The Poll Closes Early! New BF Deal! (Important Update!)
over 4 years ago – Thu, Nov 28, 2019 at 11:23:52 PM

The crazy rollercoaster continues! WHEEEEEE! =D

Are you having fun yet? (If you're not yet, you will be soon.)

Okay. After we started the poll (which was overwhelmingly for Option 2), we saw that some people raised some very valid concerns about people in Australia, Asia, etc. So we started talking, and working numbers. And then we made a decision. A really crazy decision. (I'm pretty sure a sleep-deprived decision.) We've been swinging for the fences this entire campaign, so why stop now? 

So. Here's what we're going to do. We are going to have a 24-hour Black Friday deal. It's going to start at 9am PST, and end at 9am PST on Saturday. And it's going to be at the $303 price. There will be no limits on this. No caveats. Just 24 hours of savings. 

Are we going to lose money on this? Definitely. No question. 

Is it going to be awesome? Absolutely! 

We appreciate you guys, and we want you to know it. That's why we're doing this, so that no one feels left out and everyone has the chance to get a good deal who wants it. 

So. Tomorrow. 9am. Tell everyone, because this is going to, once again, be a crazy day!

A Poll Regarding This Weekend
over 4 years ago – Thu, Nov 28, 2019 at 11:05:50 PM

Hi everyone! 

So, in case you hadn't noticed, it's been kind of a crazy start to Thanksgiving over here. First of all, thank you so much to everyone who upgraded to an All-In! We are so grateful to you! You guys have pushed the funding for this campaign up A TON, and we are officially moving again. We'll be back later to show you what stretch goals we just unlocked, though if you want to see for yourself check out the campaign page. It's pretty cool! =D (We are almost to $1 million!)

Having said that, this morning didn't completely go according to plan. We were not anticipating Kickstarter breaking. At all. (That might happen briefly on a campaign's day 1, but it's not the sort of thing that happens mid-campaign. LOL!) We've also seen a lot of your comments, and so we want to put it up to a vote now as to what you want to see for the rest of this weekend's Black Friday deals. We still want to make deals available because we promised we would, but the question is whether we continue as planned or do a slight change in direction. So, we have two options available:

1. We can continue with the current schedule and release more deals tomorrow ($293), Saturday ($298), Sunday ($303), and Monday ($308). (We would alternate the launch times, too, so that people all over the world would have a better chance at getting one.)

2. We can dump the current schedule, and instead do one event tomorrow that will be a timed event. It would cost $303 and would run for 1 hour, starting at 8am PST. (We're going to make it an hour earlier than today - should this option be chosen - because I know a lot of people were saying it was really late at 9am. Hopefully this will help with that, at least a little bit. I think it's about as close to worldwide-optimal as we're going to get.) 

So let us know down in the comments which you would prefer: the limited backer number deals across the remaining days at gradually increasing prices, or the one deal tomorrow in a timed window. We are going to close the voting for this poll at 5am PST, so vote quickly! Having said all of that, let us know down in the comments which you would prefer: the multiple days at set amounts, or the one day in a timed window. Whatever the majority vote is, that's what we'll do. Talk to you all again soon, and happy Thanksgiving!

We Just Broke Kickstarter
over 4 years ago – Thu, Nov 28, 2019 at 10:52:35 PM

So... we just broke Kickstarter, guys.

Luckily it's back up and running now, but we know a lot of you didn't get it when you thought you did. So, we're going to do another run of $288. We can't increase the number of pledges because this thing is REALLY discounted at this point, but we will do another 200. Hopefully this one won't break Kickstarter quite as bad. It's going to be hitting at 10am PST. Less than half an hour.

Oh! And we unlocked some stretch goals! =D

Anita Begins, Cary's Grand Reveal, the All-In Launch, and Happy Thanksgiving!
over 4 years ago – Thu, Nov 28, 2019 at 06:10:29 PM

Hi guys! It is upon us! Can you feel it?

In less than an hour at 9am PST we will launch the All-In pledge at two different levels: the $288 level and the $313 level. Now, we did make a change to the $313 level. We know that this whole thing has upset quite a few people, which was never our intention. And we know that it has stressed a number of you out, wondering how you can do the $313 pledge this weekend. So, we've decided that we're going to make the $313 Gameplay All-In the price of the All-In for the entire rest of the campaign (including in the pledge manager.) We realize this will potentially take some of the excitement and wind out of the sails of this weekend, but we don't want people to feel like they're missing out if they don't get the deal this weekend. So, from here on out, that's the price of the Gameplay All-In. We just wanted to let you all know about that. 

Now, if you're wondering what's in that Gameplay All-In, here is the graphic we posted a couple of days ago once again to show you what you'll be getting:

And, if you're wondering how to upgrade to the higher pledge level, check out our last update here. Furthermore, if you're wondering about those last couple of expansions, here's a look inside one more of them: Of Art and Oblivion, the expansion for Cary James, the actor.

Cary's Grand Entrance

Cary James is an actor with ambition to spare and grand dreams. He envisions himself as the leader of a troupe known the world over for its mastery of the craft. He dreams of being the name on every patron's lips at the end of his performances. And he imagines his name headlining productions of both the stage and screen. Cary has finally found a script that he thinks will propel him into the spotlight. It has everything he could hope for in a play. Now Cary's mind is set: he is going to become the king of the stage, even if it kills him - and those around him. As the production unfolds, though, some dark, lingering questions begin to arise. Who is the man hiding in Camilla's prop chest? Why does a strange, powerful energy seem to radiate from the golden mask? And who is the eldritch Stranger who has begun to haunt Cary's dreams? The answers are coming, and they will unfold into a production of sheer, magnificent madness.

Here are the contents for Cary's expansion. (Please note that some elements of it are still in process.)

Cary's expansion, Of Art and Oblivion, is available right now for $60. You can add it to your pledge by clicking "Manage your pledge", then clicking "Change your pledge", then adding the total for it to your current amount and clicking "Continue." Or, it is also included in the Gameplay All-In pledge level which comes out today. 

Video Update

So today we had our first successful live stream! Woohoo! It was so good to get back into that! Thanks to everyone who joined me today. If you missed it, you can actually still watch the video (assuming you want to wade through two hours of me talking.) There are some spoilers in there (just minis - no stories), though, so it might be worth scrubbing through the video to find those. =) You can watch it here:

Not sure why the image is so blurry and off-colored, but the actual video isn't. And, for those who don't like Facebook, take heart: I am pretty positive we'll be able to have YouTube up and running as well for the next one. 

I also filmed the next video in our How to Play series tonight, so that should be up for you all before too long.

Anita's Expansion Begins

Today our daily unlocks split. We actually aren't quite finished with the Masquerades, but all that's left for them is cards, so they have shambled over into the Core-level unlocks. At the Otherworld level now, we are going to begin unlocking the new Wanderer expansion for Anita. We'll have more info on her soon, as Cary does not like to share the spotlight. But in the meantime, here is what we unlocked today: 

Well, that's it for this update, friends! For those around the world, I hope you have a fantastic day. And for those in the US, Happy Thanksgiving!

The Last Masquerade, The Ins and Outs of the All-In, Let's Live Stream Again, and More!
over 4 years ago – Wed, Nov 27, 2019 at 11:18:57 PM

Hey friends! I hope you all have big plans for the rest of this week, whether you're celebrating in the US or just enjoying yourself in your own home country. Speaking of celebrations and such, we've seen quite a few questions on the All-In offer we mentioned a couple days ago, so we're going to dive into that thoroughly. But first, some more videos!

Bairnt over at One Stop Co-Op Shop dropped not one but TWO videos today: one showing the setup for the game and one showing him playing through the first round. What a guy! Now, a couple caveats on these videos: Bairnt does play through an encounter, so there are mild spoilers. (Though he played so well that actually very little gets revealed, and consequently the path he chose ended up not being very scary. LOL!) There are also a couple of very minor rules errors, mostly relating to using Domain cards (namely, you don't have to use a Domain card alone and you only have to have the matching domains on your dashboard to perform a Domain card's ability - you don't have to spend them) and Malformations (their decks should be played in order from 1-3, and engaging with a Wanderer will often end in their card being discarded), but other than that these are solid videos from a great guy that you should check out.

Let's Try a Live Stream Again

Speaking of videos, what do you say we try live streaming again? The last time was a dumpster fire, but I'm going to try the video at a different location which will hopefully mean that we won't have the same technical issues we did last time. I'm going to shoot for 3pm PST this time, as I was told 4pm was a little late in some parts of the world. I realize it's not much earlier, but I think it's probably as close to good as we're going to get. (We can always try earlier next time if this is still too late for some, but then we may be too early for others.)

I will probably be on Facebook, though I'm going to try to have it streaming to both YouTube and Facebook at once. And I will have the video embedded on the campaign page, so you (hopefully) will be able to find it right there. 

These were so cool in the last Deep Madness campaign, and I feel really bad we haven't been able to get it going thus far in this one. But hopefully tomorrow will be the day that everything works out. =)

The Ins and Outs of the All-In

We have seen a lot of comments wondering about the All-In deal we'll be offering over this coming weekend. So, let's discuss! 

First of all, the $313 pledge level will be available to everyone all weekend long, through Cyber Monday. Then we will do slightly cheaper doorbuster pledges in limited quantities of 200 each, starting on Thursday morning at 9am PST as previously discussed. If this is too early for some, then following pledge levels we can try to do later in the day.  The $288 one will be the cheapest and will come first, followed by a $293 level on Friday, $298 on Saturday, $303 on Sunday, and $308 on Monday. Once again, I stress that the $313 level will be available the whole time. If you don't feel like trying for the limited quantity pledges, then don't. You'll still be saving plenty on this pledge level. 

Next, why are we doing this? There are two reasons. The first is, we think it's a chance to have some fun with the whole Black Friday thing, while offering our backers a solid discount. (Regardless of pledge level.) The second is, we always knew it would be tough running a campaign this time of the year, but we ended up having to do it in the end. What we didn't know (or expect) was that there would be so many other surprise high-profile campaigns launching in the same timeframe, including one from a certain company with the initials AR. When we learned this - and figured out that Kickstarter had decided not to like us - we knew we had to change our strategy in order to keep the campaign moving and keep people interested. Thus we switched to the daily unlocks, and thought up this weird little experiment. Basically, we're pulling out all the stops and going against conventional wisdom to create the absolute best (and most successful) campaign we can. I always wanted this to be a campaign you couldn't look away from. I guess you can tell me at the end of it if we succeeded.

We've seen that some of you aren't very happy about this strategy, but hopefully now you can at least better understand why we chose to go this way. And hopefully you can have fun with this in the spirit it was intended, rather than getting upset. Regardless, some of you will likely still be completely against this, and that's okay. That's your right. Though I hope that, even if this causes you to leave the campaign, we can (as I've said before) still be friends. =)

But enough of this "telling it like it is", how will this thing work, and how do you get it? First and most importantly for our early bird backers, DON'T CANCEL YOUR PLEDGE. Your pledge number is the way we can tell if you qualify for the EB or not, and if you cancel then we will not know that you were with us from day one. When the pledge becomes available, click "Manage your pledge" just like you would if you were adding add-ons. 

Next, you will select your new pledge level. The first thing you'll see is a pledge that's highlighted by a blue box that says "Current reward". The new pledge level will be under that Current reward level. (If you're in the Core level, it will be two levels down, and if you're at the Otherworld level, it will be directly below your current level.) This picture isn't overly useful as there's no new pledge level yet, but at least you can see where it will be.

In theory, you could probably sit on this page and just refresh it until the pledge levels pop up, too. Not positive it would work, but not sure why it wouldn't, either. =D 

Once the new pledge level shows up, click on it and then click "Continue". This will confirm your new pledge level, and you'll be good to go. 

That's all there is to it! Best of luck, but remember: this is, first and foremost, for fun. So let's all remember to be civil to each other. Please and thank you. =)

The Final Masquerade Arrives

The great beast lumbers toward you, its head lowered, its limbs dragging on the ground. Its mask is a soundless wail, its movements making it seem weak; impotent. You almost feel pity for this creature. Perhaps...

The columns of flesh spout like harpoons out of its back, spiraling toward you like homing beacons. Suddenly this horror is not slow or weak or powerless at all. It is raging toward you, its limbs flailing, those things on its back arcing toward you. You can't escape it. It's too near. It is going to crush you under its massive bulk, and there's nothing you can do about it -

Meet Masquerade Impotent, our fourth and final Masquerade Abomination. This massive atrocity seems weak and powerless, but once you get to know it you can clearly see what a grave error you originally made. The Masquerade family is now complete, the whole set added to both the Core pledge and the Otherworld Experience.

Tomorrow we will start on divergent paths: simultaneously we will be unlocking more core game content for the Core Experience, as well as our new Wanderer, Anita! Stay tuned, because it's going to be quite a day!

That's it for this update! Have a great day, and I hope to see you on the live stream! (Fingers crossed!)