Project Update, On Schedule!
almost 6 years ago
– Wed, Jul 18, 2018 at 10:44:23 PM
Yesterday, the crew sat down for the Munchkin Unicorns and Friends premortem. This is the stage at which, in the past, we would send the files to print and start the manufacturing process. As of a few years ago, though, we've been running through a more detailed review process in an attempt to catch any last little errors. You can read about our premortems in this Daily Illuminator entry that Steve posted back in 2015.
What's next?
Now that we've completed the premortem (and made a few tiny tweaks to the cards and packaging), all of the files head to the factory for proofing. In the next couple of days, the factory will send us jpegs of the PDFs that we submitted; this is another proofing stage where we get to verify that our PDFs translated correctly and that everything is still as we expect. In roughly a month, we'll see tooling samples -- a hand-crafted set -- that is our last chance to say "Woah!!!" and fix any possible errors that may have slipped through.
So: We're in good enough shape that we can submit Munchkin Unicorns and Friends to print a few days before the end of this Kickstarter project. We will finalize production quantities next month, and to stick to the planned schedule, we will launch the BackerKit page in early August.
When we open the BackerKit pledge manager, we'll need all of you to complete your surveys as fast as possible. Somewhere around mid-August, when we're approving the tooling sample, we will need to set our final print numbers. To do that, and to make sure any desired add-ons are printed to the correct quantities, we need those surveys completed. (Have I mentioned that we need the surveys completed?) We'll post an update when the BackerKit pledge manager is open and, at that time, set the final "finish by day X!" date.
Thank You!
We're closing in on the final days of the project, and it has been a fantastic experience and a fun ride. All of you have, through your support and encouragement, made the final set better than it would have been had we proceeded without your involvement in the project. Thank you.
- Phil Reed
One Week Until Close and More Munchkin Mat of Mayhem Slots Opened!
almost 6 years ago
– Fri, Jul 13, 2018 at 11:36:05 PM
We're now one week from the close of the Munchkin Unicorns and Friends project on Kickstarter, and the team has been smashing through the workload and, if all goes well, we will run through the premortem process next week so that we're ready to send the files to print as soon as this project closes. We're still on track to deliver the mini-expansion as planned!
(What's a premortem? I'll let Steve explain.)
Best of all, your support has improved the final package dramatically, adding over 30 cards to the set (as well as the dungeon box and a Kill-O-Meter to the complete Munchkin Unicorns and Friends $18 reward level). Thanks, everyone, for making this happen and making it so much better than it would have been without you!
More Mats!
In other news, as requested, we've opened the Munchkin Mat of Mayhem for more preorders. Our team spoke with the printer, and there was still time to increase the order without causing delays, so now's your chance if you missed out and would like one of these for your Munchkin collection. Next month, when we ship the playmats, we'll review the numbers and decide whether or not the demand is strong enough for a second run.
You can preorder the Munchkin Mat of Mayhem right here . . . while supplies last, of course.
- Phil Reed
Bonus: Kill-O-Meter Added!
almost 6 years ago
– Thu, Jul 12, 2018 at 10:58:02 PM
Not a stretch goal!
After requests for a Munchkin Unicorns and Friends Kill-O-Meter, we sharpened our pencils and set off in search of space in the budget to add in a new Kill-O-Meter design. And, after a bit of exploring in the budget dungeons, we conquered evil and BAM! A new Munchkin Kill-O-Meter is born!
Everyone who is supporting the project at the $18, $26, $32, $36, and $60 reward levels is automatically receiving the new Munchkin Unicorns and Friends Kill-O-Meter at no extra charge! We're dropping this into those existing reward levels as a thank you for all of your support of the project and to fulfill your requests as best we can. There are no new cards added alongside this new Kill-O-Meter and, best of all, this addition will not delay production of the set.
(If you've selected the $10 reward and want to secure the new Kill-O-Meter, your best value is to bump your reward selection to the $18 level. Or, if you wish, keep reading to learn how to add one of these to your pledge. If all you're looking for are the new cards, stick with the $10 reward.)
For those of you looking for extra copies of the new Munchkin Unicorns and Friends Kill-O-Meter, we've also opened this up as a $7 add-on item. Now there's no excuse for your friends to take your Kill-O-Meter during the game!
If you're unfamiliar with the Munchkin Kill-O-Meter design, this is a sturdy tool useful for tracking your combat strength when the battle grows heated and chaotic. As we have said before, "There's no time to stop and count when you've got monsters to kill . . . "
For a look at the currently available Munchkin Kill-O-Meters, please visit your friendly local game store or check out our online store, Warehouse 23, where you can find five different styles of the popular Kill-O-Meter Munchkin accessory.
Thanks, everyone. We hope that you enjoy this final addition to the project!
- Phil Reed
Munchkin Unicorns and Friends Designer's Notes and the Mat of Mayhem is Going Fast
almost 6 years ago
– Wed, Jul 11, 2018 at 11:12:13 PM
Would you like to know the secrets behind the Munchkin Unicorns and Friends mini-expansion? Today, Steve and Andrew both give us some behind-the-scenes info on the project as we finalize all of the work and prepare to send the files to the factory.
First up, Steve tells us about the cows and how he found out that we introduced his cows to the unicorns in today's Daily Illuminator entry.
Then, Andrew talks about how he approached each of the three parts that were melded into the Munchkin Unicorns and Friends mini-expansion. Andrew's designer's notes article, posted here, is one of several our team has shared online, each of which makes entertaining reading whenever you want to know a little about how various Munchkin sets were created. A few of the other designer's notes we've posted include:
The Munchkin Mat of Mayhem
Lastly, we wanted to direct your attention to the new Munchkin Mat of Mayhem that we opened up for preorders a few days ago. At last count, fewer than 50 playmats remain available for preorder, but at the rate we're seeing these go, we may need to increase our order slightly so that you're not left out of the fun.
The 24-inch square playmat offers a new way to track levels in any Munchkin game, with each of the rings between levels two and nine providing some in-game benefits . . . the exact bonus depends on where your counter or pawn is standing on the mat. We're not including plastic pawns with the Mat of Mayhem, but if you are in need of Munchkin pawns, Warehouse 23 still has the Munchkin Shakespeare and Munchkin Zombies pawns available.
That leads to a question: Would anyone want to see us bring back the various no-longer-available plastic Munchkin pawns that we've made over the years? If there's enough demand for the pawns, our team could always explore a short crowdfunding project to produce another batch of the unavailable pawns. What do you think?
- Phil Reed
Social Media Goals, $50K UNLOCKED!
almost 6 years ago
– Tue, Jul 10, 2018 at 11:07:09 PM
Thanks to everyone sharing your hearts out on Facebook and Twitter we've unlocked some more unique cards!
Not to be outdone, our monetary goals have also been crushed, and we've unlocked even more promos from Katie Cook, Ian McGinty, and Len Peralta!
While this brings us to the end of our planned stretch goals, we did just launch a new Munchkin accessory that would add even more fun to your game: the Munchkin Mat of Mayhem!
This rubber backed playmat has rings of different powers, and depending on where you go each level, your path to level 10 will have new and different options! These are a limited run item, so get one soon if you're interested.
While we don't have any more stretch goals, we still have some surprises left to reveal, so stay tuned for more news soon!
- Hunter Shelburne
