Steve Jackson's Blog, page 165

May 23, 2021: John Nephew Talks International Kickstarter Fulfillment

The game industry is packed with amazing members of the community who make me question my skills and smarts, but few impress me the way John Nephew does. He's always thinking, always surprising me with his business sense and tireless work ethic, and is someone I have looked up to and respected for decades. I doubt John even remembers this, but he was one of the first people in the industry to encourage my creative efforts when I was publishing zines way back in 1994/1995. 

As always, John comes through again, this time with a Twitter thread where he addresses the challenges of international Kickstarter fulfillment. As many of you know, we've struggled with international fulfillment and continue to find it far, far too expensive and complicated to offer international rewards in all of our Kickstarter campaigns. This year, between Brexit and new EU laws going into effect in the summer, it's even more troublesome and challenging than before, and John outlines his experiences with the process and explains the details in ways I never could.

If you've often asked "why no international options?" when checking out one of our Kickstarter campaigns, this thread provides some valuable information. We're going to continue looking for reasonable and smart ways to handle international fulfillment, but please keep in mind that we're not going to take action until we know exactly how to handle the situation.

– Phil Reed

Warehouse 23 News: Back To Basics!

Kill monsters, backstab your buddies, and win – with the original Munchkin ! Step into your Boots of Buttkicking, put on your Horny Helmet, and head into the dungeon! Grab your copy now on Warehouse 23!

May 22, 2021: Fireside Games' Castle Panic Deluxe Collection On Kickstarter

Fireside Games is at it again, with an upgraded edition of their classic Castle Panic , now with detailed plastic minis for monsters and the castle itself! Castle Panic Deluxe is available through their new KIckstarter project, and has already funded, so if you're a fan of the game, or you just want to take the plunge into the deep end, now is the time. 

We here at SJ Games are big fans of our friends (and former coworkers) over at Fireside Games, and of Castle Panic in particular. It was actually my first cooperative game ever! Owners Justin and Anne-Marie demoed it for me at Dragon's Lair, one of our local game stores, and I was hooked. It's a great way to introduce someone to the world of cooperative games, as it's easy to learn, but the challenge ramps up dramatically and even moreso with expansions. 

The game was awesome enough that we worked together to make Munchkin Panic, adding our own monsters to the world. It's just an all-around blast to play, easy to learn, and perfect for any gamer looking for a fantasy-themed challenge. 

Check out the Kickstarter here! Personally, I know I'm diving into the awesome add-ons. There are new playmats, plus an all-new expansion called Crowns and Quests! I can't wait to see what that looks like. Congrats to Fireside Games on funding, and here's hoping for a record-breaking campaign! 

– Hunter Shelburne

Warehouse 23 News: Harness The Magic!

In a forgotten cave in a far-away land, we found a dragon's egg. Nurtured on a bed of smoldering embers, it finally hatched . . . and these brightly colored dice spilled forth! That's our story, anyway. Order a Dragon d6 Dice Set now on Warehouse 23!

May 21, 2021: Munchkin Enhancers Available Now

Did you know that Munchkin games are even more fun when you add expansions? It's true . . . and this particular expansion is full of energy!  Munchkin Enhancers takes a standard, already silly  Munchkin core game and gives it a burst of energy, simply by adding 30 new cards! You've been playing with that same Horny Helmet for years, what if it came . . . With Cupholders? Sure, a Net Troll is scary, but make it Frosty and it's even more chilling! 

This mini-expansion works with any Munchkin game, classic or new! Even the newer releases like Munchkins & Mazes or Munchkin Tails  can take it for a spin!

You can order Munchkin Enhancers now on Warehouse 23, or get it at your finest local game store. Enhance your game today!

– Hunter Shelburne

Warehouse 23 News: Who Let The Dogs Out?!

With the new Puppy d6 Dice Set , we can finally answer that question! Featuring the art of Katie Cook, this set of twelve 16mm six-sided dice adds cute puppies to your favorite game! Take the dogs for a walk . . . or roll, at your next game night, with dice featuring bone and puppy engravings on each side. Order now on Warehouse 23!

May 20, 2021: Illuminati Confirmed Final Week!

Now that we're entering the final week of the Illuminati Confirmed Kickstarter, I thought it would be a good time to really get a look at what we're getting in the project. Illuminati Confirmed has not only funded, but has reached nearly double its original funding goal! That's a huge accomplishment for Derek and the team, but they didn't just rest on their laurels; there have been a few unlocked stretch goals as well. So far we've unlocked: Cults of Personality 60 card expansion with Society of Assassins Ancient Secrets 60 card expansion with The Adepts of Hermes War & Peace 100 card expansion with Shangri La and Dark Discord Illuminati Campaign Weird Science expansion

Plus the project trajectory is aiming to knock down two more: NWO and Illuminati Cold War! Hopefully they can get even more support in this final week, as the more it funds the more cards get added to the game. 

Join in the dark devices of Illuminati Confirmed and back the Kickstarter!

– Hunter Shelburne

Warehouse 23 News: Can You Bribe An Eldritch Horror?

You never know what might get you out of a jam with Cthulhu and his minions. With Cthulhu Coins you can be sure you have that chance! Just make sure you have correct change. Order now on Warehouse 23!

May 19, 2021: Kickstarter Reports, May 2021 Update

How is it that so much of May is already behind us? Somehow, the clock keeps moving forward faster and faster, accelerating toward whatever doomsday awaits us in the (hopefully) distant future. While we wait for the collapse of society and destruction of the universe, it is time to turn our attention to our current Kickstarter projects. As always, we ask that you follow us on Kickstarter – Steve Jackson Games and Warehouse 23 – to receive notice when we launch new campaigns. And there are some fun campaigns in the works and planned for launch this year!

Steve Jackson Games Button PacksApril 28 to May 6310 backers and on scheduleA very small project, but a fun one that perfectly illustrates how Kickstarter can allow us to invest a little energy into unusual tangents. Darryll is building the BackerKit survey while Philip and James verify that we have everything we need to start shipping the rewards.  Hexagram #7, an Old-School RPG Zine for The Fantasy TripApril 12 to April 19805 backers and on scheduleEverything is either already at Warehouse 23 or in the last days of printing and almost ready to ship. So far, no troubles at all and the project has been as routine and free of stress as we like to see. Hexagram #6, an Old-School RPG Zine for The Fantasy TripNovember 17 to December 1 (2020)775 backers and shippedAlthough all of the rewards shipped to backers in April, there are still a few dozen playmats stuck in the United States postal service that are causing some frustrations. The post office happily accepted the packages and money, but they seem to misunderstand their role in the process: deliver things quickly and efficiently! We continue to watch the situation. Car Wars Sixth Edition by Steve Jackson Games November 29 (2019) to January 6 (2020)3,936 backers, behind scheduleThe game is shifting officially into the assembly phase and we should start seeing images from the factory showing final assembly of the project. Next? The dreaded ocean freight.That's four open projects, one of which has shipped (but is stuck in the USPS system), one in the last stages at the factory, and the buttons and Hexagram zine that are both being made in the U.S. as you read this.

We have a few larger campaigns in the works for launch at Kickstarter this summer. Please follow both Steve Jackson Games and Warehouse 23 on Kickstarter so that you don't miss any of our upcoming campaigns, which include Wiz-War , GURPS Girl Genius , and a new wave of Pocket Box games.

– Phil Reed

Warehouse 23 News: All Your Accessory Needs!

The Munchkin Steampunk Accessory Pack includes two  Munchkin Steampunk Girl Genius Level Counters , a  Munchkin Girl Genius Kill-O-Meter , and a Munchkin  Steampunk coin.

What's the coin for? Whatever you can imagine – IF you have the Spark . . . Order now on Warehouse 23!

May 18, 2021: Munchkin Tails Reprint This Summer

We published two new Munchkin games last year, Munchkin Tails and Munchkins & Mazes , and both performed far better than expected! As of this writing, we have less than 100 copies of Munchkin Tails left in our different warehouses, meaning that we almost timed the second printing perfectly. What would have been perfect timing? If the reprint was landing in the warehouse right now. Instead, we don't expect to see the reprint until July (or August, if the shipping delays continue), meaning we're out-of-stock on Munchkin Tails for much longer than we would have liked.

The silver lining? Unless something unexpected happens, we should have plenty of Munchkin Tails in the warehouse to see us through the rest of 2021 and into the first quarter of 2022.

If we're lucky . . .

– Phil Reed

Warehouse 23 News: Who's Guarding Your Dice?

Now you can show all your opponents with the Green Dice Dragon T-Shirt ! Illustrated by Lar DeSouza, this adorable dragon is guarding a gamer's most precious treasure, their d20! Get yours now on Warehouse 23!

May 17, 2021: Proteus, Tribes, Ogre Battlefields, And More!

After over a year of prep work, we're closing in on the final stages of our upcoming Pocket Box campaign on Kickstarter. Unlike the 2019 Kickstarter project (you can find those titles today at Warehouse 23), this time around we're bringing a round of games that weren't originally packaged in the plastic Pocket Box . . . plus one entirely new game!

There are a total of seven different Pocket Box titles planned for the campaign, as well as one ziplock bag expansion. Best of all, all eight are now entering the tooling stage at the factory. Our plan is to complete the tooling process on all of these and then go to Kickstarter to judge the level of interest in these games and expansions. 

To receive notice of this and our other upcoming Kickstarter campaigns, please follow both the Steve Jackson Games and Warehouse 23 accounts on Kickstarter. 

– Phil Reed

Warehouse 23 News: Enhance Your Munchkin!

Flavor up your  Munchkin  games with these 30 new monster, Treasure, Class, and Race enhancers! For use with  Munchkin, Munchkins & Mazes, Munchkin Tails, Munchkin Oz , or any set that uses the original  Munchkin  card backs! Order Munchkin Enhancers now on Warehouse 23!

May 16, 2021: The Fanzine Trip On Kickstarter

The Fantasy Trip has generated so much buzz that a group of fans led by user Tollenkar has created their own zine: The Fanzine Trip , live on Kickstarter now! This is a fan-made project, so while it's not licensed by us, it's received the SJ blessing, and we are happy to see how much fan support there is for the game. Similar to our own Hexagram series (up to issue seven on Backerkit now), The Fanzine Trip collects articles and fan-made rules to provide players with even more content for their campaigns. The more the merrier!

Congratulations to Tollenkar and crew for the successful funding! The project closes in a few days, so make sure to back and support the community, and to get a collection of cool TFT content. 

– Hunter Shelburne

Warehouse 23 News: Take Your Miniatures Game To The 21st Century!

With Ogre Miniatures, Second Edition! In 2085 A.D. armored warfare is faster and more deadly than ever, but all fear the mighty Ogre! Included with the book are record cards for all known Marks and styles of Ogres and more. Order now on Warehouse 23!

May 15, 2021: Ongoing Shipping Woes

Over the last year, the world has experienced ocean freight issues that have driven up costs while pushing factory* to warehouse timelines out from six to seven weeks to 10+ weeks. We've been hit more than a few times with unexpected out-of-stock troubles on some key titles over the last year, and every single time we think we found a solution . . . bam.

Recently, we were scheduling a container of games that was planned to leave the factory in late April. As of today, the container still hasn't been loaded on a ship and the soonest possible shipping date is late this month. Worse still, that container will cost us over 1.5x as much to ship as it did before the pandemic. As I said, "driven costs up." Unfortunately, that particular container was only the tip of an unwanted iceberg.

This week, while working on yet another container, we were given a sailing choice that has no guarantees as to when it will ship – for over 2x what we used to pay for a container. Of course, that container hasn't expanded by over 2x in size, so we simply are paying more per unit for ocean freight than we once did. We can handle the expense better than we can the delays, but the current freight costs and times are not sustainable and we need to examine our retail prices as well as build even more time into our production and shipping schedules.

And now it is almost time to review the costs and estimated delivery schedule for yet another container . . .

– Phil Reed

* Specifically, the time to move completed games and not the entire manufacturing/shipping process.

Warehouse 23 News: Munchkin Dice Bag!

Only a munchkin would bring more than a couple sets of dice to a game day. Fortunately, we cater to munchkins! This fancy, satin-lined, 7-inch square  Munchkin Dice Bag  will hold all the dice you need for every possible situation: good dice, bad dice, or even probationary dice! Order now on Warehouse 23!

May 14, 2021: April 2021 Top Ten

Finally, after months of zero inventory, the latest reprint of the original Munchkin game landed in the warehouse and started shipping. Being out-of-stock on our evergreens always hurts, but the increased holiday sales plus factory and freight delays meant we spent the first quarter of the year with none of our core Munchkin game to sell to our many outlets. That hurts.

In other April news, mailing the Hexagram #6 Kickstarter rewards officially moved that project onto the sales reports, and two of the new titles for The Fantasy Trip made it into our top ten for April. Another Kickstarter project, the Illuminated Manuscript, also managed to climb into the top ten, as if to demonstrate the importance of maintaining both a traditional release model and creating titles specifically for a crowdfunding channel. Munchkin Munchkin Deluxe Zombie Dice Munchkin 6 - Double Dungeons Munchkin Enhancers Dice Bag: Munchkin Hexagram #6 Munchkin 4 - The Need For Steed Illuminated Manuscript The Fantasy Trip Old School Monsters – Phil Reed

Warehouse 23 News: Protect Your Dice!

With the Deluxe Dice Bag: Cyberskull ! Have no fear with this guy guarding your dice. Just be sure you have the correct identification before reaching in! Pick up yours at Warehouse 23!