Manufacturing update, BackerKit date and Rules preview
almost 6 years ago
– Sat, Jun 02, 2018 at 01:50:44 AM
Hey, you awesome Unbroken backers!
I hope everyone’s summer is off to a great start and you are enjoying the improving weather. Another update to keep our backers in the loop on the progress we are making with Unbroken.
BackerKit coming June 12
First and most important piece of news is that BackerKit surveys to collect shipping addresses/add extras to your order will be distributed to backers on Jun 12. It’s a little later than we originally planned, but allows us to have the blank copy of the game to have the exact estimate of the weight (important for exact shipping calculations for post-KS orders).
Once live, backers will have 3 weeks (until early July) to complete the BackerKit to provide their information (multiple reminders will be offered). We will offer additional information about BackerKit in Q&A format when it comes out. If you have any additional questions – please do not hesitate to message me.
Nemesis and Revenant level backers should pay special attention to BackerKit because one of the questions they will be asked is how they’d like their name to be acknowledged in the rulebook.
Manufacturing partner confirmed
After a series of visits to factories in China by our Golden Bell partners we have settled on Meiji (Brilliant Games) to produce Unbroken. Having produced top-tier games like Sushi Go Party, Forbidden Island, Smash Up, Love Letter and games from the Tiny Epic series – we have utmost confidence that Unbroken will be manufactured to the highest production standard.
Here is a photo of their very impressive showroom:
Stretch Goal Replacement
Early in our exploration of the manufacturing process we identified an issue with one of our unlocked Stretch Goals – namely the custom tokens for resource trackers. At the size of the tokens used for Unbroken (8 mm) there would be a high chance of production defects and the custom-shaped pieces would be fiddly to handle compared to the standard cube tokens. It would also make losing a single token immediately have a negative impact on your enjoyment of the game as opposed to having fully interchangeable cubes. As a result, we are reverting the custom-shaped tokens to the basic cubes.
Such small changes are unavoidable as new information comes to light as we get closer to the manufacturing and I thank you in advance for your understanding.
This change frees up a small bit of production cost and we want to put it right back into the game, so it’s up to you, the backers on what kind of a replacement Stretch Goal to apply it to. Our two options are:
- A black velvet bag (with the Unbroken logo) to hold the tokens in the box
- An extra custom die (with the Slashes design) in every box of Unbroken
Please vote for your preference HERE – whichever option will receive most votes by 10 AM EST on Jun 8 will be included in every box.
Component Previews
We are very close to having a final draft of the rules available, so I will take this opportunity to show you a page that includes a new keyword meant to remove some rule confusion. Some effects in Unbroken do not cost an action to activate (either during the Travel or Combat phases of the game). This caused a fair amount of questions so to clear it up I have introduced a Response keyword – these effects are not actions themselves but rather trigger based on something else happening (e.g. beginning of combat or suffering a wound). Here is the rules page explaining how it will work, along with another new Passive keyword. Bonus points for those who can pinpoint exactly which game inspired the Response term!
Also – here is the designed version of our very first unlocked Stretch Goal – the Reference sheet. This double-sided 18x10 cm sheet should be a big help in learning the flow of the game early on and making sure you don’t skip any steps.
Monster Stories
With these two stories we are now up to 16/24 being done! It has been a lot of fun writing these to flesh out the grim world of Unbroken. The character stories that will follow will be a little longer and more and will provide a glimpse of how each of the potential protagonists came to be a part of the failed expedition.
Next Steps!
I aim to keep to an update schedule of roughly once every two weeks – hope this works for you. There was lots to share today, so the soundtrack sample will be a part of the next update, along with a rulebook preview and some photos of the completed blank copy of the game. Our work on preparing the final files is ongoing and we are on track to provide the final Print and Play to backers in July!
Watch out for those BackerKit surveys on Jun 12!
Progress update - New art + Achievement sheet + Monster Stories!
almost 6 years ago
– Fri, May 18, 2018 at 01:55:14 AM
Hey, you awesome Unbroken backers!
It’s been a couple of weeks since our last update – want to make sure you stay informed about the progress as we move the project ahead!
The big focus right now is setting the production up with the factory. Our partners at Golden Bell have been busy negotiating with several factories – we will be receiving a sample from at least two before we make the final decision on which will manufacture Unbroken. A series of factory visits in late May will help oversee the pre-production setup and ensure quality control of the manufacturing run. We want to minimize the margin for error in getting the game to you in excellent shape!
These steps are taking place as we are working on the print files so that we can get the process going right away after signing off on the final files.
Custom Die
The Slashes option for the custom die was the clear winner after almost 11,000 responses (mind blowing engagement – thanks for all who voted!). More than 71% preferred the Slashes and that’s the design that will be included in the game.
Game component progress:
A couple of new items to share with you – always exciting to show new content as it comes together!
First up – here is the final (two-sided) achievement sheet. The back side is populated entirely by achievements suggested by backers – amazing input, everyone!
Since we unlocked a bunch of extra art for the Encounter cards – I got to commission an additional extra-large piece by Jacob Atienza (the same talented artist who did the cover illustration). The details of this awesome image will be featured on encounter cards and will allow us to minimize duplicate use of images.
Monster stories! Did anyone miss these? Two very different stories for you today linked by a common element. Enjoy learning more about the backgrounds of the Feral Hyena and the Dark Elf.
BackerKit Pledge Manager
The big thing that everyone should be looking for within the next couple of weeks is the BackerKit survey. Folks at Golden Bell have been working hard on setting it up so that it works smoothly. BackerKit survey will allow you to provide the shipping address where your rewards will be delivered as well as add extras to your order. Digital rewards (such as the Print and Play files) will also be delivered via BackerKit.
Content that you can add to your order will include:
- Extra copies of Unbroken
- Advanced Access to the upcoming expansion content
- The Unbroken Poster
- The Print and Play (in case you only want the digital file)
- And since we got many requests for this - our first game, Cauldron.
The BackerKit will be available both to Kickstarter backers and for those who missed the campaign, though KS backers will be offered discounted pricing on add-ons to thank you for making this game possible and being a part of this journey.
Revenant and Nemesis backers will be asked to indicate how they’d like their name acknowledged in the rulebook – important to provide this!
Myself and the Golden Bell team will be there to answer any questions you might have about the BackerKit once it’s available.
Filling in the BackerKit is a mandatory step to receive your reward – please make sure you do so when it is sent out!
The surveys will be active for around 3 weeks and we will make sure to offer a generous number of reminders to minimize number of folks who don’t provide the information necessary to ship their rewards. Once the BackerKit closes – you will be able to update the shipping address, but not change the contents of your order.
Next Steps:
Back to working on the final deliverables! If all goes well next update within a few weeks should feature the final revised and streamlined rulebook - from there it’s not far off until we are able to share the final Print and Play with all eligible backers! The next update should also contain a preview of the game’s soundtrack.
Thank you all for your support of the project and the ongoing conversations in the comments section. I hope everyone gets to enjoy the warmer weather and are making fun plans for the summer!
We did it! Thank you all so much!
almost 6 years ago
– Wed, May 09, 2018 at 07:24:51 PM
Prepare to survive the dungeon!
Thanks to the passion, trust and enthusiasm of more than 16,000 people, Unbroken will get to become a reality! Some fun stats of the campaign:
-
Campaign funded in 76 minutes, collecting 4270% of the original funding goal
- Our thriving backer community averaged 112 comments per day - lots of active and positive discussion!
- With 16,531 backers, Unbroken is the 22nd most funded Tabletop Kickstarter ever.
We are honoured that you chose to put your trust into Unbroken and from this point on our efforts shift immediately towards the production and fulfillment of the game.
Regular updates will inform you of the progress we make and the immediate next steps. One thing that we are committed to is continuing to involve backers in the design decision - that's why the very next update will feature an opportunity to vote for how the Unbroken custom die will look!
For this update - we are opening up a backer call for Achievement ideas! We had lots of brainstorming in the Comments section but now is the time to submit them for official consideration:
On our end the next steps will be :
-
Preparing the custom die design options for backers to pick from
- Creating the custom-shaped tokens to replace the cubes on the tracking sheets
- Commissioning the extra Encounter art unlocked through SGs
- Collecting the naming suggestions from Nemesis-level backers (you will be contacted via individual messages)
- Settling on the manufacturer factory and preparing for file submission
- A thorough revision of the rules / game text to address points of confusion identified during the campaign
The huge increase in the volume of the campaign will make it bit tough to meet the original estimate of December, but so far the timeline still holds!
But that's all for an update next week. For now - let's all just take a day or two to appreciate how amazing of a feat we've accomplished together. The success of Unbroken will surely signal to publishers that solo gaming is thriving - I cannot wait to see all the quality content that it will inspire.
Again - from the bottom of my heart - THANK YOU ALL for making this possible!
A week later : Getting Ready for Production + Custom Die Vote
almost 6 years ago
– Wed, May 09, 2018 at 07:23:22 PM
Hey you amazing Unbroken backers!
The dust is settling after this incredible project and in the short time we have already made important progress to bring us closer to beginning production. This is the first of the updates intended to keep you informed about what's happening and getting the backers involved in key decisions.
For the past week our partners at Golden Bell have been in touch with several factories to select the one that would be best positioned to manufacture the game. We are down to two and should be finalizing that decision shortly. There is a whirlwind of activity as we are settling on the best way to produce each component of the game.
We are also busy preparing the pledge manager so that it can be sent out to backers to collect address information and finalize orders (including addons). Expect that to come in a couple of weeks' time.
In the meantime we have been working on creating some of the Stretch Goal materials you have unlocked - the extra Encounters art has been commissioned and we now have the three options for the custom die:
It's up to you which one of these three designs will be used in the game - please voice your preference :
Balancing the monsters
A fun thing that I got to do last week (I am a statistics geek) was to review the results from over 300 logged games to check the game for balance. This is something I do regularly to ensure all monsters provide a balanced challenge - this last pre-production round of tweaks will result in the monster attributes appearing in the final game. Overall I was very happy with how the game functioned with only a few monsters requiring fixes.
Notably, the Gnoll was by far the toughest of the Level 3 monsters and was weakened to be a slightly less formidable foe.
On the other end of the spectrum, both the Vampire and Basilisk did not provide as much challenge as other Level 4 monsters - both got a bit of a power-up - we don't want any push-overs as your final boss battles!
Scoring your victories
We have also prepared a design for the score sheet that will be used to record your glorious triumphs (rare as they might be :) ) - this is how it's going to look like. The game will come with a pad of about 20 pages of these with the ability to print more from a PDF file that will be publicly available. Here is how it would look after a few successful games:
We welcome your suggestions!
Do you have great ideas that you think we should consider as we move ahead with the production of the game? We welcome these! Please share any thoughts / observations / proposals / ideas / criticisms that you might have through this form.
Next Steps
We want to find a good balance between keeping you informed of major developments while not spamming your inboxes, so we will endeavor to provide the next update in a couple of weeks with the following:
-
Final design of the Achievement sheets (thanks to all who provided their awesome ideas!)
- Final decision on the factory that will manufacture Unbroken
- Information about the Pledge Manager where you'll be able to confirm your order and shipping address
- A sneak peek at the new Encounter Cards art
In the meantime most of my attention will be dedicated to a thorough review and revision of all the game components and most importantly the rulebook, as I am preparing these for a final round of design and submission to print. Once that happens - it's only a short time before we can share the final Print and Play version!
Thank you once again for being a part of this amazing project!
Final Hours! More art, more reward options, new monster stories and a fulfillment partnership
almost 6 years ago
– Tue, May 01, 2018 at 07:59:57 PM
Hello you amazing backers of Unbroken,
It just doesn't stop! Your passion for solo gaming keeps coming and elevating this campaign to new levels of awesome. We CRUSHED the the $500,000 goal - the last one that we had! I am so proud to say that we got to put all the upgrades we envisioned into Unbroken. Thank you all for making it possible! I am also happy to report that because of our discipline of not over-promising - there is only a small amount of work that needs to happen between the campaign finish tomorrow and us having the final files in hand. We can't wait to get the games to you!
Alt-Art Brawler
Meet the last of the alt-art characters of Unbroken - the fiery Brawler. She's suffered some hard knocks, but she's sizing up the competition to exact revenge for her fallen comrades! (I have to confess that she has replaced the female Hunter as my new favourite character).
New Pledge Tiers!
Never too late to try some new things, isn't that so? Throughout the campaign I got several requests to make my previous game, Cauldron available to backers. Well, I am pleased to invite you to consider the Conjurer pledge - it combines the Revenant Lite rewards with a copy of Cauldron. There is not a whole lot of these available, so this tier is limited - my thanks to my publishing partner, Golden Bell, for making these available - these copies are not easy to find now.
If you are a retailer - you are welcome to consider our Retailer pledge as well - a bulk order of 24 games is yours for $500.
Fulfillment partnership
It is no surprise that Unbroken exceeded all expectations I had for it. The campaign that originally was intended to consist of ~2,000 copies will now involve more than 15,000. Recognizing my own limitations as an individual I have partnered with a team from Golden Bell Games to ensure there are people who can dedicate their full-time attention to arranging the production and fulfillment of Unbroken. I have been very impressed with the enthusiasm and commitment of this team and will stay closely involved in making sure that all backers received their games in a timely and efficient manner.
Having successfully delivered campaigns from a few hundred to 8,000+ units such as Pretending to Grownup, Venture Party and Strawberry Ninja , Golden Bell Games is an award-winning publisher and a trusted partner that I enjoyed working with on Cauldron following its release. Their connections in the manufacturing and fulfillment industries will ensure a seamless delivery of Unbroken to backers. I am thrilled that I am able to add their capacity to further build on a disciplined and straightforward campaign that you have kindly chosen to support.
If you have any questions for them - please post these in the comments - the team will be happy to respond.
Reviews and podcasts!
Monster Stories
Two new ones for your enjoyment - my thanks to our guest author, EB Darwin for yet another contribution!
Next Steps!
There are less than 20 hours to go in this amazing campaign and I positively cannot wait to start work on getting Unbroken files ready for production! The next update will come tomorrow to wrap up the campaign and invite YOU, the backers, to provide suggestions for what kind of achievements it would be fun to have on the Achievement Sheet that comes with the game. (I can see Nicos and Raz already started typing).
Thank you all again SO MUCH for being a part of this. You rock.
