BackerKit surveys coming out this week!
about 5 years ago – Tue, Apr 09, 2019 at 09:26:24 PM

Hello High Rise backer, just a quick update here...

I'm sending out surveys this week! Some of you will get them today; the rest of you will get them in a few days. Please look for an email from BackerKit.

If you want to order add-ons, like extra copies of the game or wooden bases, you can do it through this survey!

If you're a premium backer, thank you for submitting your names! I'll be going through them this week and early next week, and contacting folks if I have any feedback.

I'll leave you with Kwanchai's complete art for the board, which just arrived this weekend. The whitespace around the edges will all be filled with icons. I'll post the final board when Heiko is done with it!

Meanwhile, Heiko is finishing graphic design for the board (pending street/pier names), and I'm finalizing details for the cards and tiles, as well as doing more usability testing over the next couple of weeks.

Thanks!

If you backed, don't use the pre-order store! Wait 2 weeks for the surveys.
about 5 years ago – Wed, Mar 27, 2019 at 12:24:43 AM

Hello High Rise backer! Thanks again for supporting my game so enthusiastically. I'm really delighted to see everyone's excitement for the game!

You may notice that I've posted a link to pre-orders through the campaign page! If you are already a backer, please do not use the pre-order store! The pre-order store is just for folks who missed the Kickstarter campaign.

Instead, sit tight! In two weeks, I will send out surveys using our third-party pledge manager, BackerKit (the same place that's hosting my pre-orders). You'll get an email inviting you to complete the survey. Everything currently in the pre-order store will be available as an add-on through the survey, and it will be a lot easier for both you and me if you order it that way!

Premium Pledge Level backers: you have one week to submit your names!

If you backed at a premium pledge level, you should have gotten a Kickstarter message from me giving you directions on how to give me your names. The ones I've seen so far have been excellent; thanks to everyone who's submitted one so far!

If you have not submitted your names yet, you have until April 3 to do so. 

Questions and answers about BackerKit

If you're a casual backer and don't care to know any further gory details, you can stop reading now; it gets much more boring from here. :) If you have further questions, read on!

Is there any difference between what Kickstarter backers get and what BackerKit pre-order customers get?

Yes! You are automatically getting the "Fancy Bits" add-on, which are the extra wooden tiles and plastic cubes from the old $60k stretch goal. If, as a Kickstarter backer, you purchase an additional copy of High Rise through BackerKit as an add-on through the BackerKit survey, that copy will come with Fancy Bits included for free as well. 

Non-backers who pre-order a single copy of High Rise do NOT get Fancy Bits included automatically; they will have to buy it separately. So you may see Fancy Bits in the pre-order store, but you won't see it in the add-on store, because it's included for free with each copy of High Rise ordered by a backer. It's a thank you for believing in my project!

Are you going to make the $70k stretch goal, the wooden standees, available as an add-on?

Yes! Those are already live in the pre-order store... but again, as a Kickstarter backer, don't pre-order! Wait two weeks for the survey and add them that way. 

The wooden standees will be a $5 add-on. As a Kickstarter backer, you won't have to pay any extra shipping charges for them (another thank-you!).

Thanks to everyone who told me you'd be interested in buying the wooden standees. Your feedback is always such a big help!

I backed for $1 (or something like that). Can I raise my pledge in BackerKit?

Yes! You'll be able to raise your pledge to the $59 ARCHITECT level through the BackerKit survey you'll get in two weeks, which will get you one copy of High Rise, the 5 extra Tenant Tiles, and a set of Fancy Bits. You will be considered a backer for any other add-ons you order.

You'll only be able to raise your pledge to ARCHITECT. All premium levels are closed (even the DONOR level), as I need to lock down the names ASAP so we can prep files for printing.

Will STL files for 3D printing be available?

Yes! I'm still deciding on the best way to distribute them. I'll have more news next week!

Do you really have to use BackerKit?

Yes! It seriously makes my life as a creator much easier in a bunch of ways. I make fewer mistakes, and pre-orders are much easier to handle this way.

My question isn't listed here!

Then ask it in the comments below! I'll be setting up for PAX East, but I'll try to answer it when I have a free moment.

Thanks!

Funded!
about 5 years ago – Tue, Mar 26, 2019 at 12:52:59 AM

We did it!

It took all 21 days of the campaign and a LOT of work from all of us, but every single demo, tweet, Facebook/Reddit post, e-mail, blog post, podcast mention, and chat with friends counted. We are now at our $50k funding goal, and High Rise will be made!

If you backed at a premium level, I'll be sending out messages shortly clarifying exactly what I need from you. Stay tuned!

Play High Rise at PAX East this week!

Wait. Another convention, you ask? Didn't I just do four conventions in the space of the past two weeks?

Yes, but because I apparently don't know when to stop, you can find me at PAX East in Boston, Massachusetts this week! I'll be in the Tabletop area (not the Expo Hall), at booth TT03. I'll be demoing High Rise starting at 6 pm in the booth every evening. Note that the game will not be in the First Look area, unfortunately!

Thank you again! You are the reason we made it, and I appreciate it hugely.

Building tile preview!
about 5 years ago – Sun, Mar 24, 2019 at 11:29:36 PM

Hello High Rise backer! We're at the 72-hour mark, so things are going to start moving quickly pretty soon.

I know I posted yesterday, and I don't usually post updates every day, but I just got a preview of building tiles with names here. I want to share them with you right now, because I think they look fantastic.

There are 3 building tiles in this image. The image's gray background should make clear the contour of each building tile shape.

I'd say these 3 buildings are about 90% final. The contrast for the name in the middle building could be improved, and the buildings will all have slots in the top for spires. You'll notice that Kwanchai includes that in the art for the taller buildings.

These won't be the only 3 buildings in the game; Kwanchai will be drawing a few more buildings for us!

If you've been on the fence about backing at the $125 DONOR level where you get to name a building, I hope this gives you a bit more information.

Thanks so much! Please keep telling everyone about High Rise. We can totally hit our funding goal this weekend; it is within reach!

60k stretch goal will be included for all backers!
about 5 years ago – Sat, Mar 23, 2019 at 03:28:10 AM

Hello High Rise backer! I'm really glad to see such a positive response to Kwanchai's board art. We're working on finishing that up in the next couple of weeks. 

A few of you have asked me about the stretch goals. As a sign of gratitude for all of you believing in this project, I am going to unlock the 60k stretch goal for all Kickstarter backers once we hit our 50k funding goal.

What does this mean?

• If you are a backer at the ARCHITECT ($59) level or above, you will get wood/plastic bits for free once we hit the funding goal.
• If you have backed without a reward (like for $1), and you update your pledge in BackerKit later, you will get the wood/plastic bits for free.
• Since I'm handling retailer and bulk pledges add-ons BackerKit, all retailer and bulk add-ons will include the wood/plastic bits for free as well.
• These wood/plastic bits will be available to pre-order customers in BackerKit as an extra add-on they can purchase.
• After the game is released, I will sell the wood/plastic bits at conventions and through my web store.

Please consider this a thank-you for believing in my game. It's been received really well during my road trip, and I hope you will enjoy it just as much!

What do these replace?

The retail version of High Rise will come with 90 punchboard tokens to represent the five basic Floor resources (15 of each), plus UltraPlastic. This pledge level gives you wood tokens to replace the five basic Floor resources, and transparent light-green plastic cubes (maybe about 20mm wide) to represent UltraPlastic.

Will these bits be color-blind friendly?

Heiko and I are using a color-blind-friendly palette. The punchboard Floors will also have a different icon for each color. 

If you'd like the icons on the wood bits as well, I'm looking into options for stickers with the icons that you'll be able to apply to the wood bits. I'll have more details about that soon.

What about the $70k wood standee goal?

My current plan is to include the wood standees to all Kickstarter backers at $60k, just like the wood/plastic bits at $50k, should we hit it.

If we don't hit $60k, I may still be able to offer them as an add-on purchase in BackerKit. Would you be interested in that? Let me know in the comments!

Contests, auction, and Podcasts

If you like entering contests and want to try to win a copy of The Networks with the Executives expansion and Fancy Bits, I have a package I'm giving away in a couple of them! One is with The Giveaway Geek, and the other is with Cheer Up Games. 

If you'd like a bit more agency over the situation (we are gamers after all), I am offering the same package as part of the Jack Vasel Memorial Fund auction for gamers in need.

Finally, I chatted about High Rise on the Getting Geeky with Gamer Leaf podcast recently.

Thanks everyone! The finish line is within sight, and we can totally reach it in the next four days.