Does anyone else remember playing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles role playing game? It was initially released shortly after the comic book series first became a hit, and the game was fairly popular among fans of both the franchise and the role playing community. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness introduced a lot of crazy, interesting character and story concepts that made a comic series based on mutated teenage turtles look downright normal in comparison. As a matter of fact, it was popular enough to spawn a series of books with additional content that made the game even more ridiculous and awesome.

At the same time that the TMNT role playing game was gaining popularity, there was also a board game being developed based on the animated series. Sadly, this was pretty much the extent of the turtle’s influence on the board game and role playing industry, and we’ve since seen a bunch of random licensed products such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Monopoly released. There’s nothing wrong with releases like these, but the truth is that the turtles haven’t really enjoyed as much of a hardcore gaming experience in the arena of board games as they have when it comes to traditional role playing and video games. Thankfully, it would appear that the history of this beloved franchise is about to change in a big way.

Recently, IDW Games published a Kickstarter project for a game called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past. Based on the IDW comic series, this TMNT board game looks to be shaping up nicely, with a classic look and feel that is sure to attract a lot of hardcore shellheads. Oh, and did I mention that the game is being designed by Kevin Wilson? Fans of board games will more than likely be familiar with that name, because he is the man behind the Arkham Horror series. That’s right, IDW got one of the most notable board game designers to work on this project, and that should be enough to excite even fans who don’t usually play tabletop games.

As of writing this article, the Kickstarter project is already close to being funded. With 22 days left on Kickstarter, chances are that it won’t take much longer before this game is entirely crowdfunded by fans who have been dying for a Tabletop TMNT game like this for decades. Even after it gets fully funded, their current stretch goals seem to suggest that much of the extra funds provided will be used to create more miniatures for the game. In other words, if you want to see a game with more content and more stuff to do, don’t be shy about donating to the project even after they’ve reached their goal.

At a price tag of $80, all 1,000 of their early bird rewards have already been claimed. However, you can still get in on the Kickstarter exclusive box for $90 right now, which guarantees a rare and exclusive first edition of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past. At the $150 level of donation, you’ll receive “The Works” version of the game, which comes in a box designed to look just like a pizza box. Even retailers can get a head start with this campaign, as they offer a discounted 6-pack at the $280 level!

This is probably one of the more interesting Kickstarter campaigns we’ve seen in recent memory, and it’s all thanks to the creative geniuses at IDW. If you can’t wait to get your hands on this awesome TMNT board game, donate to the campaign or share it with your friends to help spread the word about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past.