Hover - A Surprisingly Brutal Hummingbird Game

🪺 Intro

Fun fact: hummingbirds are savage, territorial cutthroats. Literally. They aim for each other's throats with their sword-like beak to keep other hummers from getting that sweet, sweet nectar. 

In Hover, you play as hummingbirds thirsty for nectar… and a mate. You’ll fight, flirt, and outmaneuver your feathered frenemies to build a nest, win a mate, and secure your legacy.

The first bird to build a nest and perform a successful courting call wins the game.

🪶 Key Features

Hover is modeled on real territorial and surprisingly violent hummingbird behavior. You’ll bluff, steal, and strike — just like a real bird in the wild.

This isn’t your grandma’s bird game (Though honestly, she'd probably destroy you at it). 

Outfly, outmaneuver, or outwit your opponents to gain energy, build your nest, and perform a successful courting call. But beware, hummingbirds don’t share. If you’re in someone’s territory, you’d better be ready to throw down.

Each hummingbird comes with its own asymmetrical abilities inspired by unique characteristics of each species.  Want to win? You’ll need to play like your bird actually would.

Hover is designed to get even your most distracted friends playing and cursing with:

Every card, board and box is hand-drawn (by my wife!) and designed to feel like a poster-worthy piece from the MoMA gift shop. You’ll frame them. You’ll flaunt them. You’ll get distracted admiring your own bird while someone else tears apart your nest.

Each turn is quick, and each action is valued. This is a game of deep decisions, quick tactics, and constant player interaction. Pay attention well enough and you may get an edge over the others. Slip up at a crucial juncture and it may cost you the game. 

The backs of each bird card features a true fact that inspired the power of the bird plus an estimated representation of the actual size of the bird on the card. Learn a bit about the bird while you play it. 

We're Ibis Tea (yeah it's a weird name). We're a family that makes games. Victor designs them. Shawna illustrates them. We love random nature facts and that slight touch of chaos with competitive strategy. If you like similar things, we think you'd love Hover. 😊

😮 Endangered Species Kickstarter Bonus

♟️ What's Included

🌵 Desert Migration Expansion

✨ Deluxe Upgrade Kit

🌳 Eco-Forward Quality Components

Every aspect of the game is designed and manufactured with the environment in mind. We decreased the use of plastic as much as possible without increasing the risk of returns (returns = higher carbon footprint).

All components are made from FSC sourced wood and paper. We replaced plastic inserts with specially designed FSC cardstock inserts that create quick access and clean organization without compromising the environment. 

Our deluxe miniatures will be made from Re:wood - a mixture of recycled wood and binder that gives the detail of miniatures without the heavy use of plastic.

🎁 Pledge Tiers

⚙️ How To Play - Base Game

🌅 How To Play - Desert Expansion

🌴 How To Play - Migration Expansion (Solo & Co-Op)

🙌 Praise & More For Hover

👀 Add-Ons

🙅🏻 No Stretch Goals?

While we love the excitement, community, and collaboration stretch goals bring, we decided to omit Stretch Goals from this campaign. We have a very clear vision of what we want for the game which includes a commitment to quality in gameplay, materials, art and visual design. That commitment also makes it difficult to add additional entries to the game, whether it’s more cards or more art, without drastically delaying the production and delivery of Hover.

Rest assured, the game is as upgraded as possible. Every component will be FSC certified. Every card will be premium matte-finished. The box will feature beautiful UV print highlights. Full internal box art will be included (it just makes the box opening experience so nice) - including a full extra hummingbird illustration inside the box cover. Plus, the game will come with complete eco-friendly internal organizers that are meticulously designed to perfectly fit all components, prevent shifting parts during transit, and speed up setup and clean up.

Every copy made and every copy received has the full attention and full quality that we originally intended.

That said, if you find something you think will really enhance your experience of the game, please let us know by commenting on the Kickstarter. We read every comment and will seriously consider suggestions if there is a strong enough consensus around it. 

But wait... $500K Stretch Goal Announcement. 

This isn't going to be your typical stretch goal. We're not adding anything to the game. However, we just announced our partnership with conservation NGO, Jocotoco. 

Jocotoco purchases, protects, and restores wildlife habitats in Ecuador. They manage over 18 reserves that are home to hundreds of endangered species, including birds like the Andean Condor and the critically endangered Blue-Throated Hillstar—one of the hummingbirds featured in our Endangered Species Promo Pack.

We are giving 10% of our net profits from this campaign to the organization to help support their efforts to protect the Blue-Throated Hillstar and wildlife biodiversity in Ecuador. 

However, if we raise $500,000 on Kickstarter...we will instead donate 20% of our net profits to Jocotoco (or give another 10% to another awesome organization, World Land Trust). 

So... do you think you can help us do it? 

📖 Rulebook and Walkthroughs

The rulebook is still being designed. This link will take you to a Google Doc of the rules and also includes a walkthrough video so you can have a visual reference.

🙋🏻‍♂️ New To Kickstarter? Click Here.

Your card will be charged when the campaign ends. We will then use the funds raised on Kickstarter to manufacture the game and deliver your chosen rewards directly to you (shipping info will be added later).

🛍️ Retailers

Are you a retailer interested in stocking Hover? We love FLGS and Brick & Mortar! We would love to see Hover in physical stores around the world. If you are a retailer and want to purchase Hover, please fill out the form below. We will contact you after the Kickstarter campaign. ⬇️

⌛ Estimated Timeline

Note this timeline is an estimate. Unforeseen circumstances in manufacturing, shipping or world events may cause delays. 

📦 Shipping Estimates

Please note that the shipping rate estimates provided above are only approximations for our different pledge levels. The price estimates also do not include any add-ons you may have selected, which could result in an increase in cost. 

The final charges for shipping and sales tax or VAT (where applicable) will be calculated and collected through our Pledge Manager after the end of our campaign and closer to our shipping date.  

💛 Our Story

Hi, I’m Victor. I designed the gameplay for Hover. My wife, Shawna, illustrated the whole game (and designed most of the UI and visual layout too). We have two boys that keep us up all night and up all morning. We love nature, art, science, board games, and puzzles. 

Together, we make up Ibis Tea. 

This journey started as I walked around our condo complex watching our local hummingbirds chase each other, angrily chirping, deadset on claiming their territory with zero regard for anything else. I thought to myself, “that would make a great game.”

Three years of development, countless hours of hummingbird research, hundreds of playtest sessions, dozens of gameplay tweaks, thousands of illustrations, endless debates about design details, and many sleepless nights later… Hover is finally ready. 

We can’t wait to get it into your hands and onto your table. We hope it brings you many memories of chaotic, competitive joy with friends, family, and new faces. Furthermore, we hope it sparks a deeper appreciation and wonder for these wonderful creatures and the natural world.

🚀 Our Partners