Twisty Little Passages - July Project Updates
over 6 years ago – Tue, Jul 30, 2019 at 01:26:08 AM

Hi!

I have a good amount of project news, and I hope you've been having a great month of July.

We continue to have strong momentum on our end. Our team has been actively working on Twisty Little Passages most every day and having a good time with it.  I've been looking forward to sharing the details.

First off, our team had one change.  About the time of last update, George Patsouras had an employment change, which left him no time to work on the project going forward.  The change was unexpected, and it was sad for me to see George go, but the good news is that VShane has enthusiastically stepped up to pick up the slack, and I'm glad to say we are still on schedule to be ready for production (printing) by the end of the year.  Everyone on the team has been leaning into the project and making great things happen.  I see it coming together and looking better each day.

At this point, we have nearly all material for the third chapter finalized and are now starting into the final art for the fourth (out of six total chapters).  If I were to put a progress bar on where we are in the total overall effort, I'd say we are collectively past 75% complete, which is great!

Stretch goal progress

Alternative exit paths for unlocking the secret bonus areas have been designed and integrated into the pre-existing puzzles. The second bonus puzzle has been designed and is being play tested.  As touched on during the campaign, it introduces some base ingredients that can be combined in essentially alchemical ways to produce various effects, which is different and fun, and I'm feeling good about how it has turned out.

The meta-puzzle has also been designed and incorporated into the book.  It provides a completely different kind of puzzle then all the rest, and I think it will be a satisfying experience for those looking for a fresh riddle spanning the entire book. No spoilers on exactly what it is.  The puzzles in this book steadily ramp up in difficulty and become quite challenging by the end, and if you can solve them all, I'm confident you will be able to figure out the meta-puzzle yourself!

Overall

At this point, nearly all the pages for the book are completely laid out, and I'm expecting TLP to come in at just over 100 pages.  As planned, it's going to be a solid collection of dungeon crawl puzzles with a great amount of variety in mechanics, game elements, setting, enemies and solutions that we will be proud to publish. It's rare to be able to say that a unique type of puzzle is being set to print, and our team is excited and enthusiastic about being able to create this novel play experience. Oh, and last, but not least, the Italian translation of the print-and-play version is proceeding apace and is looking great as well!

What's next

In August, I expect our team will continue forward along the same trajectory, spending time putting together the assets for the fourth chapter and then starting in on the fifth. The path forward is clear and we simply need to execute on our plans and design.

Thanks for your patience as we work on Twisty Little Passages, and I'll plan to provide another update on progress at the end of next month!

Best,

Mike

Pre-orders for Twisty Little Passages now available! Project updates!
over 6 years ago – Sat, Jun 22, 2019 at 10:33:30 PM

Hi!

If you missed the Kickstarter campaign for Twisty Little Passages and were unable to make a pledge, retail pre-orders are now available!

You can use this link to place a pre-order, and I've also added the pre-order store link at the top of the TLP campaign page.

The physical and digital versions of the book are being temporarily discounted about 10-15% from retail to serve those who missed the campaign.

If you made a campaign pledge, you don't need to do anything yet.  Later on in the year, when we're close to printing, you will be sent out a post-campaign survey from BackerKit, our pledge manager, in which you will be able to select add-on items to include in your reward shipment at that point.

Clarification: pre-order copies will include all unlocked bonus and stretch goals.

Any questions, please ask here in the comments!

Project progress

Also wanted to provide a quick update on how the project is progressing.  There's good news that we're making steady progress, at the pace we had planned, and currently nothing is blocking our momentum.  The Chapter Two puzzle maps are now fully illustrated and we're moving on to the art and final production for Chapter Three.

One of the two stretch goal bonus puzzles has been designed, and it will be hooked in as a secret level to Chapter Three that you will need to unlock by completing some special challenges in those areas.

There are six chapters of puzzles in all, so about one-third of the total book content has been completed and is production-ready at this point.

I anticipate providing another update around the end of July.  Till then, wish us luck in our progress, and I wish you a great month!

Best regards,

Mike Rimer

Thank you for an amazing campaign!
over 6 years ago – Fri, Jun 14, 2019 at 02:19:27 AM

The Twisty Little Passages campaign has come to a successful conclusion!

First off, I'd like to thank you for an amazing campaign!  It's been a joy to witness the community come together in friendship and support of this new creation, especially in the final days.  I appreciate your pledge and value the feedback that's been given to help this fresh, new puzzle game book shine.  I am full of gratitude for the opportunity to take the seed of this creative effort and grow it into something glorious and amazing.

What have we accomplished during the campaign?

We've unlocked five bonus/stretch goals, including adding the following upgrades to the book:

* A world map

* Two bonus puzzles

* A materials upgrade of the paper to heavy-duty 10 pt card stock glossy laminated pages

* And a secret meta-puzzle!

We will also make a digital version available, which all physical book backers will receive a copy of for free!

Now, here's where the real work begins for our team! :)

I'd like Twisty Little Passages to be a book that you have a lot of fun with, are proud to own, and enjoy sharing with others.

As we work to that end, I will provide periodic updates to keep you informed as we reach each milestone along our creative path.  This will help you know what to expect and get a feel for timing.  Please feel free to ask questions and provide input and feedback along the way.  Our projects have always flourished as we collaborate with the community, and your thoughts are appreciated!

The next immediate task on my radar is to work with BackerKit, our pledge manager, to bring our post-campaign order management site online.  I'll begin work on this, and I'll post an update as soon as the site is available for selecting add-ons and placing additional orders.  Later on, closer to the time when we print the book at our manufacturer and get ready for shipment, BackerKit will help us collect mailing addresses from everyone who has pledged for one or more physical copies. This will help ensure delivery addresses are correct and current.  Shipping will also be collected about that time via BackerKit.  After that point, copies of Twisty Little Passages will be shipped to our logistics hubs, and from there delivered to you!

I'm sure there will be much more to talk about along the way, but this serves as an initial outline for what to expect next and later along the way.  Meanwhile, if any questions arise, please ask!

Thank you again for a wonderful campaign!

-- Mike

12 hours remaining! Card stock page upgrade unlocked! Meta-puzzle at 93%!
over 6 years ago – Thu, Jun 13, 2019 at 11:37:17 PM

No matter where you are in the world right now, today is the final day of the Twisty Little Passages campaign, with just over twelve hours remaining.

I'm pleased to announce...drumroll...that we have smashed the highly anticipated stretch goal of unlocking heavy-duty 10 pt card stock pages!  Yayyyyyy!   As I've said before, I appreciate the opportunity to provide this great upgrade and I'm glad we reached this point in order to provide the best possible product.  Thank you!

We are quickly advancing on the fifth stretch goal of adding a bonus secret meta-puzzle to the book.  We're over 93% of the way there, and I'll announce by the end if we managed to hit it.  Yesterday was one of the best days of the campaign and we still have great momentum, so there's a good chance we can reach it today.  Crossing fingers!

When the campaign closes, I'll provide an update summarizing how the campaign concluded and what to expect next.  Rest assured that I will maintain regular communication as the project hits milestones along the way to getting the book into your hands, and please feel free to reach out to me at any time with questions, comments, etc.

Thank you for going on this journey together. :)

-- Mike

Final 36 hours! Another bonus puzzle stretch goal unlocked! New stretch goal revealed! Sneak peek at puzzle #8!
over 6 years ago – Thu, Jun 13, 2019 at 12:21:14 AM

The Twisty Little Passages campaign has fewer than 36 hours remaining and we're seeing a lot of momentum.  Thank you for supporting the project!

We just blew past another stretch goal and have unlocked a second secret bonus puzzle.  This puzzle will involve an epic boss fight against a giant kraken!

A new stretch goal of an additional secret bonus puzzle has been revealed, and we are now 90% of the way to unlocking the heavy-duty 10 pt card stock page upgrade.  Let's blow past this stretch goal as well and set our sights on unlocking the secret meta-puzzle!

Hot off the presses, I'd like to share with you a sneak peek of another puzzle layout.

Sneak peek of Puzzle #8: Gnoll Citadel

You will need to infiltrate the Gnoll Citadel in search of a forbidden relic, occasionally battling groups of two or three guards at a time, though maybe there's a way to slip past some if you're careful.  Get ready for a challenge!

Thanks again for your support, and here's to a great finish to the campaign!

-- Mike