Valley gamers create board game based on Lost Dutchman legend

You know the old tale.

Back in the 1870's, German immigrant Jacob Waltz finds a gold mine in the Superstition Mountains and it turns out that the gold mine is cursed.  

More than a hundred years later, people are still looking for the lost gold, some even dying in the process.

"I just was just really trying to wrap my mind around what is up there that would make these people wander up into the hills," said Patrick Nickell.

Nickell's fascination with the Lost Dutchman, combined with his love of board games, led to a crazy idea.

"My wife came back to me wanting to design a board game, so we combined her mechanics with my idea," he said. "That's when The Legend of the Lost Dutchman board game was born and my business partner Michael Coe and I started developing it."

"It's fantastic that board games are coming back the way they are," said Michael Coe.

Michael and Brittany Coe, along with Patrick and his wife Jessica, founded Crash Games so they could design and publish board games like The Legend of the Lost Dutchman.  

They say board games are a great way to help families and friends bond in a way that seems to be escaping our new digital generation.

"It can be very engaging, it can be rich in thought-provoking, all while allowing you to be with your families that you'd otherwise miss out on," said Coe.

All of that bonding can be a little "dangerous." Gamers have to face wild animals, jumping cholla, and even haboobs.  They say it's a lot of fun with a little education mixed in, too.

"They're learning more about the rich climate of Arizona, and a little bit of history with the Superstition Mountains," said Nickell.

The group still needs help with funding to get the game off the ground. People who donate will get a game once it's in production, or have their money refunded.  

Visit the website for more information about how you can help.