics, where players compete for flocks of sheep, encounter Carpathian spirits, and complete their mystical tasks.

Volodymyr Kuznietsov., Lead Game Designer boardova

What Will the English Edition Be Like?

Everything that Ukrainian players already loved about «Aridnyk» has been adapted for an international release. Backers who supported the project on Kickstarter will receive a box containing: 45 colorful terrain tiles, 104 game cards, wooden miniatures of spirits and shepherds, sheep tokens, and rulebooks for competitive, solo, and cooperative modes. The game offers a playtime of 60+ minutes and is designed for players aged 10 and up. The visual design — cards, tiles, and characters — was beautifully illustrated by Ukrainian artist Liudmyla Samus.

“What touches us the most is how many backers have Ukrainian roots. They write to us saying they can’t wait to play the game with their families and share their heritage. And then there are those who had never heard about Ukrainian mythology before — for them, «Aridnyk» is their first glimpse into our culture. We’ve received over 1,500 orders from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, and beyond. It turns out this game is our own small form of cultural diplomacy.”

Zholud Dobrovolskyi, CEO, boardova

At a time when Ukrainian culture is being threatened, projects like this become essential tools for preserving and spreading our history.