Print and Play is Here!! Flip and Write Too!
about 1 year ago – Wed, Mar 15, 2023 at 07:56:12 PM

Hey Backers!

Great news!  We are done with both Print-and-Play (PnP) versions of Junk Drawer... including our PnP-only Flip-and-Write version... and are ready to distribute them to you.  

A special thank you goes out to Jon Merchant (@JonMerchant21) for helping us prepare the PNPs, he did a fantastic job! Check out all of his other work. He's an artist, graphic designer, and published game designer as well!

Print-and-Play Logistics

We will be using our pledge manager, BackerKit, to distribute the rewards so we can make sure everyone (KS backer or preorder) that has completed their order will get the PnP from the same location.  Here's how it will work.

- We have uploaded the PnP and Flip and Write versions into the pledge manager for you to download now! You will receive an email with the download link, but if you're having trouble, refer to this article for how to find your files. 

https://help.backerkit.com/article/662-where-can-i-find-my-digital-downloads

What You're Getting

We will be providing both color and black and white versions for you to download.  The list of downloads includes:

- Full Color PnP version with card backing art... This version is a full, PnP copy of the physical game, including cards, tiles, boards, etc. 

- Full Color Flip and Write PnP (with alternate F&W rulebook)... This version will only be available as a PnP; we are NOT creating or shipping a Flip-and-Write physical version.  The idea for a Flip-and-Write came after the Kickstarter.  Instead of having to cut 84 tiles, it removes all the tiles and includes a custom F&W player board for players to draw the shapes.  This allows players who want to enjoy a simpler, PnP version more quickly.

- Black and white PnP version with card backing art...  For all of your ink-saving needs

- Black and white Flip and Write PnP (with alternate F&W rulebook)...  For all of your ink-saving needs

A Word on Print and Play

We feel like this should go without saying, but please do not distribute the Print and Play files to others; they are for your personal use.

Of course we want you to play the game (including your own PnP copy) with as many others as possible.  And if you know others that would be interested in the PnP files, please direct them to our campaign or preorder page, where they can obtain their own copy.

Pledge Manager Locking Dates

As of now, we don't have a set date for locking pledges, but if you have not filled out your pledge survey, please use this Print and Play distribution as a trigger to complete. 

As a reminder...we still have not charged you for shipping costs or any additional add-ons that you've added after the campaign ended.  We will have a better figure for you in the next few months on shipping charges and will charge everything near the end when we ship the games.

That's all from us for now!  We hope you all are staying safe and happy and healthy.  Please let us know if you have any questions and if you download and play the Print and Play this weekend, take a picture and post on social media or tag us on Twitter, we'd love to know what you think and to see you playing it!

Much Love,

David and Travis 

A Quick Update for Everyone
about 1 year ago – Sat, Mar 11, 2023 at 06:36:59 AM

Hi Everyone!

Thank you for being patient with us!  We were hoping that we could post one huge update that included the Print and Play Files and a status of production, but our Print and Plays are still undergoing a last revision.  

Production Update

But first things first, here is a video of Junk Drawer in its "White Copy" version being packaged into the box.  The White Copy is a copy of the game with all of the correct specifications, cardboard types, and cutouts, but with no graphics.  This is a standard first pass during production and with the way it looks, we are getting so excited to see the artwork and the final product!  Check out this video that we received from Gameland :-)

They have sent us this copy to formally review, which we should receive within a week or so.  We will check every last spec and make sure it matches what we promised.  From there we will relay any changes and then the first Production Copy will be produced, which will also be sent to us for final proofing.  Exciting!

Print and Play Status

As we mentioned, our print and play is in the final stages of graphic design, but so that you know what to expect, we will actually be delivering three separate Print and Play file sets.

- Full Color PnP: This is the traditional PnP file with all components, full color, and everything spec'd out.  The pages will have fronts and backs so that if you wanted to print double sided to make cards, you can.  Otherwise, just print every other page and sleeve everything. This is likely what most people will use to play the game.  Here is a quick look at the PnP (still in final draft).

- Low Ink Black and White PnP: This is the same thing as above, but will be a black and white version and will be tailored for those who just want to play and don't want to use a ton of ink.  Admittedly, this version will not look as polished as the full color due to the grayscaling of the pictures.  Here is a quick video of this version of the PnP (still in final draft).

- Full Color Flip and Write: This is the extra version we promised during the campaign and the components will be quite different from the original. The item cards will show the shapes that you will need to draw each round (with their item picture). 

We hope to have the Print and Play files finished very soon.  Our graphic designer has been very busy juggling multiple projects but once it is finished we will release it ASAP.  Again, thank you all for being patient with us.

That's all for this update, we will see you soon!

David and Travis

Final artwork and rulebook updates are COMPLETE! Plus an update on our fulfillment plan
about 1 year ago – Tue, Jan 31, 2023 at 05:28:59 PM

Hi Backers!  We appreciate your patience as we work through the details of making Junk Drawer.  We wanted be mindful of your time and attention and only post updates when we have big updates.  Well guess what? We do have some big updates :-)

Manufacturing Update

We have finalized all updates to the artwork, the rulebook, the graphic design, and our order details.  We showed you the front of the box last time, but here it is again.

Here's the finished back of the box.

We have also made our first deposit to Gameland for the manufacturing!  

• So where do we go from here, you say?!?

Well, we first wait for Gameland to review the files and provide any feedback or request changes, so that the files are formatted for their printers and software...  This can take up to a few weeks.  Then they will send us the digital sample to review before sending us a pre-production sample of the game.  

Fulfillment Update

Unfortunately, it isn't all sunshine and rainbows this time around.  We learned over the last month that one of the major fulfillment companies, Funagain Logistics, is going to close up shop and going out of business within the next couple of months.  We partnered with them for 10 Gallon Tank, and were set up to continue that partnership for Junk Drawer.  We've had a great relationship with them and it is really sad to see them end their business of over 20 years; this does, however, put us in a bit of a bind.  Not only do we have to move all of our 10 Gallon Tank inventory to another fulfillment company, but we also must make other arrangements for Junk Drawer.  

We have already begun talking with folks about other fulfillment opportunities.  But as you might guess, when a large fulfillment company says they are closing in the next couple months, everybody else is also looking to transition.  So over the next month we will be working hard on that.  There is nothing additional that you all will need to do, and you likely won't notice any difference other than a potential impact to our schedule.  Our fingers are crossed that it won't impact our delivery, but we will let you all know as soon as we know if there are any delays due to having to find a new fulfillment partnership.

That's all for this update.  Print and Play information is coming very soon, we're working on finalizing it right now :-) Until then, play lots of games!

David and Travis

Updated Box Cover and Manufacturing Update
over 1 year ago – Fri, Dec 23, 2022 at 04:11:57 PM

Happy Holidays Everyone!

We wanted to post a quick update both to wish you all a safe and happy holidays, but also to show you what we've been working on over the past month.  

Updated Box Art

As we mentioned in our last post, our partnership with 25th Century added some additional review time in order to add their logo to the box as well as some feedback on overall layout.  But I am happy to report that we have finished our update to the box cover and it looks reallllllly good!  

The most noticeable change is of course the logo of the game. The new doodle style with thick red letters helps the title stand out and of course you'll see the new 25th Century logo as well, which is styled as a pin (another item that could definitely be found in your junk drawer)!

Manufacturer Selected - Gameland

Another thing we've been hard at work on over the last month is selecting a manufacturer.  We are happy to announce that we will be working with GAMELAND for manufacturing Junk Drawer!  Gameland has been making games for over 15 years and we are excited to get to work with them to bring this game to life!  Our next steps in the process are to finalize the order quantities and features (will be done this week or next), wrap up the graphic design changes (we are working on making the back of the box better as well), and then send the files over to Gameland to start reviewing and proofing.  Since we are a little further behind where we originally thought we'd be as a result of the graphic updates, we will make sure to keep you updated if we think our original fulfillment date of July 2023 is going to change.  As of now, we think we're still in good shape.

That's all for this update!  We are looking forward to spending some much needed time with family and friends over the holidays and hope you are able to as well.  Thanks to each and every one of you and we'll see you in 2023!

David and Travis

A Partnership for Junk Drawer and an Update on our Schedule + PAXU
over 1 year ago – Mon, Nov 21, 2022 at 08:13:27 PM

Hello Backers!

The holiday season is upon us, woohoo!  We always cherish this time every year because we get to spend a lot of time with family (and any games we play with them is a bonus!).  We wanted to post a quick update because we know it has been about a month since our last one, but we do have exciting news to share :-)

We have been working behind the scenes and are proud to announce that we are partnering with 25th Century Games for distribution of Junk Drawer!!!

25th Century has been a staple in the board game industry for years and I'm pretty sure that most of you have played one of their games.  (Completely honest, Green Team Wins is one of our favorite party games!)

In short, this means that we are partnering together to get Junk Drawer in more stores and avenues than we would normally be able to do as a small indie publisher.  

One of the other benefits to this partnership is that the talented folks over at 25th Century have reviewed and provided feedback on the graphics and illustrations.  That did mean additional time for review, discussions, and revisions, which we are addressing now.  We aren't able to share anything specific quite yet, but the game's look and feel will be better overall as a result and will be in the hands of more gamers!

From a schedule standpoint, we are slightly behind where we thought we would be at this point but still on track to deliver on our original schedule.  We built in several months of buffer to make sure that if anything unexpected came up, we could address it and still deliver on time.  Our plan is to get the final files to the manufacturer in December and begin the manufacturing process. 

PAXU:  Just a quick note that we will be at PAX Unplugged, but do not have a booth.  We will be in the Unpub room, as well as walking around, playing games, and enjoying the convention.  Don't hesitate to reach out and say Hi or let us know if you want to play a game (including our copy of Junk Drawer).  We are on Twitter at @WinsmithGames.

Thank you for all of the continued support.  We are so fortunate to be able to make games and are looking forward to a great 2023 with lots of organized Junk Drawers!

David and Travis