Playmat Sample and Revised Shipping Timeline
almost 2 years ago – Fri, Apr 14, 2023 at 09:17:24 AM

Hello Gamers!

First and foremost, I want to express our deepest gratitude for your incredible support. Our project wouldn't have come this far without you, and we're excited to bring our game to life.

Revised Shipping Dates

I would like to apologize for the oversight regarding the shipping date mentioned on our campaign page. When we launched the project, it was believed that the games would ship in April, but it later became apparent that this timeline was overly ambitious.

For some reason, I thought I already announced this in a previous update, but I just realized that is not the case. This was truly an oversight on my part, I am extremely sorry for not informing everyone of this sooner.

The good news is that the game's production is progressing smoothly, and we now anticipate that manufacturing will be completed by mid-May. We should be ready to ship games to the various Hubs shortly after. 

Playmat Sample

Today I also want to share with you a sneak peek at one of our factory samples. Below is a video we just received of the playmats:

As you can see above, the production team has been working diligently to ensure the highest quality for our product. The factory sample showcases the attention to detail, vibrant colors, and stunning design that we promised during our campaign.

Our team is closely monitoring the process and working closely with the manufacturer to guarantee that the final product will be everything you've been anticipating and more.

We want to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your unwavering support and patience. It's because of amazing backers like you that we can bring this project to life. Stay tuned for more updates on our progress, and feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

Best Regards,
David Liu
Producer @ Moaideas Game Design

Photos of the Wooden Insert arrived!
about 2 years ago – Fri, Feb 10, 2023 at 08:49:59 AM

Hello, Gamers!

Quick update today, just got my hands on the new photos of the Wooden Insert for the Map Pack Expansions from our friends at Crowbox - and let me tell you, they look amazing!

But before I show them to you, here is a reminder that We Are Charging Shipping Fees on Feb 10th, probably around 17:00 PST. Details of this can be found in the previous update. If you have any issue with your payment, BackerKit will send you notifications to help you solve the problem, just stay cool and follow their instructions. 

You may have noticed that we have used the box of the base game to design this wooden insert. To accommodate all the wooden components we have unlocked for the Expansion Box Set, the thickness is increased to be the same as the base game! 

This is just a basic prototype, and we are still in the process of perfecting the design.  We want to lower the next iteration by about 3-5mm, making it easier to fit the rules into the inner lid of the box. 

And that's all for today! As always, thank you again for becoming a backer of this project. Please do not hesitate to reach out and let me know if you have any questions.

Best Regards,
David Liu
Producer @ Moaideas Game Design

Shipping Fees to be Collected on Feb 10th
about 2 years ago – Fri, Feb 03, 2023 at 08:31:31 AM

Hello Gamers

Following a welcome rest for Lunar New Year, production has resumed at full speed, and the factory is buzzing with activity! I'm keeping close contact with them daily to assure everything is operating as smoothly as possible. We anticipate receiving production proofs in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned for updates!!

Shipping Calculation Now Available

Following the necessary preparations and a thorough review, the shipping fees in BackerKit are now activated. It will now be displayed during checkout. The shipping charts remain unchanged from what was originally posted during the campaign. Kindly log into BackerKit to check your shipping fees, and do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Shipping Fees to be Collected on Feb 10th

After careful deliberation, it has been determined that we shouldn't wait until the end of February to collect shipping. Thus I am announcing that Shipping Fees will be Collected on February 10th, 2023. Note that your delivery address will also be locked at this time.

This decision was based on the changes in foreign exchange values. Right now, the rates of exchange are more advantageous for European and Asian currencies compared to a few months ago, and we want to make the best out of this short-term advantage.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by the new date. If you need more time to make payments, please contact us and we will try to work something out.

Once again, we thank you for your support and encouragement while we worked on this project. We can't wait to manufacture the high-quality components promised in the campaign and hope that you will enjoy them as much as we did creating it!

Best Regards,
David Liu
Producer @ Moaideas Game Design

All Graphics Complete, Files Uploaded to Factory.
about 2 years ago – Tue, Jan 10, 2023 at 05:49:52 AM

Hello Gamers

Greetings, everyone! And a very happy New Year to you all! We hope you have had a wonderful holiday filled with cheer and joy.

The development of the map packs has been our top priority for the past few weeks, and we are glad to report that all graphics are complete! We have uploaded all files for production to the factory, and we will be reviewing the digital proofs before the Lunar New Year.

The manufacturing process will begin in February and be finished by the end of March. In anticipation of our completion, here are some images showing off the hard work we have put in.   

Pledge Manager Update

There are still a few people that haven't filled out their surveys. If you are uncertain, please log into BackerKit to confirm your survey completion, thank you! Keep in mind that premium upgrades such as Wooden Inserts and Neoprene Playmats are in limited quantities and dwindling quickly. Don't miss out on this chance to get these exclusive items, add it to your order now!

(PS: We're all out of Mini Rails & Joraku for now, but don't worry - we're looking into getting another reprint!)

Shipping Charts

The shipping cost is not yet visible on BackerKit, as the new rates for 2023 have yet to be confirmed. But based on what we've heard from our freight agents & Hub partners, it looks like we probably don't need to adjust our shipping chart for this project. I plan to make a final decision and make it available next week.

But with the originally proposed date of January 31st to collect the shipping fee fast approaching, I believe it's only reasonable to extend this date by a few weeks so that everyone has plenty of time to get ready. The new dates will be on February 25th, 2023, and if anyone wishes to be collected later (or earlier), just let me know and I’ll set it up for you.

Thank You

I would also just like to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest gratitude to everyone for your support and commitment to this project. That's all for today. Thank you so much for becoming a backer. As always, let me know in the comments below if you have any questions.

Best Regards,
David Liu
Producer @ Moaideas Game Design

Japan & Spain Map Completed, Add-ons Deadline on October 31st
over 2 years ago – Sun, Oct 30, 2022 at 03:00:58 AM

Hello Gamers

This is a reminder that we are planning to do a soft-lock of add-ons on October 31st. Please log into BackerKit and review if your order contents are correct. If you did not add more items to your pledge, then your credit card will not be charged at this time. I can still add or remove items manually afterwards, but quantities may be limited.

As stated in a previous update, we are not charging for shipping at this time. We plan to start charging for shipping costs on January 31st 2023, and we should be able to display your shipping costs during the checkout process sometime soon. In the meantime, you can use this chart to estimate your shipping costs: https://moaideas.pse.is/4azbgq

Japan & Spain Map

This month our main artist has finished the illustrations for the Japan and Spain map. Like all the previous maps we have created for Mini Express, they are both drawn with a pretty high resolution. Click on the image above to open a larger version of the maps, and feel free to zoom in for more details!

Spieleschmiede

After the Kickstarter campaign ended, the nice folks at Spiele-Offensive.de contacted me to discuss doing a German preorder on their site. The details took some time to finalize, as we were both busy with Essen preparations, but it is now live here.

Note that this is not a fully localized version, they are just including a German rulebook along with the English version of the games; i.e. the box will still be printed in English. Also, the printed German rulebook of the Map Packs is available for purchase separately for €2 EUR (with free shipping within Germany). After some consideration mainly due to logistical reasons, we decided this method is the best way to ensure that people could get physical copies of the rulebook.

Final note about their price. Normally I would like to ensure that Kickstarter backers will get the best deal for the games + shipping. However, due to the increasing volatility of the EUR to USD exchange rate, this may not always be true, and may differ from time to time.

Please understand that this is a difficult situation for all parties involved, and we are doing our best to set a fair & reasonable price on the Spieleschmiede site.

That is all for today's update. I am so grateful to be able to devote more time and energy into this project because of your support. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that. If you have any questions about your order, please let me know and I will sort it out for you. Thank you all again, and have a wonderful weekend!

Best Regards,
David Liu
Producer @ Moaideas Game Design