October update!
over 5 years ago – Sun, Oct 14, 2018 at 08:44:00 PM

Hi gamers!

We've been pretty quiet recently as we hammer away at the book, so I just wanted to let everyone know how things are progressing.

The majority of the board game writeups are now done, and we're at the stage where the final lineup of games is about 90% set. While technically our cutoff point for inclusion is Essen Spiel, it's likely that anything great released in the next couple of weeks will need to go into our next edition.

(Next edition? There's a crazy thought! At the moment it's tough for me to think beyond next week!)

We've made a slight change to our plans for the structure of the book. Originally we had intended to have a separate section for children's and family games. However, it's been really hard to make a distinction between some games which are great for kids, but also for casual and party scenarios. For that reason we're going to merge the two chapters. We will not be removing any games from the lineup. I'm just worried that by designating some games as "kids' stuff," we might dissuade some players from giving them a shot. Conversely, I don't want parents to overlook some brilliant light games because they're not part of a dedicated children's section. We will be highlighting the games we think are particularly suited for young players, but we don't want to draw any potentially unhelpful false distinctions.

I've also started receiving some of Richard's RPG work, and Teri will be filing her miniatures content over the next two weeks. And I've been conducting designer interviews with some really interesting folks, from big, established industry names to up-and-coming creative talents.

So what's still to be done? The majority of the remaining work revolves around photography and page design. I'm also going to be meeting our printers on Monday to go over some final details and sign the contract for our print run. I'll be sending backer surveys in November or December. Sorry I can't be more specific, but I want to be sure that I get it right, and that means waiting until I can put down one of the balls I'm currently juggling.

The only other news to report is that I went along to the first ever Tabletop Gaming Live convention in London in September, and I had the chance to play some pretty cool upcoming games! I made a couple of vlog posts about the con (nothing special, just talking to my action camera!), so if you're interested in my instant reactions to games like Pandemic: Fall of Rome, The River, Keyforge, Gizmos, Blue Lagoon, Warhammer: Age of Sigmar Champions, Luxor, Word Slam and more, give them a look.

DAY 1
DAY 2

Thanks as always for your support. This is a tough process, but it's also incredibly fun and rewarding, and we're all looking forward to bringing you a great, geeky addition to your bookshelves!

A bit of a boring update
over 5 years ago – Fri, Sep 21, 2018 at 01:33:46 AM

Hello backers!

We find ourselves with a bit of a dilemma. On the one hand, we know how it feels when a Kickstarter project you've backed goes a little while without posting any updates. On the other, we don't have any big, dramatic news to report! So this is a short post to let folks know that we're still furiously battering our keyboards to produce the first edition of The Board Game Book.

We're very pleased with the pace of progress on the project, and we've played some fantastic games including a few underappreciated gems that we think you're going to find extremely interesting.

While we won't be taking the book to any conventions until we have printed copies to show off, I will be attending a couple of upcoming gaming events, so it'd be great to say hello to any supporters who are also heading along.

First, I'll be at Tabletop Gaming Live, the UK's newest games convention in London's Alexandra Palace on the weekend of 29 and 30 September. I'll be hosting a panel on diversity and respect in gaming, and taking part in the Tabletop Gaming Magazine podcast live recording.

Then, I'll be at the big one, Essen Spiel 2018 in Germany! I'll be covering the event for Ars Technica, but I'd be delighted to say hi to backers. I'm the tall Scottish guy with purple hair, probably carrying at least two cameras.

Thanks as always for your support and for giving us the chance to work on a book we think you're going to love.

- Owen

A very quick update on backer surveys
almost 6 years ago – Fri, Jul 27, 2018 at 05:32:46 PM

Hi gamers! We hope you've been enjoying the summer (if you're in the same hemisphere as us) and that you've been getting some great games to the table. We've recently played the new Ticket To Ride: New York and the deduction game Decrypto. I've also been digging into the very interesting Graphic Novel Adventures series from Van Ryder Games, and I don't think anyone's heard from Matt since he got his hands on a copy of Mars Open: Tabletop Golf.

We've had a few folks asking whether we've sent Backerkit surveys yet. The answer is no, so don't worry, you haven't missed it! At the moment we're hard at work on playing new releases, interviewing designers and writing content for the book. We'll be in touch a little further down the line to collect backer info, and we'll post an update to let folks know when it's going to happen.

Thanks as always for your support!

- Owen

The campaign is over - thank you so much!
almost 6 years ago – Fri, Jul 06, 2018 at 12:39:22 AM

WOW.

Our campaign just ended, and we've made almost £23,000 - over 150% of our funding target - from more than 750 backers. I'm sitting staring at those numbers on my screen, and I can't quite process them.

Obviously, it means we're going to be able to print and publish the book. But your support means more to us than just that. Knowing that our fellow gamers value our work and want to see it out in the world is a fantastic feeling.

I want to thank so many people who have helped us get to this point: our backers, our sponsors, the folks who have been incredibly generous with their time and expertise, and of course my brilliant collaborators Matt, Teri and Richard. The whole team is looking forward to getting this book into people's hands, and on to the shelves at your friendly local game stores and book shops.

So what happens now?

There'll be a slight gap before Kickstarter collects your pledges. This is to allow anyone who needs to change their payment details to do so (for example, if you recently got a new credit or debit card).

You'll also be receiving an email linking to a Backerkit survey which we'll use to collect shipping details to get books into backers' hands once they're printed. A few folks have asked about ordering extra copies of the book, and if you want to do this you'll have the option to add additional books in your Backerkit survey. Backers will get the £3 discount on the cover price on any extra books they order.

What if I didn't manage to back the campaign in time?

No worries! Our preorder store went live as soon as the campaign finished, so you can still get your hands on the book.

I'm going to jump up and down and celebrate a bit now. Thank you so much for your support, and we cannot wait to produce something special for our backers and for the entire gaming community!

The final stretch! And where we go from here.
almost 6 years ago – Sat, Jun 30, 2018 at 08:12:44 PM

We're into the final days of our campaign, and we're honestly a little bit stunned by the support backers have shown for the project.

Your support means that we can publish this book, explore some brilliant games and celebrate the hobby. But beyond that, it's an indescribable feeling to know that people value our work and share our enthusiasm for gaming media. So thank you so much for helping us make The Board Game Book happen.

Where things go from here

Once the campaign ends, we'll allow a couple of weeks before sending out backer surveys. This is to ensure that anyone who needs to change their payment details has the chance to do so (for example, if you've changed to a new credit/debit card, or moved to a new address).

We'll be collecting supporters' details using Backerkit, who let us collate information in a more useful format than Kickstarter's default surveys. This simplifies the delivery process and makes it smoother and easier for you and for us.

We'll also be using Backerkit to offer pre-orders/late pledges, but we want to ensure that our Kickstarter backers get something special in exchange for their support. That's why folks who pre-order following the campaign won't be eligible to be named in the acknowledgements section. We'll also be keeping the discount on the cover price exclusive to Kickstarter backers.

We're immensely proud and grateful for your support, and we're looking forward to bringing you the first in what we hope will be a long running series of Board Game Books!