Manufacturing has Begun | Check out our Next Kickstarter | Preorders Closing Soon
over 1 year ago – Fri, Dec 23, 2022 at 03:59:36 PM

Summary

• Preorders Close at the End of the Year
• Production Update & Component Improvements
• Our Next Kickstarter Pre-Launch Page (Zoo Vadis & Gussy Gorillas) is Live!

Preorders Close at the End of the Year

Quick heads up: If you have any friends/family wanting to make a late pledge/preorder for Trailblazers, be sure to let them know that they have until Dec 31 to do it! Here is the link to preordering Trailblazers: https://trailblazers.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

Production Update & Component Improvements

First of all, I’m pleased to share that the blank samples and color samples have been approved for Trailblazers, and printing has officially begun! Printing usually takes up to 2 months, and after that we’ll be receiving an advance copy to approve the packing and organization inside the box. After that, final product assembly takes roughly 2 weeks. We are still ahead of schedule! :)

Now I’m excited to show off some component improvements that arrived in our latest samples:

One thing we noticed with our preview copies was that the wood figures were just slightly too large (and occasionally cumbersome) relative to the size of the trail cards. So we improved their dimensions to make them the perfect fit for functionality. See for yourself!

Things got a little bit crowded with the older tokens (on the left). The kayaker was particularly enormous. The new sizes (on the right) improve trail readability and make it easier to maneuver your travelers.

You’ll also notice that the eagle token dyed its feathers! This is because the original color (while vibrant and fun) was too similar to the campfire color (and not as true to the bald eagle’s colors).

Below you’ll find all of the changes! (Top token is old figure, bottom is new).

In addition to these size improvements, we’ve also decided to add double sided-screen prints to the traveler figures in the Deluxe Edition! The reason is simple: While the animals and campfires will remain stationary once placed, you’ll be seeing both sides of the travelers as they follow your winding trails. Adding a second screen print does result in a production cost increase, but we felt that it was worth the added touch.

Finally, many of you opted for the Travel-friendly expansions add-on, and I’m excited to show off our early sample!

We’re really happy how these turned out. The triangles work perfectly for both standing/laying campfires and for directional travelers! Also note that the white punchboard tokens are blank samples of the animal tokens. As promised, this add-on will also include two cards which summarize the rules for each expansion (QR code also included which links to full rules); I didn’t show off the rules cards above because they are blank in this sample. Most importantly, it all fits inside the clamshell case with all cards for 1-4 players. Mission accomplished!

The Pre-Launch Page for Our Next Kickstarter Project, Zoo Vadis and Gussy Gorillas, is Live!

As Trailblazers marches ever closer to delivery, we’re now gearing up for our next project featuring two wildly clever games of trading and negotiation — Zoo Vadis and Gussy Gorillas! Be sure to subscribe to the pre-launch page so you’ll be notified when we launch in late January.

Pledge Manager Closes this Friday!
over 1 year ago – Tue, Nov 15, 2022 at 04:46:35 AM

Summary

• The Pledge Manager closes this Friday! Cards will be charged soon after...
• Pre-Production still in progress
• Bitewing Games News (Including upcoming games from Trailblazers designer, Ryan Courtney!)

The Pledge Manager Closes This Friday! Cards will be charged soon after...

Most of you have completed the pledge manager through Backerkit — meaning you have filled out your shipping information and selected any desired add-ons.  A few of you have not yet completed the pledge manager.  Please note: if you pledged for a physical copy of Trailblazers, then you must complete the pledge manager in order to receive your game.  This is how we obtain your address and payment in order to ship the game to your home.

The pledge manager will close after this Friday.  For those who haven't completed the pledge manager yet, please check your emails for a message titled: Response needed to deliver your reward for Trailblazers.  

If you are unable to find your email from Backerkit (check your junk/spam folder too), please comment on this update (or the Trailblazers Kickstarter page) and we will help you gain access to your pledge manager account.

After the pledge manager closes, cards will be charged (for shipping costs, applicable VAT fees, plus any selected add-ons).

Pre-Production is Still in Progress

There is not too much exciting to report this month. I am expecting to receive blank samples and color proofs soon from our manufacturer. These are basically samples of each version of the game (minus the printing) as well as large sheets of paper that show the color proofs of all components. It is a way for us to evaluate the materials, organization, packaging, and prints before proceeding with mass production. After that is approved, the next step will be mass production of the components.

Bitewing Games Project News

I recently unveiled some exciting new details and publication plans for Bitewing Games including unrevealed Ryan Courtney and Reiner Knizia games coming in 2023 or later! This includes a new line of games that will feature yearly releases from Ryan Courtney (designer of Trailblazers). Click the image above to learn more about these thrilling announcements. And for those who are gearing up for the holidays, we also just released our 2022 Holiday Board Game Gift Guide. Feel free to check it out and peruse the many game recommendations 👍.

We'll be back next month with another update on Trailblazers production!

Pledge Manager Closes in 3 Weeks + Other Follow Up Info
over 1 year ago – Sat, Oct 29, 2022 at 07:04:00 AM

Summary

• The Pledge Manager Closes on November 18
• Message for Non-EU European Backers
• Message for European Retailers

The Pledge Manager Closes on November 18

Everyone should have received an email from Backerkit to fill out your pledge manager.  You have 3 weeks to fill out this survey, enter your shipping information, and pay for shipping before the pledge manager closes on November 18.  

I know some folks were asking about the close date in the comments and were told the end of this year, but we've since learned that we cannot leave it open that long.  The reason is that cards cannot be charged until we close the pledge manager, and we need to have cards charged and quantities locked in as we continue with manufacturing.  I apologize for the change, but hopefully this notification will still give you enough time to finalize your order.

If you are unable to find your email from Backerkit (check your junk/spam folder too), please comment on this update (or the Trailblazers Kickstarter page) and we will help you gain access to your pledge manager account.

Message for Non-EU European Backers

We discovered a couple days ago that VAT fees were not being applied to Non-EU European backers within the pledge manager.  This was a setup error, as they should have been turned on from the beginning.  As our Kickstarter page explains, applicable VAT fees are to be paid by European backers within the pledge manager.  If you are a Non-EU European backer who already filled out the pledge manager, please note that the VAT fees now have been automatically applied.  There is nothing you need to do on your end, we just wanted to give you a heads up that these were missing and will be applied (alongside your chosen shipping fees and any add-ons) at the time your card is charged.

Message for European Retailers

Because your pledge counts as a B2B transaction, VAT fees do not apply unless you are based in Greece.  So for all non-Greece European retailers, we will be manually removing the VAT fees from your order.  Backerkit does not provide a way for us to turn this off beforehand, which is why we must do it manually (after the close of the pledge manager, before cards are charged).

That's all for this update!  We'll be back next month with a final pledge manager reminder as well as a production update.  To those who celebrate it, Happy Halloween!  Be sure to support your local dentist and eat lots of candy 😜.

Pledge Manager - Quick Note About Shipping Cost and Switching Your Pledge
over 1 year ago – Sun, Oct 23, 2022 at 05:18:28 AM

With pledge manager emails from Backerkit now going out, we wanted to give a quick heads up about the shipping cost and upgrading your pledge.

Shipping Cost

When you initially open your pledge manager, some of you will notice that the shipping fee has defaulted to the highest possible shipping cost.  Don't panic.  As you proceed through checkout and fill in your shipping address, the shipping cost will then adjust to the proper amount.

Upgrading Your Pledge

Based on what you pledged for during the KS campaign, your reward has already been added to your cart.  If you would like change your pledge, then the survey gives you instructions for how to do this:

After clicking the email link to open your pledge manager, a page will tell you that you can click the back button and then click "switch your pledge level" under the "Get Started" button.

Hopefully this clears things up for folks.  Feel free to comment on the KS page or this update if you have any questions!

Pledge Manager Opening Soon | Late Pledges / Preorders Now Live | PnP Files Have Been Sent | Pre-Production Update
over 1 year ago – Wed, Oct 19, 2022 at 03:22:28 AM

Summary

• Pledge Manager Opening Soon
• Late Pledges / Preorders Now Live
• PnP Files Have Been Sent
• Pre-Production Update

Pledge Manager Opening Soon

Hello again Trailblazers backers! For this month’s update, I’ve got a lot of good news to cover, starting with the pledge manager…

By the end of this month you’ll be receiving an email from Backerkit. This email will likely be titled “Response Needed — Get your reward for Trailblazers.” It is critical that you follow the directions on this email, as this is how you’ll fill out and pay for shipping in order to receive your reward! Within this pledge manager, you’ll also be able to upgrade your pledge for Trailblazers or add-on more copies if you wish.

Speaking of add-ons, we’ve included a standalone clamshell case & carabiner as an option, as some of you have requested! You’ll also find the Travel-friendly expansions add-on option available, as promised. 🙌

Keep in mind that we’ll first be doing a smoke test (opening up the pledge manager to a small number of backers before opening it up to everyone), so please be patient.

Late Pledges / Preorders Now Live

This news isn’t as relevant for you, our backers, but folks can now make a late pledge (basically preorder) for Trailblazers. If you have any friends or family who missed the Kickstarter campaign, they can now secure a copy for themselves here: https://trailblazers.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

PnP Files Have Been Sent

As promised, print & play files have been emailed to our PnP backers as well as those physical edition backers who requested it. This email was sent a couple weeks ago. If you did not receive the email, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]

Pre-Production Update

Immediately after the Kickstarter campaign closed, I spent several days and many long hours blitzing through the remaining Trailblazers files and preparing them for production. This included finalizing rulebooks for each version, finalizing the files for the Travel-friendly expansion add-on, polishing the box designs with nice final touches, adjusting the wood tokens based on testing of our prototype samples, correcting other minor errors discovered in our prototype samples, creating a rules summary card to fit inside the clamshell case, and more.

I’m the type of person who loves to sprint through a publishing task, particularly when I know it means you’ll get your game sooner. In the case of Trailblazers, I’m pleased to report that all manufacturing files were submitted to our manufacturer within a week after the close of the Kickstarter campaign… the ball is now in their court to produce the games!

Aside from a week-long holiday in China, our manufacturer has spent the last few weeks formatting the files for production. They recently sent me e-proofs to review, and those have all been reviewed and approved. In other words, we are progressing through pre-production very quickly, and if manufacturing & fulfillment goes smoothly then we expect to deliver your rewards to you long before the promised month of May.

Here’s a before & after of the Trailblazers Deluxe Edition box top design:

If you’re wondering what the “Deep Clean Series” logo on the side of the box means, then stay tuned for some exciting announcements in our upcoming blog post on Monday titled: What’s Next for Bitewing Games?

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