Meet The Team Interview #3: horror writer Darcy Coates! And the new Add-On section.
almost 4 years ago – Tue, Aug 04, 2020 at 06:37:30 PM

OK Shivers fans, we're in the last 5-day stretch!

We're amazed at the support we continue to get from backers around the globe, thank you so much for being on this journey with us. We've got a big push this week to unlock some pretty amazing final stretch goals, so if you can share your support for our campaign on social media it will be a win-win all-around!

Here's some Q&A with our expansion writer, Darcy!

1. Tell us about yourself and your life in Australia?
Australia is an amazing—and often frightening—country. It's nearly the same size as the US but has less than a tenth of the population, so huge stretches of it are completely deserted. I grew up in the outskirts of its largest city and moved to the Central Coast as a teen. The area is known for its lush rainforests, which often sneak into my books. I've been surrounded by kookaburras (noisy) sugar gliders (EXTRA noisy) and goannas (quiet but massive) for a large part of my life. I love nature, so I'm grateful for that!

2. How did you get into writing, and gothic horror fiction in particular?
I've always been attracted to books with a spooky flavour. I started by reading Goosebumps and gradually moved on to Emily Bronte, Shirley Jackson, and Stephen King as I grew older. Stories would fill up the inside of my head and I had to write them to get them out. I started with a ghost stories, and never really stopped!

3. How do you approach writing stories?
Writers usually fall into one of two baskets. George RR Martin calls them Gardeners and Architects. A gardener puts down seeds, waters them, and sees what they grow into: in a practical sense, they start with a set of interesting characters, then observe as their story naturally evolves itself.

The second kind, the architect, needs to know what the end result will look like before they begin work. They often figure out a story's conclusion first, then work backwards.

I fall into the architect basket. Usually I'll start with a premise. As an example, I might ask, what if a character inherited a house from a relative they never met? And what if the house is haunted? Then I spend time working out where that story would lead. What are the surprises? Why did the relative leave the house to this character? Why is it haunted? Once I have the complete plot in skeleton form, then I can start writing!

4. What is the most challenging part of storytelling from your perspective?
Each story has its own set of problems to navigate. Sometimes they're easy to write, but horrendous to edit. Sometimes I'll be halfway through and discover a huge plot hole that seems impossible to fix. But, overall, I usually find the two-thirds mark the hardest. It's a turning point in the story where the situation becomes more dire. It can be hard to handle without losing tension.

5.  What excited you about The Shivers when you first saw it?
The pop-up rooms! I was instantly zapped back to being ten years old and building intricate narratives with doll-sized furniture. The house's design is gorgeous and atmospheric. One glance tells you that it is full to the brim with secrets, and it doesn't disappoint. No matter how many times you look at a room, there is always something new to discover, and I love that. It's the ideal ground to tell some spectacularly creepy stories!

We're excited to see what Darcy has in store for The Shivers! That's it for today's update, you may also want to check out our new Add-On section on the Kickstarter page, full of extra items for your game. 

This week, expect a reveal about our final Stretch Goal, and which room won our voting contest!

- The Shivers Team

Stretch Goal #5: Illustrated Lore Booklet!
almost 4 years ago – Mon, Aug 03, 2020 at 01:05:31 AM

We're in our final week, just 2 more Stretch Goals to go!

Thank you backers for believing in our vision for a pop-up mystery adventure. Wherever we end up by the end of this week, this has been a huge success for us and we couldn't have done it without your support.

 The 4th Stretch Goal has now been unlocked (Create-your-own Character set), so here's the next Stretch Goal:

Many of you have questions about the Shivers universe, and this booklet will help answer them! What's the story with this weird, changing pop-up house? Why was it built, by whom, and where did they go? What's the story with The Shivers family and their neighbors? 

Featuring new artwork from our lead illustrator Bill Tiller, and backstory from our top-notch writing team, this booklet will help flesh out the Shivers universe. Or maybe it will open up new mysteries? Some of you have found SECRETS on our Kickstarter page...what new hidden secrets lie within this dusty tome? 

This Stretch Goal applies to both the Core and Deluxe pledge levels, and is a Kickstarter-exclusive!

Stay tuned later this week for more Meet The Team interviews, a new Add-On section for purchasing useful accessories, and of course....the final Stretch Goal!

- The Shivers Team

Important updates for our international backers (languages, taxes, retailers, etc.)
almost 4 years ago – Sun, Aug 02, 2020 at 12:46:45 PM

Update on non-English languages

We've heard from many backers around the world about future language options. At the moment, our team is 100% focused on getting the official English version of the game through development and manufacturing. 

However, we will be providing all text-based game assets available as downloadable PDF files for those wishing to do their own unofficial translations. There will just be some basic terms you'll have to agree to to download, and then the community can translate, print, and play! Please note that it's very likely we'll be making our own official translations of the game for sale internationally within the next couple years. These files should be ready for download once we get closer to shipping our games to backers.

It is possible we may have some portions of the game partially translated in a few languages at time of launch, but we're still working on determining the scope of that effort. 

Update on VAT & Sales Taxes

We've spoken to 3 international region-friendly VAT/tax experts, and guess what? It's complicated, confusing, and all about to change in 2021 when our game ships and the tax assessments need to be made. Loopholes are closing, regulations are tightening, previous tax-minimization schemes are disappearing, but we can say we're happy to help out as much as possible. Here's how:

We will pay for any VAT / tax fees on any shipping charges. Backers will only pay required sales/VAT taxes for their Core or Deluxe game purchases (and any add-ons). This avoids the dreaded double-tax stack-up that many backers face when including shipping charges into the tax equation. 

Retailers in the UK/EU: you may have to pay VAT on your 6-pack bundle, but this is a recoverable expense, and will also depend on whether your store and our chosen distribution partner's warehouse are located in the same country. We should have better information on that when the pledge manager opens and once our final EU/UK distribution partner is selected.

We'll also post the above tax updates in our Shipping and Retailer sections.

- The Shivers Team

BACKER VOTE! We're thinking of adding an extra room...which would you choose?
almost 4 years ago – Sun, Aug 02, 2020 at 10:45:10 AM

Our campaign ends in 1 week! We're leaving this choice up to our backers:

A big reveal is planned for next week, and you can help guide it! Below is a link to vote which pop-up room you'd like to see added to the Deluxe edition, as the final Stretch Goal:

Or Click Here to Vote!

We're excited to see which one wins, but you're likely see the 2nd place room eventually show up in a future Shivers expansion. Over this weekend, we'll have one other Stretch Goal to announce as well. 

- The Shivers Team

Meet The Team: Renee Jablow (paper engineer) Interview!
almost 4 years ago – Sun, Aug 02, 2020 at 10:44:02 AM

First, thank you backers worldwide!

We're now well into the 2nd half of our campaign, and we're beyond thrilled that people around the globe are excited about our vision for The Shivers! Stretch goals are unlocking, new ones will be revealed, and more announcements to come...

Meet The Team Interview #2: Renee Jablow

Renee blew us away with her Hogwarts School pop-up book, and we knew she'd be a great partner for The Shivers team.  Learn what it takes to be a stand-out in the perilous world of paper engineering: 

That's it for now, expect an update very soon on an amazing new Stretch Goal and important information for international backers. 

-Andy

P.S:  338 of you have found SECRETS. Need a hand? It may be a Team effort...