[The Kinghill Chronicles] The Final Chapter!
about 1 year ago
– Wed, Mar 01, 2023 at 07:11:17 AM
Dear backers, supporters and players,
Today is the day I have a big announcement for you that I have been preparing for a while.
I know that some of you were expecting a new expansion for Kinghill that I mentioned unofficially between the lines, but this is different. If you're not interested in all the history and background, you can skip the next paragraph.
It's been a while since the folks at SFG (Steamforged Games) contacted me and we played Kinghill. People were literally blown away by the game and have expressed interest in purchasing it. Making the decision whether to pass the game on or keep it was one of the very difficult decisions of my life.
I know that selling licenses is not uncommon abroad. However, concerns about whether I would lose control of the game and the expansions I had already started working on made this decision quite tough. And the last factor was of course finances. I already discussed the situation of how Kinghill was doing in terms of the whole campaign in a previous update.
In the end, the cost of transport was even higher than I had anticipated. There are duties, storage and other costs to pay that I hadn't originally counted on. So the return on the project in terms of finances is zero. Fortunately, I've managed to sell extra games I've been making which has saved me from potential problems. Anyway I had to consider fiances too, because if I wanted to make another game, the expenses are absolutely insane for a single developer these days. All this led me to the following decision.
Kinghill as a brand is completely sold and belongs to Steamforged Games.
I would like to add a few important things to this. While there are a number of factors behind the decision, the most important one for me was that I got along well with the people at SFG (at least the ones I came in contact with). If I wasn't internally convinced that the game wouldn't be in good hands, I wouldn't have sold it. I'm well aware that SFG is primarily behind the big game brands, where marketing is viewed negatively by some people, but honestly this went beyond me.
SFG promised me that I would continue to be mentioned as the author/co-writer of the game, whatever the publisher's plans were.
You can also read about the acquisition directly on the SFG website.
SFG liked the game so much that they asked me if I would do a 3-4 player expansion for them, which was planned. Since the game was developed for this number from the beginning, it is currently in the works. Whether it ever sees the light of day or stays in a drawer is up to the publisher and I cant promise that but this expansion is ready anyway.
We have also tentatively agreed that if there is interest in the game and it is reprinted, I will participate in the another big expansion, which I have some ideas about. But it all depends how the game does in the market.
I guess that's all I can say about Kinghill at the moment. If you have any questions, ask me. I've tried to be transaprent throughout the campaign and I'd love to hear your opinion.
Thanks again to everyone for the tremendous support in my first project, I appreciate everyone who has stood behind me over the last three years.
Q: Where can I buy the game?
SFG will be offering the game in their store. If you are a retailer and are interested in the game, please contact SFG directly.
Q: Where can I find out more about the game itself, is there still any support?
The BGG page still remains open and I'll be happy to answer any questions. There is an official BGG FAQ. You can also join our little cozy Facebook tavern and ask there if you wish.
Q: Are you working on another game yet?
Yes. But honestly I have another project going on right now, so I have no idea when/if the game will ever make it to kickstarter, but will definitely share with you when I will have something more. And I'm also ready to do more content for Kinghill if Steamforged is interested.
[The Kinghill Chronicles - Chapter 16] Fulfillment Finished!
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Feb 09, 2023 at 08:42:12 AM
Fulfillment is generally considered a nightmare. From the backer's point of view, it's about late delivery of games, but from the deliverer's point of view, it's a bit more of a hassle. From crazy prices, lost containers, customs clearance issues to the thousands of little details you need to deal with.
How was my first fulfillment? Honestly - it wasn't as bad as everyone described. Yes, there were dozens of small setbacks and dozens of emails... but thankfully, nothing major.
Within Asia and Europe, I was able to deliver the games a month in advance!
I don't know if it was luck on the partners I chose, or if I'm just phlegmatic and didn't experience every single thing. Thanks to everyone who helped me in the delivery process.
Either way, my fulfillment didn't go without some problems that I wasn't prepared for.
Mistakenly charged extra fees to backers on delivery. Last minute address changes. Wrong number of components in addons. Box destroyed from the inside (how did that happen????). A badly printed card. Or a port closure because of Covid. Worker strikes.... I could go on for a while... just regular fulfillment problems. I hope I managed to sort everything out.
With that, I additionally apologize to the people for whom I was unable to handle small complaints regarding a misprinted card or a missing token in an addon.
Issues like someone getting the game before someone else, or the game arriving on the retailer and backer's shelves at the same time I won't really address, I'll just take it as a lesson for next time on how to do some things differently or better.
People are always interested in some details about the numbers. How much did I pay in total for shipping? Please take it as an estimate.
EU + UK - $18700 (400 backers)
USA + Canada - $8700 (400 backers)
Asia + Aus + NZ - $1200 USD (30 backers)
That's a total of aprox. $28600. Just for comparison - the production of the game cost around $21000.
For shipping I collected (VAT included) around 18000 USD. The rest was covered by your help, addon and extra games sales (retail, etc.).
However, what does the end of fulfillment mean?
Unfortunately, I will not be able to handle most complaints at this stage. This is because I no longer have games with my shipping partners in the regions. If I want to store games with them, I need to pay for space for storage and these are not small amounts. I still have some spare copies at home, but it will always depend on the case.
If you have contacted me with a complaint that has not yet been resolved, please email me at [email protected]. As I handle all complaints myself, it is possible that something was lost in communication.
If you haven't heard from me yet, something is wrong. We will discuss a specific solution invidually, please use the email above.
Wait for the next update... :)
And let me know if the delivery of the game went okay, or what you'd like to see next time.
Thanks a lot for your patience and support !
[The Kinghill Chronicles - Chapter 15] Kinghill has arrived!
over 1 year ago
– Fri, Dec 23, 2022 at 11:07:34 PM
Thank you all so much for your patience, trust and support throughout the year as delivering the game has been a great experience for me. I believe 99% of people have received the game and I'll just be catching up with the few individuals where the game has wandered off somewhere.
I wish everyone a wonderful holiday season, lots of board games under the Christmas tree and great family time.
See you in the New year!
[The Kinghill Chronicles - Chapter 14] Almost there!
over 1 year ago
– Wed, Dec 07, 2022 at 03:52:53 PM
Dear backers,
just another quick shipping update. Hopefully one of the last.
The final shipment to the customer is finally in motion. Shipping to Canada can range anywhere from 5 to 15 days, US should be a little faster. Let me know if you have any info!
I don't have everything confirmed yet, but theoretically everyone should have the game by now. Didn't you receive it? Let me know in the comments, or email me at [email protected] so I can start looking if there's a problem.
If we discussed a replacement, has everything arrived or are you still waiting?
How do you experience the end of the year, do you have time to play games or are you too busy in the Christmas rush?
[The Kinghill Chronicles - Chapter 13] Still moving!
over 1 year ago
– Wed, Nov 23, 2022 at 06:05:16 PM
Dear backers,
I have a few things to say. First and foremost, I am thrilled with the response I have received from those who have already received the game. Altough I trust the game itself (otherwise I wouldn't have gone to KS), the reactions and reviews have really warmed my heart.
Though unfortunately the game hasn't yet reached the majority of backers and thus the main wave of critics, I still really appreciate your reactions. The 8.7 rating on BGG speaks for itself. We're better than Gloomhaven so far (just kidding).
An official FAQ has been created on BGG, where I collect questions and also point out any ambiguities in the rules. If you want to read some tricky questions, check it out.
Let's get to the fulfillment situation.
The games are still in the US warehouse, the last step from your door. Unfortunately, due to a combination of events, the entire delivery has been delayed and larger orders are currently being processed. I didn't want to put undue pressure on the shipping company, as I believe they are doing the best they can. Today (23/11) some hope finally dawned, I was promised that the game should start shipping in early December. I'm going to hope that it does.
Thank you all very much for your patience. I was hoping to deliver the game ahead of schedule, even earlier than planned. I know that some delay is expected for first-time creators, but I'm even more sorry that others have the game already and you haven't yet.
The games are in the process of being delivered and if it hasn't arrived yet, you probably live in the far reaches of the world, anyway, don't panic yet.
I'm also dealing with the with claims for broken / damaged boxes that have come in, please have some patience here, I'm sure we can sort everything out, sooner or later.
Have you already played the game? How many times? And if not , are you looking forward to it?
