Great news: all pop-up First Article samples received, and a production update!
almost 2 years ago – Fri, May 06, 2022 at 05:37:50 AM

First Article samples of all pop-up rooms!

This week, we were overjoyed to receive our final set of samples, what are known as First Articles. These are the first units off the assembly line, the last place we'll catch any tiny issues before unleashing the beast that is a modern assembly line. Despite the fact that the team at LongPack is still on Covid lockdown, their partner factory that is specifically making the pop-up rooms is (thankfully) still open. The samples look absolutely amazing --we've never seen the rooms of Fogmoor Manor come to life in such high quality. See for yourself:

                                     (apologies for the bad creepy whistling, the chicken forced us)

Since these  pop-up rooms are the most complex components, it will give the LongPack team time to emerge from their total lockdown, and resume full production on the remaining game components soon. They have assured us that once they're up and running again, The Shivers production run will be their top priority. 

Pop-up rooms are now in full production!

So all 8 pop-up rooms (6 from the Core game plus the 2 expansions) are now in full production. Thank goodness! But the less complex remaining components are still on hold, waiting on a First Article sample to be produced. See this image below to see what is moving forward as of today:

In other news, we've started a Designer's Diary, detailing Andy's day-by-day progress, revelations, missteps, pitfalls, and sheer dumb luck he's encountered on this 4-year journey. It's currently over 48 pages of solid text. Hope to share that with you soon!

Stay tuned, we hope our next update will include a new shipping schedule (Covid-lockdowns depending). And as ever, thank you for your patience and understanding, and stay safe Shivers fans.

- The Shivers Team

Manufacturing Delay (booo), new YouTube channel (cool), and changes to our downloadable print files policy
about 2 years ago – Sat, Mar 19, 2022 at 01:51:18 AM

Manufacturing has been delayed, and here's why: 

We received some frustrating news from our manufacturing partner last week: a 2-month production delay. As a bit of backstory: when an assembly line is started for any product, the manufacturer does a test run to create a "first article", so that they can catch any potential problems with the process. It turns out that when they inspected the first articles of our pop-up rooms, they identified some issues that caused concern, which they informed us of immediately. 

They've let us know that they are making some corrections to the production process, and are going to create a new first article of the complete game to send to us by next week. Then we do a last inspection of the final game and give them the go-ahead to restart full manufacturing. But it also turns out that during this time, their region is going into a new Covid lockdown due to recent surges, and parts of their team are quarantining. So adding all that up equates to a 2-month expected manufacturing delay. 

Are we maddeningly frustrated? Oh, you bet. Is this just one of the many delightful parts of manufacturing your own game? Absolutely, and we know that. So it is with both regret and humility that we are letting you know that your games probably won't get into your hands until late-July. But we think having a pro-active manufacturing partner who is dedicated to assuring the highest quality is better than rushing a potentially flawed game out into the world. Please feel free to vent your frustrations and/or support in the comments below.

On more positive note, we have a new YouTube channel!

We've created a new Pop Fiction Games channel, so you can dive deeper into the world of The Shivers! Watch game-creator Andy as he takes a deep dive into all the spooky detail in each pop-up room, unveils never-before-seen early prototypes, walks you through all 8 playable characters, and more! Be sure to hit follow to see all future content. Here's a an example video below:

Changes to our downloadable print files

Early in our Kickstarter campaign, we received lots of support and interest from people worldwide for whom English may not be their first language. A handful of them reached out to us directly, inquiring if we could make our printing files available for download, so that they could make their own translations for their gaming circle. Our policy all along was to try to be as open as possible, and so we let them know that we could make our files available for non-commercial translation. However, now that our game has gotten more international interest, we are in early discussions with some publishing partners who may be making their own official translations. We learned that having unlicensed translations floating out in the world, along with our printing files, REALLY complicates the licensing process and makes it an untenable business decision. We directly informed these international backers of this change in policy, and we apologize if this causes any difficulties for our worldwide audience. 

What are are committed to still making available are our downloadable templates. We've create blank Story Cards for each room as well as blank Episode Guides, so that Shivers fans can create their own incredible DIY adventures. The link to those downloads will be posted in the coming months as the game gets closer to shipping. 

So that's it!

Kind of a mixed-bag update for this week, we'll continue to keep all of you updated as soon as we learn more. Please stay safe out there, Shivers fans.

- The Shivers Team

Spring shipping update (boring), and your feedback needed (exciting!)
about 2 years ago – Fri, Feb 11, 2022 at 08:47:19 PM

The forecast for this Spring is: spooooky....

According to LongPack, our manufacturer, your copy of The Shivers should be getting  onto a container boat around mid-March. That puts them at our Quartermaster distribution centers around late-April. Which means you should be receiving them around mid-May. That is unless we hit any unexpected snags during the remainder of the production run, but we'll let you know if we do. 

Who are your favorite game reviewers?

We're going to be getting an early sample of about 20 copies of The Shivers sent early, which we intend to send to a select group of trusted game reviewers. So question for you: which tabletop game reviewers would you like to see get their hands on an early release of The Shivers? Please comment below! 

Seeking talented storytellers!

We're already putting Expansions #3, 4, and 5 on our roadmap for development later this year. Here's where YOU can help be a part of that creative process: Are there any established authors out there that you would like to see collaborate on some Shivers episodes? Bonus points if they work in the Fantasy, Mystery, or Horror genres. Please comment below!

That's it for this update, be sure to follow us @TheShiversGame on the social medias for the latest. 

- The Shivers Team

Happy New Year from The Shivers! If you're a Core or Deluxe backer, see exactly what you'll be receiving!
over 2 years ago – Wed, Jan 05, 2022 at 09:01:19 PM

What to expect from The Shivers in 2022:

For us, 2021 was all about getting our game perfected and ready for mass-production. 2022 will be all about manufacturing all our units, and shipping them to each and every one of you around the world. We're beyond excited that you will finally get your copies of our pop-up mystery game, and that we'll begin to hear about the adventures unfolding around your gaming table. Maybe we'll even see some of you at PAX East!

[Spoiler Alert]: Then later in this year, expect an announcement of some spook-tastic new expansions for your Shivers universe. But more on that front later!

Did you back the Core game? Here's what you'll be receiving: 

Everything you'll need to start your own adventures, including 6 pop-up rooms!

Or are you a Deluxe backer? Check out all the things!

Everything in the Core game, PLUS expansions #1 and #2, and exclusive characters!

We sincerely hope this new year brings you happiness, good health, and the chance to share a good game with those you love most (or at least those you mildly tolerate). Be sure to follow us on social media @TheShiversGame for the latest news and sneak-peeks! 

- The Shivers Team

New Shivers videos full of spooky pop-up magic! PLUS a production schedule update
over 2 years ago – Thu, Dec 16, 2021 at 02:45:23 AM

First things first: we have a new production schedule

Since we first gave our artwork files to the manufacturer (LongPack) back in July, we've been wondering what the revised production schedule would look like. Now we finally have that answer! LongPack has shared with us this new production schedule estimate: 

• Mass-production on pop-up rooms begins mid-December
• Production on all remaining game components begins in early January 
• All production completed and games shipped by early March,  loaded onto shipping containers
• Containers arrive in Quartermaster distribution centers world-wide in early/mid-April 
• Your games ship directly to you around end of April

So that's our best estimate right now as to when you'll be receiving your copy of The Shivers, we'll keep you posted if there are any changes. The finish line is now in sight!

Check out these amazing new Shivers videos!

We take a deep dive into each of the 8 amazing pop-up rooms, PLUS show you the early prototypes for each room, hand-crafted by creator Andy Logan (watch out for blood).

Next, we take a deep dive into each of the 8 playable Shivers characters, including their strengths, fears, and the all-important Favorite Saying catch-phrase. PLUS one giant on-camera creator fail. 

We also created new and improved Unboxing videos of the Core and Deluxe games (the old ones had video/audio issues). The Core Game first: 

Then the Deluxe Game, with it's 2 Expansion Packs and extra goodies, PLUS the StoryCrafter's Pack!

Is there a specific video you'd like to see? Let us know!

Now that we have our manufacturing sample, we can make lots of great video content to share with our fans. Is there a certain video topic you'd like to see? Let us know in the comments below!

And as always, follow us on all social media channels @TheShiversGame to get the latest news. 

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones. 

- The Shivers Team