BackerKit surveys lock Thursday, June 22!
almost 7 years ago – Sun, Jun 11, 2017 at 11:27:41 AM

We're getting really close! The ship with our games is scheduled to arrive in port in less than two weeks. Assuming no customs inspections or other delays, we should have the games in our warehouse by the end of the month. So we remain on target for mid-July delivery!

This is a really good time to double-check your BackerKit survey response, especially if you're in the process of moving. And if you haven't entered your survey at all, you really need to now; otherwise, you risk not receiving your game!

I will lock surveys on Thursday, June 22. After that, you will not be able to change your address.

And another reminder: If you'll be at Origins in a few days, you can pick up Wordsy directly from the Formal Ferret booth (#214). Just fill out this form so I know to expect you. Please pick up your game by Sunday at 2 pm!

Thank you to everyone who came by to say hi at UKGE! Wordsy was a big hit there, and I'm very happy to see the game start to take off in the wild.

We're almost there, folks! In the meantime, check out this great review of Wordsy from the Opinionated Gamers. 

Time to head across the sea!
about 7 years ago – Wed, May 03, 2017 at 11:29:19 PM

After months of waiting, your copy of Wordsy is on its way! The games have all been manufactured, are leaving the factory, and making their long journey to the fulfillment centers. I'd estimate they'll arrive in mid- to late-June. Assuming no logistical delays, like customs inspections, you should receive them from the fulfillment centers in July, as I originally estimated. (Fingers crossed for no last-second surprises!)

Want your copy a bit earlier? If you're attending Geekway to the West, UK Games Expo, or Origins, I'm offering convention pickup at my booth! Just fill out this form to let me know to bring a copy for you.

If you plan to pick up your game at a convention (or you're having a friend pick it up for you), please get to my booth by the Sunday of the convention at 2 pm.

I need help at UKGE!

If you would like to experience UK Games Expo from another angle, I would love your help at the convention! I have some helpers already, but I could use a person or two more. And if you help for at least 6 hours a day, you get a hotel bed for free!

If you're interested, you can read more and sign up here.

We're almost there, everyone. The game is almost in your hands. It looks amazing, plays great, and everyone who sees it falls in love with it. And as always, I couldn't have done it without your help. Can't wait for you all to get your copies!

...and an important addendum...
about 7 years ago – Wed, May 03, 2017 at 11:29:17 PM

I should have mentioned in the previous update: I will lock down BackerKit survey responses on May 24!

if you haven't filled out your BackerKit survey yet, NOW'S THE TIME.

You'll still be able to modify your address after May 24, but you won't be able to purchase add-ons, like extra copies of the game. I will lock down addresses about two days before the games get sent out from the fulfillment center to you. That should be in late June or early July. You'll get an email from BackerKit when that happens.

I know BackerKit can be a bit confusing. You can message me or reach out to BackerKit's customer service if you have any questions. I hope to make this process as easy and straightforward as I can.

Games coming soon! Hooray!

Still on target...
about 7 years ago – Wed, Mar 29, 2017 at 06:30:51 PM

Hi folks...

Just another quick update to let you know that things are still proceeding according to plan. The plant should be done with production of Wordsy by mid-May, and we'll proceed to shipping the games to my warehouse then. Assuming they arrive in mid-June, we're currently looking at delivering in early July, perhaps even a bit sooner. Of course, this is an estimate, and we still have all sorts of opportunities for logistical delays out of our control ahead of us, so fingers crossed for smooth sailing, both literal and metaphorical!

Retailers: if you pledged at the $2 level, be sure to purchase your games as an add-on in BackerKit! Your cards will not be charged until June (assuming the schedule holds). Let me know if you have any questions about it. Your cards will not be charged until early June.

For everyone who bought extra copies in BackerKit after the campaign closed (thank you!), I will run your cards through BackerKit in June (assuming the schedule holds), as the games are about to be delivered to my warehouse. Of course, if you did not buy anything in BackerKit, you won't be charged a dime more!

One more note: this is my first time using a third-party pledge manager. If you have any feedback about BackerKit, please let me know. The more I know about your experience as a backer, the better my future projects can be.

Thank you! I'll send another update in mid-May, about when the games should be on the boat.

Image credit: ccPixs.com

The PPC is here!
about 7 years ago – Thu, Feb 23, 2017 at 04:49:26 PM

Hooray, the PPC for Wordsy has finally arrived!

The PPC is the "Pre-Production Copy" (at least, that's what I assume it stands for). It's one of two proof copies I'm getting. As the name implies, this is a copy the plant puts together that simulates what the final copy will look like. There are slight differences in material and cut quality, but it's a great way to preview the look of a game before the manufacturing process begins. 

Once we give the go-ahead, they will actually print all the copies of the game, but they won't assemble them. That means they'll print the cards and boxes, but they will only cut and fold one. That copy is the MPC, the "Manufactured Proof Copy" (again, that's what I assume it stands for). They'll overnight that copy to me.

Of course, once I get the MPC, it will be too late to request printing changes like typo fixes or altered art. The MPC is more about little details like the number of plastic baggies in the game, and so on.

But we're still a couple of months away from the MPC. Let's look at the Wordsy PPC. As you can tell from the photos below, it came out beautifully. I've requested a couple of small changes to the box which we're submitting to the plant now.

(Note: all photos have a playing card included for size reference. The playing card is not part of the game, so don't expect it in your copy!)

Here is the outer box, with the sides. We went for a book skeuomorph, and it came out beautifully! 

Here's the back of the box. There's a bit of a distortion here; the box top in this photo is upside-down. That's because I found we'd put the image of the leather spine on the wrong (left) side of the box back. So we will move it to the right side instead for the final production, which will look much better. 

Also, the back of the box has a redundant second sentence (what was I smoking?), so we've removed that. 

You'll notice I've put a little puzzle on the back of the box, challenging people reading the box back to come up with the best word on the board! We had put the solution on the inside of the box bottom. But it turns out the box insert obscures it, so we will move it to the inside of the box top.

So let's open it up and see what's inside!

Inside the box is a rulebook, the cards, the 30-second timer, 6 golf pencils, and the scoresheets. The proof copy had only 50 scoresheets, so I've reminded the plant that we need 100 scoresheets in the box.

And here's everything laid out! There's also an extra baggie in the box for the cards, should you want it.

One note about the timer: I timed it at 38 seconds in one direction and 40 seconds in the other. I've played enough games with timers to not expect exact precision from a sand timer. They often differ in timing depending on which direction they're going. So do not be surprised if your sand timer is not exactly 30 seconds on the nose in one or both directions; that's just the nature of sand timers!

If you're a sleever, the cards are mini-sized (44mm x 67mm), so they should fit the standard "mini Euro" sleeve from Mayday, and other equivalent sleeves. And there's enough room in the box that the sleeved cards should fit, although you'll have to split the deck into two or more piles/baggies, depending on how much more room the 100-scoresheet pad takes. 

So what next?

We're already submitting the updated box art files to the printer. We also need to make sure there will be 100 scoresheets in the scoresheet pad.

Manufacturing should start within a week or two. I'd expect the MPC somewhere between late March and mid-April, with the games getting shipped out soon afterwards. Of course, delays between now and then are possible and all too common, so I will not promise any delivery before July just yet!

That's about it! I'm really excited to see this game take another step to being realized. It means a lot to me, since it's a chance to revisit my first published game design. And I couldn't have done it without you!