DARK VENTURE: An Adventure Card Game 2ND EDITION!

November Update: Happy Holidays!
6 months ago – Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 08:37:25 AM

Hello Backers!

Great news: This past month has been hectic, but I have finalized almost everything. We are in good shape, ready for the next stages of production and manufacturing.

ALL FILES have been delivered to the manufacturer. They are being reviewed, formatted, and will soon be sent back to us as DIGITAL PROOFS, a complete series of press-ready files to review. Next, we will be sent COLOR PROOFS, actual physical prints for color and final content review. Around the same time, we will receive WHITE BOX copies of the game and expansions, unprinted physical copies with the final “matte, linen texture” finish on the boxes and all token sheets, the correct card count (and linen card finish), cubes, standee bases, dice, and inserts.

We will continue to work on the manuals (rule books), testing right up to the COLOR PROOF stage, making sure they are as good as they can be.

If you are in the US, I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving holiday and regardless of whether you are in the US or not, I hope you have a safe and relaxing time with your family and friends this holiday season! Without your support and input, this project could never have been made, so I am very thankful to you.

Rob

October Update: Tokens and Packages!
7 months ago – Thu, Oct 26, 2023 at 07:55:43 AM

Hello backers!

I hope you are well. This month, I have been focused on finishing production and delivering files to the manufacturer. 

Firstly, I completed the token punch-out board designs for all expansions. Defining the token count in each expansion was the first step, laying them out onto the boards (with space for cutting) was the next step, creating print-ready files (front and back!) was the last step.

Also this month, packaging for all expansions was designed and finalized. The manufacturer created a template for the mini-expansion boxes based on the punch-out board and card count, then I completed the final design layouts. We’re currently finishing the template/design for the 2E Upgrade Pack box. The layouts for the Khrag Pit and Crawl expansion boxes were also completed. Once the 2E Upgrade Pack box is finished, outside of any minor last minute changes, all packaging is done.

Finally, I typeset the CRAWL! expansion rule book. It’s still being edited (I expect that to take a week or so), but any additional changes won’t require substantial book layout revisions. This was the last expansion book to be typeset.

Most importantly, the delivery timeline is starting to come together: I’m aiming to get all game files to the manufacturer by the end of this month/early November. We’d like to begin printing soon after, but the manufacturer may not be able to fit our game into their production schedule as early as we'd like. The timeline for freight shipping is still open-ended, and until the game is manufactured (and the weight and size of the shipment defined) it will be difficult to nail down exact dates. Optimistically, I’d say the freight shipping should happen late this year. Realistically, it could be early next year.  I will update you as the timeline becomes more solid.

IN CASE YOU’RE MOVING: We’re not locking shipping addresses in Backerkit until after we have confirmed the shipping/fulfillment dates, and once dates are confirmed, there will be some time before addresses are locked. For your information - BACKERKIT: How do I update my shipping address?

Thank you, stay safe!

Rob

PS: Hope you have a creepy, fright-filled Halloween!

September Production Update!
8 months ago – Wed, Sep 27, 2023 at 10:38:56 AM

Hello backers!

September has been a month of tying loose ends, clean-up, and revisions! Most of my time this month was focused on editing the rule books, play-testing, and delivering some of the the final press-ready files.

CORE GAME/VILE INVADERS: The Core Rule Book has been edited. All the new rules have been tested and we are happy with them. It is virtually done, so we are working on laying out files for the final submission to the manufacturer.

KHRAG PIT: After completing the book and the first round of edits (see the last update), we tested this expansion *a lot* this month. We are completing the final editing pass of the rule book. This expansion is in the home stretch.

CRAWL!: The complete rule book was reviewed this month by our “rule editor.” and now requires a final pass from our main copy editor. Components are good-to-go.

ALDERKANG/BEASTS & MONSTERS: Outside of any minor card changes, these mini-expansions are done and final files are ready to send to the manufacturer.

DV SOUNDTRACK/RAKE THE VOID: The books that will be inserted into the tapes were printed about 2 weeks ago and I received all of them YESTERDAY! They look great.

The final tape layouts (for screen printing on the actual cassette tape and for the “j-card,” the folded map that will be inside the case) are complete, approved by Errant Space and Gilded Skull. We're shipping the books to the tape manufacturer this week, the tapes will be manufactured in 2-3 weeks (then packaged with the books and heat-sealed). ALMOST DONE!

OTHER NEWS: We received a sample of the WOOD RHORGONKRUL MEEPLE and it looks great. It can be used to display the Rhorgonkrul monster on the map or it can be used as a “CURRENT PLAYER TOKEN” (when used as the "current player token," the Rhorgonkrul standee represents the creature). The meeple will be included in the CORE GAME and the 2ND EDITION UPGRADE KIT.

We also received samples of the NEOPRENE MATS. I really like them, and I typically don’t use neoprene mats (ha!). I had no idea that they’d make set-up and tear-down so quick (especially when playing solo and using the LARGE GAME DASHBOARD  that includes the Day Track, Hero Point Track, and Deck Mat). I’m actually reconsidering neoprene purchases for other games that I own!

That’s it for now, more on a production timeline soon (we are working this out with the manufacturer and shipping partners right now).

Thank you again, and stay safe!

Rob

August Update: The Khrag Pit!
9 months ago – Thu, Aug 24, 2023 at 09:11:35 AM

Hello Backers,

I've made a lot of progress on all parts of the game and the expansions this month, but my main focus has been the KHRAG PIT ARENA expansion. It’s fresh in my mind, and I’m excited to talk about it in this update!

The components of the Khrag Pit (character cards, item cards, tokens, and the Khrag Pit location) can be used in two ways, you can either (1) integrate them into the core game to add more variety, or you can (2) play a standalone “Battle to the Death” game.

KHRAG PIT IN THE CORE GAME: Integrating the Khrag Pit Arena cards into the core game is easy: when playing a standard Dark Venture game, add the Khrag Pit characters and items into their respective decks.

Also, the Khrag Pit Arena location card is added into the location deck. If it is played in a game, the LOCATION ENTRY for the arena is read from the Khrag Pit book. Then, if a player’s character (a hero or their follower) enters the location, an ACTION is read and the arena is set up: the game board is placed nearby, the gladiatorial competitors are drawn, and EVENT TOKENS are placed on the board. Players can now choose to have their hero battle opponents in the arena to earn QUEST POINTS (that determine the winner of a standard game) and gather powerful items. Their hero isn't required to stay in the arena location and can leave (to continue adventuring) at any time.

STANDALONE “BATTLE TO THE DEATH” GAME: To set up a “Battle to the Death” game (solo or 2-player), the game board is placed into the play area, NPC gladiatorial opponents and Event tokens are readied. Item and character decks are built. The item deck contains the Khrag Pit items with a few powerful core game items mixed in. The character deck contains captured sarkag wolves, orpal wanderers, and others from the core game (events can trigger their release). Player’s heroes are thrown into the arena with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They immediately face a challenging opponent: the frog-like, pike-wielding gladiator named Gertherder riding a Trained Equadon!

In a solo game, your objective is to defeat a series of challenging opponents to become ARENA CHAMPION, earning the BELT OF KHRAG! In a 2-player game, your prime objective is to be the last player standing: defeat non-player enemies and trigger event tokens to gain weapons, items, and armor, then engage your rival in combat!

There is a very important and nuanced addition to the combat in the Khrag Pit: HIT LOCATIONS. Before damage is dealt, characters roll on the HIT LOCATION chart and, depending on what part of the body they strike, various bonuses are added to their attack. Enemies can gain BLEED (damage added per battle turn for each bleed token), can be weakened (certain attack dice faces are not counted), they can be disarmed, or (if you are extremely lucky) they can be instantly decapitated!

As an optional rule, whenever a character is about to deal a KILLING BLOW in the arena, an appeal for MERCY is made to the crowd! If they are in a merciful mood, the defender is set free but if not...(BRUTAL SLICING NOISE THEN DISGUSTING SOUND EFFECT)!

I really enjoy this expansion, and I hope you will too.

Speak to you next month. Until then, stay safe!

Rob

July Production Update: Short and Sweet!
10 months ago – Thu, Jul 27, 2023 at 07:10:08 AM

Hello Backers!

Hope everything is going well and that you're having a great summer! I’ve been hard at work finishing up all the new expansion QUESTS and LOCATIONS, working on the final edits to the RAKE’S LAIR booklet, and laying out the NEOPRENE MATS (we’re expecting samples soon). Read on to learn everything I’ve been working on this month.

FULL PROGRESS REPORT:

• The Core Game rules (specifically the new FAQ) are in the final stages of editing. The Vile Invaders rule book was given a few additions and clarifications, and is also being reviewed/edited. We sent the Rhorgonkrul Meeple design to the manufacturer about a week ago (it must be manufactured before anything else), we’ll see a prototype soon.
   
• All the HEROIC QUESTS and SIDE QUESTS in the Khragg Pit and CRAWL! expansions were written this month. This took some time as I wanted to be sure that they were totally unique, offering new and challenging ways to play. Bandits, blood witches, and burly beasts! (no spoilers). I also wrote the LOCATION ENTRIES and ACTIONS for CRAWL! this month, and I still have 1 final location to write (it'll be done this week).
   
• As I mentioned in a past update, the Alderkang and Beasts & Monsters expansions are ready to send to print, however, we continue to review and test them.
   
• The Official Soundtrack (with bonus Rake the Void location) is *mostly* complete. After more testing, I found that several events required some balancing. We’re making final edits to location actions and it’ll be ready to send to print early next month.
   
• The Neoprene Dashboard Mat Set is being prototyped (I completed the design and pre-production this month). Looking forward to seeing it soon!
   

In summary, things are progressing very well! Short and sweet, as promised.

That’s it for now, stay safe!

Rob