Ahoy Maties!
It's been a while since my last Dev Diary blog post and I'm sad to say that I've decided to make this the last Dev Diary for We're Sinking. Now that We're Sinking has been successfully funded and will be starting production soon. I've decided to move all future updates to the Kickstarter page so that I can keep our backers informed.
There has been lots of progress that I will go over in more detail in the next Kickstarter update. But in Overview:
Final ship model approved
Ship Mold in development
Dial Fasteners Molds in Development
Dice Molds in Development
Submitted Game Board for Die Cut Production
Submitted Punchboard layout for Dice Cut Production
Final Box Insert Submitted by Black Magic Inserts
New Artwork for Chest Tokens
Begun revising all cards and rulebook text
Upcoming Event
I'll be demoing and taking pre-orders of We're Sinking at MAGFest 23 next month! We'll be in the Riverfront Ballroom with the other board games from January 5-8. MAGFest is one of my favorite conventions. It combines video games, music, and board games into 4 days of nerding out.
Calling Volunteers
I'm seeking some help during the show and have a free all-weekend pass to anyone who can lend me and my wife a hand in demoing We're Sinking. If you plan on attending MAGFest and would like to help out, please contact me at jfrederick@ludamusgames.com
A Look Back
I wanted to take a moment to reflect on how far we've come. In early 2021 the base of the game was there but still brewing its final form.
My original intent was to launch a simple card game on Kickstarter to dip my toes into the world of board game publishing. The prototype above fit in a small box. This version had no 3D ship model, no breach deck, no cannon cards or cannon dice, no permanent breach tokens, and no pirate characters. However, the base game was there. The dials and core actions still played very similarly to the final game.
Over time, the game grew and grew when its potential became fully realized. The sandbox that I build could support new treasures, new enemies, and pirate characters. Had I known how grand the game would be from the beginning I might have run for the hills feeling completely overwhelmed. But fortunately, over the past year, I have learned so much thanks to so many wonderful mentors and game design communities that have been welcoming, insightful and helpful with any questions I threw their way.
I'm extremely proud of how the game has come together and I couldn't have done it without the help of many talented people who helped me shape the game into what it is today.
Once We're Sinking is put into full production, I'll have time to start back on our next game, Toppings! Stay tuned for Toppings Dev Diaries starting back up in the new year.
I hope everyone has a safe and joyous holiday season and a happy new year! See you all in the New Year!
Cheers,
-JF