Pledge Manager continues!
11 days ago
– Wed, Oct 16, 2024 at 04:04:10 PM
Hello once again!
This is a quick update to remind everyone that the pledge manager for Food for Thought is still open and going strong - thank you to everyone who has already filled in their survey!
If you need help with using BackerKit, please see our previous update for more info on how to use it. And check your email address (connected to Kickstarter) for you invite link!
Late Pledge
You’ve missed the campaign and still want to join in? Or have a friend who'd like to pledge? Anyone who missed out can join us in our Late Pledge by clicking here.
Closing of the Pledge Manager/Late Pledge
The pledge manager is due to close its doors on November 11th.
But the surveys will still be editable for a while after that, so if you move, etc., you will be able to use the link in your emails to return to the pledge manager and edit your address, etc., for some time.
You can also return to your pledge manager any number of times to change your items if you change your mind :)
Production Update
Next week (yes!) I will be receiving the first copy of the game off the presses for a final check. I can't wait to see the game in the flesh! I will update everyone with photos once I have received and checked it thoroughly :)
Our next campaign: Barony!
Finally, I would like to let you know that you can sign up for our next campaign! Barony: Royal Edition will be launching on Kickstarter at the end of this month. We hope you may check out the campaign! You can click below to sign up so you don't miss out.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/grailgames/barony-royal-edition
Barony (designed by Splendor's Marc André) was originally released in 2016. This new edition includes the Sorcery expansion, the new Heroes mini-expansion, and all-new art by Bastien Jez!
That's it for this update, have a great day everyone!
- David
Grail Games
Pledge manager is going live!
17 days ago
– Thu, Oct 10, 2024 at 06:08:22 PM
Hello everyone!
We have just launched the "smoke test" for Backerkit which means 5% of you will get your Backerkit pledge manager email invite. Assuming that goes well the rest of the emails will go out about 24 hours later. (The pledge manager is how you can add on extra games, or simply confirm your pledge. It's also how we collect your shipping addresses.)
The system is pretty straight forward but we do have a quick guide below for anyone who's never used Backerkit before.
If you have any questions please submit a ticket through our website here: https://www.grailgames.games/contact
We'll have more news on the production of the four games for you soon...!
For those new to Backerkit we've created a quick walkthrough:
> Welcome Screen
This is where you’ll be able to select the country to which your game will ship, or switch your Pledge Level (If you backed at $1 for Example).
Just click on "Switch Your Pledge Level" and you can select any of the pledges from the drop-down menu. Or, click "Get Started" to continue as is.
> Questions
Since we don't have any open questions we need from you, this section is largely just a reminder that your Kickstarter items are already in your cart. You'll be able to add more copies in the next step.
> Add-Ons
In this part of the Pledge Manager, you’ll be able to add additional items to your pledge such as extra copies of Food for Thought. (Depending on your region, there may be other games available to add-on as well. )
You’ll see your shipping fees here which will increase depending on which extras you choose. Shipping is weight-based so the costs will be dependent on the weight of your items.
PLEASE NOTE If you don't have a country selected before this screen (as often happens if you are doing a Late Pledge), shipping defaults to show "Rest of World" prices. Once you enter your address on the next screen it will fix itself.
If you live in a country where VAT is applicable you’ll also see VAT fees here. Please note that VAT is based on the amount charged for the items and shipping.
> Shipping
Then there is the “Shipping" section where you’ll have to fill in all your details so we can ship your games to you as soon as everything is printed and ready! All there is left to do is click “Next” and confirm your Pledge.
If your Kickstarter account is linked through an Apple ID, it might not deliver the BackerKit survey email. Please submit a ticket in this case.
Late Pledge
You’ve missed the campaign and still want to join in? Or have a friend who'd like to pledge? Anyone can join us in our Late Pledge - I will post a button linking to this on the campaign page.
Closing of the Pledge Manager/Late Pledge
The pledge manager is due to close its doors on November 11th.
But the surveys will still be editable for a while after that, so if you move, etc., you will be able to use the link in your emails to return to the pledge manager and edit your address, etc., for some time.
You can also return to your pledge manager any number of times to change your items if you change your mind :)
That's it for this update, have a great day everyone!
- David
Grail Games
September update - Production news and next steps
about 1 month ago
– Wed, Sep 18, 2024 at 08:24:31 PM
Hello again, everyone!
I can't belive it's been almost a month since Food for Thought ended it's campaign on Kickstarter! We have been hard at work to get the game made and this update is a short one, but full of (I hope) interesting information.
Stretch goal update
As you know, we unlocked all the stretch goals during the campaign except one: player boards with extra layers of cardboard so tokens can "sit" neatly upon them. I said I would try and fit this into the budget, but we have decided that it was just too far of a stretch with the funds we received from the campaign. My plan is - should we reprint the game - to Kickstart again down the track and offer everyone who backed this campaign the chance to order special player boards through that future campaign. It will be easier to cost and plan for that upfront.
Production's progress
All files have been approved for printing and we are now in the print queue at the factory :) I am hopeful that my next update in mid-October will have a firm date for when production will be over. Here is a photo of some of the wooden pieces that most backers will be receiving. Note that the final copies will have the printed designs on both sides of the food tokens...
So what happens now?
Here is a copy of the campaign timeline that is on the Kickstarter page...
Next, we will launch our pledge manager. This is due to open on October 11th. This will be on BackerKit and all backers will receive an email invite once ready. I will also update everyone at that time with more info on how it works. The pledge manager is how we collect your shipping addresses. It is also an opportunity for you to add-on extra games to your pledges, should you wish to. The pledge manager will stay open for a month (and your address info will remain editable until sometime after that).
Then it's on to fulfilment! (Hopefully early next year!)
As mentioned, our next update will be in about 3 weeks, but we will also be checking comments regularly, so if you have any questions or concerns, please let us know!
All the best! We thank you for your support!
- David
Grail Games
Thank you for making this game a reality!!!
2 months ago
– Tue, Aug 20, 2024 at 03:52:12 PM
What a wonderful campaign!!
Wow! 300 backers! Thanks everyone for supporting Food for Thought on Kickstarter! It's been a wonderful 3 weeks and we have gotten to know so many nice people :D Thanks for your support, positivity and feedback. I can't wait for you all to have the game on your game shelf and being played on your table!
Stretch goal update
Unfortunately I can no longer update the campaign page, but please know that we unlocked the second last stretch goal and made it a little way towards the final one...
I'm going to run the numbers again and see if we can't make the final goal a relaity... in some way. I will get back to you again soon on that.
So what happens now?
Here is a copy of the campaign timeline that is on the Kickstarter page...
It usually takes 2 weeks for Kickstarter to pass the funds across to us (minus their fees, etc). So we cannot click "print" at the factory until we at least have that. Over the coming days we are going to ensure all print files are 100% finished and ready to go so that no time is wasted in passing those along to the factory. Then (once approved) the game will be in the printing queue!
Sometime in October we will launch the pledge manager. This will be on BackerKit and all backers will receive an email invite once ready. The pledge manager is how we collect your shipping addresses. It is also an opportunity for you to add-on extra games to your pledges, should you wish to. The pledge manager will stay open for a month (and your address info will remain editable until sometime after that).
We will do our absolute best to ensure production is finished before the busy holiday period in China in February. Then it's on to fulfilment!!
When to expect updates
We promise to update backers at least once a month until the games are delivered. (We usually update on the third Thursday of every month.) Sometimes this will occur more often (such as when the pledge manager opens or when shipments begin). I assume our next update will be in 2 weeks, summing up where we are at once the excitement has died down a little :D
We will also be checking comments regularly, so if you have any questions or concerns, please let us know!
All the best! We thank you for your support!
- David
Grail Games
Just 24 hours remaining!
2 months ago
– Mon, Aug 19, 2024 at 02:52:15 PM
Under 24 hours to go!
Thank you all so much for your support of Food for Thought :) We have come so far in so little time. And now, in about 24 hours, the campaign will be all over! Thank you for being a part of the Food for Thought story and for helping to ensure this game will exist!
After the campiagn closes I will update everyone explaining the process and timeline for what happens next. For now, I can announce our final stretch goal. I know this one is a long shot, but it is going to be quite expensive to produce...
By adding layers of cardboard to the player's diet boards, the food tokens won't be able to be knocked around during play! Each token space will be lower than the board around it, forming a sort of well for the tokens to sit in. The trick is that the 5 player boards that come with the game are double-sided (there are a total of 7 different boards for players to play with) so the player boards can't simply be double-layered, but triple-layered!
Hopefully we can get there, but either way, thanks so much for your continued support of the game and our campaign. I will update everyone again tomorrow - we'll meet again on the other side!
- David
Grail Games
