Trogdor co-op board game, based on beloved Homestar Runner dragon, fulfills Kickstarter goal

First he was a man. Then he was ... a dragon man. Then he was ... just a dragon. Now he’s a Kickstarter success.

Trogdor, a dragon from the long-running Flash series Homestar Runner, stars in the official Trogdor!! The Board Game that launched its Kickstarter today. The campaign combines the recent popularity of board games with the appeal of Homestar Runner, Trogdor and Strong Bad, the character who created the iconic dragon.

With all the campaign’s draws, fans have already pledged the entirety of the $75,000 goal — less than three hours after the Kickstarter went up. It launched around 11 a.m. EDT and reached the goal just before 2 p.m. EDT.

In this turn-based board game, anywhere from two to six players assist the one-armed dragon in “burninating” peasants and villages while avoiding humans’ protectors. Players choose their difficulty, set up the board and are dealt a “Keeper of Trogdor” and item, which each give Trogdor action and movement perks (not necessarily respectively). A gameplay video on the Kickstarter page, featuring Homestar Runner character Strong Sad, leads viewers through a few rounds, demonstrating card draws, movement and actions.

Homestar Runner

This playable rendition of the character was created by Homestar Runner creators the Brothers Chaps, in collaboration with veteran board game designer James Ernest. The game premiered at PAX East at an official Homestar Runner panel, hosted by the Brothers Chaps themselves, followed by play sessions at PAX East and GenCon.

This real-life adaptation of the burninator will come as a delight to longtime, loyal fans of Homestar Runner. Trogdor was introduced over 15 years ago in a Flash cartoon, “dragon,” in which wrestler-themed character Strong Bad fulfills a fan’s email simple request to draw a dragon. Strong Bad names it “Trogdor” and sings its backstory, including its love for “burninating” peasants and cottage roofs.

The quirky-looking dragon quickly captured the hearts of Flash viewers. Following up on the popularity of the cartoon, the site published an actual Trogdor RPG flash game. Outside of the Homestar Runner site itself, video game fans may recognize the name from the self-titled Guitar Hero 2 track “Trogdor,” a polished, metal version of the original cartoon’s “Trogdor” theme.

While Trogdor is a relatively ancient internet icon, and the Homestar Runner site itself is just about 18 years old, there’s also a certain timelessness to being a fire-breathing, one-armed dragon burning down helpless humans. Hopefully, over 1,100 backers can’t be wrong.